Cold as Ice: The Heart of Stone

Chapter 4 - Hungover

My eyes fluttered open to the unwelcome invasion of a steady sunlight, my head pounding in protest to the previous night to mornings indulgence in vodka. As I gingerly sat up, the room spun briefly before settling into a disoriented stillness. Beside me, I discovered Beth, pale and disheveled. I remember her wanting to sleep in my bed. After everything I told her, I didn't want pity and she knew it. So we just had a two man party. She talked about Viv alot, some good stuff, some bad stuff. I still didn't convict her to text the girl. We sang, we danced, we talked shit and we just drank... and drank... and drank. She even mentioned Leah a couple of times, to which I everytime told her to shut up. I know her birthday is coming up soon which undoubtedly means her usual big party.

Beth will be nursing an even more formidable hangover when she wakes, I just know it. My own discomfort took a backseat momentarily as I realized how bad Beth's state actually is—she looks zombified, a fucking mess. At least we will face the consequences together.

I woke up before my alarm, as I usually do. I thought it would better if I let Beth sleep for longer so I just pulled my phone off the night stand and flicked endlessly through some social media.

Soon enough, she began to stir. Tossing and turning left to right, managing to either smack me or rip the covers off me. I reckon I had a part to play in that as I clicked a video and it played at max volume. Oops.

"Oh god..." She mumbled in a sleepy state to which I try and conceal my laughter, not even God can save her from this feeling. "I think I might be dying. Am I—am I dead?"

I chuckle, she always was the dramatic type but right now I feel like death feels pretty similar to how she is feeling. "Not dead mate..." I say sarcastically as she throws herself further under the duvet.

"Ahh Fuck." She says jokingly with laughter in her voice. "I'm not going to lie though Rori, as awful as I feel... I had a fucking fabulous time."

I look across to the blonde who now barely has her eyes showing over the covers as they are pulled up so high. She's giggling under the sheets.

"Are you still drunk?"

"I actually think I might be."

—

"Rori, I can't do this." Beth says grabbing a mug from the cupboard with shaky hands. The alcohol shakes.

"You can, you will." I laugh flicking the kettle on.

"Viv might kill me." She nervous laughs but hysterically at her own words, I feel she is actually slightly scared.

"Oh she definitely will, but if all else fails... blame it on me." I smile to which she protects telling me she would never do that.

She huffs in a childish like strop as the time ticks to us needing to leave and also I'm guessing at the fact I'm making her go to training instead of phoning in sick.

"I wasn't lying when I said I might be drunk..."

I knew she wasn't lying. The way she staggered with laughter across my room and knocked everything off the side in the bathroom was very telling, she still can't walk in a straight line. She's just lucky she has spare training kit stashed in her car, otherwise Viv would probably have killed me aswell with speculation we slept together or something if she turned up in my kit.

"I know mate, I know, drink this..." I throw her a water bottle which I filled with my version of a hangover cure: water, strawberry electro light tablet, vitamin tablet with added zinc and a sprinkle of ginger. It sounds gross but i'm yet to hear anyone say it doesn't taste fabulous.