As the craziness of last night came to an end, Jade for the first time in a long time, actually had woke up not feeling the need to bash in her cousin, Jackson’s head in. This was due to the fact that she did not hear his infuriating alarm. This, for the next moment, would bring Jade to a feeling of bliss. Her face wore a smile as she reached over to her nightstand, and was aimlessly trying to find her phone. After a few failing attempts, knocking over some items to the ground, she got her phone. She pulled it from the charger, and brought it to her face. JAde looked at the time. It was just a little past seven in the morning. She hadn’t recalled much from last night because she was still in a state of drowsiness, but she did remember her phone had died at some point last night. It might’ve been when she got to Denny’s with Jay and Sierra. Maybe sometime after, but it was definitely within that timeframe. That being said, Jade did put it on the charger just before she went to bed, so no doubt it was fully charged now.

Turning on her phone, Jade gave it a moment to get to her homescreen. In the next five seconds, suddenly her notifications blew up like a bomb. Her text message notifications, her voicemail notifications, and even her Discord notifications — all of them blew up at the same time. It wasn’t until half of a minute later did they stop, and Jade looked at her phone, not blinking. Inside her mind, she was thinking what the hell is up? That thought would linger for another thirty seconds as she wiped her eyes, and got up from her bed, clad in a flannel T-shirt and black sweatpants. Not even three steps in, Jade’s phone rang, the ringtone of Smells Like Teen Spirit playing. She looked at her phone. It was her Uncle Leo.

“Why is he calling? Isn’t he home?” Jade shrugged. She answered it regardless of how weird she thought it was. “Hello?” Jade said.

“Oh thank god you answered. Why haven’t you been answering your phone or responding to our text messages?!” Leo's voice sounded urgent, desperate almost.

“Sorry Uncle Leo, my phone died last night. I just woke up like a few minutes ago. Why? What’s going on?”

“It’s about Jackson..”

“Oh good lord. Did he get arrested? I knew it. He couldn’t keep his hands off someone. After that fight, I bet—”

“Jade, no. It’s..serious..”

Jade raised an eyebrow. Not like he could see it, but she did it. She listened to her uncle explain to her what happened. She had to take a seat. What Leo informed her about Jackson and how he got into a severe car accident last night. Jade heard the rising emotions in her uncle’s voice as he was telling her. He was saying that they don’t know much aside that has been unconscious ever since he was found by a passing driver around two-thirty in the morning. As soon as Jade heard that, something inside her jumped. Maybe it was her heartbeat? That was..no, could it?

“Jesus fuck!”

That’s all Jade had to say to that. That’s all Jade could mutter out, because if she said any more than that, she would reveal to her uncle that she was on the verge of crying. Why? Well, it was because while Jackson was getting picked up by the ambulance, being shipped off to the hospital to save his life. And where was Jade during all of this? Well, the blonde teen was stuffing her face at Denny’s with Jay and Sierra. She was out having fun while her idiotic cousin was on the hinges of life and death. In knowing that, Jade couldn’t help but feel that if she had known about it, maybe she, at the very least, would have been able to be there for her uncle and aunt.

“I’m so sorry. I’ll get there as soon as I can. How’s Aunt Riley? Oh, fuck what a stupid question. She’s obviously a wreck.”

“At the start, she was, but she was able to finally sleep for a bit. I don’t think it has hit her yet. We haven’t heard anything from the docs yet.”

“Which hospital are you guys at? Is anyone else there with you?" Jade asked. She shouldn’t be hounding him with questions, but she needed to know.

“Girisha is here with Erin, Jason, and Kareena. They got here about thirty minutes ago. The Cross’ are here too” Leo told Jade. And, we’re at Beverly Hills General. It’s—”

“Yeah, I know where it is. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“Do you need me to come get you?”

“]No. You need to be there for Aunt Riley. I’ll arrange a ride with a friend. Text or call me if the doctors update you about anything.” Jade said.

“Okay, see you then, I guess.”

