A Mortifying Morning

Note: For those of you that haven't checked it out yet, Bridget's former flashback is now posted. Revised with additional chapters, it's over in the new Short Story section.

Monday, December 31st

A pair of eyelids fluttered. Heavy at first, they stayed open for good after an effort of nearly fifteen seconds. Now uncovered, a couple of sapphire blue eyes squinted in confusion at an unfamiliar sight of bricks. Where am I? Once the fogginess of sleep cleared, the newly awakened person realized that she stared at a fireplace. Pieces quickly clicked into place.

Twisting her body, Peyton stretched out on the couch with a deep yawn. A plaid blanket slipped to the wooden floor in front of the couch, surprising the young woman. She couldn't remember grabbing a blanket when she laid down late last night. Glancing down at her open robe, Peyton recalled falling to sleep in her tiny, wet bikini. She pulled the sides together and swiftly tied the white fluffy material together, hoping no one had seen her in the night nearly undressed.

"Uh oh," the blonde muttered. Jumping up, she dashed toward the small bathroom just outside the cabin's great room. Praying she'd make it in time, Peyton barely did. Yanking her bikini bottoms down, she peed out the liquor from last night.

"Dammit, that's the last time I let Lana drag me into something," she vowed after finishing. Peyton knew it would turn out to be a hollow vow as Lana would press and press until she relented. But it still made her feel better to stick up for herself, even if it was in a bathroom by herself.

Standing in front of the mirror, the blonde couldn't deny that she looked good in the tiny bikini. Maybe Lana's ideas aren't all bad. I can't believe I slept in this--"Ahh!"

Flashes of Lacey and Ramsey locked in a 69 flooded back to Peyton. The images proved so shocking and overwhelming that she had to grab the countertop to stop from collapsing to the floor. Staring at her reflection, she voiced her concern.

"How can I face them after what I saw? Rammy might assume I'm upset over the John thing, but Lace will sense something is wrong immediately. And knowing her, she'll need to know what happened."

Deciding to put off her decision, Peyton thought a strong cup of coffee might clear her mind. A habit she'd picked up in college, much to Lana's continual complaints that Peyton had turned into an old woman. Opening the bathroom door, she peeked warily down the hall toward the master suite. Relieved that all appeared quiet, she headed in the opposite direction to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Peyton!" Rachel greeted, her face brightening up at the appearance of her daughter's best friend. She pulled out a large mixing bowl from a cabinet.

"Oh! Uh, morning, Mrs. Stratton," Peyton responded, her stomach dropping. Lana and Lacey's mom had a knack for sensing problems and worming them out of a person. She'd have to be extra careful not to slip up. How do you tell her that the good daughter slept with her best friend?

"How many times do I have to remind you? You're old enough to call me Rachel."

"Sorry, Rachel. It's hard to not automatically keep on calling you that," Peyton admitted, happy for any topic that didn't revolve around why she slept on the couch.

"I understand. I still can't call many of my friends' parents by their first names," the red-haired mother chuckled, opening a drawer to pull out several utensils. "Did you sleep well? That couch might look comfortable, but they never turn out so."

"You know, I actually slept great." All things considered, Peyton added internally.

"You were definitely dead to the world when I tried to wake you up late last night," Rachel relayed, surprising Peyton.

"You tried to wake me up? When was this?"

"Maybe around three. I woke up thirsty and couldn't find where Clive left the cup in our bathroom. So I came down here and saw you on the couch shivering. Once I failed in waking you up, I grabbed a blanket for you."

"I wondered where that came from. Thanks for looking out for me."

"So why did you end up on the couch?" Rachel inquired, asking the dreaded question.

Fortunately, a held-up finger immediately followed Mrs. Stratton's question. Dashing inside the pantry, the delay gave Peyton a second to think up a plausible lie. When her best friend's mom returned carrying several cans, Peyton blamed her BFF.

