by S. G. Sonysa
[The same morning]
I woke up when my head jerked. I sat up and moved my hand to lightly massage my head. I had a killer headache, and I was feeling dizzy. The overwhelming need to vomit rushed inside me and I opened my eyes to find myself completely naked under the sheet. Hurriedly, I bunched up the sheets in my fist and pulled it up to my chest to hide my body.
I was panicking inside. Hundreds of questions were swirling around my head.
Why was I naked? Why my head had killer pain like someone had repeatedly hit it with a sledgehammer? What happened last night? Why couldn’t I remember coming back home?
I forced my mind to remember something, anything that would answer my questions, but again I came up blank. I felt an immense pain in my head when I tried to remember everything again.
I recalled Chase’s hateful words that he threw at me before taking me to the party and the way he introduced me to his friends telling them that I was the daughter of his mom’s best friend. My brain reminded me how he was dancing with that girl and smiling at her and how much it pained me.
I was really hurt seeing him so happy with another girl. She was perfect in every way slender figure, long blonde hair, and small waist where Chase’s hand was resting while they were dancing together.
A girl was sitting beside me at the party. She offered me something to drink, and I took it without asking her what it was. It tasted like orange juice so I gulped it down and instantly felt myself relaxing. That was my last memory. I didn’t remember anything after that, and I couldn’t recall how I came back home.
I glanced around the room to see Chase standing there buttoning his shirt. I frowned at his presence in my room. He never came into my room so what was he doing here?
He looked up and our eyes connected. His grey eyes widened at the sight of me, and he halted.
I opened my mouth to ask him how we came back home last night, but before I could have said anything, he sprinted out of the room leaving me confused with my own questions.
This time I felt the bile rising in my throat, and I ran in the direction of the washroom. I emptied my stomach there, coughing violently. I felt light-headed, so I sat down on the washroom floor to relax my wildly beating heart and to regain some energy. My body was aching everywhere, and I felt extremely tired.
After a few minutes, I got up and walked to the basin to wash my mouth. I caught my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a wild mess, but weirdly my skin was glowing. My usual dull brown eyes had some kind of spark in them.
My eyes moved on my body, and I caught the pinkish purple marks on my neck. Those marks were everywhere on my body. My eyes traveled to my breasts, and I found the same purplish marks there too. I touched them and felt a minor pain.
Maybe they were bug bites or some kind of skin allergy.
I shrugged my shoulders and picked up my toothbrush. I brushed my teeth then leaned down to spit it in the washbasin, and that was when I felt pain in my lower region.
Ignoring it, I washed my mouth and decided to take a shower. I took a hot shower, which relaxed my sore muscles. The water soothed most of the places, but the pain in my lower region didn’t reduce.
After the shower, I dried myself with a long white fluffy towel and looked at the bruises that were still there. I would give them a few days if they wouldn’t go away on their own then I would tell my mother-in-law, Eva, about it.
I searched my closet for comfy clothes that would hide these nasty bruises too. I found my black high neck shirt and paired it with my black and green checkered skirt. I didn’t have many clothes, and that was because my mother never spent a penny to buy me new clothes.
When I was changed into clean clothes, I decided to clean my room, which looked like a tornado occurred here. I was making my bed when my eyes landed on the sheets. There was a small amount of blood on the sheets. I didn’t understand where it came from, but I changed the sheets with a clean one and then placed the comforter on the bed.
My eyes roamed around and settled down on my bra, which was lying on the floor at the bottom of the bed. I picked it up from the floor then put it in the laundry basket.
Kate’s dress was also lying on the floor near the closet, and I picked it up. I checked it upside down for any stain or rip, but when I didn’t find anything I sighed in relief. Folding the dress properly, I placed it on the chair in my room and went downstairs to the kitchen to find some Tylenol because the pain in my head was killing me.
After searching the kitchen cabinets, I found the medicine box. I popped two tablets into my mouth and gulped them down with water.
I felt tired, and my sore muscles were protesting whenever I tried to move. I decided to go back to my room and take a nap.
On the stairs, I collided with Chase. I was about to fall down when his arms circled around my waist to steady me. I looked up to find him gazing at me with wide eyes. Then he stepped back with a look of disgust on his face.
Before I could thank him for saving me from falling on the stairs, he ran out of the house.
I stared at the closed door for a few minutes then continued to make my way up to my room.
When I was inside my room, I shut the door and drew the curtains closer to block the sunlight and fell on my bed pulling the comforter up to my chin.
The way Chase acted this morning really hurt me. He wasn’t friendly to me, but until today he never showed that my presence disgusted him.
Did I embarrass him at the party? Oh, God! I got drunk last night! That was why I couldn’t remember anything!
That explained a killer headache and sore muscles, but I didn’t drink anything except the fruit punch or juice that girl gave to me. It meant that was not a fruit punch or juice, but something that contained alcohol and it made me forgot everything.
I felt tears forming in my eyes at the thought of me doing something embarrassing in my drunken state which embarrassed Chase. The tears started to spill from my eyes when I thought how he used to dislike me and now my presence disgusted him.
