Life Unexpected

02: Life Unexpectedly Ended with a Boner

"Relationships are always stronger when you are best friends first and a couple second."

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WALKING INTO SCHOOL Monday morning was strange, my heart kept racing and a small piece of me wondered if Austin felt the same way. I spent my Sunday thinking about Austin, the smile on his face as he made me breakfast, the way his hair looked perfectly disheveled. I couldn't tell if it was the unfortunate one night stand with him that was making these feelings in my chest go rampant or something else.

I walked over to my locker, shoulders slouched more than usual making my purse fall off my shoulder. I fidgeted with the rings on my fingers, the strange feeling in my chest growing as the seconds passed.

"Where did you head off to the other night?" Josie asked as she piled a spoonful of Greek yogurt in her mouth.

I looked up from my nervous hands, "What do you mean where did I go the other night? Where did you go?"

The last thing I remember was beer pong. Anything else that happened after that was a distant memory that I didn't think I'd ever recover. Josie was never one to ditch me, especially if I was drunk, so something must've happened for us to separate.

"Me?!" she pointed to her chest, "I turned to grab us another shot but when I turned around you were gone. I looked for you everywhere, but I couldn't find you. I just assumed you went home and forgot to text me that you left."

I shut my eyes, cursing my drunk self for being an idiot – grant it, I was reckless without alcohol but drunk me is much worse. I leaned against my locker, my jean jacket crinkling as I slowly slid to the cold, tile floor. I stared blankly at my white converse that needed a desperate cleanse, my denim boyfriend jeans rising to reveal a small bit of skin.

"God dammit," I whispered regretting ever setting foot in that party in the first place.

This is what I get for being loyal.

"What the hell happened?" Josie sat next to me, her legs crossed underneath her. Her red hair looked brighter, the small specks of auburn popped out as the sun's rays bounced off her curls, and the few freckles she had on her face were more visible now.

I looked down at my hands that laid in my lap, "You have to promise not to freak out or say I told you so."

Austin and I promised each other we wouldn't say anything about last night's endeavors – what was there to say? Not like we remembered much anyway – but I needed to get this off my chest.

"What is it?" Josie raised a brow, her honey colored eyes glistening with curiosity. I was known for being too spontaneous, nothing I did ever surprised her, so she knew my news had to be big if I was forcing her not to freak out.

I took a deep breath, "Austin and I had sex the night of his party."

Josie's mouth dropped, her spoon falling to the ground with a soft thud. I looked at her face, watching her hazel eyes turn dark, void of any expression. I couldn't tell what she was thinking and the more the silence filled us the more anxious I became.

I felt like the beat of my heart echoed through the empty hallway. My breathing sounding ten times louder than it should be. I needed her to fill the silence, I needed to know what was running through her mind. Josie was never at a loss for words, if anything you couldn't get her to stop talking.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" A piece of her red hair fell in front of her face, covering her eyes as she continued to stare at me with a blank expression.