A Million Miles Away

Chapter 1

Consciousness returned forcefully, like a baseball bat colliding with the front of his skull. The pain thumped in tandem with his heart beat. Then he noticed the sunlight trying to creep in through his eyelids. The warmth came in through the windows. He felt a cushion beneath him.

Where was he?

He scrambled to remember who he was or where he was or what he'd been doing before he passed out, but it hurt too much to think further than his sensations.

Henry.

That's his name. Henry. He remembered that much. Henry carefully let his eyelids open, but since he faced the sun, opening eyelids felt as difficult as walking a straight line while drunk. That's what happened, he thought. Drunk. Since when do I drink?!

It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the early afternoon sun but once they did, he was able to see the outlines of his shoes. He remembered lying on a couch the previous night. So obviously that's where he...

The door handle. A car door handle. A brown window crank. As he looked about he nearly gave himself a heart attack when he saw someone unconscious in the driver's seat. A girl.

Since when do I ride in cars with girls?

He couldn't identify her at first but she looked familiar but he couldn't place why then he noticed the famous denim jacket spotted with various heavy metal patches such as Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slayer.

"Oh no," he involuntarily said. Alyssa Shafer? Really? She stirred in her seat and Henry noticed her brow wrinkle in what he only interpreted as the same pain he woke up to.

"Sonuva...," she said, coming to consciousness much quicker than Henry did. She opened her eyes and looked about, then sensed someone watching her. She twisted her body, avoiding the strain on her headache to find Henry in the back seat. She didn't scream. She didn't jump. "Henry Chambers?" She only sighed. "Sonuva..."

"I don't feel good," Henry said. Just as soon as he finished the sentence, he felt the burning sensation and taste of bile exploding from his throat and out onto the floor of the car.

"Henry Chambers?" Was all that Alyssa could say in response. Then, the smile of puke crept up into her nostrils and forced her to launch her own collage of water, alcohol and a variety of previously eaten food outside as she quickly opened the car door. She fell out onto the grass, holding herself up by her arms as she let it all out. The smell of her own puke made her puke some more and the cycle went on for some time.

Henry felt better but his headache remained. He opened his car door ignoring Alyssa's heaving. He felt the soft grass beneath his feet and the cool breeze on his sweaty scalp. Birds sang delightful songs in the distance which annoyed him greatly. Alyssa finished and sat on the grass, leaning against the car tire.

"Henry? Why am I in a..." She turned her head to identify the car's make and model. "...why am I in a Mercedes with you?" The word, Mercedes, caught up with her and she stood up wide eyed as if the hangover had left her immediately.

Henry's headache dissipated as well. He stepped back a few feet from the car and studied its features. He shook his head for what seemed like forever. After a while, Alyssa worried that he might be having a seizure. Most of the nerds at school were prone to things like that. Seizures. Asthma attacks. Whatever. Nerd stuff. She surprisingly felt herself worry about him but he eventually said,

"I don't know. I don't remember getting in a car. Let alone a Mercedes. Did...did we..."

She knew what he was gonna say. "No! Don't be stupid. I wouldn't steal a car with you. Are you insane?"