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thegirl20TITLE: What is the use in what I say?
FANDOM: Girls Aloud RPS
PAIRING: Cheryl/Nadine
SUMMARY: Nadine gets a late night phone-call.
RATING: R
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way implying that this is a true representation of the 'real-people' in the story. I mean no disrespect.
WORD COUNT: 1,245
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Some more angst
She jerks awake. Her phone is playing whichever soulless dance tune Nicola downloaded the last time she got her hands on it. She takes a few seconds to come to and realise that it’s still pitch black. Hurriedly she reaches out towards the glowing green light and gropes around until she finds the phone. Jesse shifts in his sleep, turning over and murmuring something unintelligible. Her eyes are too blurry with sleep to read the display.
“Hello?”
“Nadine, it’s me.”
“Kimberley?”
“Look, I’m really sorry to be calling this late…but it’s Cheryl.”
She sits up abruptly, suddenly awake, heart thundering in the quiet room.
“What is it? What’s happened?”
“No, it’s nothing like that…we’re out at a club and…well, she’s had a bit to drink...”
She flops back down onto the pillows, further disturbing Jesse, causing him to pull the covers away from her.
“And she wants me to come and get her.”
It’s not a question.
“You know how she gets when she’s had a drink.”
She turns over in bed, facing away from Jesse.
“Well, tell her to phone her husband to come and get her.”
The word is uttered with more than a little venom and she feels sorry for Kimberley, shot for being the messenger.
“Yep, tried that. She’s not keen on it.”
“Pity she didn’t think about that before she married him.”
“What do you want me to tell her?”
She’s trying to think of appropriate words for Kimberley to convey when she hears drunken singing in the background.
“…I don’t need no good advice, I’m already wasted…”
“Yeah, you so are.”
“Shut up! So are you, bitch!”
The two voices dissolve into giggles. She sighs. If Nicola’s there that means Cheryl’s been doing shots. Probably tequila.
“Is that Nadine on the phone?”
She holds her breath as Kimberley replies to the shouted question.
“Yeah.”
“Is she comin’ down?”
“It’s the middle of the night, Cheryl. She’s in bed.”
“Lemme talk to her.”
Kimberley’s voice comes back, louder.
“She wants to talk to you.”
She closes her eyes.
“Hiya babe!”
“What is it, Cheryl?”
“Awwww, don’t be like that man.”
“You woke me up in the middle of the night, what do you expect?”
“Usually when I wake you up in the middle of the night you’re a lot nicer than this to us.”
She grits her teeth but is unable to stop her body from reacting to the words.
“Why are you out getting pissed? Shouldn’t you be at home with your husband?”
“Just like you, you mean? Tucked up in bed with your boyfriend?”
“I’m not the one calling you, drunk, at some god-forsaken time.”
There is silence over the line. She can picture the look on Cheryl’s face, that glorious pout.
“Cheryl?”
“Are you comin’ to get us?”
No. She knows she should say no. She should scream it as loudly as she can before throwing the fucking phone against the wall so it can’t ring again.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, be ready.”
She hangs up, slides out of bed and fumbles for the jeans she had on earlier.
“Where you goin,’ babe?”
She hates it when he calls her that.
“I’m goin’ into town to pick up Cheryl, she’s drunk.”
“Again?”
“Mmmhmm.”
“Can’t you just call her husband?”
“They don’t let him drive after dark, the bright lights confuse him.”
She hears Jesse chortle and feels awful. She’s laughed at similar jokes about him.
She manages to locate what she assumes is an outfit and walks carefully to the bed, she reaches down and touches Jesse’s shoulder. She can’t bring herself to kiss him.
“I won’t be long.”
But he’s already sleeping.
*****
She draws up outside the club and immediately sees Kimberley standing by the kerb, arms wrapped around herself against the cold. She gets out and walks towards her.
“Thank God! I’m bloody freezing.”
“Where is she?”
“They’re just coming. Cheryl had to throw up and Nicola waited with her while I came out here to wait for you.”
She reaches out with both hands and rubs Kimberley’s upper arms, the poor girl is shivering.
“What am I going to do, Kimberley? I can’t go on like this for much longer.”
Kimberley shakes her head.
