What Lurks Beneath the Surface ✔️

chapter three

"Vange, wait!" Rem calls after me as I stumble into the kitchen.

"I'm fine," I brush him off, squeezing between two jocks that are twice my size.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine, okay?" I interrupt, spinning around to face him. "I obviously had my wires crossed. I'm drunk... and really dumb, apparently."

"You're not dumb. I'm just not the kind of guy that's gonna fool around with a drunk girl, especially when I'm stone-cold sober," he explains. "Something about it feels... rapey. I don't know."

I let out a sigh. I can't even be angry when he says things like that.

"Evangeline Rose Porter! I've been trying to call you for twenty minutes!" Kira materializes beside me. Her hair is a mess, her lipstick is smudged, and her dress is riding up.

"Did you get the D?" I ask, chuckling at her disheveled appearance.

"What? No!" she exclaims. "Things got... awkward. Let's just get out of here."

She takes my hand and leads me away from Rem, who is wearing an amused smirk. I wonder if I should tell Kira about my unusual encounter. Other than my Aunt Gemma, she's the only person on the planet who knows about my unyielding crush on the dark-haired musician.

Then again, all I did was sit on his lap. Is that really a tale worth telling?

As we drive back to her house, she tells me how the guy from our calculus class, Josh, was a perfect gentleman... until it was time to actually do the deed. He was ready to proceed without any sort of protection, claiming that his pull-out game was strong.

"I have condoms in my purse, Vange! He just refused to wear one. What a creep!" Kira shrieks.

"Have you ever had sex, like, without a condom?" I inquire.

"Are you kidding? The last thing I need right now is a baby," she answers. "Why? Have you?"

"Once," I reply.

The one and only time I've ever had sex.

She nearly runs a stop sign. Quickly, she slams on her breaks, causing me to lurch forward in my seat. "Are you serious, Vange?"

I nod my head. "Yeah, I'm serious."

"Holy moly! You better tell me every—"

"Not now," I interject, massaging my throbbing temples with my fingertips. "I will tomorrow morning... after you make me waffles."

Kira seems satisfied with my response. We sit in silence for the rest of the ride and go to bed the minute we get home.

<>*<>*<>*<>*<>

"I'm never drinking again," I groan, fetching a water bottle from the Dixon's fridge.

Kira chuckles as she takes a package of Eggo waffles out of the freezer. "How much did you have last night?"

"Too much."

"Apparently." She tosses a bottle of Advil in my direction, which I almost miss. "Take a couple. It will help with your headache."

I obey my best friend's orders and pop two pills into my mouth, hoping they kick in soon. It feels like there's a tiny man with a hammer banging on the inside of my skull.

"So... about last night," Kira begins, placing four waffles into the toaster, "I know you were, like, super out of it, but you said something weird."