Everlance Academy

Chapter 16

The next morning, I wake up with the headache of the century. Groaning, I turn around and open my eyes slowly.
Ivy is sitting next to my bed, a glass of water in her hands.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she whispers, but her voice still echoes in my head. Everything is too much for my senses right now.

"Morning.", I grunt and slowly sit up in my bed, taking the glass from her to gulp it down on one stroke.

Ivy laughs, and I hold my head, whining. "So this is what it feels like to be hungover, huh?"

"Feels great, doesn't it?", Nora is standing in front of the sink, putting on eyeliner. "I can't imagine the migraines you must have right now. You went wild yesterday."

"I did?", I ask and take the glass that Ivy refilled for me.

"You don't remember?"

I scramble my brain for any useful information but come up short. It doesn't matter how much I try, I cannot recall anything about what happened after I sat down on that couch next to Noah.

"I remember... I remember the race and going home after. I remember you guys bringing me to the club. I remember playing Never Have I Ever. And I remember... the moon? But... that's it."

The feeling of having lost still makes my stomach ache, but it's not as bad as yesterday. I'll get over it.

"Nothing else? How about you wanting to go skinny dipping with Theo Morgan?", Olivia grins, sitting on her bed, painting her nails.

I almost spit out the water in my mouth. "I wanted to do what?"

"Theo was being a pushy asshole. And when we played, you said that you had gone skinny-dipping before, and he suggested you do that again with him. According to him, there's a pool in the club, and he was fully willing to go there with you right then and there," Nora tells me, and I hide my face in my hands.

"But don't worry", she continues with a proud grin, "I defended your honor."

I furrow my eyebrows. "How?"

"I broke the fucker's nose."

"The ambulance had to come and get him. He just wouldn't stop whining. Pathetic little boy", Olivia chimes in, still focused on her hands.

"Oh my god," I groan, "thank you, Nora, but I'm still going to jump off the next cliff I see. I hate myself."

"You shouldn't. You were drunk and not able to consent to anything involving nakedness. Theo is the one that should be ashamed.", Ivy's eyes grow dark. "I'm so glad Nikolai got you out of there before you could start to strip or something."
She hands me a third glass.

For a second, it feels like the earth stops rotating.

"Nikolai saw me like that?"

That's it. I'm never going to leave this room, ever.

"Yeah, he brought you back here. Tucked you in, made sure you drank enough water before you went to sleep. He even took off your makeup. Say what you want about the man, but he knows how to look after people who need help," Nora comments.

I look down at myself. I'm wearing nothing but short sweatpants and his sweater.

I'm wearing nothing but sweatpants and his sweater.

Oh, don't worry. We did that." Olivia looks over at me, seeing my expression. "We didn't want your dress to get wrinkly. And he left that for you. So yeah." She points at the sweater.

My cheeks heat up when she gives me a pointed look.

"June?", Nora sits down next to me. "I wanted to say sorry."