My head was throbbing like a stereo turned up to the max on party night with the lads. My shoulder was tight, whilst the rest of me was stiff as a board. I groaned, letting my fingers slowly crawl their way up to my forehead and rub my temple gingerly. I felt hungover, but ten times worse.

What the fuck was I on?

"Butch?" a husky, high-pitched voice echoed through the foggy cloud of exhaustion. "Butch? Darling, come on. Wake up."

"Is he gonna be okay?" another strangely high-pitched voice asked.

"Hunty, don't make me get up in your kai kai! Out of the way. Can't you see the fabulous Constance is trying to work her magic on the boy?"

"Hmmph. I'm sure you'll score lots of points with Henry, helping his young friend out like this."

"Bye Felicia."

"Raaahhhhrrrr! Conry is in the house tonight!"

Ship names? What the fuck is going? I groaned, rolling my head over, as my brain tried to comprehend the strange conversion that'd just taken place outside my head.

"Shush." A soft hand swabbed my forehead.

"What happened?" I mumbled.

"You ran into a sign."

"Why can't I move anything?"

They sighed, backing away. "He needs rest dear. He's barely conscious. You can stay here with him if it makes you feel better. But no funny business okay?" A pause. "Good girl. Now if he needs anything come and get me. Immediately."

"Got it. Thanks," a voice, sweet like honey, replied as a door clicked shut and footsteps edged closer to me. "Butch? You awake in there?"

I moaned. My brain wasn't up for processing real human sounds just yet.

"Glad to know you're okay."

"Where am I?" I sighed groggily.

"Henry had a friend who could help us. No use in taking you anywhere else until we got the file."

"And did you?"

There was a pause, before the sheets beside me ruffled and Hailey's body was making a dent in the mattress I was lying on. She curled up next to me.

"Are you watching me sleep?"

"Maybe," she replied. "How ya feeling?"

"Like shit."

"Well, you were out cold for a few days. You have this cute ass egg on your head though." I felt her smile as her finger gently touched the spot where I'd been shot only days ago, making me flinch a little.

I sighed, feeling the stiffness in my shoulder grow.

"I left it on the table."

"Left what?" I asked, suddenly puzzled at the fragmented conversation I was now involved in.

She chuckled. "Oh, sorry. The file. I left it on the table beside you."

"Thanks." I nodded, becoming more comfortable as I let my body find its way deeper into the abyss of sleep. But my mind wasn't up for shutting up today, and I instead found it wondering what Hailey was doing beside me. It was unusual – hadn't I insulted her several times over? "What are you doing?"

Silence. Great. I'd gone and done the usual Butch thing of ruining everything in my life...again.

"I'm kinda stupid and I feel bad for you."

"Thanks, I think. But you're far from being classified as stupid."

"No! I am. Believe me!" she stated defensively, leaning away from me.

"Hey! Shush," I smiled, "you're hurting my ears."

"Sorry," she mumbled.

There was a stillness hanging lightly like mist in the air, before I got bored and spoke. "I'm sorry too. This whole mishap is one gigantic mess. You shouldn't be in this mess with me."

"You needed me. You're barely functioning."

"Hmmm. I know. I'm feeling it," I moved slightly, feeling the tightness in my shoulder become worse.

She frowned. "You okay?"

"As best as someone who got punched out by a sign can be."

She nodded and smiled. "Need anything?"

"Sleep."

"Do you want me to go?"

"Only if you want too."

"No." She settled down, watching me.

"Jack would be proud of you, you know," she said after a while. She leaned in, her glossy brown skin glowing in the dim light.

"If he's not lying dead somewhere."

"I know he's not." Her dimples stretched, and the deep brown of her eyes glowed like the moonlight. I suddenly felt giddy. Not as though I was going to be sick, but as though I wanted something more from Hailey. I wanted to be more than friends and my whole being knew it.

"How?"

"I just do."

I saw it coming, the way she gingerly lowered her lips down to mine, smelling like peaches. It was in the way her warm lips touched mine as I got a mouthful of blueberry pop. The way she lowered herself awkwardly across my rigid body. It was in the way my hand supported her waist, so she didn't fall on top of my body.

And just like that, our lips found each in a warm embrace.

Butterflies zoomed around my stomach, letting my endorphins fly around my body like rogue gazelles as I soaked in her warmth. Everything about her felt good. She made me feel less lonely in a world that largely abandoned the dorky dudes in the corner of the room with their pet frogs. It was indescribable, this unexpected connection.

She pulled away.

"What was that for?" I whispered.

"Oi!" a sharp voice barked, cutting through the moment and startling us both. "This is not what I meant when I said rest!"

