Rule 10

Rule 10 (As per usual, not proofread so please ignore any errors as they will be fixed in later editing).

I woke up the next morning with a banging headache. Not just any headache, a headache that felt like a little man was inside my head with a hammer, playing whack a mole with my brain.

The walk into the kitchen was a long one and even the thought of food made me feel a bit sick. Not that I had anything left in my stomach to bring back up. I was greeted when I entered the kitchen with the sound of Ash tapping his fingers on his cup of coffee.

"Morning!" he all but yelled and I groaned, shaking my head.

"Rule 10, give sympathy for the hangover," I mumbled, pushing past him to grab a cup. He didn't move so easily though and just chuckled.

"How's the head?" he asked. I just gave him a look.

"Absolutely killing me," I answered. He grinned and stepped aside.

"That's called karma," he said. I frowned, filling the cup with water and looking around for some paracetamol.

"For what?"

"Nearly heaving up your dinner into my mouth," he retorted. I grimaced, getting a flash of the memory.

"About that," I started but he shook his head and held his hand up.

"It was a crap kiss, I'll be forgetting about it quicker than you can say drunk off your arse," he replied with a shrug. I narrowed my eyes and took a gulp of my water, instantly regretting it.

"I am not a crap kisser," I argued and walked back into the living room, remembering that the night I jumped him with a can of hairspray, he was looking for tablets in the sideboard.

"You didn't impress me very much last night," he offered with a one shouldered shrug.

"You clearly didn't impress me very much, either. You made me puke, remember?" I replied sweetly and Ash scoffed.

"Whatever, you initiated it." I turned around at his words and felt the room spin with me.

"One, I was drunk and two, I was clearly delusional." Ash chuckled and shook his head.

"They say a drunk girl is just doing what a sober girl wants but is too scared to do," he replied easily and watched me as I rifled through the top drawer.

"Bullshit," I retorted, ignoring him as he carried on.

I was just about to pop a pill when Dev swooped in and took the tablets from me. I let out a small sound of argument but stopped when I saw his face.

"Sorry," I started but he just smirked.

"How drunk were you last night?" he asked, looking me over.

"I look that bad?" I asked and he nodded, patting my head.

"You look like crap. What happened?"

"I don't even know. All I know is that I kissed Ash, which made me sick to the stomach and I spent half the night with my head in the toilet. I didn't even drink that much!" Dev's head snapped at Ash's direction and he scowled.

"She kissed you?" he hissed. Ash straightened and shot me a glare.

"For a few seconds and then she was sick," he tried to pass it off. I decided against telling Dev about our dancing and hanging out for the majority of the night and left out my conversation with Ryder.

"You know they spike the drinks, right?" Dev added, turning his attention back to me. I frowned.

"Is this the face of someone who knows?" I asked, raising both of my eyebrows. Dev let out a small laugh and then smirked.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Al. When guys throw parties, they want to get laid. They get laid when girls get drunk. So, as a result, the beer they put in the kegs is a lot stronger than your generic beer. How many cups?" he asked. I squinted in thought and shrugged.

"Can't remember. I'd say about four," I offered and Dev grimaced.

"That's the equivalent to about twelve. Good look with the hangover," he said with a grin and tapped my back before strolling into the kitchen.

"Brilliant."

I had to go to work with the hangover and I didn't feel quite so bad when I saw the state of Sid, who looked like she was about to collapse at any given moment.

"Your heads aren't going to be feeling any better," Matt said as he reversed through the door, carrying a cardboard box. "There are races on tonight," he finished, eyeing us both with an amused smile.

"Hangovers aren't so funny now, are they?" Matt chided, patting my back with more force than necessary.

"I didn't laugh at you, Sid did!" I defended and leaned on the bar, looking at the door longingly. I just wanted to go home and sleep.

In the end, I was left to man the bar on my own as Sid and Matt were the only people that knew how to set up the race track out the back. It wasn't an actual track, apparently, just a back road that needed some clearing. All in all, it didn't look very safe.

"Gonna watch the races, girl?" a voice asked from beside me. I turned to see Ry standing there in similar biking gear to Ash's.

"I'm hungover and I don't want to talk to you. What's your interest in me anyway?" I asked, giving him a bored look.

The bar was so quiet that there was no possible escape from him unless the twins were to come back through the door. Ash's mother was away on business and if I was raped in here, nobody was going to help me.

"You're something that I've been told I can't have, therefore, sweetheart, I want you more," he drawled. I rolled my eyes.

"Got any more crappy pick up lines that you want to throw at me or are you going to go back and prepare for the race?" I asked, taking a step back from the bar and from the towering Ryder.

"I've got a few more up my sleeve," he offered.

"I repeat, I'm hungover, please don't put me through that," I complained and he laughed, moving himself onto the bar stool.

"I won't hassle you with those. Could you grab me a can of coke, though?" he asked. I eyed him suspiciously before giving him a can and taking the money. He seemed nice enough whenever I'd spoken to him but the odds were against him.

