Escaping Grace

We never did make it to that New Years party, and we were still in bed when the fireworks went off for the new year. Andy kept saying they'd fired them off because he was just that great in bed, and I was going to let him believe that.
Our concert was coming up soon, too, and I'd heard Ashleys birthday was also in January. He would probably throw some mind blowing bash that everyone would be absolutely too drunk to remember.
Which I didn't have that much of a problem with, as long as I had Andy. I wasn't hardcore partying, as Vale liked to think, and I admittedly did use Andy as a buffer when I knew he wasn't going to be completely off his ass. I thought I deserved to have a little fun, honestly.
At least Vale and CC were still good. I don't think I'd ever even heard of them having a fight or anything, or at least Vale had never mentioned anything to me.
Speaking of Vale.
"...and then that loser had the gaul to think I was interested in him again," Vale complained, pulling the milk out of the fridge. "And I was like, are you serious?"
"Didn't he know you were in a famous band dating someone else in a famous band?"
Vale sent me a look. "He just did it for kicks, I know it. Poor guy probably hasn't dated anyone since high school."
"Vale!"
"And he called me Valerie! Like no one has called me that since middle school and I realized how much I hated that name," she continued, pouring herself a bowl or cereal despite it was the afternoon.
"Maybe he was nostalgic."
"Leah, you are not helping." she poured herself a bowl of fruity pebbles. "So are you and Andy good now? I feel like I've been on the outs for like way too long and totally don't know anything. And what is up with Nate? Why the hell is he avoiding us?"
I glanced down at my phone. "I dunno, he's been weird ever since we went to Xaviers."
Vale suddenly slammed her bowl down, and I stared at her. "Do you think he got him hooked on drugs?" she demanded. "I'll string Xavier up by his seaweed hair if he has!"
"Xavier said he was clean, Vale, so I doubt it."
"Why should we believe anything he says, huh? Ugh." Vale shook her head. "It's ridiculous."
"Yeah. Hey, the cookies were better then usual this year." I changed the subject quickly.
"Yeah, Grandma worked like super hard on them. She sent, I'm not even kidding, probably ten boxes."
"But they're amazing, and I'm probably going to eat them all."
'Have at it. I ate so much at home I think I'm almost sick of them," she told me, and I looked at her in horror.
"Vale! These are the holy grail of cookies, what's wrong with you!?"
"Don't go all creepy on me over cookies," she frowned at me, done with her cereal. She tossed it in the sink, and put her hands on her hips. "Clarke needs someone, doesn't he?"
"Not if he doesn't want anyone," I told her, she coming to sit beside me on the couch.
She frowned a moment. "Do you think he's gay or something?"
I could have died. "Clarke? No way!"
"Think about it, Leah! I haven't seen him around a girl since we left Graceland the first time. What if he is? Mom and Dad would flip!"
"Vale, seriously. Clarke isn't gay," I rolled my eyes. "He just has a hard time with girls, he always has. He dated Melanie all through high school and you know it broke his heart to leave her."
"But not that bitchs. She's been married twice since then. She even had another kid!"
"What? That had to the the third one."
"More like fourth." Vale shook her head, and then sighed. "Okay, so if you don't think Clarke is gay, let's set him up with someone." she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Who do we know doesn't have anyone right now How about... Reah? The nice girl who ---."
"Works at the coffee shop? She fangirls whenever he comes within breathing distance."
"Yeah, but she would treat him well!"
"Vale, how about we let Clarke meet someone on his own time, okay? And if he turns out gay, make sure he has a preacher with him when he comes out," I shrugged, hopping to my feet.
"And how is a preacher going to help, Leah?"
"You'll need someone for his funeral, won't you?"
"Leah!"
"Kidding," I laughed, dodging the pillow she threw at me.
"Your parents would totally come around, they love him. And we would always be here to support him regardless."
"Yeah." Vale frowned. "I guess your right." She twisted a strand of black hair around her finger. "I just worry about him, yknow?"
"I know. I worry about Danny all the time." I hadn't heard from him since before Christmas either, and I was kind of worried. I needed to call or message him or something to see how he was doing.
"Oh, so CC was telling me how Ashley was wanting to throw a party for all of us at the end of our last concert," Vale suddenly announced. "I told him he could use our place."
"Vale! Why? You've seen how they party! They don't even have to party and someone always breaks a lamp!"
"Well where else can they have it? and we don't have any lamps, Leah, so we'll be fine." she rolled her eyes at me. "Don't freak out."
"Well, as much as those guys drink we better have places for them to sleep over," I grumbled, picking up my phone.
"You would know with all your recent partying, wouldn't you?"
I sent her a look over my shoulder as I walked toward my room. "When Andy gets here just let him in, I'm gonna take a quick shower!"

Notes

Sorry for the long wait, guys! Im just putting it off because the story is wrapping up towards the end, and it makes me kind of sad because I've had so much fun with it!