Alive If

Of Forgetting

"Fucking Hell." I'm uncomfortable by the dampness of my pillow and the soreness of my neck; it's like being crowned by an anvil. 9 chances out of 10, I would choose to have a hangover instead of these sensations. I sit up, grabbing the makeshift pack from the top of my head to the nightstand with a fake white flower on it. All I could remember from last night is falling off the bed, and seeing how Fie was so worried and frantic that she forgot that she was supposed to bring back the ice and not let it melt in the kitchen.

The house doesn't look too spooky in the daylight but my claw marks on the wooden handrail don't support the idea. I can't believe I wasn't strong enough to handle a woman who is 5 feet tall. I shake the fact out of my head, hearing chatter in the dining room. The aroma of butter on toasted bread whiffs in my direction, calling me to interfere with their breakfast.

"Ew. Why the fuck is he here?" I stand still under the arched doorway, my eyes focusing on Kai holding a knife to get a slice of butter. He notices my presence and halts. He jumps, dropping the object to the floor, almost piercing my best friend's feet. Sofie's eyes never looked bigger. She panics and runs next to me; my blood pressure is rising. If Kai thinks that I would let him have a chance with Fie, then he needs a hardcore reality check. I'll let him ask her out once I'm dead.

"Excuse me." A new guy comes from behind me. I move to the side, wondering how one's hair looks like a charcoal mop meets a hentai character from behind. His bangs are wavy, completely covering his eyes. I may not know who he is but Fie falls back in the sight of him. I have known her for so long but I had no idea that she has a thing for shaggy hair.

"Claire, we should go see Sally." Fie takes hold of my arm and her hands are frigid. She drags me out to a ballroom about the size of a basketball court. Bedazzled tables surround the room and it has a long buffet table on each side. In the front of it all is a piano on a platform, a microphone stand, and what appears to be my violin still inside its case.

"I'm glad you're awake. How's your head, scaredy-cat?" Oh, fuck. It's Sally, startling us out of nowhere.

"Sally, please can you stop that" Fie stands up for us, removing her hand from me.

"Stop what?" Her eyes are dark like I'm peering through the depths of hell. I back off, realizing that Taylor Swift's lyrics are making sense. This woman is a nightmare, dressed like a daydream. No, she is Satan herself.

"Will you please stop harassing my friends?" The hentai hair guy shows up with his hair tied back. Fie hides behind me as soon as she hears his voice, her hands are still ice cold. Now that I see his visage, I think I know why she is freaking out. His face looks broodingly average and she's too shy to admit it. I roll my eyes because Kai decides to follow him in. The moron is holding a short stack of bread slices in one hand and using the other to eat. 

"I like to see you try, Charles. So you guys have five hours to practice and an hour to get dressed for the ball. Understood?" Sally asks, looking at her watch. Five hours? Is she out of her damn mind? I need at least three months to learn a song on the violin.

"Fie, you're not performing, right? You should help me pick their outfits. Let's go, chop-chop." She pushes Sofie out of the ballroom, not caring about her reply. She finally understood the struggle. Wait, NO! Please don't leave me with Barf Man and his sidekick dollar store Robin. Shit, I don't think there is a better choice for each of us.

"Hey, I didn't see you get breakfast so..." Kai offers his plate of buttered toast to me. I'm starving but his face just reminds me of my ruined cardigan and the mental image that I'm still covered in vomit.

"I don't eat breakfast." I lie, hearing my stomach complain so I cover it with my arms to muffle the sound but the way the bread is toasted is perfect, the butter is glistening, and the smell is mouthwatering. This must be how Eve felt when she saw that apple.