Light Me Up [H.S]

9

"I need to go home," Peyton took my hand and looked a little off. My instinct was to look for the guys; which one of them had upset her? Niall and Harry were not at the table and Louis and Liam were both talking to women at the bar. 

"What happened? What did they do?" I said and hugged her closely, looking around to catch sight of Harry and Niall. 

She shook her head and took a deep breath. She was looking a little pale. "No one did anything, Morgan. Relax. I'm drunk. I can't be out like this," she hiccuped, making me chuckle at her. 

"Why can't you be out like this?" I asked her and squeezed her into my chest. 

"Because I say stupid things, and I think your brother is so hot I'd like to tear my..." She never finished the sentence, as I clamped my hand over her mouth at the appearance of Harry and Niall. 

"We're going to the ladies for a moment, please mind my girlfriend," I said to Niall especially, but to Harry as well. They nodded and while Harry seemed to have a slightly amused look on his face, Niall looked a little annoyed. There was no doubt that they had heard Peyton's drunken confession.

I pushed through the crowd and got Peyton into the ladies room. I placed her in front of the sink and asked her to dab cold water on her face. She did as asked, while I screwed the lid off a water bottle. She drank half the bottle in one go, and immediately looked like she was going to vomit. I helped her stumble into a toilet booth where she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl. I chuckled to myself as she retched, remembering how that was me during my college years. 

***

A particular memory of Willow holding my hair, as I hurled violently, came to mind. We had been at a frat party, drinking and dancing. The guys were there as well and they always made sure we were safe. After I vomited, Willow rummaged around in her bag and offered me a toothbrush and some toothpaste. I chuckled as I cleaned my teeth and mouth. Then she fished out a small plastic bag and a mirror. She dipped the white powder from the bag out onto the mirror and cut it into lines. She looked at me and smiled. "Do you want a line?" She asked. I shook my head and fixed my makeup, while she sniffed harshly, the lines disappearing into her nostril. "It feels so much better than drinking," she said while she fixed my hair and smiled at me in the mirror. 

***

Peyton finished vomiting and we went back to the sink. I rummaged around in my bag and found a toothbrush and toothpaste. She chuckled when I handed it to her, but thanked me and brushed her teeth. I helped her touch up her makeup and fixed her hair. The memory of Willow left a flash of sadness, but I pushed it away and turned Peyton around to face me. "How are you feeling?" I asked. 

She scrunched her nose and took a deep breath. "I think I feel better," she admitted. Then she looked at herself in the mirror. "Do I look like I puked?" 

I laughed at her and shook my head. "No, annoyingly enough, you look really beautiful." 

She winced and leaned on the sink, a redness creeping up her cheeks. "Oh my God. I told your brother he has beautiful eyes."