"Ugh, Lana was being Lana again. I sat down, hoping that she'd fall asleep before I went back to our room, but I fell asleep."

"That girl. I don't know what to do with her most of the time," Rachel responded, rolling her eyes at whatever antics her eldest had been up to. "You're a good friend, Peyton. I feel for you; I do. Gabby could drive me just as crazy."

"Uh, wait, it's not your turn to make breakfast, is it?" Peyton questioned, hoping to change the subject.

"No, it's not. But someone needs to make sure this crowd doesn't go hungry," Rachel replied with a dose of venom in her voice. "It's Kimberly's turn. But do you see her?" she asked, throwing her hands out.

"Maybe she's just late waking up," Peyton suggested, noting that it was still pretty early.

"Well, we have a big day ahead, so it can't wait. And I doubt after last--never mind that, I doubt she'll be up anytime soon," Rachel huffed. Scanning all the material laid out on the kitchen island, her face softened with satisfaction. "I hope you don't mind omelets again."

"Absolutely not! You know that I love your omelets," Peyton rapidly reassured the woman she considered a second mother. "I can guarantee that no one is going to complain."

"Thanks, dear. If you want to grab a shower, I can have one ready for you soon," Rachel offered.

"Oh, I think I might wait on a shower," the blonde stated as Rachel turned away to grab an item she'd missed. No way do I want to face Lacey or Ramsey yet. Hell, even Lana might catch on. "I meant to check on Sean last night, but I fell asleep instead. So I'm going to do that now." Standing up, Peyton realized who she talked to. "Or have you already looked in on him?"

"Yes, I did," Rachel answered stiffly. Rather than turn around, she continued to fiddle with seasonings inside the cabinet. "He was sleeping and looked cold. Just like his sister, I had to cover him up."

"Well, I better check on him. After his odd behavior yesterday, who knows what he might be up to," Peyton chuckled.

"Yes, one never knows with teenage boys," Rachel remarked, studying the nutrition label on a bottle.

"Tell me about," Peyton laughed again, recalling all the weird behavior she'd seen from both Sean and Newt. Walking out of the kitchen, she felt less tension than when she entered. Mrs. Stratton just has a way about her that makes everything feel normal.

Once she walked across the length of the cabin, Peyton gently knocked on the den door. "Sean? You awake?"

Not bothering to wait for an answer, his big sister walked into the den/office and softly shut the door behind her. With the sun about halfway up, the room had started to brighten slightly. Noticing that only one window blind was raised, Peyton moved to open the other one as well. With his foot in the cast, Sean won't be able to--gawd, it smells musty in here!

After opening the other window blinds, Peyton noted the ceiling fan wasn't on. As it sat partly over a portion of the pullout bed, the tall blonde leaned over to pull the cord.

"Pey?" came the groggy voice from the bed.

"Morning, Sean," Peyton greeted, her attention still focused on grabbing the fan's cord. With that accomplished, she turned her head to face her brother. "How are you feel--Sean!"

Upon sensing someone in the room, Sean had turned over onto his back to check the person's identity that disturbed his sleep. The movement resulted in the blanket that Mrs. Stratton had earlier replaced to slid partially off his body. Now it only covered his right leg, leaving his torso exposed: his very naked torso and a towering piece of morning wood.

Peyton stared in shock for several seconds before whipping her hand up to cover the side of her face as she turned her head. "Cover yourself!"

"Huh? Oh!" Any lingering sleepiness evaporated as Sean noticed his nakedness. Scrambling, he yanked the cover back over himself while sitting up to try and hide the newly pitched tent. "Sorry!"

I did not just see my little brother's dick! I did not just see my little brother's dick! Peyton chanted in her head, hoping to block out the image of her younger brother's surprisingly impressive manhood. When did he--no! Don't even think that. I did not see my brother's dick!

"Don't you wear clothes to bed?!" Peyton screeched, fully turning her back to him.

