Poetic Sound (On Hold)

Chapter 2- Headaches

I party a lot. I drink a lot while I party a lot. I've been drunk more times than I can count, as untrue as that is, I've been drunk a lot. Of all those times, I've never had such an absolutely terrible headache with my waking.

The sun felt like it was frying my brain as I peeked my eyes open. Along with my pain came great confusion, until I realized where I was.

The warehouse that I, and most likely many others, crashed in last night has 3 floors. The 1st floor is for parties and events. The 2nd floor has 2 bedrooms with connecting bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. And the 3rd floor is mainly bedrooms and bathrooms, but there is a minibar up there.

I was in one of the second-floor bedrooms.

Beside me was a bedside table. It contained a glass of water, two pills and a note in a tent bend. I was contemplating taking the pills dry so I could just lay in bed and not have to worry about getting water everywhere, but decided against it since the trouble of doing even that would further my headache. I'd just woke up and I was already overthinking everything.

I sit up in the big bed and grab for the heavenly pills. The water does it's best to wash them down, but I end up half choking on them due to my dry ass throat. Slowly, my eyes wandered around the room that I've spent many nights in. 

A moment later, a loud clanking noise came from the direction of the kitchen.

"Shit!" I hear someone whisper yell. Charlie no doubt. I quickly grab my belongings and shuffle out of the room.

The floorboards creak under my feet as I walk towards the kitchen. Charlie is picking up some pots and pans off the ground.

"Charlie, what the hell are you doing?" I whisper hiss, knowing she's probably got as bad a headache as I do.

"Where's the fucking Advil, damn," she whispers back as she rummages through the cabinets.

I wanted to laugh but decided against it. "It's on top of the fridge, remember?" We have this conversation every time we come here. She wakes up with a hangover and I have to remind her where they store their multiple bottles of pain pills and other medicines. 

A sigh came from her. She reached on her tippy toes to grab the box from the top of the fridge. Why they were put there, I'll never know. I always thought it was just Lucas, the owner's nephew, being a dick and trying to catch Charlie struggling to get them. He knows as well as I do how often she takes pain pills. From what she told me, she is always getting headaches and migraines. She doesn't know why and the doctors don't know why. 

"I keep forgetting, whoops." There was a small smile on her face, but it looked more sad than happy. 

"What time is it?" My eyes scanned the room for a clock, but there wasn't one in sight. 

Charlie had her phone on the table. "1 pm," she laughed. 

"We didn't even bet our record!" I laughed with her. Every time this happened, which is a lot, we would try to see how long we'd be asleep. Weird, I know. Our record is 5 pm. "But I have to get home soon. Patricia will not be happy about me being gone all night."

"Yeah, yeah. But you better call Austin. He's probably all worried about his girlfriend," She giggled and danced around. 

"For the last time, he's not my boyfriend." Austin, he's a guy that we go to school with. I guess you could say that we have a past, but that's the last thing I want to think about right now.

"He acts like he is. He's always so possessive. He called last night." Her playful tone was gone. "'Said he missed you and to tell you to come over."

"And what did you tell him?"

She gave me a look that said "Really?"

 "I told him to fuck off of course." Her smile brightened and she laughed. I joined her. "Last night was your night, not his. He did sound sad that you didn't invite him. Shame," She said with a mock pout. 

"Thank you." I hugged her. 

I finished grabbing my things and hugged Charlie goodbye before calling a cab for a ride back to my Aunt's house. My aunt is really understanding about me going out with my friends, but she always says that she wants to see me on my birthday. I get where she's coming from and all, but I don't really get how my birthday is different from any other day. My birthday was just another party. Just another drunk night with my friends. Another hangover. It was all nothing. 

Instead of going straight home, I got off at the grocery store. After buying myself a soda and a bag of candy, I walked to the park. My favorite park, Apple Lake. It sounds dumb, and it really is. I hadn't bothered to learn the name until a couple of months ago. I come to this park so often, yet I hadn't known the name all these years. 

Every birthday, every time I receive news I don't like, every time someone pisses me off... I come here. At Apple Lake, the sun glares off the water perfectly, but it is at it's most beautiful during sunrises and sunsets, depending on what side of the lake you're on.

There are multiple playgrounds around the lake.  People come here with their children and their dogs. You can always find someone running along the sidewalk created around the water. Birds and swans fly overhead and land on the water. There are always so many things happening around here. Time never stops. It really makes you see that there are lives around you and that life goes on, even when things get tough.