Come As You Are Ch. 05

Sadie looked down at the sleeping form next to her. "Garrett's with me. He crashed in one of the chairs last night. Let Vienna know if you see her?"

"I will! See you whenever!"

"She is too cheerful for this early in the morning." Sadie slowly pushed the covers off and got to her feet. The light purple sky was a perfect backdrop to Taylor Peak. She stumbled over to her purse and pulled out her cell phone. "7:07. Who gets up this early on a weekend?" She let the phone drop onto the end table before turning towards the bed. A literal face plant followed. She bounced off the mattress slightly before coming to a rest. She managed to crawl back under the covers, pulling the quilt up to her shoulders and curling up on her side.

Sadie felt warm and snug, a feeling amplified when an arm fell across her stomach. "Was that Kim's voice?" Garrett mumbled as he rolled his body to spoon against her.

"Yeah." Her hand reached down to rest on top of his. "There's breakfast upstairs."

"Good. I'm hungry. Someone wore me out last night." A kiss on the back of her neck drew a content sigh from Sadie as she molded herself against Garrett's body. "I don't want to get up though."

"She said it'll be like an hour, so no rush."

"Mmm," Garrett answered. "Can we lie here and spoon then?"

"I'd like that." She closed her eyes as Garrett gently stroked her hair, not falling asleep so much as blissfully drifting in a drowsy haze. "Why are you leaving town?" she muttered. "This is something I could have gotten used to."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize. Just enjoy the moment." Sadie hummed as he continued to run his fingers through her hair. "Weird question. How do you feel about keeping what happened last night our little secret?"

She could hear Garrett stop breathing for a moment as her question was being processed in his brain. "Um... I mean, sure?"

Her fingers and his intertwined on her stomach as she gave Garrett what she hoped was a reassuring squeeze. "I want to keep this my own little moment. Last night was the best sex I ever had, not just on a physical level but on an emotional one. If I talk about it, the bubble would burst and it would just be another romp."

"I get it." Garrett's response surprised Sadie, a gentle kiss on the top arrow of her tattoo as well as a squeeze of his hand in hers. "As long as it's not out of embarrassment."

"Hell no. Trust me, I'd love to brag about it, but this night is mine and yours. No one else's."

"So no Gio, Vienna, Brenda, Colette, or Michelle?"

"Or Anne, or Kim. Just you and me... and Evelyn, I guess," she chuckled. "Is that OK?"

"Yeah, it is."

The quilt shifted as Sadie rolled over. When she saw Garrett for the first time that morning, she couldn't help but giggle. The young man had a severe case of bedhead. His messy brown hair had coalesced into a swirling peak that reminded her of soft-serve ice cream. "Good morning, Garrett," she smiled.

"Good morning, Sadie. Last night really happened, right? I'm not passed out on a couch somewhere dreaming I made love to Sadie Bedford?"

"Does this answer your question?" she whispered before gently kissing him. After sharing the light, airy kiss Sadie pressed her forehead against his. "But would you call what we did last night making love? It struck me as balls-out porno fucking."

Garrett's emerald green eyes sparkled in the scattered rays of the sunrise peeking through the window. "You're right," he admitted. "I didn't want to come off as crass."

"Crass? You've met me, right?" Sadie ran her fingers through his hair, trying to turn it from a tangled mess into a semi-tangled mess. "I don't make love," she said softly. "Making love's for good girls and boys. I'm a slut, Garrett."

"Sadie..."

She pressed a finger against her lips. "You wanted the full Sadie Bedford experience, right? Here it is. I'm eighteen years old and you're the seventh guy I slept with but the only one I've woken up next to. Every other guy took off as soon as they could find an excuse. You're the first guy to see me naked in the light of the morning. And you're leaving in a week. My friends are leaving after this summer. I'm going to be the only one of us left in Emerald Pines. Amy's right. I'm going to be a townie for the rest of my life." An acidic smile touched upon her face. "How's that for pillow talk? By night I'm a confident turboslut. By day I'm an anxious millennial gamer girl. I know what I want to do with my life, but I have no clue how to go about it."

"I stand by what I said last night. You're not a young woman, you're a force of nature. You're quick-witted, clever, and have one hell of a personality. Whatever you decide to do with your life, I'd bet on you in a heartbeat."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Not mentioning my body."

"Full disclosure, I was thinking about it," he admitted with a chagrined look.

"Who could blame you?" Sadie's teasing smile slowly faded. She dragged her thumb along his jawline. "Sorry for killing the mood. I..."

