Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 39

_Chapter 39~ Who I Am_

          It felt like someone was drilling a hammer at my head. Relentlessly.

          My eyes glued to the ceiling, I lie on my bed, my throat aching of dehydration. Light flooded in from the windows, indicating that morning had arrived. But that was just one of the many realizations that had hit me in my groggy state; and honestly, the main thought wasn't exactly doing me any good. What day was it today?

          Swallowing down my queasiness the best I could, I hauled my body upwards with all the energy I was able to muster. I reached over to my nightstand and clicked my home button for my phone, instantly lighting up my screen. Though I stared and stared, the time of 10:17 AM and the date of Monday, September 4th were things I couldn't quite digest.

          I was super late for school.

          The pulsating of my head made me shut my eyes tight as I collapsed back onto my bed. Why did I feel so sick? I didn't even remember going to bed. What the heck happened yesterday?

          What did I... do for my birthday again?

          My headache wasn't giving my brain much slack in attempting to decipher yesterday's occurrences. Painkillers... They were in the kitchen, weren't they? All the way downstairs...

          Groaning at the thought, I ignored the notifications on my screen and called her number, hoping to gain a shortcut without having to get up. She answered within seconds.

          "Mom, are you at home?" I spoke into the receiver. I hadn't even realized how faint my voice could ever be until that very moment.

          "No, I'm at work," she replied. "Is everything all right? Are you at school?"

          She left at six, didn't she? "I just woke up," I admitted.

          "What? Right now?" she demanded. "You're late! You've never slept in before."

          "I know," I murmured, her yelling only making my headache worse. "Mom, I'm not feeling well."

          "You aren't?" She paused for a moment. "This is what you get for staying out late," she said with a sigh. "You have to take better care of yourself, Reina. That boy from down the street; you're lucky he was there to walk you home. Even carried your sleeping self in and straight to your bed. Apologize for causing him so much trouble."

          Ryu walked me home? I frowned at the idea, the words swirling around my head. He did? "Didn't I go bowling yesterday?" I asked the only vivid memory I recalled.

          "Yes. Erika wanted to surprise you," answered Mom. "Well, your dad and I were a little in on it. I hope you had a blast yesterday but because it's not your birthday anymore, that doesn't excuse you from skipping school young lady."

          Though my mind was absorbing all the things she was telling me, nothing was sticking. They only resulted in fuzzy memories or nothing at all.

          I began to freak out a bit. Why didn't I remember?

          "Are you going to head to school right now?"

          "I'm honestly feeling too sick to go," I breathed after a pause.

          "Why? What were you doing until so late?"

          My head pounded against my skull. What was I doing...?

          After a moment of blank thinking, I just said, "I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life." I closed my eyes with a groan. "Mom, my head really hurts."