Gawd, if Lana hears about this, I'm in for years of teasing. And she might jump him if she hears how big it looked. Suddenly, a different idea popped into Peyton's head. Wait, if Lana finds out, then she might blab. It can't hurt Sean's chances with girls if they know he's well-endowed. Hmm, no, no, it wouldn't be worth Lana's teasing.

"I do! I don't know--I swear I had pajamas on when I went to bed. I swear, Pey!" Sean protested, pulling the sheet up to peek below it and reconfirm his nakedness. "Maybe I took them off in the middle of the night," he speculated.

"Or threw them," Peyton gestured to her right. Over in the corner sat a tall floor lamp. A pair of plaid pajama bottoms that looked familiar hung from the lampshade.

"Whoa! How the hell?" Sean exclaimed in bafflement. "I mean, I know I had a strange dream last night, but--"

"Here!" Peyton snapped, reaching over to grab and then toss the pajama bottoms at her brother.

"Uh, thanks," Sean sheepishly mumbled. After frantically pulling the bottoms on, he continued to sit up to hide the erection that wouldn't go down. "I'm done. Sorry."

"Jesus, Sean," Peyton groaned, spinning around to face him again. "You better not start acting even weirder than yesterday."

"Weird? What did I do?" he questioned.

"What didn't you do?" Peyton barked out a humorless laugh. "Acting very inappropriate, making sexual comments to every woman you saw, and starting a food fight. And that's only what I witnessed. Mom said you were pretty bad at the hospital too."

"I..what?! Ohmigawd...ohmigawd! That stuff was real?!" Sean shot up straighter. The blood drained from his face as snippets of memories or dreams came back. "Oh fuck...oh fuck!"

"Hey, calm down. You don't need a panic attack too," Peyton remarked, growing concerned. She also felt a wave of guilt. Crap! Mom told me not to tell him what he did.

"Don't panic?! How many times can I humiliate myself on this trip?" Sean moaned, covering his face with his hands. "First, Ramsey and now this! Everyone is either going to laugh at me or hate me! I went from a nobody to a loser." Rolling over on his side in despair, Sean put his back to his sister.

"Sean, you are not a loser!" Peyton declared, rushing over to sit on the edge of the bed. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his side. "Sure, some people--like Lana--found it funny, but no one hates you."

"I can't even tell what was real or a dream," Sean lamented. "And my dreams were fucking crazy! Just last night, I dreamed the cheer squad held a blowjob competition and then their moms--"

"Okay! I don't need to hear about that!" Peyton interrupted.

"Did I say anything about you?" Sean nervously asked, not turning to face her. When Peyton hesitated, another memory surfaced, and he whipped around to face his sister. "Oh shit! I told Dad to give me a lobotomy!"

"Screw Dad!" Peyton angrily hissed.

"Huh? Did I say more to him?"

"I don't know, but Mom said he acted like a jerk. He barely even visited you," Peyton revealed.

"That's nothing new. I'm the disappointment in the family," Sean reminded.

"You not a disappointment! You hear me? I don't ever want you to say that again!"

"Dad thinks I am."

"Fuck Dad! You got that? Don't you ever listen to his bullshit again," Peyton ordered, staring intensely into her brother's eyes. "If you don't want to be a doctor, then that's his problem, not yours. Never forget that!"

Not able to recall such intense fury from his sister, Sean wondered where it came from, and he asked. "Pey, are you alright? Did I miss something? Don't you still want to be a doctor?"

"Of course I do!" the blonde swiftly responded, but then her face crinkled up. Out of nowhere, Peyton shocked her little brother by flinging her body at him. Fiercely hugging his chest, she started to sob. "Oh, Sean!"

As the usually calm and laid-back sibling, Peyton's unusual outburst threw Sean for a loop and worried him mightily. Rubbing her back soothingly, he waited for her crying to lessen before he asked his question.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't. I did," Peyton responded, pulling back from the hug to wipe the tears from her face. "I...I failed you as a sister."

