06. Hello, Ms Rohn
EMBER
I woke up in my bedroom, with eyes so puffy that I could barely see and a killer headache. Orange sunlight streamed through the small gaps between my curtains, making me squint so much, all I saw was a big blur. What the hell happened last night? I guess that was a big blur too.
I sat up, groaning and it felt like the entire room was spinning; like my head was filled with water. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and carefully looked around.
I wish I hadn't.
A white orchid sat in a small pot on my dresser. The moment I saw it, I remembered everything. I recalled going to a flower booth at ten-thirty in the evening, begging the clerk who was locking up to let me buy just one flower. He gave me the orchid for free, saying it was his last for the day and he didn't think it anyone wanted it anyway. I remembered sitting in the park for what seemed like a minute but what was really two hours. And I remembered talking to a boy about guitars...and remembering another boy who loved them too.
I must have cried really hard. I sighed to myself. If that's true then... I looked beside my bed and beer cans and other bottles littered the floor in a mess.
"What are you doing to yourself, Ember?" I mumbled, bringing my hands to cover my face.
This had been happening since I turned eighteen. Every time I felt like the world was a despicable place or I just felt lost, I'd drink to the very bottom of every bottle I could get my hands on. It didn't help that Alex had died two days after my birthday which was a little over two weeks ago.
His family kept delaying the funeral - they weren't ready to let go yet - so his wake's lasted for longer than expected.
But I still couldn't go.
All of a sudden, my stomach started to churn and the ocean in my head produced wave after wave, sending the room into a colorful kaleidoscope. Last night's supper was starting to come up. Oh dear Lord, no. I frantically rushed to my bathroom and basically emptied my stomach into the toilet bowl.
And of course, that's when Eric decided to show up.
"Ember, where the fuck are you?" He boomed from my room, making my head spin even more. "That kid - Kevin? - called saying something about meeting at the theatre by noon."
What? Why? Kevin had said that I didn't need to go until next week.
"Ember, I'm serious! It's eleven-thirty - and why the hell are there so many bottles -" His sentence fell apart when he stopped at my bathroom door and saw me leaning against the bathroom wall, face green.
"Morning, Eric," I said weakly.
I fumbled at first but I finally managed to flush the damned thing after around three tries. Then I couldn't move again. I groaned, screwing my eyes shut when sunlight seeped in from the tiny bathroom window.
I hated this part. This was the part where I'd swear I'll never get drunk again and throw a fit and then do it all over when something bad happens. I exhaled slowly and brought my knees to my chest.
"Get up and take some aspirin; there's breakfast downstairs. I'll drive."
With that, Eric left. And I could feel my heart swelling inside my chest. Despite the cold and sharp edge to his voice, I'd never heard him so concerned before.
Slowly getting up, I followed his demands by popping two aspirin tablets and washing them down with a glass of water. The unbelievable pain didn't subside instantly, but I just chose to man up and get on with my morning routine anyway.
YOU ARE READING
The Pretenders
Fanfiction{Harry Styles fanfiction} "Ember," his warm, minty breath fanned onto my face, making me close my eyes. The January air was cold against my arms; I shivered, but still backed away from the warmth of his body. I felt his index finger sweep across my...