“I don’t know what to say.”
She laughs.
“I don’t know what I want you to say.”
“Nadine!”
She turns to see Cheryl walking unsteadily in her direction. Her hair is up in a haphazard pony-tail, the mascara on one eye is making its way down her cheek and her lipstick is long gone. She wonders how Cheryl can still look beautiful even after puking her guts out in a nightclub bathroom.
She has to adjust her stance as Cheryl clumsily throws her arms around her neck, nuzzling her face into her shoulder. She holds onto her awkwardly as Nicola comes to huddle close to Kimberley.
“It’s fuckin’ freezin’ out here, let’s go back in and dance.”
She turns to look at Kimberley, trying to ignore the fact that Cheryl has slipped both hands into the back pockets of her jeans.
“Do you two want a lift?”
Nicola tugs on Kimberley’s arm.
“Come back in for a dance. Just a couple of songs, please?”
Kimberley smiles at Nicola’s exuberance.
“Just a couple of songs, then.” She turns to Nadine. “You go on, get her home, we’ll get a taxi in a bit.”
“You sure?”
“They’re sure, let’s go.”
Cheryl is now pulling her towards the car as Nicola drags Kimberley back towards the club. They get in and she fires the engine. They travel in silence but she can feel Cheryl’s heavy gaze on her.
“Are you not talkin’ to us?”
She keeps her eyes on the road.
“I don’t know what you expect me to say.”
“Where we goin’?”
“I’m taking you home.”
“What?”
“Where the hell did you think we were going?”
“I dunno. Let’s go to a hotel. I’ve missed you.”
“Yeah I’ve heard that being married plays havoc with your sex life.”
“You always go back to that, don’t you? Always have to fuckin’ bring him into it.”
“It was you who brought him into it.”
“Take me fuckin’ home then!”
“That’s where you’re going, believe me.”
“I’ll go in and screw me husband’s brains out!”
“You do that.”
Tears are very close to the surface now and she can’t look to her left or she won’t be able to stop them. The rest of the journey passes without comment and she pulls to a stop in front of Cheryl’s gates. She turns the car off and sits back. With no warning, Cheryl is in her arms and they are kissing passionately, desperately. Salt water tinges the kiss with sadness and she pushes Cheryl back, turning her head away.
“We’ve got to stop this. I can’t handle it any more.”
Cheryl clambers back into the passenger seat, wiping her face. For a moment, Nadine thinks that maybe she didn’t speak, or that Cheryl didn’t hear her. But then she answers.
“We can say that it’s got to stop as much as we like. It’ll never stop.”
Cheryl leans across and puts her forehead on Nadine’s shoulder.
“We’ll never stop.”
She wishes she were stronger. Then she could turn to Cheryl with steely eyes and a steady voice and tell her that it’s over, once and for all. But she’s weak, and as much as it hurts she knows it’s true.
They’ll never stop.
FANDOM: Girls Aloud RPS
PAIRING: Cheryl/Nadine
SUMMARY: Nadine gets a late night phone-call.
RATING: R
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way implying that this is a true representation of the 'real-people' in the story. I mean no disrespect.
WORD COUNT: 1,245
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Some more angst
She jerks awake. Her phone is playing whichever soulless dance tune Nicola downloaded the last time she got her hands on it. She takes a few seconds to come to and realise that it’s still pitch black. Hurriedly she reaches out towards the glowing green light and gropes around until she finds the phone. Jesse shifts in his sleep, turning over and murmuring something unintelligible. Her eyes are too blurry with sleep to read the display.
“Hello?”
“Nadine, it’s me.”
“Kimberley?”
“Look, I’m really sorry to be calling this late…but it’s Cheryl.”
She sits up abruptly, suddenly awake, heart thundering in the quiet room.
“What is it? What’s happened?”
“No, it’s nothing like that…we’re out at a club and…well, she’s had a bit to drink...”
She flops back down onto the pillows, further disturbing Jesse, causing him to pull the covers away from her.
“And she wants me to come and get her.”
It’s not a question.
“You know how she gets when she’s had a drink.”
She turns over in bed, facing away from Jesse.
“Well, tell her to phone her husband to come and get her.”
