Of Sirens and Beasts (Top 10~OnceUponNow) Being Published October 11th

Of Sirens and Beasts-Part 2 #OnceUponNow

This story is entered in the #OnceUponNow contest hosted by Target. Voting for the contest starts on Monday (June 13) at 8:01 pm Est time and ends Tuesday (June 21) at 3:59 pm Est. By voting for the FIRST chapter during this time frame, you can help it win a chance to be published! The top 25 voted stories go on to the next round.

My eyes open to a white popcorn ceiling. My head has an awe-inspiring hangover. I haven't had a hangover in a year—not since I stopped drinking. I squint. I don't remember getting in bed last night. I don't even remember leaving that mansion. The last thing I recall is pulling up to it last night.

    After dressing and showering for school, I enter the kitchen and plop down on the nearest seat at the table.

    "Morning, sunshine." Tongs in hand, Mom pulls a waffle from the toaster. She drops it down onto a plate with two others.

    I mumble something unintelligible in response while massaging my head.

    "How was the class?" She adds syrup to the side of plate and sets it in front of me. Some of it runs off the side of the plate, dripping onto the table.

    "Good." I bite off a piece of waffle. I don't want to tell her I can't remember, or she'll think I actually do have a hangover. That or think I was drugged. She for sure couldn't stand the thought of me drinking—not after Dad was killed by a drunk driver; the reason I quit drinking. "Do you remember what time it was when I got home?"

    Mom pulls down a blue and pink tinted glass and fills it with orange juice. She wrinkles up her face. "I stayed up waiting for you, but I can't remember. You didn't go out with your friends after class, right?"

    "No, of course not."

    She takes a long sip of her juice, staring me down. "Good."

    Great. I've unleashed the one thing no one should ever set free—a mom's suspicions.

******

    I miss the football for the fifth time. As I jog across the field to retrieve it, Reed runs to catch up with me.

    "What's up with you today?" he asks and shakes his head, sweat flying off his hair. Some of the drops land on me. I flick them off.

    "I don't know. It's just...forget it. You don't feel weird? Nothing feels off?"

    He snorts. "Yeah, but I always feel weird."

    Coach Matson blows his whistle. "Five minute water break."

    Chugging back my water bottle, I spot Rose at the top of the bleachers. She lifts her hand to say hi. She can explain how I got home last night, at least what time I left. I climb up the steps and take a seat two rows below her.

    She runs a hand through her hair. "You did good last night."

    I open and close the stopper on my bottle. "I can't remember."

    Her smile seems almost forced. "That's probably because you were half asleep. My sisters and I had to drive you boys home. Apparently we worked you boys too hard. I hope you don't mind us using your cars."

    "No, thank you actually. I'm sure that was an inconvenience, huh?"

    Shaking her head, she scratches her cheek. "Not at all. You are coming tonight though?"

    "Yeah. Coach said he'd make us do two hundred burpees every night for the rest of the season. Not that we didn't enjoy the class." I can't even remember if I enjoyed it.