Jade hung up. She laid back-first on her bed. This was a lot to take in. It wasn’t just that. Jade was feeling fifty shades of guilty that she was having food, enjoying the company of friends while JB was fighting for his life. Sure, there wasn’t much she could do at the time because her phone had died not long after Jackson got into that car accident, but there was also this feeling of guilt that she couldn’t shake. It was like, if she would have known, maybe she could have done more. Instead, she had to find out hours later.

After a few minutes of crying her eyes out at how horrible this all made her feel, JAde knew she had to get it together for her family’s sake. She quickly would get up, and jump in the shower. But, before she did that, Jade would call a friend of her’s for a ride.

“Hey. Can I get a ride to Beverly Hills General? Oh, don’t worry about why. I’ll tell you about it when you get here. You remember where I live right? Okay cool. I’m going to shower, so just let yourself in. the key is under the first flower pot on the left. See ya in a bit.” Jade said, hanging up. She tossed her phone on the bed, and ventured off to the bathroom so that she could get all squeaky clean.



So Jade might have minimally fibbed when she told her friend that she was going to shower. She wasn’t feeling the quickness of a shower. She wanted time to think, but added to that, the blonde teen felt that she just wanted to soak all of her troubles. Not to mention, it had been forever since she took an actual bath. Maybe not the cleanest ways to bathe, but it most certainly was an enjoyable to spend forty-five minutes. Yup, that’s right! Jade spent almost an hour in her own filth. It’s not like Jade hadn’t done that before.

When she got out, she began to dry herself. As she finished, Jade wrapped a towel around her bare form. She walked into her room, and took a turn to her dresser. She wanted to wear something that would be easy to slip into. She didn’t care if it mismatched or she looked stupid. She needed to get dressed fast, so Jade grabbed the first thing that she could find. As soon as she got dressed, Jade rushed out of her room, purse and phone in hand, and she walked into the kitchen. She came to the view of the person she called. There they were...cleaning?

“Oh come now, you can’t possibly be cleaning right now?” Jade gave her friend a deep, annoyed sigh.

“Of course. What else do you expect me to do after fixing you a proper breakfast?” he said, gesturing his slender arm to the corn beef hash on the table. In fact, two plates were made.

“Wesley, why did you do this? We don’t have time to eat.”

“Nonsense. It would be a shame to waste this delicious food. And I bet you’re famished, aren’t you?” Wesley didn’t know it, but he was right.

Jade didn’t say anything. She hated it when he was right. She hated it even more when she was wrong. “Fine. Let’s see how good of a cook you are.” Jade, though she wouldn’t allow Wesley to see it, smiled. He always had ways to get to her. Too bad they never did work out. They would have been good for one another.


Jade and Wesley would spend the next ten or so minutes eating in mostly-silence. Wesley respected her wish to eat in peace, and Jade enjoyed the corn beef hash too much for her to let any of it fall out of her mouth because she would say something to the cook. So, they simply ate in silence. Of course, until they had finished, and they were well out of the door.

As they trailed along the concrete path of the front yard, Jade’s eyes widened. “Oh yeah, I had almost forgot you were filthy rich.” Jade commented with a laugh.

Wesley would not comment. It would be beneath him to gloat about his family’s wealth. They had a lot of it, of course, but it did not affect the way Wesley would speak, especially not when it came to close friends like Jade Taylor. It was odd. She was one of those people that everyone who knew Wesley were aghast that he was friends with. Some of the people that Wesley Cross linked himself with, be it kids from school or his family’s associates, they knew of Jade Taylor. Everyone knew of her. More to the point, everyone knew of her father. Yes, her father, someone who had some close dealings with the shadiest people on the south side of Los Angeles, was the scum of the scum. There are more flattering words for him, but those would were beneath of a man such as Wesley to even think about. But, regardless, the point being was that everyone knew about her father, and they always gave Jade pity acceptance. Perhaps this is why Wesley befriended her. Simply because she had no one at the start, Wesley extended the olive branch towards her. She gladly accepted. There might’ve even been a time when he was romantically interested in her, but that time has passed. He respected her too much for that.

