Chapter Thirty-Five: Closer

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– Zach –

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– Zach –

I'm woken up by the sound of a loud thud, followed by a troublesome groan. I shift my head and instantly regret it when I feel a sharp pain on my neck. I rub it gently, feeling a rock in my skull. It's a given, I'm in terrible shape right now.

I hear snores coming from my left, and I decide to open my eyes, squinting as hard as I can while I study my surroundings. I feel the soft carpet underneath me, and all I can see is a horrible mess made up of empty pizza boxes, greasy plates and half-empty glasses scattered randomly in the room. It takes me a while to adjust to the blinding light which is only contributing to my headache. I spot a few people lying limp on the ground, the incandescent sunlight shooting from outside through the garden window, and I can identify now that the room is wallpapered with baby blue. In other words, this is not my room at all.

I'm sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall behind me, and this is how I fell asleep last night. At least it explains my sore neck. I hear something else this time, a steady breathing, and I see Terra asleep next to me, her head on my shoulder. There's drool.

Does she always have a habit of drooling?

"Where am I?" someone drones, and I search for the direction of the voice. It's Samuel, his eyes completely bloodshot and his hair in a disheveled, tangled mess. There's even some odd stain on his shirt, and I'm not feeling enthusiastic to find out what it is.

"Best...party...ever." Daniel barely manages, his body sagging on the couch with his leg dangling off the edge. Someone else is snoring, but I don't bother searching for who it is.

I shut my weary eyes, my head aching a little more as time continues to pass. I wasn't drunk, but I definitely had too much to drink. My throbbing head is proof enough. I sigh, feeling extremely hesitant to move another muscle despite my sore back. My movements are largely restricted when there's someone leaning on me.

What happened last night?

I try my best to recall without straining myself. The fog in my mind is barely lifting, and all I can feel is the nagging pain that will definitely overstay its welcome. I rub my head, looking at my surroundings again with one eye open. There's an empty plastic bottle on the ground, enough to jog my memory. Cody's truth or dare with alcohol is the culprit.

Speaking of Cody, he is the only one who isn't in the room.

"Hey man, great night, right?" Daniel slurs and shifts himself slowly on the couch, facing me with a weak thumbs up. "That's how we throw a party."

"Do we have to do this every semester?" I drone.

"Hell yeah." He says woozily, then he hiccups. "I mean, we gotta do this while we're still young, right?"

"No." I say.

There's a pause in our sleazy conversation whereby neither of us is in the condition to think or speak. My eyes dart to the clock on the wall, and I'm surprised to find that it is already pass four in the afternoon. I've never had a real hangover before, and I definitely wasn't prepared for one. What happened to my initial plan of leaving after one hour?

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