Looks can be deceiving (Mapi León x OC)

Chapter 11 - the morning after

When I woke up the next morning, I didn't know where I was at first. Confused, I sat up and scanned my surroundings until it hit me.

I was in Mapi's room. 

Cautiously, I threw a gaze over my shoulder, but Mapi's side of the bed was empty. Piece by piece, I tried to reconstruct last night. Karaoke. Laura and Ingrid, who had both disappeared. My conversation with Mapi on the balcony. And in bed. Oh, God... I had actually managed to cry on Mapi Leon's balcony. If I told Klara she'd never stop teasing me about it. I quickly reached for my phone, which was on the floor on top of my clothes and scrolled through my new messages.

[31/08/2024 08:01:02] Laura <3: Es tut mir so leid, Em.  ("I'm so sorry, Em")

[31/08/2024 09:56:49] antonia.vargas.24: Good morning, guapa.

I quicky answered Laura that she didn't need to worry about me, and asked Antonia how she had slept. Next week I really had to find the time to see her again or she wouldn't be interested in me anymore if I kept her waiting. After a few moments of consideration I decided to just go for it.

[31/08/2024 11:05:37] emiliacortes20: Are you free on Thursday after my practice?

The door to the room was opened carefully and Mapi stuck her head in. When she saw that I was awake, she entered. She had probably just come out of the shower, because she was wearing a fluffy bathrobe and had her hair wrapped in a pink towel.

"Good morning, Princesa" she greeted me, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Is your headache as bad as mine?"

"I'm one of the few people who never get hungover, no matter how much they drink" I triumphed.

"Instead, you cry on other people's balconies" Mapi winked at me.

Shit. Embarrassed, I buried my face in my hands. Why couldn't she have just forgotten this moment?

"I left you a toothbrush in the bathroom" she continued.

"You really do live up to your reputation, don't you?" I removed my hands from my face and grinned at her.

"Why?" Mapi asked irritably as she got up and walked to her closet.

"I already know why you have so many toothbrushes at home. More importantly, for whom."

"I'm going to kill Alexia." Mapi sighed. She opened the closet doors and rummaged searchingly through a pile of sweaters. "But for some reason, girls really appreciate my so-called effort. If only they knew I got a family pack of toothbrushes at the dollar store."

I rolled my eyes. The Mapi I knew - and disliked- was back.

"By the way, speaking of our lovely friends, Jill and Jana have disappeared too." She informed me.

A gray sweatshirt landed on the bed.

"So everyone's running away from you."

"Hey" Mapi protested, still facing the closet. Unfazed by my presence, she dropped the robe on the floor and was suddenly standing in the room dressed only in light blue underwear. Although we also changed in front of each other during practice, I felt my cheeks blush and quickly looked away. Here in her room, it felt a lot more intimate.

Finally, Mapi had changed into pink and orange crop top and blue jeans and turned back to me.

"Are you going to run away from me as well or do you want to have breakfast together?"

"Breakfast with you? Wow, I'm getting more than your usual guests!"

With a loud groan, Mapi let herself fall onto the bed, causing the towel on her head to slip.