Fate is a Funny Thing

A Basic Life Skill

I wake the next morning on the living room floor. Actually, only half on the floor. My legs are up on the sofa, whilst the rest of me is hanging down on the floor. Sitting up slowly, being careful not to put too much pressure on my abdomen, I look around the room and struggle to stifle my laughter. Everyone is scattered all over the room, some in compromising positions, but all of them are still sleeping. Mason is the only one laying comfortably on one sofa. Hazel is sleeping on top of him, but her arms are folded under him, which doesn't look very comfortable. Evan is sitting up on the other sofa snoring, with his head resting back on the backrest and his mouth wide open. Zahlee is dozing on top of Evans lap, leaning her head on the armrest, with one leg on the sofa and the other falling off it. Rafael is sleeping on his stomach, draped over the backrest of the sofa I was on, and I wonder how he hasn't slid off. Asher is asleep on top of the wooden table in the middle of the room, with his head and feet dangling off either side. It really is quite the sight.

Moving my legs down from the sofa they accidentally fall on a remote. Suddenly, the speakers on the stand under the TV blasts out a song I have never heard before, and everyone wakes up. Mason and Hazel tilt their heads to one side in confusion. Zahlee sits up in an instant headbutting Evan just as he lifts his head in alarm. Rafael finally falls off the backrest and Asher moans, rolling over, only to fall off the table straight on top of me! Evan and I both groan in response. Whilst Zahlee muffles her laughter in half-hearted apologies, Asher continues to smother me in his body, pretending not to notice I'm there.

"Asher!" I groan, "Get off!"

"Huh? What?" he yawns blissfully. "Oh, sorry Hope I didn't see you there."

"Someone turn that off," Zahlee complains tossing herself back on the sofa and closing her eyes, "please!" Asher moves off me as I fumble around for the remote, snatching it from the ground and pressing the power button.

"What the hell happened?" Rafael croaks, standing up from behind the sofa.

"Partied a little too hard last night, remember?" Hazel mumbles as she stands up.

"I'll never forget it," Asher smirks waggling his eyebrows at me. The colour drains from my face when he looks at me with a knowing expression.

"What?" I ask in dread.

"You don't remember our night of passion," he questions. All the blood drains from my face, as I rack my brains to remember what actually happened. No way, I did anything like that.

"As if," I laugh, "I would never."

"You wound me, Hope," he holds his hand against his chest for dramatic effect. I shake my head, a smile still playing on my face and then stand up.

Everyone else laughs at my lack of comfortability and then stands up too, mumbling to each other about going home and having showers. Following them out to the door, Evan, Asher, Hazel, and Zahlee step outside, say their goodbyes and then leave. Just as I turn around and head inside, I hear,
"Babe when you and Zahlee come back, you need to take Hope to the salon." This catches my attention and I spin back around to look at Mason in confusion. "She wants a change of look."

Hazel calls out in agreement and shuts the wooden gate behind her.

"A change of look?" I whisper, sending Mason a questioning look.

"I take it you haven't gotten that far from home?" he questions, yet something tells me he already knows the answer. Nevertheless, I nod, and he continues, "well, on the probable chance you see someone you know, a change of look may put them off figuring out who you are. That is still what you want, right? To not be found?"

"Yes, it is," I nod determinedly, "but it won't be that drastic, will it? I mean, how could they change my look up enough to stop people recognising me?"