As soon as Jade and Wesley got into his Jaguar, he revved the engine up, and it peeled off in a trail of smoke, quickly getting out of the neighborhood that the Drake Residence was in. It wasn’t long until they were on the freeway. Thankfully for them, they had just missed the morning rush hour as the clock was nearly at 9am. Wesley smiled at the fact. It brought a jovial smile to his face to know that he wouldn’t have to stall Jade’s arrival to wherever she needed to go.

“So, where are we going? I am to understand that your cousin isn’t in the best of situations.” Wesley said.

“How did you..?”

“You forget, Jade. My father is good friends with your Aunt Riley. I mean, you do remember right? My father was the one who arranged for Riley’s first modeling gig, and even setup her representation with Victoria’s Secret until she retired after giving birth to Jackson. Plus, my parents are at the waiting room with your aunts and uncles and cousins.”

“I..didn’t know that.” Jade said. She had almost forgotten what her uncle had said to her prior to getting picked up by Wesley. Her voice was low, and her eyes went to the floorboard of the car.

Wesley’s hand left the stick shift. He placed it gently on her right leg. “Hey, it’s okay. Jackson will be okay.” Wesley guaranteed her. “You want to know something humorous?”

“What?”

“I ran into him last night at the party.”

“You were—I mean, you did?!” Jade asked, eyes lighting up suddenly.

“Yes I did. He didn’t recognize me, of course. I think it was that fight with Ryan?”

“Rhett.”

“Oh right. I apologize.” Wesley said, “anyways, he didn’t remember who I was. I think the blows to his head got to him, or maybe he was that intoxicated.”

“And what happened?”

“He wanted me to help him up. Even when I looked directly at him, he didn’t recognize me. That would be like Jackson Drake, would it not?” he asked.

It was a stupid story, but Jade laughed. The fact that she was able to laugh and Wesley was able to get her to do it made her laugh even more. “Thank you..” Jade’s hand rested on his for a moment until he had to shift gears. Even if he didn’t intend, Wesley might have just done something that Jade hadn’t been able to do in a long time. Smile genuinely. In light of current events, it sure did seem out of place, but he always knew how to do it. “Wesley.”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I know Jade. And I love you just as much.”

They had both been in each other’s lives for such a short amount of time — four years, the same amount of time that Jade had been living with the Drakes. Wesley and Jade clicked instantly. It might’ve been something sexually-related, but Wesley would not stoop to the levels of the men that had taken advantage of Jade at her young age(at the time). He would not be another guy that she would pass off as someone who used her for her body. He knew she was much more than that. More to the point, he knew, deep down, there was someone special and deserving of real love. It might be true that he did not feel for her in the ways that she might want, but that does not mean he isn’t without love for her. His love for Jade Taylor is as strong as it can get in a romantic way while still remaining platonic. On some level, he knows she knows he loves her more than he has loved anyone, but he just could not bring himself to hurt her. He couldn't bring himself to love her in that way because he could not handle losing someone else.

Retain control, Wesley.

For a moment there, Wesley blacked out. It was only a second, but he was transported back to that night. Never again. He won’t let himself get dragged into that again. He has come too far to allow himself to lose all of his progress, not with his parents relying on him to stay strong. If he showed weakness, it would not only be deadly for him, but it would show Wesley that he wasn’t fine, and it would only make his parents worry. He couldn’t have that on his conscious, not when they have plenty to worry about.

In that moment of weakness, Wesley nearly missed the exit. He was thankful for the GPS stating where to turn. He took it, and after a few more turns, they had arrived at Beverly Hills General Hospital. It was gigantic, of course. It spanned several yards of just staff alone, but the building - well, that was something spectacular, now wasn’t it? Over fifty floors of modern architectural achievement. The innovations made with the constructions alone would be enough to spark conversations of praise. When you add the breakthroughs they have made through studies into cancer research and how many lives have been saved on a daily basis, well that would be a whole different conversation of a long list of praises. Most of this due to the brilliant leadership of Dr. Veronica Donovan. She is the best of the best. And word is that she’s the doctor leading Jackson’s case.

“Okay, you can get off here. I’ll find a parking spot, and join you shortly.” Wesley said, pulling up to the front entrance. It wasn’t allowed, but Wesley wasn’t going to be long.

