FOREST

8 - pain and covers

Heavy eyelids were halfway down Zoie's eyeballs as she stumbled out of the bathroom, Tamara next to her, helping her stand up. Everyone looked relieved that the bathroom was finally unoccupied but Kaden ran towards the two.

As he came closer Zoie noticed him, her eyes widened a bit and she started turning around, "Let's go, please."

Tamara frowned at her, pulling her closer. She looked at Kaden.

"Is she okay?" he tried touching Zoie's arm, but to his surprise, she flinched and moved away.

"Does she look okay?" Tamara barked.

"What happened?"

Zoie hid her face, burying it in Tamara's dress, visibly in pain. Her hands scrunched the fabric on Tamara's waist, her breathing heavy.

"She drank too much," Tamara took both of Zoie's hands off the dress, but held onto them.

"I could help you lay her down somewhere?"

"You could help me get her to her apartment."

Kaden nodded and came closer to put one arm around the back of Zoie's legs and the other one around her back so that he could lift her up, but she sloppily tried to move away.

"No! You can't lift me up-" she started panicking but was too drunk to function and Kaden easily swept her up.

"Put me down," she cried, trying to escape his hold, but couldn't.

"Follow me," Tamara said and soon they were out of the house and in her car. Kaden sat in the back with Zoie, while Tamara was driving.

"Is it far away?" he asked, looking at Zoie who refused to sit in any way other than on the other side of the car, leaning onto the cold door.

"Fifteen minutes from here," Tamara replied.

Halfway through the ride Kaden tried reaching out for Zoie's hand, but she moved it away as soon as their skin touched. It stung him and he hated it, but suddenly remembered that he left that girl at the party. He didn't even remember her name though, and was pretty sure that she found another person to fuck in the meantime.

"Zoie where's your key?" Tamara asked as she pulled up in front of a flat. It was dark outside and you could hear the wind blowing.

"What?" Zoie asked, her eyes closed.

"Your key - where is it?" Tamara repeated herself.

"Uhm," Zoie put one hand onto her head, scratching her scalp, "in my bag."

Tamara's eyes widened, "Shit. Shit, shit, shit," she repeated.

"What?" Kaden asked, not keeping up with what was happening.

"I left our bags at the party when I helped her to the bathroom! Fuck!!"

"Jesus Christ Tamara," Kaden rubbed his forehead, "What are we supposed to do now?!"

"Excuse me?" she turned around to look at him.

"You should've thought about this before we headed off!"

"Well I'm sorry that I had too much on my mind!"

"Too much to forget your fucking bags? Is her wallet in there too?"

"Probably. Wallet, phone-"

"Oh my God!" Kaden threw his hands into the air, "If only you took care of her while she was drinking!"

"I'm not her mother you IDIOT! Why the hell would I look after her? She's not stupid! She knows when to stop!"

"Well, obviously not! And she's your-"