Is It Too Early To Say "I Love You"?

first.

jen

I awoke to a pounding headache.

Outside, the birds whistled with anticipation of the early morning. Bright, angry sunlight streamed through my thin curtains. I could hear various cars moving up and down our street. Slow rumbles of the vehicles rolling across the concrete.

I rolled over and buried my face into my pillow. The familiar scent helped me calm down. I felt it sink under my weight, and I gave out a huge sigh in hopes that I could fall back to sleep.

But my headache resumed its reign of terror. Marching over my closed eyes, my head pulsed with each heartbeat. Despite the darkness of my pillowcase, my heavy eyes felt like they were on fire. I grimaced into my pillow and willed the pain to go away.

After two minutes of white agony, I peeled my face off of the pillow and shut my eyes. Light still burst through my eyelids, red and dimmed. I rolled out of my small bed. It squeaked like a lost mouse at the sudden movement, the sound banging across my brain like a hammer. I clumsily grasped the cold door handle and tried to turn it, but it gave under my sweaty, clammy hand. With my eyes still closed, I wiped my hands on my thighs and tried again.

When I'd made my way to my mundane kitchen, I navigated through the familiar room by memory. Upon its discovery, the cabinet door was thrown open. I regretted the decision immediately as the bang it produced resounded and echoed inside my aching head.

I cracked open my left eye and began caressing my right with my hand. Most of the bottles in the brown cabinet were empty, so I shook each one until I heard a rattle. After a painful 10 seconds, I found the painkillers I needed and headed back down the hallway, not bothering to close the cabinet door behind me.

Reentering my bedroom, I popped open my medicine and swallowed two brown capsules dry. Then I shook a third one in my hand and downed that one too. I tossed the plastic bottle to the right, hearing it collide with the wall and my head pulsing with the noise.

I shuffled my way across my room until my knees found the soft edges of my bed. I collapsed on top of it, wiggling my way to the right position. Once my cold bare feet were under the blanket, and my heavy head, still pounding, was laid carefully on my pillow, I descended into a deep sleep.

- - -

AMY: rough night
ME: more like morning
ME: woke up with a killer headache
AMY: aww man
AMY: are you felling any better now?
AMY: feeling*
ME: yeah
ME: im goinf down to the cafe later
ME: going*
ME: did you want to meet there
AMY: lmao i wish
AMY: i have a ton of work to do still
AMY: you'll have to go alone :OO
ME: ugh
ME: i thought this was your last day?
AMY: ill just be a few
AMY: it wont take long
ME: okay
ME: just dont make me spend another night alone
ME: i think it was the source of my headache
AMY: whatever you baby
ME: ooo call me that again
ME: ;))))
AMY: omg stfu creep
ME: never
AMY: you're straight
AMY: dont get my hopes up :((
ME: yup i've always known youve had a crush on me ;)))
AMY: yeah
AMY: i just love you sm
AMY: in fact my love for you is so deep that i have a shrine of you in my closet
ME: aww
ME: you know dustin would be jealous
AMY: nahhh
AMY: my boyfriend would be totally fine with me dating another girl
ME: oh im sure
AMY: yeah it's every boys dream to be cheated on
AMY: and the person is a girl that the cheater doesnt even like
ME: yuppp
ME: wait you dont love me??
ME: :((((( </3
AMY: shoot
AMY: i gtg
ME: what
ME: oh okay bye

a/n: to avoid confusion: the entire messaging conversation was a joke... amy and jen are not in love lmao. I tried to mimick some joking messages I often have with my friends