Jade, without speaking, gave Wesley a substantial hug with both arms wrapped around his frame. It surprised him, but he returned her embrace; however, she did whisper something to him.

“I know.” he said, confirming whatever it was she had whispered into his ear. “Now, go be with your family.” He said, giving Jade a kiss. It wasn’t long nor was it short. When Jade left his car, Wesley made sure he saw her enter the hospital before he would drive to find a parking spot so that he could join her...

Breakfast was sunflower seeds in Greek yogurt, a spoonful of raspberry jam through it to add a splash of colour and flavour. In Jack's cheap ceramic bowl is seemed so studen that Jack had to laugh at himself, it was still better he had eaten at home. In the darkness of his room with curtains drawn, Jack was the king of his own castle. Sliding into his sheets one limb at a time, Jack nestled amongst the warmth and practically purred in the contentedness. Swirling his food around he lifted up his food, looking into the yogurt he could see the party. The blaring music, the dancing, the fight, and her. He hadn't stopped thinking about her since had gotten home, nor had he stopped when he had fallen asleep. She was a breath of fresh air in what had threatened to be a stale evening. Then, much to Jack's self-chastising, he remembered he was looking at food and pressed the cold metal spoon into his mouth. It tasted sharp, cutting through the heady memories and bringing him back to the present. It was the weekend, he had a shift later that night, but for now he had the day to himself. As he did most days. Not that he minded for the most part, it gave him a chance to write.

What he would write, he was not sure, the finished product was still fluid in his mind and he needed a chaos as well as a solitude to let his creative juices flowing. Clambering back out of bed he alternated between spoonfuls of bliss, and packing a bag to go out, as well as dressing himself appropriately for public. A baggy t-shirt and pajama bottoms made way for light blue skinny jeans and a red plaid shirt, before he grabbed the one thing that brought him down to the level of those basic white girls, his Uggs. When he had scooped the last dollop of white goodness into the maw of his gullet, Jack collected his laptop, over-ear headphones and a chunky book in case he needed a break. Packed away into a rough looking leather messenger bag that had been with him since his first day of middle school. Throwing the strap on his shoulder, he grabbed his keys and wallet from the bowel they inevitably made their bed for the nights Jack was at his humble abode. Taking the stairs down, he had always hated lifts, two at a time he stepped out into weather almost as sharp as the breakfast that had been washed away from his pallette by his mint toothpaste.

In a second, Jack wished he had brought a jacket out with him, and his clutched his arms a little to stop the hairs from rising in goosebumps. Before long, the cold deadened his nerve endings to the cold and he was able to walk along at a more normal saunter. The walk to the nearby coffee place was simple 'Cool Beanz' whilst a little tacky and not at all high brow, was quirky in it's own way, making every customer feel special and always having a spot by a mains socket free for Jack to park himself by. His usual order, green tea, arrived in a large steaming mug. The sizes normally stopped at medium but this had been his haunt from the moment he had gotten off the plane, for a few extra bucks they were happy to use what was practically a soup bowl. Lifting his laptop out of his bag, he slid headphones over his ears and plugged them in at the side, the system was already booted up and it took a few moments to load up the appropriate software and programmes. Before long Jack was skimming through sound files and testing a mixture of audio effects. The song, from the night before, needed tuning to the needs he had, it was going to be a long day of editing. The smooth taste of tea would keep him strong.

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

It was still early in the morning when Amelia's alarm yet off, her phone vibrating and letting out one of the many annoying alarm options available. She put her pillow over head, trying to ignore it before finally giving in and picking up the phone and turning the alarm off. Looking at the date, her annoyance grew as she realized it was the weekend and that she could've slept in. Rolling onto her back, she stared at the ceiling, wondering what she was going to do for the day. She had been so focused on the move, she honestly thought that she would be in school today. Realizing that the stress of the first day was delayed, she took a deep breathe to calm herself before getting out of bed to get ready for the day. After a quick shower, she changed into a loose, light green t-shirt and a pair of skinny blue jeans before leading her room, taking an elevator down to the hotel's lobby. From there, she made her way to the breakfast buffet, going over her options before having a meal of pancakes with maple syrup, a fresh apple, and a glass of milk.