It was Sadie's turn to be interrupted as Garrett darted in to kiss her firmly on the lips. She found herself returning the kiss, pushing her body against his. Passion threatened to overwhelm Sadie, but not the kind of passion that saw her making out with Garrett on the pool table, or dragging him from the shower dripping wet to throw him down on the bed. It was the passion of connecting with someone beyond a physical level. "You didn't kill the mood," he said after breaking the kiss. "Besides, I'm in no condition this morning to get in the mood even if I wanted to."

Sadie glanced down between their bodies. "Aw, no morning wood?"

"He's wiped the fuck out. No chance of him waking up until after graduation probably."

"I broke you. That's almost sweet." After one final peck on the lips, Sadie slowly pulled herself free from the covers. "Come on. Let's strip the bed and go have breakfast."

X X X X X

"We should check on Danny."

Sadie nodded. "Want me to do it?"

"I got it." Sadie waited in the hallway as Garrett opened the door to the game room. The sound of heavy snoring filled the air as across the room Danny was still curled up on his side, laying on the couch in almost the same position they had left him. "Well, he's still alive," Garrett said. "Should we wake him?"

"No way. Just let Kim know he's down here."

"Yeah... actually, one second." Garrett set his bag on the floor and headed back towards the guest bedroom. When he returned he held the empty bottle of Balvenie that they had hidden below several layers of trash at the bottom of the garbage bag they had left outside the bedroom door. He walked into the game room and grabbed the two Scotch glasses along with a wet dishrag. She watched as Garrett wiped down the glassware and bottle. An amused smirk crossed Sadie's face when Garrett took Danny's hand and pressed his fingers into the bottle of Scotch before swapping it with the bottle of rum they had left on the end table.

After putting the rum back on the shelf, Garrett walked back into the hallway. "Master Criminal Garrett West," Sadie remarked as he picked up his gym bag. "You should see the smile on your face."

"Better he gets blamed than we do," Garrett answered. "Besides, that felt really fucking good. Payback, mixed in with feeling like a little bit of a dick."

Sadie gave him a final peck on the lips. "Sometimes good schadenfreude is better than sex. Not last night's sex, though," she added before moving towards the curving staircase leading up from the basement. Garrett followed, leaving the snoring Danny in their wake.

Without the music coming from the ballroom and the dozens of high school seniors packing the halls, the mansion felt empty. It did make it easy for Sadie and Garrett to follow the sound of voices towards the kitchen. Eventually, they emerged into a large room that looked like it belonged in a restaurant or a hotel - two island counters, a huge stove, and a pair of large refrigerators, to say nothing of what looked to be the door to a walk-in freezer.

"There you are!" Kim called out from the kitchen table in a voice way too chipper for way too early in the morning. The rising sun, shining between the mountain peaks off to the east, provided a warm glow for the large room. Spread out on the table was a variety of filling breakfast food - donuts, orange and apple juice, grapefruit, croissants - everything that might help a young adult recovering from a hangover, including what appeared to Sadie to be the world's largest pitcher of coffee.

Several of their fellow students were already sitting at the table. Kim was, of course, all smiles, while next to her, Vienna had a semi-vacant look on her face. Colette looked worse for wear. Her hair was an absolute mess, even pulled back into a tight ponytail, and her blue dress was wrinkled beyond belief. She gave a brief nod to Sadie, barely lifting her eyes from the cup of black coffee. Sitting across from each other were Rosemary McBrenan, a champagne glass of orange juice in front of her, and Evelyn Ballion. Rosemary didn't meet Sadie's eyes as she slid in between her and Colette while Garrett sat down next to Evelyn.

Sadie winced as she caught a sniff of the strong caffeinated fumes coming from the direction of both Colette and Vienna. "Whoa," she proclaimed. "You two both look like hell."

"Turns out my new anxiety meds had a party with all the alcohol I drank," Colette mumbled. "Need caffeine to be awake enough to fall asleep."

"I closed the ballroom," muttered Rosemary. Her eyes were narrowed behind her glasses as she tried to block out the sun. "Last thing I remember was watching Brian Virgil pass out, and then Evelyn getting me some water and propping me up in a corner somewhere." She took a bite of buttered toast. "I think I'm still drunk."

"Considering you are currently drinking a mimosa," offered Evelyn, "your statement holds more weight than you might know."

Rosemary picked up the champagne glass, twirling it by the stem as she studied it. "I thought it was orange juice." She shrugged before drinking the rest.

