Shoplifter: E.O.W Series, Book 1

Chapter 5: Regret is a funny thing.

I woke up in my own bed on the third floor.  It was about two seconds before I grabbed the make shift bucket-trashcan by the bed and vomited up a murky mix of alcohol and stomach acid that burned my throat like liquid fire. Every muscle in my body clenched as another round of flammable liquid left my body. My head was pounding and as I laid back on the bed I silently thanked god for the wooden shudders that were keeping the light at bay. A creak from the doorway made me groan. I look to see Cameron leaning on the door with a smug smile across his face, his arms crossed disapprovingly.  "You fucking idiot." He chuckled, snapping his piece of gum. I could smell bubblegum mixed with mint, Roan gave it to him.  "I thought I heard someone puking their guts out."

"How long did Roan make you stand there? I say as I  try to rub the sleep from my aching eyes.

"Hmm? Oh since dawn. She spent the all night outside your door or next to your bed making sure you didn't choke to death on your own vomit or something.

"Kill me."  I groaned, embarrassed.  Cameron tossed me  a box of headache pills.

"Swiped em from Rite Aid while you were out." I put my hands together like I  was praying and shook them at the ceiling, then at Cam.

"Thank you."  He  chuckled then spoke to me in a stern voice, he really did sound disappointed. I was in no mood for disappointment or lectures.

"Kai drinking doesn't make you forget your past, or change it for that matter."  I  know I've screwed up when Cameron Macillas, the gang's resident jester  gets serious with me.  I open the box and my sick, unsteady hands fumble with the bottle's child proof cap. Annoyed with the bottle and Cam's attitude I answer out of anger, my tone mocking his own.

"Cam, drinking doesn't get you laid." I remember enough of last night to know that he was drinking as well.   Cameron's mischievous look returns and he laughs deep in his throat.

"Oh is that so?" He laughs, pulling a pair of lacy pink underwear from his back pocket and throwing them at my head. I scramble to pull them off my face as fast as I possibly can.

"AW! Ew man, I did not need to know that."  Roan was with me all night, and she is smart enough to never do something like that. So I know those have to be from the only other young woman in the E.O.W, Tess. I saw those two getting together months ago, but that was still gross.

"You've got a lot to learn kid." I looked at him questioningly but the only answer I got was another laugh. I crossed my arms and stuck out my tongue and he mirrored my pose in the doorway.  He got serious again, walking a little closer. "Kai you know my father was an alcoholic, he drank to forget stuff too." 

"Thank you for the pills." I change the subject and he drops the conversation entirely. Cam and I have a strange relationship. He wonders about my past often and I'm  one of the only people he'll talk to about his dad.  I don't know if he thinks I had a family like his or he just trusts me. Either way he's just one of the many people who find it very easy to open up to me, even if I won't do the same.  After I took the medicine I started to feel a little better.  I stood and realized that I reeked like sweat and alcohol, amongst other things. I take a stumbling step away from the bed, the room was whirling below my feet the whole way to the bathroom. Cameron walked in front of me and waited at the end of the hall to open the bathroom door. When I get there I lean heavily on the low counter. "Fuck, why is the room spinning?"

"Umm because Tequila?" He said in an annoying matter of fact tone.

"I didn't even drink that."

"OH yes you did." He said enthusiastically. I sigh as I pull my black T-shirt over my head. There are now three decent sized holes near the neck, there was one very small hole yesterday. Just one more of the many questions I am beginning to ask myself about last night's party. I rinsed my face and mouth  but just before I spit a sharp pain shoots through my shoulder blade. I do a spit take and splatter the sink with water. Why does my shoulder hurt like a bitch?  I turn my head and yell at Cam behind me.