Love of Mars

Chapter 5

Stella stumbled out of the spare bedroom of Charley's place at just gone noon after emptying her liquor filled stomach into the toilet. After that she felt a bit better and quickly washed the black make-up off her face and changed into a pair of Charley's  jeans and an old t-shirt - the only things that fit her - she had always been taller and more filled out than Charley. 

Her head pounded at the loud voices as she made her way back to the real world and her overly sensitive eyes took in the group sitting around enjoying breakfast.

"Hey, look who's up!"

"How's it going, sleeping beauty?"

"Are you feeling okay, Stella-ma'am?"

"What do you need, Stell?" All she could say was thank god for Charley.

"Guys, please. In the nicest way possible, please shut the fuck up." That caused the guys to roar with laughter making her headache even worse. Stella looked at Charley; "Cure level five, aspirin and sunglasses or a helmet with a shaded visor. Anything to get the light to stop attacking my eyes..."

Another round of laughter from everyone, including Charley as she went to the kitchen to get her special hangover drink. The pair had invented five drinks that helped get over a hangover, each drink was for a level of pain you were in due to the hangover; five being the worst. Unfortunately, the higher the level, the more revolting the drink but at least they worked! Backed up by science!

In a few minutes Stella had Charley's spare sunglasses on, taken aspirin and was currently gulping down the disgusting drink that was her supposed saviour. It was this point that Vinnie decided to bring up last night.

"So, sweetheart, do you remember anything from last night?" She shook her head.

"Not really. I remember I going to the club and having a few drinks but from there it's all just a blur." Throttle did his deep airy chuckle. Lord what a lovely sound..

"You had more than a few, babe. You were completely out of it by the end."

"Completely wasted. It was like watching you from back in college, Stell." Stella groaned as Charley laughed. College was the reason they came up with the curing drinks...

"What made you go, ma'am?" Modo asked softly, clearly worried about hurting her headache more.

"No ideas would come to me." Charley muttered 'I told you so' to Throttle and Vinnie. "And usually a night out helps but I still have nothing." She slumped on the table, Modo put a hand on her back and rubbed it in a comforting way. Vinnie's laughter filled the air causing the still prominent headache to thump inside her skull. Stella glared at him.

"What's so funny, hot shot?" He grinned.

"Nothing, sweetheart. It's just that you were a completely different person last night to the you we're used to seeing. It was... like seeing behind a mask. Was interesting and very entertaining to say the least." Something in that sentence made her sit upright suddenly.

"Say that again."

"It was very interesting and very entertaining?"

"No the bit before that."

"You were a completely different person last night to the person you usually are?"

"THAT'S IT! VINNIE YOU GENIUS!" Stella shouted, a new idea forming rapidly in her mind.

"I am?"

"He is?" The others asked.

"Yes he is. He has unknowingly given me my best invention idea yet!" She kissed Vinnie's cheek and got up from the chair but not before noticing the blush that had pushed through white fur and was showing clearly on his white face. "Pen! Paper!" Charley ran to get what Stella needed and returned with a whiteboard maker and an old invoice for a utility bill.