"How was your night, Evelyn?" inquired Garrett. The pale-skinned Goth appeared to Sadie exactly as she did when she had arrived at prom the night before. Her makeup and hair were immaculate, her dress was wrinkle-free, and her eyes utterly lacked drowsiness.

"After ensuring Rosemary was properly watered and planted, I wandered the property enjoying the visual aesthetic." A minute tilt of Evelyn's head accompanied a thin smile towards Garrett. "Both the front and the rear views."

Vienna didn't notice her best friend's face turning the same shade of red at the strawberry cream cheese accompanying her bagel. "Hey, Sadie." Vienna nodded towards Colette's coffee cup. "Is the stuff Colette brews normally this strong? It smells like it could peel a tattoo off someone's arm."

"The mornings where we'd pick her up for school, the fumes alone would wake both Michelle and me up," Sadie answered as she reached for a jelly donut.

"So Garrett," Kim said, "Sadie said you guys ended up falling asleep together. Did you have fun last night?"

"Wait, what?" Vienna turned to look at Garrett. "You two hooked up?!?"

"Whoa, we did NOT hook up," Garrett answered quickly. "You and Colette pulled a disappearing act so Sadie and I ended up looking for trouble together."

"Did you now?" Evelyn leaned forward. She laced her fingers together and primly placed her chin atop them. "And what illicit activities did the pair of you submerge yourselves into?"

Sadie and Garrett looked at each other. Time slowed down for her as Garrett offered a warm smile. "Nothing too illegal. Hung out. Played pool. Found one of the guest bedrooms and shot the breeze until we both fell asleep. I had fun."

"Yeah," Sadie replied, a bright smile on her face as well that only Garret could see. "I definitely had the fantastic prom night I was looking for."

X X X X X

Sadie polished off her second glass of wine. "There was a definite hint of hesitation at first, but that went out the window fucking quick. Once we got down to it, that boy was a bucking bronco."

"Sounds like you were too," Brenda said. "All the years I've known you, all the stories you've told us, that one's up there."

"Don't get me wrong, my sex life is fantastic. Between here and Aspen, it is a virtual parade of attractive men who are all looking to catch an Uber as soon as they're done, with the occasional woman thrown into the mix. But if I had to point to the most memorable sex I've ever had in my life, prom night's in the top three, easy. Did you have a thing for Garrett at that point, Brenda?"

"Not really. I danced with him that night, but I blame that on the booze and the high energy in that ballroom. I might have gotten jealous, though, if he had stayed in town and you two hooked up all summer instead of just on prom night."

Sadie's silence, complete with a glance down at her lap, caused Michelle to shake her head. "Come on Sadie. Really? You hooked up with him again?"

"What?!?" It was now Brenda's turn to draw stares from the rest of the patrons of Comstock's. "You're kidding me! When?!?"

"Graduation night."

X X X X X

"We made it!" Sadie turned and threw her arms around Linda Layton. "We fucking made it!"

"I know!" Linda returned the hug as the graduation caps fell to the ground all around them.

Sadie broke the hug, a wide smile on her face, and proceeded to hug several other classmates who happened to be close to her. The graduating class cheered wildly as their high school responsibilities finally came to an end. The bleachers were filled with clapping family members and close friends sharing in the proud moment. Sadie worked her way through the crowd hugging people and shaking hands as she found her way over to Colette, who was standing next to Brenda, proud smiles on both their faces. "We did it guys," Sadie said as she brought the two young women into a group hug.

The trio grew by one more as Michelle, having come down from the main stage, glomped onto them from behind. "It's done, it's over, it's finished!" The four girls hugged each other, cheerful and happy, already making plans for their last summer together before going their separate ways. Around them, other groups of students were congregating, the last presentation of cliques and friendships forged over the past twelve years. The girls ended up making the rounds, saying their final goodbyes and making vague promises to keep in touch that were rarely followed up on.

"Hey," Michelle proclaimed, "there's Gio!" Sadie looked to see Gio embracing Evelyn in a tight hug that took her off the ground. For once, the grim girl had a smile on her face that showed off her teeth. Next to him, Garrett tried to shake hands with Anne Jackson, who instead came in for a hug. "Gio," Michelle called out.

"Michelle!" Gio set the pale girl down and pecked her lightly on the cheek before turning to face Michelle. He wrapped her up in a hug that also swept her off the ground. "So are we officially adults now?" he asked as he set her back down.

"Kicking and screaming," Michelle answered.