The word is uttered with more than a little venom and she feels sorry for Kimberley, shot for being the messenger.
“Yep, tried that. She’s not keen on it.”
“Pity she didn’t think about that before she married him.”
“What do you want me to tell her?”
She’s trying to think of appropriate words for Kimberley to convey when she hears drunken singing in the background.
“…I don’t need no good advice, I’m already wasted…”
“Yeah, you so are.”
“Shut up! So are you, bitch!”
The two voices dissolve into giggles. She sighs. If Nicola’s there that means Cheryl’s been doing shots. Probably tequila.
“Is that Nadine on the phone?”
She holds her breath as Kimberley replies to the shouted question.
“Yeah.”
“Is she comin’ down?”
“It’s the middle of the night, Cheryl. She’s in bed.”
“Lemme talk to her.”
Kimberley’s voice comes back, louder.
“She wants to talk to you.”
She closes her eyes.
“Hiya babe!”
“What is it, Cheryl?”
“Awwww, don’t be like that man.”
“You woke me up in the middle of the night, what do you expect?”
“Usually when I wake you up in the middle of the night you’re a lot nicer than this to us.”
She grits her teeth but is unable to stop her body from reacting to the words.
“Why are you out getting pissed? Shouldn’t you be at home with your husband?”
“Just like you, you mean? Tucked up in bed with your boyfriend?”
“I’m not the one calling you, drunk, at some god-forsaken time.”
There is silence over the line. She can picture the look on Cheryl’s face, that glorious pout.
“Cheryl?”
“Are you comin’ to get us?”
No. She knows she should say no. She should scream it as loudly as she can before throwing the fucking phone against the wall so it can’t ring again.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, be ready.”
She hangs up, slides out of bed and fumbles for the jeans she had on earlier.
“Where you goin,’ babe?”
She hates it when he calls her that.
“I’m goin’ into town to pick up Cheryl, she’s drunk.”
“Again?”
“Mmmhmm.”
“Can’t you just call her husband?”
“They don’t let him drive after dark, the bright lights confuse him.”
She hears Jesse chortle and feels awful. She’s laughed at similar jokes about him.
She manages to locate what she assumes is an outfit and walks carefully to the bed, she reaches down and touches Jesse’s shoulder. She can’t bring herself to kiss him.
“I won’t be long.”
But he’s already sleeping.
*****
She draws up outside the club and immediately sees Kimberley standing by the kerb, arms wrapped around herself against the cold. She gets out and walks towards her.
“Thank God! I’m bloody freezing.”
“Where is she?”
“They’re just coming. Cheryl had to throw up and Nicola waited with her while I came out here to wait for you.”
She reaches out with both hands and rubs Kimberley’s upper arms, the poor girl is shivering.
“What am I going to do, Kimberley? I can’t go on like this for much longer.”
Kimberley shakes her head.
“I don’t know what to say.”
She laughs.
“I don’t know what I want you to say.”
“Nadine!”
She turns to see Cheryl walking unsteadily in her direction. Her hair is up in a haphazard pony-tail, the mascara on one eye is making its way down her cheek and her lipstick is long gone. She wonders how Cheryl can still look beautiful even after puking her guts out in a nightclub bathroom.
She has to adjust her stance as Cheryl clumsily throws her arms around her neck, nuzzling her face into her shoulder. She holds onto her awkwardly as Nicola comes to huddle close to Kimberley.
“It’s fuckin’ freezin’ out here, let’s go back in and dance.”
She turns to look at Kimberley, trying to ignore the fact that Cheryl has slipped both hands into the back pockets of her jeans.
“Do you two want a lift?”
Nicola tugs on Kimberley’s arm.
“Come back in for a dance. Just a couple of songs, please?”
Kimberley smiles at Nicola’s exuberance.
“Just a couple of songs, then.” She turns to Nadine. “You go on, get her home, we’ll get a taxi in a bit.”
“You sure?”
“They’re sure, let’s go.”
Cheryl is now pulling her towards the car as Nicola drags Kimberley back towards the club. They get in and she fires the engine. They travel in silence but she can feel Cheryl’s heavy gaze on her.
“Are you not talkin’ to us?”
She keeps her eyes on the road.
“I don’t know what you expect me to say.”
