Love me. Choose me.

{8} Love me

"What happened to your dress?" Sawyer asked as I walked into the room, taking off her glasses.

"Oh," I muttered, looking down at the burgundy plaid pajamas that engulfed my body. "It's a complicated story."

Sawyer smiled knowingly, as if she already knew what I was going to say. "I bet it is. I guess you got wrapped up in things."

I sat on my bed, and my headache threw me off balance again. I relaxed my head on my pillow, my gaze focused on the ceiling. "It's not what you think."

She placed her book on the bedside table next to her bed and sat next to me. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "I drank too much alcohol while trying to impress some hoodlums."

She placed a thoughtful finger under her chin. "I thought you were going on a date? Who in the world offers so much alcohol to a girl?" She teased.

"I don't know why I drank so much. I'm such a fool. I let their words get to me," I castigated myself with my eyes closed. "It was stupid of me. I should've just stood by my words and..."

"But you did. It already happened. Stop chastising yourself. It's the only way to get over the hangover." She reached over to run a hand through my hair. "Just take a deep breath."

                     ∞∞∞

I woke up to a blaring sound beside me. I raised myself from the bed and fished out my phone from under the duvet. Rubbing my hand against my forehead, I looked down at the screen.

I had two messages from Shane asking how I was doing and three missed calls from him. I clicked on the message and typed back:

**I'm fine. I took some pain relief drugs.**

I stood up from the bed and made my way to the bathroom for a quick shower. The first thing I wanted was a cup of coffee and something edible. I grabbed a matching outfit: grey jogger pants and a grey hoodie.

After packing my hair into a messy bun, I grabbed my phone from the table and headed toward the door. As I walked down the hallway toward the field, I came across Sawyer, who was with two other girls. When she saw me, she waved her hand my way.

"Noelle," she called, scooting over to meet me. "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine. I don't feel the headache anymore," I replied with a thin-lipped smile. "Thank you."

She gave me a sympathetic smile and nudged me slightly on the shoulder. "I'm glad."

The two girls Sawyer had been talking to waved at her before they started walking away. Despite the thickness of my clothes, I could still feel the coldness of the surroundings. I wrapped my arms around my chest to shield myself from the frigid air.

"While you were asleep, a guy came to ask for you," Sawyer announced as we started walking down the field. "He said his name was Trent. Is he the guy you went on a date with?"

My face brightened with a hint of excitement as I stuck my hands in my jogger pants' pockets. "He did? Why didn't you wake me up? There's so much I want to ask him."

Sawyer's eyes widened. "That's not a hobby of mine. Jeez, you're—I don't know," she paused, deliberating, then flicked her fingers twice. "Too desperate."

I shook my head in disagreement, my cheeks flaring red as I spotted Trent walking my way with Thomas. "I'm not desperate," I mouthed, my hand reaching out to signal her.

"What? I'm damn serious," she fluttered her eyelashes at me, but when she noticed I wasn't paying attention, she followed my gaze.

"Hey, babe," Trent called, his voice sounding reluctant as he made his way toward me.

"I guess it's time to go. See you later," Sawyer muttered, turning around and retracing her steps back toward the dorm entrance.

A cold shiver ran through my entire body as I recollected the foolishness I had displayed the night I got drunk. Beads of sweat gathered on my forehead, and the cold I'd been feeling disappeared.

"How are you doing from the dawn of the day?" Thomas asked, his voice filled with mockery and distaste.

I arched a confused eyebrow his way. He squared his shoulders. "I meant the hangover."

"I'm fine. I took some painkillers," I said, my gaze diverting to Trent, who seemed like he was trying to find his voice while his friend kept acting like he cared.

"I'm glad you did," Thomas mumbled and tapped Trent on the shoulder. "See you later, dude." Thomas stretched his hand forward for a quick handshake before storming off.

Trent waited until he was sure Thomas was far away before he finally spoke. "Babe, I'm sorry about everything that happened last night on our date."

I was tempted to say something like, "Do you call that a date? That was a total disaster." But I didn't want to ruin his attempt at an apology.

"I didn't want it to happen that way. I know you're angry at me," he continued. "You have every right to be angry. If you can give me a chance to make it up to you, I promise it won't happen again."

It was his fault that the entire display of alcoholic madness came to exist, but it wasn't his fault that I got drunk. I was to be blamed.

"I'm not the type that dwells in the past," I told him. His face brightened, and he stretched forth his hand to grab mine. I stepped away from his hand and turned toward the little coffee shop across the walkway. "Let's grab a cup of coffee."

"Babe," he said, giving me a worried expression. "Did I get the chance?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes."

Top question

Do you think Noelle was quick to forgive?

Do you think Noelle was right when she said–It was his fault that the entire display of acholic madness came to existence–but it wasn't his fault that I got drunk? I was to be blamed.

Author's note

Have you ever got this vibe that makes you excited to write a novel, you have all the ideas and storyline going but along the line, your mind just went otherwise as a new storyline to another start pilling up and you feel tempted to leave the previous one and start a new one?

If this is you. WELCOME TO MY WORLD.

With love.
Clara Joel