𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭

twenty two

Delphine

Eliza was a sight for sore eyes as she stumbled into the dining hall, dark sunglasses shielding her eyes from the brutal morning light, a scowl firmly planted on her face.

Her usually perfect hair was bundled up in a messy knot, and she looked like she'd been hit by a truck—which, in party terms, I suppose, wasn't far off.

I couldn't help myself; the second she slumped into the seat across from me, I burst out laughing.

"Shut up," she muttered, wincing as my laughter only grew louder. "My head is pounding, Del. I swear you're making it worse."

"Oh, this is too good," I snorted, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. "Last night you were, what was it? 'Queen of the dance floor'? And now you look like you're auditioning for a zombie movie."

Eliza groaned, placing her head in her hands as if the weight of the world—or at least, the weight of her hangover—was too much to bear. "Please, no loud noises."

I leaned forward, grinning mischievously. "So, should I get you a kale smoothie? Maybe a double espresso?"

"God, no," she mumbled, barely lifting her head. "Just... bread. And silence. Lots of silence."

I shook my head, still grinning as I watched her suffer. Eliza had dragged me to the party, full of enthusiasm and assurances that it would be "the best night of our lives." And, admittedly, she'd had a fantastic time right up until she lost track of how many drinks she'd had.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to stay out all night," I reminded her, feigning innocence. "I even warned you about that last tequila shot, remember?"

She groaned again, this time sounding like a wounded animal. "Ugh, tequila. Just the word makes me nauseous."

I chuckled, glancing around the dining hall as I sipped my coffee. The place was buzzing with other students, some looking as fresh as I did, others slouched and bleary-eyed like Eliza. College weekends had that effect; the morning after was always a mix of survivors and casualties.

"So... did you enjoy yourself, at least?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eliza made a face, then lifted her sunglasses to squint at me through bloodshot eyes. "Barely remember it, honestly. Except... oh, wait!" Her face suddenly lit up, even through her hangover haze. "I vaguely remember you talking to Kaiden? Or... did I imagine that?"

I rolled my eyes, playing it off. "You're hallucinating. I wasn't talking to anyone. I was too busy making sure you didn't end up passed out in a random bush."

She squinted at me for a second, a glimmer of suspicion in her expression, but then gave a resigned nod. "Fine. But I swear, you two had a moment or something. Ugh, it's all foggy. My brain's like scrambled eggs right now."

The thought of last night flashed briefly in my mind—Kaiden's car, the weird silence between us, and the unspoken tension hanging in the air. I brushed it aside, not wanting Eliza's half-baked theories to get any traction.

"Maybe lay off the tequila next time," I suggested lightly, reaching over to steal a fry from her plate.

Eliza slapped my hand away, giving me a glare that would've been intimidating if she didn't look like she was about to pass out any second. "Or maybe you could actually join in next time instead of babysitting me."

"Oh, I'll consider it," I said, smirking. "But only if it means getting to watch you embarrass yourself again. Honestly, it was the highlight of my night."

Eliza groaned, lowering her head back onto the table in a dramatic display of exhaustion. I couldn't help but laugh again; for all her usual composure and put-together image, she was utterly wrecked today. Moments like these were rare with her, and I intended to enjoy it while it lasted.