After enjoying her meal, she returned to her room and decided it would be best to take inventory of things that she would need, especially food and art supplies. As she moved around her apartment, she took in the views as the sun hit the city while rising into the sky. It was a rather lovely sight and she closed her eyes, committing it to memory for later. She half suspected her parents had chosen this apartment for that very reason but she quickly pushed the thought out of her head so that it didn't ruin the sight. Once she had memorized the image, she went back to work, writing down what she needed before putting the list in her pocket. She then went around and herself a pocket sized pad of paper, a pen, her phone, her wallet, her apartment key and an umbrella to protect herself from the sun.

Heading back down to the lobby, she left the hotel and looked around at the alien landscape that surrounded her. Taking a deep breathe, she took off in a random direction, hoping she didn't get lost in this new city. She guess she could've asked for directions but the idea of approaching a stranger and holding up a piece of paper to ask a question was far to embarrassing. Maybe if she was lucky, she would be able to find a map that didn't cater to tourist. Or, someone would come and help her.

---

---

Somehow, some way, and at some time, a very drunken Jareth managed to make his way home from the party. After reuniting with Ari, the night had went as follows: get shitfaced enough to forget the entire evening. Mission success! Jar was currently snoring lightly on the lumpy band room couch, his head bent in an uncomfortable angle that encouraged drooling. Discomfort aside, he slept like the dead. Hell, he was halfway there anyway, with the amount he drank last night.

A startling buzz went off in his back pocket. Apparently he had been too far gone to struggle out of his skinnies before crashing last night… or this morning? Whatever it was. Jareth sleepily fought to retrieve the phone from the tight pocket. After a few failed swipes, he managed to unlock the screen and opened the text message. He blinked away the blurriness in his eyes enough to focus on the picture, mostly. It was of Davy and Elysia. Ely was sleeping with her head on Davy’s chest, and he looked straight up terrified. The caption read ‘h e l p’. The gravity of such a picture did not really settle into Jareth’s brain, he was still half asleep and felt like he had been hit by a truck last night. Once, maybe twice, at least.

Jar’s first and only reaction was to respond with a selfie of his own - sending a picture of his grumpy mug, lids still partially closed, eyes smeared with yesterday’s eyeliner, and his left hand lazily flipping off the camera. He dropped the phone after sending the reply and buried his face back into the couch cushion. It was no fluffy down pillow, but it would do just fine in this state. Jareth was just a few blinks away from returning to sweet blissful sleep when he remembered that this was the cushion that Erik sat on, and that boy made it a point to rip ass in this very spot almost every band practice. Disgusted, Jareth sat up quickly and scrunched his face.

Jareth had never been one to sleep in for very long, even if he was hungover as fuck. Now was as good a time as any to wake up, it’s not like sleeping would make him feel better. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes for a bit, unknowingly smearing his eyeliner even more. He stood up, probably a little too quickly, as his head began spinning and he nearly tripped over something. Looking down, it was evident that someone was a more apt description, as Ari was sleeping in a heap on the 70’s style shag carpet. Jareth supposed that made sense, he couldn’t remember coming home, but at least they both made it somewhere that was not in a ditch.

Zombie shuffling to the small half-bath attached to the garage, Jareth flicked on the lights and looked in the mirror cabinet that hung above the sink. The reflection that stared back spooked him. Damn. He looked like a raccoon that had been punched in both eyes, and then drowned for good measure. Jareth turned on the water and washed the makeup off as best he could before raking his fingers through his mess of hair - bits of glow paint still clumping it together. The combination of sea breeze and sleep had caused his high maintenance pin-straightened hair to curl up at the ends. That didn’t really matter, his morning run would making him sweat anyway, and that always wrecked his hair. He’d shower and properly coif when he got back.

Jareth quickly dressed in loose fitting silver basketball shorts, proper sneakers, and a black tank top, he looked like he was wearing a stranger’s clothes instead of his own. Most people never see him dressed like this, but running in skinnies isn’t very practical, or comfortable, or even healthy, most likely. Walking by a still sleeping Ari, Jareth nudged him lightly with his foot. No response.

