One Hundred And One Sleepless Nights

Vegas. Vegas. Why couldn't we have flew? Five long hours ago we left. That should mean we're almost there. Wrong. All of us are squashed up in a tiny mini van. Jemma's sister - Georgia - is driving fifty miles an hour. You can do eighty on this road. I'm surprised she hasn't been pulled over. Then there's the actual people we're squashed up against. Leah has been glaring at me for an entire hour. I don't blame her. Jemma is sat up front with Georgia, with Laura, Jess and Polly behind, then Charlie, Leah and I, and finally at the back Kate, Hannah and Sophie - Austin's cousin.
Sophie's voice is travelling through the entire van. Half of what she says can't be true. Now I remember why I never liked her. She's still talking now. Do you think if we kicked her out Jemma would notice?
"For God's sake, shut up!" Leah finally exclaimed.
"There's no need to be jealous. I know it must be embarrassing to be one of the few people in this van to be single when people like me have got three people interested." Sophie said. I saw Leah glare back at her.
"She has to be lying." I whispered in Leah's ear.
"What one guy would chase her? Never mind three." Charlie giggled quietly.
"Oli Sykes." I said.
"I heard that." Hannah said from behind me.
"You were supposed to." I teased and she playfully stuck her tongue out at me.
"Anyway!" Sophie carried on loudly. "He took me out for dinner and then he took me out on his yacht."
"Why did he bring you back?" I asked, earning laughs.
"Zee." Kate warned, but I could tell she was trying not to laugh.
"You're jealous too! Just because you have stretch marks now."
"I do not!" I exclaimed.
"Let's play a game. How about eye spy?" Polly offered.
"Georgia, drive faster!" I groaned.
"I'll start," Leah said. "Eye spy with my little eye, something beginning with L."
"Lying asshole?" I offered.
"Zee!" Jemma sighed.
"That's not nice." Polly said.
"Well done, Zee," Leah smirked. "Your turn."
"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with I."
"Interfering bitch?" Leah grinned.
"We're so good at this game." I laughed.
"Pull in this diner." Jemma told Georgia.
We went into a parking lot and parked up. I got out and stretched my legs. I saw almost everyone start to head inside but I stayed behind. So had Leah, Charlie and Hannah. I raised my eyebrows at them and Hannah shook her head.
"I'm going to kill her." she sighed.
"Have fun?" Leah mocked.
"Don't. I am not sitting next to her hearing her tell me about Brad and Jackson and who ever her other imaginary boyfriends are for another hour. I can't do it." Hannah refused.
"She's still better than Polly." I gave her a disgusted look as we headed for a bathroom.
"Before we left all she could talk about to me was Vic and Germany." Charlie told us.
"I much prefer you, Zee. Your accent doesn't piss me off." Leah grinned. I rolled my eyes at her and looked into the mirror, freshening up.
"I just... I can't stand her." I shook my head.
"I think you maybe might be exaggerating how bad she is." Charlie tried.
"Just a little." Hannah added.
"I'm on your side, Zee. I can't stand her." Leah promised.
"Would I be exaggerating if I told you that she wants to take custody of Alex?" I snapped.
"No!" Hannah gasped.
"Are you serous?" Charlie asked, wide eyed.
"That bitch!" Leah exclaimed. Their reaction couldn't have been better. I might as well have been holding cue cards.
"She's just such an interfering-"
"Zee." Leah tried.
"Self obsessed-"
"Zee!" she tried again.
"German whore! Parrot bitch!"
"Zandra!" Leah yelled. I stopped and looked at her questioningly.
"We're going now." Polly said softly. I turned around and gasped.
"I-" I tried.
But Polly was already gone. I sighed and walked back to the van, with the others following me. Everyone got back in the van and I kept glancing at Polly. As we drove she didn't look at me or say much. Why did I feel guilty? What I told them is true. That's what I think of her.

When we eventually arrived in Vegas everyone seemed to perk up. We rolled the windows down and looked out at the lights. I noticed a few places that I've stayed at before. But we drove right last them. We drove right through Vegas. Slowly the lights thinned out and we reached the starts of blank stretches of desert land.
"Are we lost?!" Kate called. "You've drove right through Vegas."
"We're here!" Jemma declared. I peered out of the window. You have got to be joking.
We were parked up outside a house. I use the term house very loosely. Honestly it looked like a broken down wooden shack. It looked like a mess. It looked like one strong gust of wind would finish it off. I want to go home.
We got out and walked apprehensively towards it. Kate is trailing her case behind her looking absolutely terrified. Never mind breaking her heel, her heel might break the house. Jemma and Georgia were both strolling briskly and grinning. Are they insane?
"This is a horror movie waiting to happen!" Leah declared.
"It's nicer inside." Jemma promised. She lied.
Inside was so much worse. The furniture looked old. There didn't seem to be any air con. It all looks very high on the creep radar. Jemma was already busying herself with arranging sleeping quarters. I feel like I drew a short straw. Jemma and Georgia are sharing. Princess Sophie was with Polly - who still won't notice my existence. Jess and Laura were sharing. Then downstairs there was a fight for the two couches. Kate of course won, along with Hannah. That left Leah, Charlie and I on the floor. In sleeping bags. Like children camping. This can't go well. I got kicked out of girl guides for creating an underground cookie circuit.
"At least we have this!" Charlie declared and took two bottles of vodka from her bag. Vodka gives me hope.

