Right Place, Right Time - Rhea Ripley

Chapter 8 - Coping Mechanisms

My eyes fluttered open, still heavy from the dream that lingered in my mind. In it, Demi was laughing, her head thrown back in delight, her beautiful blue eyes sparkling like emeralds. But as I tried to hold onto the image, it began to fade, replaced by the reality of yesterday: the weight of the duvet, the stickiness of my tongue, the ache in my head from the night before.

I sat up slowly, rubbing at my eyes, and glanced around the room. It was unfamiliar, not at all like my cosy apartment. Oh, that's right. I was at my parents' house. I'd gone over there after everything had happened. I remembered now. The party, the drinks, the confrontation she said she had with Jessie. The sinking feeling in my stomach made me want to crawl back under the covers and pretend last night had been nothing more than a bad dream, I couldn't deal with one of my closest friends feeling that way.

But I couldn't do that. I couldn't leave Demi to deal with this alone. Even though she insisted she was fine, I knew she wasn't. And I owed her more than that. So, with a deep breath, I swung my legs out of bed and began to get dressed, steeling myself for the conversation I knew we needed to have.

My dad walked in the room, with a cup of tea and a few pieces of toast, "Here, thought you'd need it after last night. Dan said he had help you up the stairs last night, you were pretty much out of it. I hope you guys didn't drink too much, huh? Especially after what you told me about Demi and Jessie, it's not a good coping mechanism for her."

I took the tea and toast, grateful for the support, but also knowing that I couldn't keep avoiding the issue. I had to go see her, and I had to make sure she was really okay. I didn't want to push her, but I couldn't just leave her to deal with this alone.

Daniel, my brother came in, "Ahh, you're sober now. How's the hangover then?"

"Don't, my head is banging. But Demi said it'd be good to let loose and have fun." I looked at my dad and brother, while taking a sip of the tea, hoping it would help ease the pounding in my head. I knew I had to get going, even if it was just to check up on her. I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, that she wasn't being entirely honest with me about how she was feeling.

"I'm going over to check up on her. She kept saying last night that she was fine but no one is fine when they catch their partner cheating." I explained, already feeling guilty for not being there for her when she needed me. My dad nodded in agreement, understanding the weight of the situation.

"You're a good friend to her, remember that." Mum walked in, coming over and giving me a hug, her perfume filling my nose. I nodded, feeling a bit guilty for not being there for her as much as I wanted to, but knowing that I couldn't have done anything differently at the time.

My dad offered to drive me to Demi's. I gratefully took him up on the offer, finished my toast and headed out the door. I grabbed my keys, taking a deep breath before I knocked on her door. I didn't want to barge in, but at the same time, I needed to see her.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly, and there she was, looking even more exhausted than I felt. Her hair was messy and she was wearing the same clothes as the day before, only now they looked a bit rumpled.

"Hey, I just wanted to check up on you. Make sure you're doing okay." I said, hesitatingly.

She nodded, not looking me in the eye. "Oh hey Kayla. Thought it was my parents cause they are coming over soon. I'm...fine. Thanks for coming over." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, not wanting to leave her alone in the room. "Demi, you don't have to pretend you're fine. You can talk to me about it. I'm here for you, you know that."