I was pathetic. I knew I shouldn’t have gone to that party.
“Oh, God! Please don’t make him hate me more, please.” I begged God, sobbing into my pillow, and at some time during all the crying and begging I fell asleep.
Chapter Thirteen
Seeking Apology
Chase
On the stairs, I collided with Hailey. She was about to fall back when my arms circled around her waist to steady her. She looked up at me and found me gazing at her with wide eyes. I felt ashamed for letting everything happen between us last night. I didn’t plan to sleep with her when we were both under the influence of alcohol. I shouldn’t have let the alcohol control my mind.
Before she could ask me anything, I stepped back and removed my arm from her waist. I took one last glance at her sad face and left the house to go to Kyle’s place to pick up my car.
I rang the doorbell and waited for Kyle to open the main door.
“Hey man. What are you doing here so early?” he said, yawning.
“I came here to take my car and realized I forgot my keys last night in your house.” I entered his house to see a bunch of girls and boys sleeping in the lounge.
“Why do you still look drunk?” I asked him.
“I drank last night, but my appearance has nothing to do with the alcohol. It’s because of drugs.”
“What do you mean by drugs? Man, have you started doing drugs?” I looked at him shocked.
“You are not funny Chase. Everyone got drunk last night, but it wasn’t because of alcohol. It was because our food and drinks were spiked by Quinton’s gang buddies. They took revenge for the prank we played on them last time by changing the size of their shorts before the match,” Kyle explained.
They made the drinks for me last night. It meant they were spiked too.
Shit! Shit! It meant Hailey and I were not only drunk but drugged too.
“How do you know all this?”
“The boy with Harry Potter spectacles fou
nd them mixing drugs in all the food and beverages,” Kyle said, slumping down on a chair.
“I was drugged last night. F**k,” I yelled.
“We were all high. Someone could have robbed us all last night.” He chuckled.
I glared at him, running my hands through my hair desperately thinking how to fix the situation.
“Shit! Buddy, did you sleep with someone like Clara slept with Sam?” he said.
“What? Clara slept with Sam?”
“Yes, stop yelling. Innocent drugged people are sleeping here,” Kyle said, looking at our friends and some strangers sleeping dead on the floor.
I couldn’t believe that after confessing her love and whatnot, Clara slept with Sam. Well, it proved how temporary her love was.
“Do you know where my car keys are?” I asked him.
“I don’t know man. Where were you last time?”
“I was in the kitchen,” I said and looked around the kitchen counter.
After searching around, I found my car keys under the table. I picked them up then turned to Kyle.
“I want to tell you something about the girl that came with you last night,” Kyle said, looking nervous.
“What do you want to tell me about her?”
“Britney thought Sam was attracted to her, and she got jealous. She gave her the spiked drinks.”
I felt beyond angry after hearing the information.
“I want to find Quinton and his gang, then kill them. Do you know where they are?” I asked him.
“I don’t know. But they might be staying at Malinda’s place.”
Malinda was like a gang leader. She sold drugs and did a lot of wrong things. Whenever Quinton and his buddies did something like this, they went to hide under her wings.
I took a step to leave, but Kyle stopped me by placing his hand on my shoulder.
“Going to Malinda’s place means getting yourself killed. You don’t know when the police will raid her house and that is very dangerous.”
He was right, and I didn’t plan to die soon. So I didn’t push through with my plan, and I bid him goodbye.
“See you tomorrow, Kyle,” I said and left his house.
On the way back to my house, I kept thinking about last night, which was nothing but a blur of images in my head.
Now I knew why Hailey and I ended up sleeping together last night. Why I had no control over my body to stop me from loving her. My plan to make her hate me was doomed from the start, but now she might hate me all her life for sleeping with her when we were both not in our right minds.
The whole drive back to my house I cursed my fate and luck.
***
Hailey
I felt someone gently shaking me, and I woke up.
“Hailey, dear wake up.” I heard my mother-in-law’s voice, waking me up.
I opened my eyes and found her looking at me with concern. I groaned and closed my eyes, shielding them from the bright light in the room.
She said something, which I didn’t understand. My head was pounding, making it impossible for me to keep my eyes open so I fell asleep again without a care in the world.
Next, when I woke up, it was already morning. The bright rays of the sun were coming into the room through the open slits between the curtains.
Groggily, I got up from the bed then pulled the curtains close. My body was still sore in some places, and every muscle was aching. Despite the pain and tiredness, I made my way to the washroom and did my business. When I was washing my face, I saw dark circles under my eyes. Sighing in disappointment, I walked out of the washroom and opened my closet. I pulled out my grey sweatpants, black tank top and a black hoodie then got changed into them.
I went downstairs for breakfast.
“Good morning.” I took the empty seat beside my father-in-law.
“How are you feeling Hailey?” my mother in law asked me.
“I’m much better than yesterday, but my muscles are aching.”
Chase started coughing.
