I try to open my eyes but the light is so bright.
I try to move my body to wake myself up more, but it feels like a hundred pounds are lying on top of me.
Is it raining?
My eyes flutter open, and I see a familiar clock sitting on top of a nightstand. It’smyclock andmynightstand. I'm coming to realize I’m home. In my bed. My awareness has heightened, and I throw my whole body up in one long motion. My head throbs, and I gasp in confusion. I don’t remember how I got home.
Shit.
I’m still in my Halloween costume. It’s nine in the morning. Brynlee is running up and down the hallway. For what reason, I don’t know. I rush to my closet, take off my costume, and throw it deep down in my laundry basket. I quickly put on my pajamas as I catch a reflection of myself in my mirror. My black eyeliner has smeared all around my eyes, making me look like a raccoon.
Ineed to get to the bathroom and wash my makeup off. How am I going to get there without being seen? Brynlee will take one look at me and question my appearance. Where’s my mom? I doubt she’s seen me sleeping in my costume, or else she would have said something.
I tip-toe to my bedroom door, listening to the noises outside. Brynlee has stopped running up and down the hallway. I slowly turn the door handle when I hear the little, tiny feet running again. I stand frozen, waiting for the sound to fade. Once they fade, I crack open the door and peek my head out.
No one is in sight. I rush to the bathroom and let out a sigh. That was close.
As the adrenaline fades, I’m reminded of the throbbing in my head. Rushing around didn’t make things better. I can’t fake being sick again. That will be too obvious.
I walk downstairs and see my mom watching QVC. She doesn’t notice I came down, so I continue into the kitchen. My brows furrow as I wonder why she didn’t make pancakes this morning. It’s a Sunday ritual. The thought of food brings nausea to my stomach, though. I grab a glass of water and a bag of saltine crackers and head back upstairs.
Memories of last night are fuzzy. I truly have zero recollection of how or when I got home. I assume Kai brought me home, but I have no memory of it. If only I had my phone, I could text him. I’m not going to be able to find out until Monday when I can ask him.
This sucks.
“Come straight home after school.” My mom parks the car on the side of the sidewalk in front of my school.
I roll my eyes and huff. “I know. And you’ll be calling to make sure I’m home.” I say the words sarcastically. It’s becoming a new norm.
Without caring if my mom sees me or not, I stop and glance around the parking lot to see if I can spot Kai’s car. Some days, he has it. I never know when he will.
I can’t find the car, but I do see Paige get out of her white Corolla and run over to me.
“Holy shit, you’re alive?” she asks, as if she’s surprised,
“Yeah. I am,” I mumble.
“Saturday was crazy. I honestly thought I’d find out your mom was shipping you off to boarding school.”
I jerk back. “Why? What happened?”
She narrows her eyes. “You don’t remember?”
I shake my head.
She laughs and shrugs. “That would make sense. You got way too drunk.”
I figured that much. My mind was fuzzy about what happened, but my body kept me up to speed.
Both of us walk into the bathroom that we use to sit and talk in. It has a long counter before entering the part where thetoilets are. We used to ditch, sit here, and talk. I'm surprised I haven’t ditched that much this year.
I jump up on the counter and lean my back against the wall, waiting for Paige to tell me what happened. The bell rings for first period, and neither of us move. I guess we’re ditching.
“We were playing pool. One minute you were fine, and the next you were slurring your words and couldn’t stand or walk at all.”
“Seriously?” I ask, trying to remember, but everything is still a blur.
“What’s the last thing you remember?” she asks as she grabs a lip gloss from her bag and spreads it along her lips.
