The Skullcap Chronicles

Chapter Five

 "Are you drunk?" I asked, and Kai giggled.

 "And in a lot of pain." She wavered forward. "Can I come in? I'm probably going to fall on my face or pee in your bushes. Maybe both."

 I sighed and tugged her in, closing the door and locking it.

 "Just make sure you're quiet, alright?" I requested. All of my earlier concern had settled into a ball of tension, and my relaxation was now forfeit as that ball of tension materialized in exasperation. "Bathroom's over there."

 "Thank you," Kai said, giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before jogging to the bathroom. I sighed again; what had she gotten involved in tonight? My emotions were beyond mixed right now- I was concerned that she was in drunk and in pain; I was amused by her drunkenness; I was angry that after all of my searching she ended up at my door, and I was angry at myself for being this tense now that she was here; I was exasperated by this whole situation; and I had a contingent of butterflies in my stomach because one kiss on the cheek. I would swallow acid right now to burn those despicable butterflies.

 When Kai left the bathroom, I helped her conquer the stairs and get to my room, where she had to look around at everything before flopping onto my bed.

 "So... Comfy..."

 I came over and sat on the edge, and she rolled over to rest her hands on her stomach. She looked up at me and grew serious for a moment. "Alys, you're so pretty. Like, you're really pretty. That's an understatement." But then she reached up and cupped my face and started to laugh. "The pretty! Maybe I can absorb it through my palm tree! I don't know why I said tree-"

 I shushed her, laughing as well (mainly for her benefit), and lowered her hand, but in doing so she ended up taking hold of it. Before she could start rambling about hand-holding, I asked, "Kai, what happened tonight?"

 She exhaled heavily, the way only a drunk person can do without being that serious. "Well," she started to laugh but stopped quickly after, "I-" she cleared her throat, "I saw my ex-girlfriend. Her name was Jenn and she hates me now, 'cause she cheated on me so I told everyone it was 'cause I wouldn't sleep with her 'cause she had crabs. Heh, 'cause.' Anyway, so- she was at the party- and she tried to seduce me, 'cause I was drunk. Even I knew that was wrong, because, like, drunk people can't make sound decisions! So she got me to one of the bedrooms, 'cause she said Lacey was there and I love Lacey she's one of my best friends, so I went up there. And then she tried to lock me in." Kai frowned, her eyes turning sad and unfocused, seeing something I couldn't see. "She tried to take off my shirt, so I punched her and I managed to get into the hallway, and then she said I punched her and this other girl jumped to her defense- and then- this happened." She gestured to her face. Her eyes glimmered. "Alys, am I a bad person?"

 I sighed. "Oh, Kai, no. You were put in a bad situation, but you aren't a bad person."

 She smiled. "Good. Let that rotten girl think what she will; I care about your opinion more than hers."

 I smiled sadly. "You stay here, I'm going to get a wet rag for that lip."

 "'Kay," she said, and I left the room. By the time I came back, she was asleep.

 I woke to morning sun shining through the window, and sat up and stretched my body, stiff from sleeping on the floor. My bed was empty, and Kai's ripped shirt was at the end of it with a note, which I read:

Alys,

 In case you wake up before I wake you up: I jacked your gray sweater. It's cute as fuck, and I needed a shirt. Thanks for taking me in last night; that was awesome of you. -Kai