Wonderland

❄B60❄ I'm Sorry

Chapter Sixty

Brayden's POV

I'm Sorry

December 15

I woke up the next morning to the sound of someone puking and then flushing the toilet. Since my bedroom was right next to the bathroom, the noise woke me up. I didn't get up, though, because I was too lazy to do so. I snuggled deeper under my covers and tried to fall asleep again, but the person started puking again.

I groaned and got out of bed, heading towards the bathroom. "Hey, you okay?" I said, letting myself into the bathroom without knocking. I instinctively squinted my eyes. I was not yet used to the brightness of the room.

"Yeah, totally. I'm fine." I recognized the voice. Susanna.

I was alert now. I widened my eyes and saw her slumped against the toilet bowl. Her hair was tied into a bun, and she was still wearing her nightgown. I crouched down beside her and touched her forehead. "You don't feel sick," I said.

"That's because I'm not sick. Es took me Olive Garden yesterday. Must've been the salmon. I'm okay, though. Go back to bed." She picked herself off the ground and wobbled on her feet a little. I steadied her, looking at her worriedly. "Can you hand me my toothbrush?" Susanna asked, meekly.

I took her toothbrush and squeezed some toothpaste on it, handing it to her. After she brushed her teeth, I carried her back to her room. "Do you need anything else?" I asked, softly, pulling the covers up to her chin.

Susanna shook her head. "Thanks, Bray."

"Yeah. But if you need me, just holler." When I got back to my room, I checked the time on my clock. 5:58am. I still got a few hours before I meet with my friends. Snuggling deeper under my covers, I fell asleep in no time.

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My friends and I met up in front of Starbucks. We grabbed coffee there and hung out at the park near our old high school. They were happy to see me. They caught me up with everything that's happened to them since I've been gone. Nolan just asked a girl, named Vixen, out; Parker got a position as a summer counselor for a digital arts camp; and Ryan's been volunteering at a dog shelter since the end of October.

"What about you?" Parker asked. I had been silent throughout it all.

"Nothing much. I broke up with Berkeley..." I said.

"For some reason, I'm not surprised," Nolan said.

"Why'd you break up with her?" Ryan questioned.

"Because she was a bitch," I answered.

My friends burst out laughing. I scowled. What's so funny about that?

"What?" I said, irritatingly.

"Nothing. Just... You think every girl's a bitch, so we're not too surprised," Nolan explained.

I glare at them. "I never liked her. I only ever went out with her because Heather said I should give her a chance!" As soon as I was finished talking, I noticed my friends staring at me with their mouths opened in an 'I-can't-believe-this' way. It suddenly dawned on me that I had just yelled at them. Rather rudely, too. I groaned. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I didn't mean to yell at you guys."

"You okay, Bray? You've been acting a little distant from us," Parker said.

"College changed you that much?" Nolan added, a little sadly.