Tightrope

I Will Not Lend You The Gigantic Dildo

"Lena, shut that damn thing off or I'll kick you."

The next day brought sunshine, regret, chirping birds, deep and utter embarrassment, the delicious smell of bacon and eggs wafting up the stairs and complete humiliation. And I had been roused from sleep for about five seconds. My phone was buzzing on the nightstand, and the clock told me it was 10AM.

I blinked the sleep out of my eyes as Knight kicked me sharply in the shin, rolling over and shoving a pillow over his ears. After a long night of lamenting my personal crisis—"seriously, why did I make out with Jace Hartley? Who thought that would be a good idea? Give me a homemade lobotomy and cure me of this, please"—Knight had fallen asleep in the third hour of my regretful monologue. Since I refused to sleep in the cupboard, I had passed out next to him after building a mighty pillow fort.

Last night had been a disaster. Thankfully, by the time I'd recovered from my humiliation, which was only doubled by the realisation that I'd repeated the act, everyone in my living room was passed out from tiredness, partying, liquor and, according to Knight, extensive discussion about the Jace and Lena saga. It had saved me from facing my friends and the boundless questions I knew they were asking. I was sure, though, that Jace would now tell Daria, and she would alert the masses as to the story surrounding the now infamous Jace and Lena hookup. 

Unfortunately, that likely meant it would be all around the school by the time we returned from winter break. Alex and Holland were terrible gossips. 

"Answer your goddamn phone, Lena," Knight moaned.

My hand flopped blindly around the nightstand before finally locating the buzzing monstrosity. I pulled it up to my ear, my eyes still stinging from being forcibly opened at such an ungodly hour. "Uh-huh?"

"Lena? Sorry, did I wake you?"

It was Jace. Jace Hartley, the boy I'd hated my whole life and had now kissed twice. Twice. Images of his hands around me, on me, the feeling of his skin against mine, the gentle touch of fingers against my wrist as he clasped my beautiful bracelet around it... I sat bolt upright. "No, you're fine. I was—" I yawned. "Super awake. Um... hi."

"Hi."

The line was silent for a moment. Knight had clearly clocked my tone, because he was now rubbing his eyes and grinning; he wanted to be awake to witness the shitshow that was promised to come. Knight said that my voice took on a funny quality when I spoke to Jace. He called it the anger-horny hybrid, and I called him an asshole. 

"I, uh, was just calling to talk about last night?"

"No, Jace, I will not lend you the gigantic dildo."

Jace laughed at the other end, and the sound warmed me. He had always laughed at every one of my jokes; this was likely because I was exceedingly funny, but it was still nice. "Wow, okay. You never liked to share your toys."

"I'm selfish like that."

Next to me, Knight was pulling faces, and dramatically mouthing my words back to me. It was quite annoying. It did undercut the intense awkwardness that getting your very first phone call from your once-enemy and now post-kiss buddy seemed to cause. Jace had never called me before, and it was strange to hear his voice transmitted through the phone. A few weeks ago, I would've dropped the device into the toilet for fears it was contaminated. Now, in a stunning display of progress, I might drop the phone in the toilet to escape from the awkwardness. Baby steps.

"But, yeah, that wasn't exactly what I wanted to talk about," said Jace. "Shockingly enough."

"Hm?" I replied, fiddling nervously with the edge of the sheet.