Gasoline.

12

I sat up and was instantly hit with a splitting headache. I felt queasy, but when I leaned over to vomit I just dry heaved. The lovely after effects of the tequila were lingering in the back of my throat. I tried to vomit again. Just as I placed my finger in my mouth to poke at the back of my throat, my bedroom door was swung open.

"Dun dun dun dun, the hangover squad is here!" Normani stated. "We heard your heave for help." She had a bottle of advil in her hand and a bottle of water in the other. Dinah came in behind her with a plate of cake in her hand, shoving a fork full into her mouth. "I didn't get my cake last night, so I post mated some here," she explained before I had the chance to question where she got it from. Normani sat beside me, and opened the bottle and handed me two pills. I popped them into my mouth and downed the water. I grabbed my phone. My body felt weak. It was almost one in the afternoon.

"I feel like shit," I said rubbing at my crusted eyes. "You look like shit too," Dinah said. She reached over and grabbed my make up wipes, tossing them my way. I pulled them open, and started wiping my face in circular motions. "I'm never drinking again."

"All of our favorite lie," Normani said.

"So, what happened with you and Zayn?" Dinah asked. I never did tell them last night. I just cried in the back of the uber, and then fell asleep on Normani's shoulder. They helped me into bed when we got back, and now here I am. Everything about last night started replaying in my mind in quick flashes.

"Carter kissed me." I explained everything that happened from when Zayn and I walked upstairs to the bathroom to when Zayn left me standing on the stairs.

"Carter's trash," Normani said. "Are you gonna talk to him?" I shook my head.

"What's talking gonna do? I'm getting fired tomorrow. I just know I am. Zayn smashed his face in a cake in front of everyone." I dropped my face in the palms of my hand remembering that detail.

"Well, Carter did say he didn't know who Zayn was." That was Dinah, always trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel. "He knows exactly who Zayn is. He's seen him at the office. Zayn's picture is on my desk, and he said why did you kiss my girl? I don't think it get's more blatant than that. I'm over. Zayn's probably going to dump me too. I might as well accept my losses now."

"Why would Zayn dump you? You think he really believes that you wanted to kiss Carter back?" Normani asked. I shrugged.

"He sure sounded like he did."

"But you didn't," Dinah said.

There was a knock at the front door. "Did you order more cake?" Normani asked glaring at Dinah. Dinah shook her head. "I did order chinese food though. Do you want some?" She asked. I shook my head. "The thought of food makes me want to throw up."

"You need to eat something," Dinah said heading for the door. "I will later." Normani stood up, patting my leg. "Rest up."

I closed my eyes, despite everything still spinning. I remember my first hangover. I was fifteen. Dinah, Normani and I got drunk off of something I found in my parents liquor cabinet. I woke up to use the bathroom and I started to vomit. I didn't know what a hangover was, so I thought I was dying. I told my parents and they realized I wasn't dying, but just suffering from a hangover. I stared at my ceiling for a whole month of punishment.

I was staring up at the ceiling when my door opened again. It was Dinah again. "It wasn't my chinese just yet."

"Who was it?" I asked. Dinah slipped away, and the door opened wider, and Zayn walked in. He closed it behind him. He stood there with a thermos in his hand. I didn't say anything and neither did he. We stood like that for a few minutes. He walked over, and sat down on my bed, directly across from me. He held the thermos out toward me. "I figured you'd be hungover. It's a hangover elixir. I can guarantee you'll feel better in an hour." I reached for it. "You have to drink it all." It was hot and tasted like chicken broth with a hint of mango in it.