A Year Around the Sun

t h r e e - don't you lie to me

i'll pull you closer when
you're floating far a w a y . . .

🌊🌊🌊

An elbow in the back as a wake-up call is not what I want in the morning. It's not what I want ever. But Sadie has always been a restless sleeper, so that was partially my mistake for sharing the bottom of Jodie's bunk bed with her.

All I could do was emit an exhausted excuse of a whine.

Sadie didn't budge as I leaned up onto my elbows to shoot her daggers. She was sound asleep with a hint of a smile on her face. I can't stay mad at her, no matter how irritated I am with my rude awakening. She's too sweet to be angry at.

The door to Jodie's bedroom creaked upon opening, and in walked my blonde best friend. Freshly showered, a cup of iced coffee in her hands and a teasing smirk tugging at her lips.

"Morning, guys," she chirped too loudly for my liking. I glowered at her in return, falling back onto the pillow under my head. "Yikes. Bad hangover?" She said jokingly, taking a seat by my feet on the edge of the mattress.

"I think atrocious would be a better word for it," I muttered, misery evident in my quibble. She chuckled at me and took a sip from her cup, crossing one leg over the other. The movement caused Sadie to stir and gracefully wake up, as she rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up.

"What happened?" She peeped in her small voice.

"You elbowed me in the back, that's what," I grumbled. Opposite of Sadie's, my voice the morning after a night of heavy drinking is hoarse, highly unattractive, and totally resembling a man's.

Sadie grimaced and then cowered into the plush blanket we were sharing. "Sorry," she droned.

"No worries. It's my fault for sharing a bed with you anyway," I giggled, and she laughed too. I went to say something else, most likely a plea for coffee, but a loud gasp from Jodie sent my head spinning around to look at her.

Her blue eyes were wide and solely focused on my neck. Her finger reached out and she pointed at it in horror.

"What is that?"

I gulped. "W-what?" I moved to shyly pull my t-shirt up to cover the humongous hickey on my neck.

"Lena," she scolded me. Her glare grew more intense with every second I didn't answer her, only making this more awkward than it needed to be. "Don't you lie to me."

With her and Sadie both staring at me, waiting for a response, I couldn't take it anymore. An exasperated sigh escaped my lips as I dropped my hands onto my lap.

"It's from Noah," I cringed as his name came out of my mouth.

"Oh no, not again!" Sadie cried out. I nodded in confirmation and she just groaned.

"I know, this is really bad," I stated the obvious, running my fingers over my face in distress. "But in my defense, I was going to say something last night." They both gave me a knowing look, and I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious! I stopped him and literally right when I was going to start talking, Caleb came and got us. So you can thank your boyfriend for ruining the moment," I remarked, smiling bitterly at Sadie.

She scoffed at that. "Like it's his fault-"

"It is! Because-"

"Guys! Shut the hell up!" Jodie stopped our bickering before it could even begin. Sadie and I grew quiet and looked towards her, shameful expressions on both our faces. Our mother for a friend sighed, put her coffee down on her bedside table and got her I-mean-business look on. "We have a serious problem here."