Bittersweet (Book #1 Evening Wings Trilogy)

Chapter 7

7

I woke in the dark with an amplified headache.

What happened? Why was everything so bleary and dim?

Oh, I’d just woken up and the lights in my bedroom were off. But how did I end up in my bedroom? I was at school the last time I was awake.

 I tried to think backwards in time, but some shimmery glitter appeared before my eyes and I collapsed back onto my bed, exhausted and numb from sleep.

Five minutes later, I got up and headed downstairs, to the living room, where I guessed my mother was still up because reality TV was blaring from the big screen. My mother looked up at me when I reached the bottom of the stairs, with knots in my hair and grumpy from sleep.

“Oh sweetie, you’re up?” my mother observed.

“What happened?” I grumbled, collapsing into an armchair.

“Well, lovely, you passed out.” She smiled reassuringly. “Did you have enough for lunch? Because I warned you about that.”

“How did I get home?” I asked.

“Mr. and Mrs. Thunderheart, Heidi’s parents? They brought you here.” She smiled. “They’re good people. Maybe we should invite them for dinner sometime.”

I smiled uneasily. Why did I have a peculiar feeling about how I actually passed out? Maybe I was just being paranoid. I was paranoid most of the time.

My cell phone, a battered, black flip up, covered in smiley face stickers, buzzed on the end table beside the armchair where I sat.

“Hello.” I said flatly.

“Hi, Liz?” Heidi’s unusually lethargic voice said through the phone.

“Yeah Heidi,” I yawned silently.

“Are you okay? You looked pretty bad when they put you in the SUV.” She said, sounding concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little exhausted though, but thanks for calling to check up on me.” I smiled to myself.

“Cool, I’m glad you’re okay. Listen, are you still going to the dance next Friday?”

“Um, yeah, once my mom doesn’t say no or whatever.” I replied. Something reminded me that I also had a date whose name happened to be Xander Sinclair. That was some important information that I wasn’t going to divulge to Heidi.

“Um yeah, see you there, okay?” she replied.

“Um… sure?”

The line died in my ear.

I flipped the phone shut and turned to face my mom.

“Mom, Halloween’s next week.” I said.

“Mmm,” She replied.

 “You heard about the Comet dance right?” I probed.

“Mmm,” She replied, nodding.

“It’s a Sadie Hawkins dance.” I played with my fingers. “And I asked a guy.”

The TV was abruptly muted and my mother stared at me, her eyes wide. “Who is it that you asked?”

“Uh, a guy named Xander. He’s in my AP English class.”

“Hmm,” my mom nodded. “You like him don’t you.”

I rubbed my skin with the heel of my palm, but I didn’t look at her. “Yes mom. I like him, a lot actually.”