Forbidden Territories

Chapter 5: Play-by-Play

By the time I exited my room, Maya was already sitting on the couch, a cup of steaming hot coffee in her hands. Her eyes instantly darted in my direction and I knew that face all too well. She was anything but amused and it only made me worry more about what the hell happened in my drunken state. 

I lingered between the door frame of my room, nails scratching my elbow. If my head didn't hurt as much as it did, I would've probably just sunk back into my bedroom and wouldn't leave until she left for work. But I needed painkillers and I needed them badly. So, I forced out a smile and made my way into the bathroom, trying to ignore the glare from my sister. 

Opening the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, I popped two Aspirin on my open palm and threw them in my mouth. Turning the tap on, I didn't bother grabbing a glass, and instead, I just pushed my face underneath the cold water, drinking straight from the faucet. My memory was so blurry with large pieces missing. Hours, probably. And the scent of liquor seeping through my pores had me gag. Shower. The shower would make me feel better. The shower would give me the time to brace myself for the wrath of my sister. 

Dainty digits reached for the tap and adjusted the water temperature. With a soft sigh leaving my lips, I tugged on the hem of my top and peeled it off my frame, the rest of my clothes following. Warm water hit the top of my head and I pressed my palms flat against the white tiles, feeling my muscles finally relax. Frankly, I was growing a little scared of what went down. I didn't hurt myself, right? I lifted my head to check my body for any bruises or marks. My legs were a little bruised but that was nothing new. My fingers had tiny scrapes on them. Okay, nothing major. I was okay. 

Pushing my hair off my forehead and rubbing it backward, I finally reached my hand for the shampoo bottle. I heard the door creak open and paused in the middle of trying to squirt some of the shampoo on my hand. 

"Maya?" I questioned. 

"I need to talk to you about last night, V. Before I go to work. So, if you could hurry up a little bit." Her voice was cold and distant. 

I mentally cursed myself. "Okay." 

The door closed once again and I resumed with my shower, purposely taking a little longer than usual. I was hoping Maya would have to leave before I got out but when I put my robe on and left the bathroom, she was sitting behind the kitchen island, typing on her phone. I dragged my feet across the floor hesitantly, eyes on the ground. 

"You've really done it last night," she said, without removing her attention from her phone screen. 

My teeth chewed on my lower lip as I waited for her to continue. "I don't remember," I mumbled. 

"No shit you don't remember," she said in annoyance. I bit my lip harder as she placed her phone down and looked right at me. If there was a possibility to shrink me and fall between cracks of the Earth, that would be good timing. "What the hell were you thinking last night, Olivia?" 

"I ... I don't remember," I repeated, only quieter this time. 

"You caused a fight, do you know that?" She was looking at me expectantly. I tried my best to go through the events of the night before. I and Trina were drinking vodka shots. We were giggling and dancing and building a tower out of the empty glasses. Maya brought us another round. Fuck. No matter how hard I tried, the rest of the night was wrapped in darkness. 

I shook my head and slowly sank down on one of the stools, opposite Maya. "What did I do?" I asked, fear vivid in the tone of my voice. 

It wasn't until that moment that Maya realized that I wasn't making it up. I truly had no idea but I was willing to take the consequences. Her long, black nails drummed atop the woodwork then paused.