Kate gave a glass of water to Chase, and he gulped it down while staring at me with wide eyes. I didn’t know what I had done to make him act so weird.
“When did you all come back?” I took a bite of the pancakes.
“We came back yesterday around two in the afternoon,” she said.
My eyes widened at what she said. It meant I slept the whole day.
“You didn’t come downstairs, so I came to your room to wake you up for dinner, but found you burning in fever. I gave you some medicines. Thank God, you’re now feeling better,” my mother-in-law said.
“I don’t remember when you came to my room, but thank you for giving me medicine. They really helped.”
“You had a high fever maybe that’s why you don’t remember anything,” she said.
I nodded my head and started eating again. Suddenly, Chase got up and left the dining hall for college without giving me a single glance. Kate followed behind him, sending me a small glare.
With a heavy heart, I tried to swallow some food but gave up after a few bites.
His impertinence and uncaring attitude were hurting me. I liked it when he smiled at me or at least glanced at me like he cared for me.
[After three weeks]
I was baking chocolate cupcakes because it was Chase’s favorite. I had already prepared his coffee the way he liked it.
I would take these to Chase, and tell him how sorry I was if I had embarrassed him at the party. Yes, that was my famous plan to seek his forgiveness. I hoped this trick would make him talk to me.
It had been three weeks, and he hadn’t uttered a single word to me. I had tried many things to make him talk to me again, but nothing had worked so far.
Two days ago, I went to his room with his coffee, which Kate ordered me to deliver to him. He shut the door in my face after taking his damned coffee, but I was not angry with him. I was just hurt because of the way he was acting after the party.
Chase avoided me at all cost. He wouldn’t even talk to me or reply to me if I asked him how his day was. After that night when he gave his grandma’s gift, I thought he had changed, and our loveless marriage might become a real marriage. My stupid heart fell in love with him because I thought he cared for me.
Inside he was breaking me. I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen if I didn’t solve this situation quickly. I didn’t remember what happened at the party that made him hate me and avoid me like this. I really wanted to know so I could apologize to him, but my stupid brain was still blank about everything that happened.
I should wait until his graduation. I would talk to him about everything after his graduation dinner.
Sighing, I thought about myself and the weird sickness that I had been feeling the past few weeks. Constant nausea and dizziness were making me tired. A single bite of food was making me throw up. My emotions were all over the place. One minute, I felt like crying, and the next minute I would be puking my guts out.
Sometimes, I felt extremely hungry and found the need to eat everything. Yesterday, I finished half the jar of cucumber pickles, which I used to hate all my life.
Suddenly, Kate entered the kitchen and brought me out of my thoughts. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a tub of chocolate ice cream. My mouth watered at the sight of my favorite ice cream. I wanted to eat it, but I was scared of Kate and couldn’t ask her to share some with me.
I never did something like this before but today was an exception. When she left the kitchen after filling her bowl with ice cream, I took the ice cream tub out of the refrigerator and dig out a few scoops of ice cream for me and put them in a bowl.
The cupcakes were ready, so I pulled them out from the oven and placed them on the kitchen counter to let them cool down.
I sat on the kitchen counter and started eating chocolate ice cream. The creamy taste of ice cream felt heavenly in my mouth soothing the ache in my heart from Chase’s constant disregard.
Why did I fall in love
with him?
He was the most difficult person yet the softest man I had ever met. He didn’t like to show his soft side much, but whenever he did, he made it hard for me not to love him.
I was enjoying the ice cream while daydreaming about Chase. I didn’t notice when Kate entered the kitchen and saw me eating her ice cream. She looked at me and started fuming like a bull ready to attack.
At that moment, I knew I was going to die. She looked ready to kill me.
“Hailey, how dare you eat my ice cream without my permission? You know I don’t like sharing my things with anyone,” Kate shouted at me, making me jump off the kitchen counter.
“I… I’m sorry. I like chocolate chip ice cream, and I thought I can eat it.”
“You thought you can eat it and I won’t notice. You thought I am a fool. You’re so dead, bitch,” she said, pushing me to the ground.
I fell on my butt, twisting my ankle in the process.
The pain exploded in my ankle and tears started to blur my vision. The memories of those bullies in school who used to push me to the ground and bathroom floor started to play in my head, making me panic.
I didn’t know she would get this angry if I ate her ice cream. Now, I was regretting eating her damned ice cream.
We heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
“What’s going on here?” Chase asked.
“She ate my ice cream. You know I don’t share my ice cream with anyone. She didn’t even ask me before eating it.” Kate was ready to slap me, but Chase stopped her.
“Kate, I will get you a new tub of your favorite ice cream. Now go to your room and leave Hailey alone,” Chase said, making her glare at me.
She walked to Chase.
“Brother, I am doing this because you are asking me to leave her alone. Otherwise, I know a lot of ways to make her learn how to ask for permission before taking others’ things without their permission,” Kate said then left.
“Hailey, why do you do things that make people dislike you? Next time don’t eat anything that’s hers.”
His words were a stab to my heart.
