Accidents Happen

Chapter 1

I wake under a warm sheet, which I hug close to me in an attempt to ignore my pounding headache. My eyes gently flutter open, squinting in the sunlight that is seeping through the blinds. I sit up and look around, as I don't recognise where I am. White walls, computer, camera, some massive framed golden YouTube sign, a striped blue bedding. But worst of all, someone is next to me. Never in my life have I awoke with someone next to me. And wait a minute . . . why don't I have any clothes on? Why are they on the floor?

I scream, very loudly. The person next to me wakes and screams back. We turn to look at each other. Our eyes widen. We scream again. 'Oh my fucking God!' I scream, slapping myself. 'You fucking bitch!' I mutter to myself. 'Who - who the fuck are you?' I ask, looking at the boy.
'I'm Joe . . . who the fuck are you, then?'
'Aria.' I take a closer look at the boy, he looks vaguely familiar. 'Oh my God.' I mutter.

I realise how I know him. My sister watches his videos on YouTube, and he's her favourite youtuber of all time. 'Huh?'
'Oh fuck. I know who you are. Oh shit. My sister watches your videos. Oh fuck.'
'Okay, let's just chill.' Joe says, but I can hear the panic in his voice.
'Chill out?!' I say, rocking back and forth a little.
'Yeah, let's just breath.' I start to take slow, deep breaths.

We haven't spoken in a while. I've been doing some controlled breathing and Joe has been sitting with his head in his hands, muttering. 'What the hell even happened?' I ask him after a while. He shakes his head, looking completely clueless. 'I have no idea.'

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A few hours earlier
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'Ari? Are you ready?'
'Yeah, I'm coming!' I shout, pushing the earring into my ear and fastening the back, grabbing my purse, running down the stairs to meet my best friend, Sally. She's wearing a short and simple white dress with no straps and white glossy heels. I'm wearing something in the same style, but mine is midnight blue.

Tonight, me and Sally are going out clubbing. She told me that I needed to get out and get smashed every once in a while, and I reluctantly gave in. I've never been one to go out very much, and I was told I should just get out some more by Sally, and I have full confidence in her.

Leaving, we hail a taxi on the street and get in to go to the the club. Getting there, it's packed. People are standing around outside and talking loudly as we climb out of the taxi and enter the club. Sally grabs my hand and drags me to the bar. 'We're having fun tonight, okay?' She shouts into my ear.
'Yeah!' I shout back. Sally hands me a shot.
'All in one, yeah?' She shouts, looking sternly at me. I nod, downing the shot and pulling a face.

After being in the club for about an hour and a half, we're both over tipsy. 'You're being checked out.' Sally says, her eyes leading over to somewhere off to my left. 'Come on.' She turns me around and my gaze leads off to the left as we make our way towards the bar. And she's right, someone is checking me out.

-*-

We've been here for hours. I've been introduced to the boy, Joe, yet I'm drunk off my arse by now, and so is he. 'Shall we go somewhere?' He asks, his words slurred.
'Yeah.' I reply, nodding my head violently and giggling.
'Okay.' Joe laughs in reply. He grabs my hand, and together we stumble out onto the street and start to walk to wherever we are going.

I don't know where Sally is, but I'm so drunk that I don't even notice. Despite the fact that we've been standing stock still for about a minute, I've only just realised that we're outside a building, and Joe is looking around frantically in his pockets. 'Got it.' He stumbles backwards into me as the door opens, and I laugh hard. He grabs hold of my hand again and we run up the stairs, occasionally falling or tripping.

Outside Joe's apartment, Joe turns to me. 'We're mental.'
'Very.' I hiccough, laughing. Joe giggles and looks at me for a split second, before pressing his lips to mine, kissing me hard. And I'm not objecting. I'm kissing him back. His hand is fumbling with what I'm assuming to be the door, as it flies open moments later, and we stumble inside.

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Back in the present
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I pull on my clothes quickly whilst Joe is in the bathroom, making sure I have everything with me. I know I don't need much at all, but if I forget something and have to come back, that'll be the most awkward situation ever. I find my phone in my bag. 'Shit.' Twenty missed calls, all from Sally. I decide to ring her.

'Where the hell are you?!' She sounds so worried that it sends a stab of guilt through my chest.
'Um . . . I slept with someone?'
'You what?!'
'Yeah, you heard me.' I cringe.
'Oh my fucking God, you've gone wild!' She laughs, and I crack up. 'Who was it, then?'
'He's called Joe. I can't remember how I met him, like.'

'Joe . . . ?'
'Sugg.'
'Sugg? Joe Sugg?!' Of course, Sally knows who he is. I forgot about that.
'Yeah, him.'
'Oh my God, you lucky bitch!' Sally giggles.
'Woah, I can't remember it! I was drunk off my ass!' I pause. 'Anyways, do you reckon you could pick me up, please?'
'Of course.'

Joe exits the bathroom. 'Hey.'
'Hey.' Silence. 'I'll be out of your way soon, my friend is going to pick me up.'
'Alrighty.' Silence again.
'We don't ever have to speak about this to anyone, right?'
'Nope.'
'No one will ask?'
'No.'
'Good.'

Within fifteen minutes, Sally is at the door. 'We'll never speak of it.'
'Ever. And we'll never speak to each other or so much as see each other again, right?'
'Right . . . So I'll see you -'
'No. It's "bye".' Oh, of course. I won't see him around.
'Right. Bye.'
'Bye.' I walk out of the apartment and down the corridor, rush down the steps and open the door to the apartment block. Sally smiles at me, and I force a smile back. God, I am such an idiot.