We broke apart, Hailey covering her mouth as she peeled away from me and sat up, rather flustered.

"Sorry Constance," she mumbled as she quickly stood and shuffled towards the door.

Oh God! No, don't go! I watched her edge closer to the door, wishing she would turn around and come back.

She stopped, the muscles in her shoulders defining themselves as she swivelled her neck around over her shoulder. A wide grin stretched across her cheeks; a grin that personified her dimples and resembled everything that brought us together on this strange journey.

"OUT!" the woman standing at the door ordered as Henry peeked out from behind her. Her long pink nails tapped the edging of the doorframe as she waited for Hailey to exit. I lay there startled as Constance's eyeliner battered Hailey the rest of the way out of the room. She then readjusted her breasts before strutting over to me.

"What's wrong here babe?" Henry asked, scratching out a flower in his beard.

"Oh nothing. Just a little smoochy session between the youngsters."

"Nothing like young love my Queen of all Queen's." Henry smiled as he slapped the doorframe. "Whelp, you know where I'll be."

I clicked my tongue awkwardly, trying to get myself out of the untimely glittery situation. To say I was surprised that the person from the conversation outside my head was a drag queen would be an understatement. But hey, she really was slaying those ten-inch heels.

"I'm not that exhausted."

She grimaced. "Honey, you have fresh stitches in your shoulder, you can't be moving."

"Right."

"Honey–"

"Stop calling me that. It's weird." I flexed, rubbing my shoulder gently.

"Well, either way, your body is exhausted."

"Thanks, I didn't notice," I cocked dully, still massaging my patched wound. "What's a girl like you doing with a guy like Henry anyways?"

She laughed. "You really are curious."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, all right! I'll tell you the tea. We met. We fell in love."

"That's it? No juicy goss?"

"That's all the tea I have for tonight. Now get some sleep."

She readjusted her sparkly pink skirt slightly, before flicking off the light and closing the door behind her. I sighed. Closing my eyes, I let myself fall asleep, the only thing on my mind was my encounter with Hailey.

But no sooner had my mind drifted off, a giggle cut through the darkness like a knife to a block of Swiss cheese. "Hailey?"

"I came to rescue you," she giggled.

"I'm supposed to be resting."

"Screw that. There's a rad party going on downstairs."

"Not a party guy."

"Surely."

"The last time I went to a party it was ruined by demonised princesses and let's just say that I now have a fear of small children."

She laughed, grabbing my hand and gently tugging on it. "Come on. It'll be fun, you need to relax."

"I was."

She scoffed. "Yeah, stiffly."

I eyed her down as she pulled the worst puppy-dog face I've ever seen. "Fine."

I gave in, just like that. I let her pull me to my feet and wrap her arm around my waist, letting me lean into her for support. She still smelt like peaches.

We made our way to the door and down the blue-carpeted corridor. The wood panels lining the walls were polished and flawlessly shined. A pounding noise reached us, making me raise an eyebrow.

We stopped at the end of the hall and I waited for Hailey to pull open the door. She reached for the handle, twisting it and letting the door fly forward off its hinges as a wave of squealing voices coursed through.

"SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY IT GUUUURL!"

"YASSSSSS! WORK IT!"

I glanced at Hailey, slightly horrified.

"Drag night. The Queens are strutting it out."

I nodded still unsure of what to make of the peculiar situation as we rounded the corner. I'd never been to a drag night before, nor did I plan on ever going to one, but I guess I was stuck in a world of bright lights, glitter and Constance dancing around a pole, pouting. She saw me and blew the crowd a kiss.

"You should be upstairs." I laughed nervously as she got down off the stage and enveloped me in a sparkly hug. "How're you feeling?"

"Like crap."

"Well, some tea will fix that headache of yours up. Come on."

She led us to the bar beside the stage, a large crowd of colourful costumes swarming the floor between the stage. The lights flashed different colours, making my head throb. I leaned into Hailey, her arms holding me tighter with the shift. The pounding music was doing my head in. I needed to find Henry and be out of here as soon as possible.

"Have you seen Henry?" I asked.

"Not sure if I have."

"You don't know where your own boyfriend is?"

"Nope!" she assured me excitedly before rushing off.

I turned to Hailey. "That was strange."

She smiled. "That's just Constance. She's quite lovely, you know."

I laughed. "Never said she wasn't, but I was hoping we could be on the road soon."

She nodded. "Sit."

--------------------------------------------------------------

I hope y'all enjoyed this fabulous chapter! Will they find themselves a Henry or has our hippy-bikie mysteriously disappeared on them? 

Don't forget to hit the little star before you go and comment your thoughts on the chapter below! ~H.W.