Sylvan

Chapter 7

"Giselle."

I opened my eyes to Gab's face looking at me curiously. His chubby finger poked my cheeks.

"Mom's mad at you," he announced and then climbed into my bed to tuck himself next to me. "You were drunk when Noah dropped you home yesterday."

I wrapped my arm around his waist, spooning him. My head was pounding like thousand bricks had been dropped on it. I remembered bits and pieces of last night, but it would take a while to get the whole picture. That is if this headache didn't manage to knock me out.

"You stink," Gabriel said, pinching his nose as I yawned. Brat.

I widened my mouth and yawned exaggeratedly to tease him.

"Ewww, stop it Giselle." He thrashed in my arm. "You're so stinky."

I chuckled and after a minute of him wiggling I finally let go. He was right. My morning breath wasn't pleasant and add in last night's countless glasses of alcohol my mouth probably smelled like a gutter.

"On a scale one to ten how mad is she?" I asked, getting up. The urge to go back to sleep nestled against my little brother was strong but I persisted and dragged myself out of bed. 

The clock showed I had an hour before the school started. Mom always checked on me to make sure I didn't miss the alarm. However, today she sent Gabriel instead of coming up herself.

She's angry at me.

"Ten thousand," Gabriel said. He sprawled out inside my comforter as though he didn't have a school to attend. Well, the bed indeed looked very inviting.

I groaned and massaged my throbbing temples. Now I realized why people moaned about hangovers. Noah had predicted right and thank him for stopping me from drinking more. If not I'd probably not even make it out of the bed. Or maybe that'd be better to procrastinate facing my angry mother.

"Gab, go get ready or you're going to be late," I ordered Gabriel who imitated my groan. Ugh, kids. "Now."

With a pout he too got off the bed and waddled to the room's door.

"And Gab." He turned around. "What I did yesterday is not meant to be copied. Alcohol is bad."

"Mom already warned me about drinking." He grinned. "She told me she'll whip me. Maybe that's what she'll do to you."

I glared at the little imp. "Get out before I whip you."

During shower my brain started functioning and events of the last night returned. I cringed hard replaying all the embarrassing things I had said and done in front of Noah and Silas while drunk. I was never drinking again. My mouth ran like a motor with alcohol in me.

Noah had booked a cab to drop me home last night. Throughout the ride I ate his ear off, and he was surprisingly very patient with me, like every drunken word I spoke was a gospel. I was sure even driver got irritated at some point. When we reached home he carried me to my room because I had turned into a clumsy mess.

I blushed under the sprinkle of hot water remembering how he tucked me inside the blanket. Maybe he wasn't as jerk of a person I thought him to be. Maybe he was very sweet.

When I stepped into the kitchen my mom's scowl greeted me. I silently joined her at the kitchen counter to help her with breakfast. Gabriel was on the table playing a game in Mom's phone while waiting for his food.

"Giselle, are sandwich and juice enough for you or do you need a scotch to go with it?" Mom taunted me, flipping the breads on pan.

I heard Gabriel's snicker from behind.