"Failed?"

Nodding, Peyton let another wail.

"C'mon, Peyton, you've always been a great sister."

Shaking her head, she struggled to speak. When she did, Sean felt the surprise he shouldn't have felt.

"A week before I went back to school, Dad asked me to join him at the hospital for lunch. I thought he wanted to talk about my plans," Peyton started to explain. "But he wanted to talk about you. More specifically, he wanted to talk about your future. He ranted about your lack of interest in following the Tarver line of doctors. I tried to defend you, but he wouldn't listen. Dad launched into a spiel about how medicine was in our blood and you shouldn't waste your potential gift. Some of it made sense, but I insisted it was your decision. He badgered me into talking to you. Dad thought I could convince you.

"That's why you told me to keep my options open?!" Sean blurted out, recalling their talk the night before she left.

"It is, and I'm sorry. I should've never told you that," Peyton admitted, eyes watering. "I can't express how horrible I felt. It ate away at me while at school. I wanted to tell Lana or Finn but couldn't."

"But you didn't try and convince me as Dad wanted. All you said was that I should keep my options open. It's not a big deal."

"To Dad, it's vital. When you came up with your friends to tour the campus, he demanded that I show you around the medical school. He even lined up a tour for you with several med students. And when I decided at the last moment to skip it, he blew up at me," Peyton recounted. "Then at Thanksgiving, he read me the riot act, saying I let down the Tarver family legacy."

"He...he shouldn't have done that to you, Pey," Sean stated, growing angry. "You should have told Mom."

"And make their marriage even worse? They already argue too much. I wanted to keep the peace and keep this family together," Peyton cried.

Reaching up to hug her again, Sean felt awful for his sister. It pained him to see his sister in tears over his father's demands. Peyton had always been an awesome sister. She'd always been in his corner, cheering him on in life. Now more than ever, Sean wondered if he should've told his sister about his crush on Ramsey. Perhaps with Pey's help, I wouldn't be in this embarrassing situation. Sure she teased him mercilessly as little kids, but that had paled in comparison to some of the asshole big brothers and sisters he witnessed his classmates deal with. The fact that his decision to turn his back on the Tarver family legacy in medicine could cause such pain and stress for Peyton angered him. I won't let Dad get away with pressuring Pey. He needs to learn that I won't cave.

"That's not your job, Pey," Sean gently stated.

"I know," she whimpered.

"I'm sorry that you got dragged into this because of me."

"I'm your big sister. It's my job to protect you."

"And it's my job as a little brother to annoy you," Sean countered. "Clearly, I've failed if I'm not pestering you into distraction."

"You're the least annoying little brother I know," Peyton laughed, patting his face. Her cheery demeanor morphed into a teasing smirk. "But if you keep pushing that pipe into me, I might change my mind."

"Aw, crap. Sorry!" Sean apologized, rolling away from his sister until he nearly fell off the bed. "I don't know why it's still like that."

"Probably those lecherous dreams of yours," Peyton playfully pointed out as she rose from the pullout bed.

"Maybe...do you think it might be my new painkillers?" he queried hopefully.

"It could be." Peyton shrugged. "Ask Mom when she gets up."

"I can't ask Mom that!"

"Fine. Do you have the bottle?" Sean gestured to the nightstand. "I guess I could look up the side effects."

Picking up the prescription bottle, Peyton headed over to the desk, where Harvey's laptop sat. Pulling out the wheeled chair, she met resistance. Peyton pulled harder, and the chair lurched back. Kneeling down, she noticed an item caught in one of the wheels. With her eyes growing larger, she untangled the item. Standing up, she turned back to face her brother while holding her arm out fully.

"Sean, who exactly did you dream about last night?"

Sean froze as he saw the minuscule pair of lacy black panties dangling from Peyton's finger.