“Where we goin’?”
“I’m taking you home.”
“What?”
“Where the hell did you think we were going?”
“I dunno. Let’s go to a hotel. I’ve missed you.”
“Yeah I’ve heard that being married plays havoc with your sex life.”
“You always go back to that, don’t you? Always have to fuckin’ bring him into it.”
“It was you who brought him into it.”
“Take me fuckin’ home then!”
“That’s where you’re going, believe me.”
“I’ll go in and screw me husband’s brains out!”
“You do that.”
Tears are very close to the surface now and she can’t look to her left or she won’t be able to stop them. The rest of the journey passes without comment and she pulls to a stop in front of Cheryl’s gates. She turns the car off and sits back. With no warning, Cheryl is in her arms and they are kissing passionately, desperately. Salt water tinges the kiss with sadness and she pushes Cheryl back, turning her head away.
“We’ve got to stop this. I can’t handle it any more.”
Cheryl clambers back into the passenger seat, wiping her face. For a moment, Nadine thinks that maybe she didn’t speak, or that Cheryl didn’t hear her. But then she answers.
“We can say that it’s got to stop as much as we like. It’ll never stop.”
Cheryl leans across and puts her forehead on Nadine’s shoulder.
“We’ll never stop.”
She wishes she were stronger. Then she could turn to Cheryl with steely eyes and a steady voice and tell her that it’s over, once and for all. But she’s weak, and as much as it hurts she knows it’s true.
They’ll never stop.
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no subject
Date: 2006-11-06 11:26 am (UTC)Seriously, this is some serious angsting and I simply adore it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love how some things go without saying, that Cheryl is drunk and therefore Nadine just knows that she is demanding Kimberly to make Nadine appear - I also love how resentful Nadine is but that she still goes. (I also love the singing of No Good Advice).
“Why are you out getting pissed? Shouldn’t you be at home with your husband?”
“Just like you, you mean? Tucked up in bed with your boyfriend?” Adore the mutual hypocritical anger.
“Where you goin,’ babe?”
She hates it when he calls her that. Can't find the words to describe how much I love that she hates him calling her this but there is no mention of her having any problem at all with Cheryl calling her that.
“They don’t let him drive after dark, the bright lights confuse him.”
She hears Jesse chortle and feels awful. She’s laughed at similar jokes about him. BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA and sad and yet BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
“Are you not talkin’ to us?” For some reason that seems so perfectly Cheryl to me.
“I’ll go in and screw me husband’s brains out!” I love that this a weapon rather than something that she wants to do.
They’ll never stop. You have managed to make that so very, very angsty - I kind of hate the way this is destroying both of them.
I love my presents so, so much!!!!
no subject
Date: 2006-11-06 10:25 pm (UTC)I love how some things go without saying - I was aiming for understated so I'm glad that it came across that way.
I love that she hates him calling her this but there is no mention of her having any problem at all with Cheryl calling her that. - Go me, I can do subtle!
BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA and sad and yet BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA - Poor Ashley. I feel more sorry for him than I do Jesse. Jesse just bugs me. And rumour has it that Ash prefers the male of the species so it can't all be a bed of roses for him either.
For some reason that seems so perfectly Cheryl to me. - :)
I love my presents so, so much!!!! - I'm so very glad!!!
no subject
Date: 2006-11-07 02:03 am (UTC)And I find that the RP couples are far easier to angst with. Especially when one of them has a husband. I love writing MIS fic cause I have no husbands to worry about - may also need to write some more early Cheryl/Nadine fic for the same reason.
Go me, I can do subtle! Who knew???????
And rumour has it that Ash prefers the male of the species so it can't all be a bed of roses for him either. Although that gets us back to the possibility that it would be ok - that they have an understanding and that his only purpose is to misdirect people like you and I from thinking that Cheryl is with Nadine. Jesse, remains more of a problem
no subject
Date: 2006-11-07 09:03 pm (UTC)may also need to write some more early Cheryl/Nadine fic for the same reason. - In case you were in doubt, I would also be in favour of you writing this. And, in case you didn't know, pretty much Cheryl's first act after getting into the band was to dump her boyfriend.
Jesse, remains more of a problem - Jesse's just an idiot.