Words & Whiskey

EDITED VERSION: Chapter Seven

"Good morning roomie!" a voice greeted loudly, immediately waking me from my deep, drunken sleep.

I bolted upright, seeing a figure at my door but I couldn't make out who as my eyes hadn't fully adjusted from waking up so suddenly. "What the shit?"

"Ah, so she lives," Nathan smirked, leaning against the door frame with a dirt-coloured smoothie in hand.

He extended his hand outwards to give me the drink. "I present to you the bartender's hangover remedy."

"Thanks," I grumbled, taking a long sip from the glass. I started to cough so intensely as the beverage hit my throat. There were so many flavours but none that were good. "Oh my God, this tastes like ass!"

Nathan let out a small laugh. "Obviously, no hangover remedy tastes good," he stood up straight. "Anyway, I need you bright-eyed and bushy tailed."

"Why?" I questioned, staring at my friend's brother curiously.

Nathan gave me a wicked grin, "It's moving day, princess."

"Most of your stuff is here now," I argued. Handing him back the smoothie I refused to finish. "What else do you have left?"

Nathan waved his free hand in dismissal as he took back the smoothie. "Just a bit of bedroom furniture and some knickknacks."

"Alright," I threw my sheets up and dangled my feet over my bed. When I realized Nathan still stood in the entryway, I arched a brow. "Aren't you going to get out? I need to change."

"Do I have to?" he smirked, causing me to throw my pillow at him. He jumped back, dodging the hit as he chuckled. "Message received, princess. Be ready in five."

***

When we got to Nathan's it was already three. I hadn't realized I had slept in so much until Darian, Nathan, and I hopped into the U-Haul Nathan rented and I noticed the time on the digital clock.

I jumped out of the U-Haul and inspected the apartment exterior and part of me cringed inwardly. From the outside, this place was awful. The brick was crumbling, not to mention it was filled with graffiti, and there wasn't even a lock on the front door — anyone could get in. Although I was annoyed with the situation, part of me was glad that he was moving out of this place.

Nathan led us up the front steps and into a dingy elevator that screeched as it ascended. Darian looked at me in alarm, probably having the same fear I was having, that the elevator was going to break down. However, the screeching quickly stopped and we reached the floor of choice. Nathan stepped out first and led us six doors down the hall. When he revealed his apartment to us, I made a mental sigh of relief. It wasn't a complete mess like I had been expecting.

I suppose Nathan's previous roommate had already moved out, seeing there was absolutely no furniture in the living room or the dining room. Darian looked at the kitchen and noticed some packed-up boxes there that were labelled with his brother's name. He pointed to them and said, "I'll start clearing out the boxes in the kitchen and then I'll help you move the bed."

Nathan nodded and Darian began carefully choosing multiple boxes for him to carry down to the truck. Meanwhile, Nathan led me to his bedroom so I could help him move stuff that I could actually carry without breaking my back. When we got inside, I was taken aback by how tidy his room was. Mind you, most of his things were at our apartment, but the things that remained here were meticulously organized. I walked over to his bookshelf and inspected the contents. Most of the books were travelling guides; Australia, Paris, and Spain. But the rest were novels I hadn't expected him to enjoy, smiling, I pulled out one that caught my eye. "Around the World in Eighty Day by Jules Verne?"