"Where's your boyfriend, then?" he asked after taking a long sip.

"I'm not sure who you're on about, I'm not with anyone." Ry grunted and shook his head.

"Ash seems to have his hands all over you," he countered. I rolled my eyes and tapped my fingers on the smooth wood of the bar.

"Ash is my cousin's lodger and I was drunk off my arse when I kissed him," I argued and Ry's dark eyebrows shot up.

"I was on about the dancing but if he got some action after, I'd better get working on you," he cooed. I frowned and folded my arms over my chest.

"You two are like four year olds. Arguing over biking championships, girls and booze. You need to grow up," I replied evenly and Ryder smirked.

"Nah, darlin', this isn't some stupid competition. He stole my girl and he's trying to steal my championship. It's only fair that I take something he wants, correct?" he asked, gesturing towards me.

"He had a lovely redhead in the apartment yesterday, I'm sure that you can take her from him quite easily," I said, losing my patience.

"I don't want some cheap slut. Besides, both of us like a challenge, it's just a matter of who beds you first." That was when I lost my temper.

"Beds me first?! Please tell me you're joking. I don't sleep around and the pair of you man whores do. I'm not interested in Ash, I'm not interested in you and I'm certainly not sleeping with either of you," I snapped and Ryder grinned.

"You know he took Sid off me, right?" Ry asked. My face went blank.

"Sid slept with Ash?" He nodded at my statement and took another sip of his coke.

"Then she dumped me."

Just as he said this, Sid fell through the door laughing, clearly feeling better. As soon as she saw him, her face dropped.

"What does he want?" she asked quietly, coming up behind me.

"A can of coke, darl. I like the purple, it suits you," he said, cocking his head to the side.

"Remind me to go back to red," Sid retorted and pushed away from the bar. "Tell me when he's gone," she added.

Ry stayed a few minutes longer before crushing his can and storming out, leaving me with a banging headache and pondering thoughts. Sid came back through with a grumpy expression which warned me not to pry into their relationship.

Ash and Dev shoved up a few hours later, both of them seemed annoyed. Dev made a beeline for the bar while Ash disappeared through the back door.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, passing me some tablets.

"Like death. What's the matter?" I enquired. Dev ran his hand through his hair and took a note out of his back pocket. He looked over his shoulder and put the paper on the bar. I looked down and frowned, picking it up.

'If you so much as show up at the race track on Saturday, don't expect to live past the evening.'

"When did this happen?" I asked, feeling my heart rate pick up. If that wasn't a death threat, I don't know what is.

"We found it about an hour ago but I don't know how long it has been there," Dev answered, grabbing the note and slipping it back in his pocket.

"Who do you think it was? What're you doing to do?" I asked. Dev shrugged, kicking the wood of the bar with his toe.

"I don't know, but it's Saturday and Ash refused to let this get in his way. He thinks it was Ry and that he's talking through his arse." I looked at Dev in shock and glanced at the door.

"He can't, it's risky. Ry was here a few hours ago, talking to me. What if it wasn't him?" I asked, glancing nervously towards the door. Dev shrugged again and started on his way to the race.

I decided to go with him, knowing that Matt was only in the store room and the bar was empty. As I pushed through the door, I noticed that the racing wasn't what I expected. There were people on either side of the road and there were only four bikes by the wall, one of which was Ash's. He was standing by it, talking to an older man. He didn't look even slightly nervous and I felt like I was carrying all his worry for him. I didn't necessarily like the guy but if he did die, I'd get his room.

"Ash!" I shouted and he turned at the sound of my voice. He smirked and folded his arms over his chest as I approached, feeling my head bang with my footsteps.

"Good evening, love, come to gawp at me as I race?" he asked. I shook my head and gestured back towards Dev.

"I've come to tell you not to race," I corrected and he grinned.

"This conversation is pointless. That letter was a load of bollocks, Ry's idea of a joke. Now go over there and watch in awe at my success."

"Your arrogance disgusts me," I stated, causing him to chuckle.

"And it attracts others so works for me. Look, Al, I'm racing, okay?" he said. I frowned.

"Ash, the note," I started but he threw his arm over my shoulder, effectively shutting me up.

"Al, I'm experienced and know what I'm doing," he replied, ruffling my hair and letting me go. "I'll be fine."

I decided against arguing with him anymore, I didn't like him that much. I regretted it as soon as the bike started and the people started cheering. I could feel Dev tense beside me and the tension was well awaited as when they were meant to slow down and turn the corner, Ash kept going. He made some kind of signal and that was the only movement we saw before his bike crashed into the wall and Dev lurched forwards, shouting Ash's name.

A/N: I decided against casting anyone as normally people tend to disagree with who I choose and I think a story is better if you can imagine it yourself :). Anyway, if you're feeling generous, please drop me a vote or a comment, it informs me that you're enjoying it :')