“Ally!” The girlish shriek tugged me out of my deep sleep, but before my brain could process any further and before it had told my eyes to pry themselves open, my body went numb.
“What the hell?” I screamed as I darted out of the warm queen size bed. I shook my limbs rapidly and glanced down at the now dark purple bed sheets before glaring over at my two best friends.
“We’ve been calling you for two hours now.” Hannah griped.
“Yeah, and when you didn’t answer, we decided to take matters into our own hands.” Meredith interrupted.
“How did you get in? And why did you feel like pouring ice cold water on me would be the best way to wake me up?”
“Ha, like we don’t know where you hide the spare key.” Hannah yelled back at me while she dug around in my closet. “And the cold water was all Mer!”
“Seriously Mer, why not just shake me awake like a normal person?” My tone of voice was harsh but appropriate considering the fact that I just had a huge cup of cold water dumped over my head.
“Because I’m not normal, and I needed a good laugh.” She shrugged. “Besides, none of that would have happened if you had been dressed and ready when we told you to be.” She shot back at me as she crossed her arms across her chest.
I ran my hands through my messy hair and tried to hide that fact that I had no idea what she was even talking about, but that’s when all the memories of the last few weeks hit me. Hard.
About five weeks ago my boyfriend of four years and the love of my life, Trey, had called off our relationship. I had remained loyal to him all throughout college and we moved in together immediately after we both graduated. I had spent every second with him last summer traveling all across Europe and I had given him every ounce of me.
I had given up my dream job in Portland for him, and had agreed to move to Colorado just a few weeks before waking up to a half empty apartment and that dreadful handwritten note that laid on the kitchen counter for two weeks before Meredith finally shoved it down my garbage disposal. I had let Trey run my entire life, without uttering one complaint about it, and what do I get in return? A pitiful little note that said we both had lost ourselves and that he needed to get away and see what else life could offer him or some bullshit like that.
I cried for six days straight.
Meredith and Hannah stayed by my side every waking second of those hellish six days and had even helped me find and move into a new apartment not long after the break up. They both spent the first three nights with me after I moved in and had even thrown me a small house warming party with a few of our close friends.
I remember the devilish grin take over Meredith’s face as I opened her hot pink envelope that she had slipped into my hands. I remember feeling the slips of paper glide across my lap when they fell out of the ridiculously tacky and overly glittered card she had made me.
“Oh right.” I sighed.
“That doesn’t sound like someone who’s ready to have the best week of their life.” Meredith pouted.
“Mer, I love you and thank you so much for doing this, but I just don’t really feel up to it.”
“But it’s Las Vegas, Al!” she exclaimed. “Trust me babe, you’re going to have the time of your life.” She said breathlessly. “Besides, even if you don’t feel like it, you’re going with us. I may have to drag you by your hair and then drug you and stuff you in my suitcase to get you on the airplane, but girl you’re coming!”
This is why I love Meredith.
“Here.” Hannah walked over and handed me a pile of clothes, oblivious to the conversation that just took place. “Go get dressed our flight is in two and a half hours.”
