Under the Microscope (Book One of Three)

Chapter 16

I hope that I'm not doing too much, but yeah! I don't like overly complicated books but I can't tell with my own work.

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Pain. That was what I felt when I awoke to banging on my door. I groaned, covering my ears hoping to calm the equally painful banging rattling around my skull. Rather unsuccessfully. The banging on the door paused for a moment and then I heard a muffled beep and the door open.

My head snapped up at the door, which increased the pain I was feeling and caused me to yelp pathetically. "You idiot." JC laughed at me, in a volume which was far too loud, if you ask me.

"This is now the whisper room," I rasp, feeling the dehydration set in. "You may only be in here if you whisper."

"As much as I would love to abide by your diva ways today, we have an issue." She says, putting her hands on her hips evaluating me as I pathetically attempt to sit up, pulling the sheets up and around my naked body. I may have lost my dignity doing God knows what last night, but I refused to surrender my modesty in this moment. After a few more seconds, she disappears into my bathroom before reappearing with a glass of water, passing it to me as I run my hands through my hair, pulling it from my face. "There's a video circulating of you punching someone." She tells me sitting on the edge of the bed, my eyebrows shoot up in surprise and confusion, before furrowing as I bite my lip, concentrating hard as I try to remember what happened last night. Drawing a blank I meet JCs eyes once again. She sighs, turning her phone to show a video of me turning and punching some guy, made all the more dramatic with the strobe lights from the club.

"Oooh," is all that manages to escape me as I put my head in my hands. Wracking my brain as I tried to make sense of all the jumbled memories. I paused and looked at my right hand, definitely seeing the evidence of a punch on my knuckles, my hand throbbing slightly.

"Is that all you have to say? Oh? Jesus, look at your hand what were you thinking?" I hear JC continue talking as I zone out and filter through my memories of the night. "I'm getting the doctor. Shit."

"He had grabbed me; he was trying to buy me a drink and when I said no to try and leave, he grabbed my arm. He wouldn't let go of me. That's why I hit him with my right and not my left." I explain, pointing out that I'm left-handed, choking back tears that are threatening to break free as I relive the moment. Still looking at my hand, I try and open and close my fist but it's certainly a struggle. I groan in pain and exhaustion, throwing myself back on my bed, my okay hand covering my eyes. "FUCK!" I scream, anger feeling the more acceptable emotion than sadness, shocking JC as I feel her jump out of her skin from her perch on the bed. "I'm sorry. Really, I am." My thoughts start racing about my career. I know the implications this could have not just for my image but my seat at Williams.

I look and see JC walking over to my bathroom, passing me a towel this time rather than water. "It's okay. Get yourself cleaned up, I'll order room service and get Olivia here and we will sort this out. Set the story straight. We need you alive in a couple of hours for Netflix at 7, remember?" I nod, "it's 4.45pm right now." She explains as I pull the towel around me and walk to the bathroom silently, my head trained on the ground as I try and avoid the lights. Locking the door behind me, I stare into the mirror.

I look a mess, sweat and makeup mixed together; my mascara smudged all around my eyes; my long hair knotted. My right hand swollen and red around my knuckles. Switching the shower on, making sure it's hot as hell itself I drop the towel and begin to brush through my hair. Eventually stepping into the shower when the mirror is fogged up and the last knot is out of my hair. I hiss as the hot water hits me but refuse to turn it down. I hold my hand up in front of me as the water falls all around me, inspecting it more closely. JC is right, I need a doctor to check it, at least I didn't do the typical mistake of tucking my thumb. The heat of the hot water hitting my hand when I run it through my hair, mixing in the shampoo and conditioner in makes me swear repeatedly from the searing pain. However, I feel myself becoming more human as I stand under the water, not wanting to leave the heat and steam, I lose myself after I have finished washing myself and just stand there, feeling the water run over my body, until I'm red raw and there is a knock on the door of the room. I hear it from where I'm stood and assume that its either Olivia or the room service. Either way, my time out is over. I get out and wrap the towel around my body, and grab a second smaller one for my hair, squeezing the water out as I step out the room ready to tackle the day now.