Invisible String || Erik Lehnsherr

Chapter 7

I woke up on the floor, my head pounding with every heartbeat. Squinting against the blaring sunlight filtering through the window, I groaned, the events of last night slowly trickling back into my memory—drinking, dancing, and, of course, the endless gossiping. I winced as I tried to sit up, my back aching from having spent the night on the hard floor.

As I surveyed the room, I couldn't help but laugh under my breath at the sight before me. Pizza boxes were strewn across the floor, along with empty cups and shot glasses cluttering the TV stand. Raven lay sprawled on the floor next to the sofa, looking like she had rolled off it at some point during the night. Storm was curled up on the bed, still sound asleep, and Jean was huddled on the bed bench, wrapped up like a human burrito in one of the blankets.

I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the throbbing pain in my skull. "Definitely not doing shots again anytime soon," I muttered to myself.

Groaning, I carefully stood up, stretching my sore muscles as I tiptoed through the wreckage of our impromptu girls' night. Memories of the night came back in flashes—Raven teasing me about Erik, Storm laughing so hard she nearly fell off the bed, Jean pulling out another round of shots. I smiled, despite the headache. It had been fun, but now I was paying for it.

Stepping over Raven, I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was pretty early, and I wondered if anyone else was feeling as rough as I was. I looked at the mess surrounding us and sighed. "This is gonna be fun to clean up," I mumbled, rubbing my neck, which was still sore from sleeping in such an awkward position.

I was just about to start tidying up when Raven stirred beside me. She let out a groan, rolling onto her back with a squint. "Ugh... why is the sun so loud?"

I snorted, shaking my head. "You mean bright?"

She waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. It's too much." She squinted up at me, her eyes bleary. "How are you even standing right now?"

"Pure willpower," I replied with a weak smile. "And a desperate need for water."

Storm shifted on the bed, muttering something under her breath before covering her face with a pillow. Jean, meanwhile, remained blissfully unconscious on the bench.

Raven pushed herself up, groaning dramatically. "Never letting Jean talk me into that many shots again."

"You said shots didn't affect you much," I teased.

Raven narrowed her eyes at me, but her playful smirk betrayed her. "Next time, you're the one doing the shots, Miss I lived with nuns."

I laughed, my headache easing slightly with the banter. "Yeah, well, let's try to survive this hangover first."

"Deal," she muttered, flopping back down onto the floor with a groan.

I looked around the room again, taking in the mess we'd created. Despite the headache and the sore muscles, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the night we'd shared. It was chaotic and a little reckless, but it reminded me that, for all the tension and drama that had come with being here, I had found people who genuinely cared about me. People I could call friends.

Even if we were all a little too hungover to admit it right now.

..

I started cleaning up a bit, picking up the empty pizza boxes and stacking them near the door. The mess didn't seem quite as overwhelming once I got going, though my head still throbbed with every step. Raven, still lying on the floor, lazily watched me as I worked, before eventually groaning and pushing herself up to help.

"You're a saint," she muttered, grabbing the cups and shot glasses. "I can't even look at food right now without wanting to die."

I chuckled. "I'm not feeling much better, but this room's a disaster. At least if we clean up a little, it'll hurt less to look at."