Sasha & Colton; Felicia & Jackson

Sasha
Celeste had just about stopped weeping by two in the morning. Felicia had conked out by ten thirty and no one had the heart to wake her. Maxine fell asleep shortly after Celeste. The only people left awake were me and Phoebe.

“I’m an insomniac.” Phoebe confessed.

“I am, too.” I replied. “I’m usually up cooking at this time of night.”

“This late?”

“Pressures of being the owner of a business.” Phoebe smiled, understandingly.

“I know. My clinic demands so much of my time.”

“Wow. That’s cool. I own my own catering company. Balas Catering. Not terribly inventive, I'm afraid.” She laughed

“It's okay." She sighed. "Owning your own business is tiring but wonderful.” And so, the conversation continued on its same boring path as we discussed the joys and sorrows of owning a business. Until it took a turn onto the personal side.

“One recommendation I will offer to you is never date at work.” I cocked my eyebrow at her as she sipped her glass of Pepsi. “I was dating my nurse, Richard.”

“How’d that work out?”

“Awful. He’s on leave and despite his promise to call every two days, I haven’t received a single call and it’s been two weeks. Not even a damn postcard.” She shrugged. “What about you? Any guys in your life?” My thoughts flew to Jackson.

“No. Well...yes.” She waited, patiently. “I’m attracted to this guy; so I don’t like him that way yet.”

“So who is he?”

“Jackson Hines.” She smiled.

“The writer?”

“Yeah. You know him?”

“I got the chance to make his acquaintance at my party.”

“Do you usually speak weirdly?” Phoebe sighed.

“Generally.”

“Good to know.”

Colton
“Shut the hell up!” Jamie bellowed over my head. I flew out of the couch, in my surprise.

“Maybe you should consider taking your own advice, asshole.” I complained at him. I say I complained at him because in order to complain to somebody, the person would have to listen. Jamie’s attention was focussed on the whimpering Cameron.

“Why can’t you just shut it and go to sleep, Cam? Jackson isn’t going to let you in! In case you’ve forgotten, you did a very BAD thing to him.” Jamie was ranting. Cameron had been groaning all night and Jamie was a very light sleeper. Preston came storming out of his room.

“What on earth is going on?” He demanded.

“YOU!” Jamie raged. “You’re the reason I can’t get to sleep anymore! Because this maniac won’t leave Jackson alone!”

“Don’t talk to him like that!”

“He needs to be in a hospital. People like him need help. Serious help!” Jamie was frothing at the mouth in his anger. I couldn’t understand how Jackson or Kirk could keep on sleeping. “Like at a hospital!”

“The problem with you is that Jackson’s brainwashed you! He wants you to believe Cameron is seriously ill!”

“He tried to rape a man!”

“Sexually assault. He wasn’t going to actually-”

“Try explaining that brilliant theory to Jackson. I’m sure he would love to hear you explain why his ordeal isn’t that bad because he wasn’t going to be raped.” Preston bit his lip.

“That’s just insensitive!”

“Do you want to know what’s insensitive? Making a man live with the person who has been completely sexually inappropriate with him!” Preston just glared at him; he knew Jamie was right. “Why are you attached to such a freak anyway?”

“You ass!” Preston flew at Jamie and started punching him, his fists flying.

“Whoa!” I grabbed Preston and yanked him off Jamie, who had managed to defend himself pretty well. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Preston shrugged me off before storming into his room and slamming the door shut.

Felicia
“There seems to be no solace from people who have broken up! It’s like they’re trying to jeopardize our relationship.” I joked.

“Yeah. Carson is just moping around the apartment. It’s rather pathetic.”

“Well, Chelsea’s now a permanent fixture on that couch and Celeste refuses to leave her room. She blew an audition, thanks to your sleaze-ball roommate.”

“She did overreact a little.”

“He didn’t defend her from Adriana!” Neil shrugged.

“Don’t get your underwear in a twist.” I pulled away from him a little. “Felcy! Come on. This is our day together. Don’t ruin it by picking a fight.” I wasn’t picking a fight; I was defending my friend. I let it slide because I didn’t feel like having an argument but I didn’t move closer.

“Okay.” I sighed. “Well, everyone in my apartment is depressed. Getting depressed over being dumped makes no sense. The best way to get over a break up is to find a new guy right away.” Neil snorted.

“I’ll keep that in mind. But wouldn’t you get upset if I dumped you?” I smiled, sweetly at him. The truth was, our relationship meant nothing to me. He was good-looking and rich...and funny but he seemed to believe it was a lot more. Yeah, right. But I had to keep playing along. I wasn’t tired of him yet.

“Let’s not find out.” A wonderfully generic answer, though he could have taken it to mean that I never wanted to break up with him, which was hardly the case. A few more weeks and I’d be done with him. He beamed at me, almost proud at how witty I could be. Beaming back, I leaned in and pressed my lips against his.

Jackson
Stretching leisurely, I unlocked the dozens of padlocks that sealed me away from Cameron and wandered out into my living room. Jamie was lying on the couch with an icepack covering his left eye.

“Walked into a door?” I asked.

“Shut up.” He replied.

“Glad to see you’re your usual cheerful self.” Kirk and Preston were sitting in the dining room, having breakfast. Cameron was also there but I ignored him.

“Jackson! Did you see what I did?” Preston asked, excitedly.

“Uh...no.” I grabbed the box of cereal as I elbowed Cameron away from me.

“Jamie and I had a fight last night!”

“Ah, so that icepack was covering your handiwork?”

“Yup!”

“May I ask what you were fighting over?” Preston’s face fell and Kirk laughed.

“He was defending Cameron.”

“Jamie?”

“NO! Preston. Jamie was insulting Cameron and Preston went psycho and punched his lights out.”

“There were lights going out!” Jamie hollered from the living room. “He just took me by surprise.”

“You could have just sat on me, Jamie.” Preston grumbled.

“Fuck you.” The reply floated out of the living room. Cameron got strangely excited by those two words.

“Needless to say, I’m on Jamie’s side.” I said, eyeing Cameron suspiciously. The door slammed and Colton slunk in.

“My god, he’s worse than you after Addy dumped your sorry ass, Jack.” Kirk chuckled. I glared at him.

“Your sensitivity with this subject moves me, Kirk.” I snapped.

“I don’t mind, Jackson. My life might as well be over anyway.” Colton sighed. “I went for a walk and then saw the bench where she and I first kissed. I sat down on it and cried.” He moped his way out of the room.

“My god, Kirk. For once, you’re right. He is worse than I was.”

“Is that sarcasm?”