Last night was wild. The downstairs crew as we're now calling ourselves waited until everyone went to bed at ten and had our own little party. It ended with me losing my bra to a desert dog, prank calling Kellin and Hannah almost getting her big toe stuck in the neck of a empty vodka bottle.
But because everyone else had fallen asleep early they were refreshed when Jemma woke everyone at eight a.m. Leah oh so gracefully told her to fuck off before Kate fell from the couch. We were ushered to get dressed and ready. Now we've been forced to take a hike. A hike in the desert. Kill me now.
Kate is even hating it. She's had to settle for shorts and a tank top. She had an entire outfit planned just for today and the humidity is giving her a beehive. She's getting that look she had when Jason threw up on her prom dress.
I turned to the others and looked between them and Polly who was walking at the front. I feel an obligation to say sorry. I don't even know if I am sorry. I widened my eyes at Hannah and she silently nodded in encouragement. I sighed and ran up to Polly. I tapped her shoulder and she turned around sulkily.
"Can we talk?" I asked and she stiffly nodded. "I'm sorry that you heard that yesterday."
"You are?" she asked and I nodded. "You're sorry that I heard. You're not sorry that you said it." she snapped. I'm trying to be the better person and all she's doing is pissing me off.
"No, I'm not. At the time that's how I felt." I rushed.
"God, I've tried so hard Zandra! But I can't do it anymore, you're horrible!" she exclaimed.
"And you're painting yourself in such a good light!" I shot back.
"I can't help it! Everything you have... and you're just horrible!"
"You know I wish I never said sorry at all!" I finally yelled. "I wished I said more before you interrupted me!"
"Zandra you were no good for Vic! You're just awful! An awful girlfriend, an awful mother!"
"Excuse me!" I stopped her. "Don't you fucking dare!" I threatened dangerously.
"Why? Because everything is coming out now?" she spat. "You are a stupid, selfish, self absorbed, ugly, fat bitch and you don't deserve Alex!"
"Oh, right!" I laughed bitterly. "I'm so fat and ugly. Then why am I the professional model? What are you? You're nothing!" I screamed angrily.
Suddenly I became aware of everyone watching us. I felt someone touch my shoulder and saw Kate. She was looking at Polly angrily and dangerous. She stood in front of me and placed a hand on each hip.
"No one - you hear me you jumped up bitch - no one speaks to my little sister like that. She isn't dirt, she's worth a whole lot more and will mean a whole lot more to everyone here than you ever will so I suggest you shut up now before I really lose my temper." Kate warned dangerously. "Now I'm going to walk away before I hit you because where my baby sister is concerned if I hit you I can assure you that you will not get back up again."
Then Kate turned and walked quickly away from her and headed back to the house. I looked at Polly in disgust. "You're Vic's rebound, that's all you'll ever be." I hissed.
"Oh really." Polly rolled her eyes.
"That's why he proposed to me first!" I suddenly screamed. Everyone looked between themselves. I watched Polly second guess herself.
"That's not true." she muttered.
"Believe what you want. Vic still left your bed when I was upset to come and rock me to sleep. You can try to take Alex away from me all you want with your custody bullshit, Vic will still choose Alex and me over the pitter patter of your spawns horned hooves and feathers in jack boots!" I told her spitefully.
I turned and stormed off towards the house. Leah, Charlie and Hannah followed closely behind me. I walked into the house and found Kate sat on the couch. I sat down next to her and sighed.
"You okay?" Kate asked me gently. I nodded and rested my head on her shoulder.
The door opened and I saw Jemma. "Why can't you just leave her?!" she exclaimed. "Vic is Polly's."
"I know." I replied tightly.
"You need to get over him." Jemma said desperately.
"I don't care about Vic! She's trying to take Alex away!" I said.
"I- I'm sorry." Jemma muttered.
"Me too." I looked at the floor. When I eventually looked up Jemma was smiling sadly at me. I stood up and pulled her into a hug. Her arms tightened around me and I sighed. Vegas sucks.

Notes

Hey! This was so much fun to write wow! What did you think? What will happen with Polly and Zee? :)