The small group proceeded to exchange hugs (save for Garrett and Michelle who preferred a mutual handshake given with clenched teeth on her part) and well wishes, with Brenda going so far as to give Anne a firm embrace. At one point Sadie was on her way towards Garrett to give him a hug, possibly accompanied by a surprise squeeze of his butt. The young man was talking to Brenda. The blonde had a hand on his elbow, standing close while talking quietly to him.

"Hey," Sadie said as she came up to the pair. "Mind if I get a word in?" Before Garrett could react Sadie gave him a firm hug. "Brenda, did you hug him yet? It's like hugging a brick wall!"

"More like a firm, pliant eggplant," Brenda suggested.

"I feel insulted. Should I feel insulted?" Garrett returned the hug. "So, we survived."

"We did," Sadie said as she stepped back. "Someone's missing. Where's Vienna?"

"On her way to Gio's. Big Italian dinner. Gio's whole extended family, my parents, and my cousin, and Vienna's mom, stepmom, dad, and stepdad. She didn't even wait for the cap to hit the ground before blowing this pop stand." Garrett shrugged. "You guys have any plans?"

"Dinner at the Prohibition Grill with our parents," Brenda answered. "Michelle's leaving for vacation tomorrow and Colette's off to summer camp the day after." She looked at the crowd of parents milling around near the edge of the group of recent graduates. "It's the last time we're all going to be in town until late August. Then the three of us are off to college and Sadie will be holding down the fort."

"You girls take care then." Garrett stepped forward and leaned in to kiss Sadie on the cheek. "You kick ass, Sadie Bedford," she heard him whisper. "Remember to never let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I won't. Safe trip to Florida." Sadie let her hand brush against his hip as he pulled away. She watched as he turned to Brenda.

To Sadie's surprise, Garrett also kissed her on the cheek. He lingered for a moment before pulling away, clasping both hands together and bowing slightly. "Ladies," he said, "I bid you farewell."

"You too Garrett." Brenda waved, Sadie joining in, as Garrett headed over towards Gio.

X X X X X

"Bedford residence."

"Oh good, you're home!"

"Hey, Mom." Sadie leaned against the kitchen wall with the cordless phone pressed against her ear. "Just walked through the door. Is everything OK?"

"Everything's fine. I need a favor. I forgot to drop my cousin's birthday card in the mail today. It needs to go out first thing tomorrow morning or he won't get it in time. Would you mind running down to the post office and dropping it in the box?"

"Sure! Where is it?"

"It should be on the kitchen desk. I'm sorry to make you run back out so late."

"It's fine. It's a nice night, might as well grab some fresh air. What time will you be home?"

"It's Carl's birthday, so after we close the VFW we're all going to an after-hours place in Aspen to close that bar. You're not going to see me until after sunrise."

"Just make sure someone's the designated driver."

"It's your Uncle Mike's turn. I know because he's been bitching about it all week. Call and leave me a voicemail when you get back to the apartment?"

"I will. Love you, Mom!" Sadie hung up the phone and went back to her bedroom to change out of the formal clothes she had worn underneath her graduation gown. Now clad in a black blouse, blue jeans, and worn sneakers, she grabbed the check-sized mailing envelope from the desk. Whistling cheerfully, she stepped out onto the deck, locking the door behind her and quickly heading down the wooden steps.

"Sadie," a voice called out from the bottom porch, "is that you?"

"Yeah. Hey Mrs. Metcalf." Sadie waved as she reached the bottom of the steps. Sitting on the front porch, rocking back and forth in her rocking chair, the familiar cherry of her medical marijuana cigarette glowing in the darkness, the Bedford's landlord returned Sadie's wave.

The old woman peered through her glasses at Sadie. "Where are you off to so late?"

"Post office." Sadie held up the envelope. "You have anything going that way?"

"Oh no, I'm fine. Congratulations on graduating by the way. Your Mom was practically glowing with pride when I saw her." After exhaling a cloud of sweet-smelling smoke, she held it out in Sadie's direction. "Want a hit?"

"No thanks. I'm full from dinner and can't afford the munchies right now." Mrs. Metcalf laughed as the young woman waved goodbye. "Have a good night if I don't see you when I get back!"

Sadie resumed her cheerful whistling as she headed towards Pine Street. The Bedford's apartment was two blocks from the main drag of Emerald Pines. Sadie passed by several shops closed for the evening before emerging onto the bustling street. The resort of Sapphire Drop attracted tourists year-round. While early June wasn't the busiest time of year a majority of business stood open at 10 PM on a Friday - mainly bars and eateries, but also a few clothing stores and sports shops, Centennial Books, and of course the regionally famous Sins and Needles tattoo parlor.