“Hey!” he said before nudging again. Ari grunted in reply. “I’m going for a run, feel free to grab breakfast inside or whatever and scare the shit out of the fosters.” Jareth hardly ever referred to the McKinney’s as his parents, they were always addressed by their first names, or as ‘the fosters’ or ‘the ‘rents’, the last only being if he was in a good mood. With that message delivered, he popped in his earbuds and headed out. Ari knew the drill, ‘mi casa es tu casa’ and all that, though he would probably just snooze until Jareth got back.

Running sucked.

No, not just running in general. Truth be told, Jareth loved running, and did so almost every morning before school. Running while hungover, now that is what sucked. It was good, though, a healthy form of self flagellation to punish oneself for over-imbibing. It also helped with improving lung capacity - a coveted asset for singers - especially those who screamed. Thumping bass and screaming guitars encouraged Jareth to push through the workout.

Never one to run on boring, even ground, Jareth veered off into the woods along the side of the road. Leaves and sticks crackled underfoot as he sprinted between trees and jumped over tree roots and rocks as if they were hurdles. His iPod playlist switched from Killswitch Engage to Of Mice & Men to Pierce the Veil. He was desperately trying to recall what happened last night. It wasn’t until the last artist came on and Vic Fuentes was vocally lamenting love lost that the memory hit him like a freight train.

Jareth slowed his run to a halt and stood dumbfounded in the woods as if Jade had kissed him all over again. The entire night was a blur before blacking out, but that moment was crystal clear. Jar felt a pang in his stomach as he touched his lips subconsciously. What the fuck was that about? Well, there was only one way to find out. Like the complete lovesick idiot that he was, Jareth pulled out his phone and sent a text to the she-devil herself - whose name still regrettably had a smirk and heart emoji beside it in his phone contacts.

“What the fuck was that about last night?” he texted Jade, not bothering to fix her name in his phone. Perhaps it was laziness or perhaps, in some way, he was leaving it the way it was hopefully. It was stupid, letting her get close enough, falling for it, texting her like this now. It was all stupid, he knew that… but it didn’t stop him. Pain can be addicting.

Jar finished his run in silence, taking out his earbuds and instead focusing on his own musical plans. He had a lot of work ahead of him to get CrimSon ready for the battle of the bands. Jar had some new songs in the works, gatherings of lyrics and poetry that had yet to be paired with melodies or introduced to the band. Ari had seen them, Jareth didn’t really keep anything from him, he was good for bouncing ideas off of. Remembering what he had said to Ari last night after breaking away from Jade, Jareth was inspired to write the last verse.

Not so quietly arriving back, Jareth opened the garage door and let the sunlight pour into the makeshift band room. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and breathed heavily as he rifled through a desk for paper and something to write with. Ari stirred awake because of all the noise and light Jareth brought back with him from his run. It was probably good that he woke up now anyway. They had a shift at Pizza Hell in a few hours. Jareth distractedly said good morning, or something equivalent to it, as he scribbled out the lyrics from his brain and onto paper.



He made scribbles and edits, removing words and replacing them before nodding and placing the pencil down. It was a good ending to a song that he started writing a few days after Jade had dumped him. The introduction and conclusion were pretty solid now, the middle chorus and bridge still needed work, and of course he needed Ari’s thoughts and talent to compose the guitar piece, but the song was really shaping up.

---

Audrey Huntsberg woke up to a single ray of bright light shining directly in her face. The brightness in sleepy eyes bothered her, so she covered them with a lazy arm. Behind her, acting as the big spoon was Troy, still fast and deep asleep as confirmed by his deep snoring. How both of them managed to sleep comfortably in a couch this small was a mystery to her. But judging from how her back wasn’t sore and she felt all warm and fuzzy, Audrey considered her night with Troy as one of the best sleeps she’d had in a while.

Audrey slowly turned around to be face to face with Troy. He had his arm around her, but he was so far gone intro Dream Land that her actions didn’t wake him. A smile rose to her face as she watched him: the locks of brown hair on his forehead, the feathery eyelashes, the thin lips that felt like fire upon her skin, the light stubble on his jaw… Before she realized what she was doing, her fingers were brushing the hair off his forehead and gently caressing his cheek.

