I woke up as the sunlight from the window crept inside. I looked around for a little bit before realizing I was in Nick's bed, with no Nick.
How'd I get here? All I remembered was me making the stupid decision to get drunk.
My head was pounding. I felt grimy as I looked down to see myself dressed in the same clothes from last night. That's when I hear the door open.
Please just be Nick.
I look at the door. Matthew.
"You're awake." He said.
"Yeah." I said back. I wasn't wasting my energy on him. One thing I didn't forget was Mariah telling me it was Matt who told her about my alcoholic parents.
Honestly, I should probably be more mad at Mariah for creating the account, and I was. But like I said before, the guys are the only people that understand just how bad it was with my parents. For Matt to just tell other people? It feels like he couldn't care less.
And it's not like I'm best friends with Mariah. Matt is—was my best friend.
There was a brief pause before Matt continued talking to me.
"Do you feel ok?" He asked, trying to fill the air. "Nick said you got drunk—and, I swear I'm not gonna lecture you about it. It's not my place."
Ok. That was kinda sweet. But still. Fuck Matt.
"Yeah I'm fine. I just don't remember anything after starting to feel it. My head is also in another dimension right now." God. Even if Matt wasn't arguing with me, he still always won me over. But not this time. I'm done with him, and I'm done with Chris.
"Right! Here, I brought you tea." He lifts the mug in his hand and gives it to me.
"Thanks, Matt." I slightly laugh, but then I retreat. I keep having to remind myself I hate Matt right now.
Matt watches me sip the tea before finally saying what he wanted to say.
"I know you saw the texts." He says, abruptly.
I stop mid-sip when I hear this. It felt like I was the one got caught with something awful, and not the other way around.
I tried to assert my dominance here. Sound tough. Sound mad.
"Yeah." I saw with a forced smile.
BITCH? SOUND TOUGH!!
I just let Matt do the talking. I don't know what he could've said for me to forgive him in the slightest, but I'll hear what he has to say.
"Ok you have to believe me." He says quickly. It sounds like he was prepared for this exact moment.
"Remember Alana's party?"
I shake my head.
"Ok well I noticed you started getting anxious when Alana was all in your face. You were twisting your hair and you kept looking down. So, I took Alana away from you to let you breathe."
"Ok." I didn't want to listen to him, but I did.
"Alana wouldn't drink the fucking water and she kept asking me if she was embarrassing me. She literally wouldn't shut up, so I told her the smallest fucking details." He paused. He told Alana? I didn't mind that. Alana was like my sister. Was.
"I told her that your parents used to drink a lot and it made you uncomfortable seeing people you love so fucked up."
I stare at him as he tells his story. He was doing the thing where he counts on his fingers all the main points in the argument to make sure he says what he wants to say. He only did this when he was really passionate about what he was saying.
"Then I heard someone fucking giggling behind me and it was Mariah. She found it so fucking funny that she was eavesdropping on us. I made her promise that she wouldn't say or do anything and she said she wouldn't. As soon as I saw the Instagram profile though, I knew it was her. Jay, I swear, if she was a dude, I would've socked her right there."
I looked down at his fingers. A whopping 8 points he wanted to bring up to me.
He had this face and I could tell he was just waiting for my answer. "And the texts with you and Alana?"
"Right. That's the 9th point. I felt awful about Mariah overhearing us because she isn't exactly one so keep her mouth shut. I felt like it was my fault and I know it was my fault because I pretty much told your secret to everyone and—"
I squeezed him tightly. I believed him.
"I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose." I whispered to him.
The buzz about my parents were dying down, people stopped finding the profile funny, and I had no intention of exposing Mariah. She could do what she wanted to do. I didn't care. I missed my Matt.
"Are you ok," I ask, still hugging him.
He waits before answering. "Are we ok?"
I look up at him. "We're perfect." I say, before hugging him again.
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Now that Matt and Alana and I were back to normal, I was on a power trip. I wanted to get rid of all the negativity in my life.
So, next up was Chris. At night, the time where he normally comes to my room had passed. I needed to see him, not because I wanted him. I was over that. I just wanted to talk to him. I text him, asking him to come see me.
Nothing.
I text him a few minutes later again.
Nothing.
What? When has Chris ever ignored me like that? I decided to go to his room and just talk to him there.
I knock on the door and I hear him pause the show he was watching.
Idiot.
"Chris! Open the door!" I said.
Finally, Chris opens the door.
He looks upset. That's weird. Why?
Before I can say anything else, Chris says, "I don't know if you're still too drunk to function, but I think you're mistaken. Matt's room is down the hall."
Chris has never been so mean to me. He immediately regretted it, though.
"Ok, sorry, sorry. Here," he hugs me but quickly lets go. "Fight-hug."
"Thank you." I say. "I should be the one mad at you though!"
"What? Why?" he asks.
"You were still talking to Mariah while we were together?"
"That's why you're mad? Well if you're mad at me for just texting her, you're gonna be pissed at yourself.
I ask Chris, "What are you talking about?
He laughs. "How much did you have to drink?"
• NEXT CHAPTER IS THE FINALEEEEEEEE
• i'm not gonna make chris an asshole i swear
• anyways if you've read this far tysm! thank you for enjoying my work it's one of the best feelings.
