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NANCY WHEELER AWOKE TO A DISORIENTING SENSATION AS THE ROOM SPUN AROUND HER, INTENSIFYING THE THROBBING IN HER HEAD. The lingering taste of liquor clung to her tongue as she shuffled toward the bathroom, each step a reminder of the night before. Slowly peeling off her clothes, she prepared for a soothing shower to wash away the remnants of the previous evening's revelry. The events of the night remained elusive, shrouded in a haze as she struggled to piece together the fragmented memories, her remorse for overindulging slowly settling in as she prepared to face the day ahead.
She stood at the window in her living room, her backpack slung over one shoulder, looking down the road for any sign of Steve's car. The minutes passed slowly, each second feeling like an eternity as she waited for him to arrive and take her to school. But as time ticked by, it became clear that he wasn't coming. In frustration, she gathered her books and supplies, feeling the weight of her disappointment as she set out the door, the morning sunlight filtering through the trees. The walk to school seemed shorter than she had expected, but as she entered the building, she knew she had already missed first period. She made a mental note to give Steve a piece of her mind for making her late.
As she made her way to the gym where she expected to find Steve, she burst through the door with her hand on her hip as soon as she spotted him. "Steve?"
The tension between the couple was palpable as they locked eyes for a moment before eventually retreating to a secluded alley. Nancy felt a sense of urgency to address the events of the previous night, which had evidently left her in the dark.
"-What are you doing here?"
"-What do you think? Where were you this morning? I missed first period." Nancy passionately argued, expressing genuine upset that the boy would allow her to miss her crucial class, especially since he knew how important they were to her.
"I figured Violet would take you."
Oh?
"Wha... What are you talking about?" she asks, genuinely confused. She hasn't seen Violet in a long time, let alone been in her house.