It took this night to realize that the way he made her feel was not just the alcohol in her system that night they’d first met. The truth was, Audrey really liked Troy. Her sixth sense told her that maybe, with some time, something truly beautiful could blossom between them. However, her smile faltered as she remembered the way he’d treated her last night. It was more than obvious that Troy didn’t feel the same way about her. His indifferent manner had really stung her, the only reason he had let her stay the night was because he didn’t want to feel responsible if she got hurt, and he had probably only slept with her because he was drunk and she insisted.

Though she might like him, she was unwilling to chase after a man who clearly didn’t want her. Audrey had swallowed her pride last night and it had been for nothing. She would not swallow her pride again.

It was definitely time to leave.

Being as quiet and careful as she could, Audrey stood up, being careful to avoid stepping on hers and Troy’s clothes, which lied in a heap next to the couch. No sooner had she straightened up than an overwhelming wave of dizziness and nausea hit her. Clutching the desk with one hand, she covered her mouth to avoid her gag reflex from triggering and covering Troy’s office floor with vomit.

“What the hell is going on with me?” Audrey thought as she waited for the dizziness and nausea to pass. She racked her brain for a few seconds, trying to pinpoint the reason she was feeling so shitty. Yes, she’d been having the bouts of nausea in the mornings for less than a week now, but they were never this intense. It didn’t take long for her to find the cause, and her chocolate brown eyes quickly darted in that direction. On top of the desk were a few beer bottles, but one in particular stood out to her: the half-empty one sitting right in the middle of the bunch. The ray of sunshine that had been on her face earlier was now on the bottles, giving Audrey a look at the shadow of the alcoholic liquid inside.

The gag reflex was instantaneous, and the young woman barely had time to make it into the bathroom before she vomited violently into the toilet bowl. Once she had started, the puking didn’t stop until there was nothing else left for her body to expel, and every time she retched Audrey cursed herself mentally for every gulp of beer she’d taken. Why on Earth did she even accept the beer, knowing fully well that as of late her body was not tolerating any alcohol? That had a simple enough answer: she’d forgotten. And why had she forgotten? Yet another easy answer: Troy. Whenever Audrey was with Troy, she became careless. Being careless had its consequences… Here they were.

The young woman sat with her head inside the toilet bowl for what seemed like forever, taking deep breaths, and did not come up until she was certain the nausea had stopped. When it did, she slowly stood up, using the walls as support. Now that her stomach had been more than emptied, with the dizziness came along feeling lightheaded. Again, Audrey had to take a moment to compose herself before she went straight to the showers. The cold water did wonders for her, making her feel much better. Now that her sickness was tamed (at least for a little while), the next step would be to get some nourishment to calm the loud growling in her stomach.

As quietly as she had left the room, Audrey walked back into the office, where Troy was still fast asleep. She quickly dressed herself, gathered her belongings and shot a quick text to her best friends: the only people that could make her feel better after this mess.



It didn’t take long for Eve to reply to her text, and with confirmation from her friends Audrey called up an Uber and was on her way. She decided against waking Troy: he’d said that they would be back to their regular lives once the night was over, so Audrey would do just that.

Audrey arrived at her desired location in fifteen minutes. She knew Alyssa wouldn’t be pleased with her choice of venue, but Audrey’s body was begging her for a Cinnamon Pancake Breakfast, paired up with the biggest glass of cold milk the restaurant had. Thankfully, the place wasn’t very full, and Audrey didn’t have to wait long to be seated and have her order taken.By the time her best friends had arrived, Audrey was halfway done with her meal.

“Hi.” she greeted them enthusiastically with a mouthful of food. After swallowing it and taking a long sip of her milk, she continued. “Sorry I didn’t wait until you guys got here to order. I was, like, suuuuuuper hungry. But don’t worry, because I think that judging from how this-” she pointed to her half-eaten meal the fork in her hand. “Isn’t exactly filling up my stomach, I think I’ll, like, order something else.”