A Trip To Remember

The Day After

       My conscious woke up first but then my eyes didn't. I didn't want to open them because everything ached. I tried to sit up and yelped a bit, and Alysa jumped out of her chair and was pushing me back into bed in like 2 seconds flat.
       "Hey, hey, easy..." she said soothingly.
       I looked around and realized I was on the couch back at the house and I started to freak because I don't remember getting there.
       "W-what happened? What hurts so much?" I said, confused. I was scared and trembling.
       Tyler and Rianna came into the room and stood behind Alysa. "Woah, what's going on? You look sick and pale." Tyler said.
       Then I grabbed a trash can next to me and threw up most gracefully.
        I ran a hand through my hair and flinched when I felt a sudden pain. I touched the spot again and winced.
        What the hell happened last night?" I asked.
        "What's the last thing you remember?"
        I thought back with difficulty. Then I remembered. Jayden. Dancing. Perfect. Lights. The club. The bar. Laughing. Noah...
         "I remember me and Noah dancing, while Jayden and Alysa were too. Then Alysa and I went back to a booth with the guys, the boys went to the bathroom...and that's all I remember." I then noticed Sophia and Nathan were asleep on the adjoining couches too, and I suddenly felt a little panic in my throat.
         "Okay....okay, okay, okay, okay. Ok, who wants to tell the story?" Rianna said pinching the bridge of her nose.
         "I got it." Alysa said. "Ok the boys went to the bathroom and so you and me were still in the booth. We were just talking and then a waiter came by saying that some guys bought us drinks. We were like oh okay cool, and you took yours. We both drank some. Anyway, things started feeling weird and these guys that bought us drinks came up and asked you to dance and you said sure. I tried to tell them we were just leaving but they were insistent. I came with you and watched mostly, feeling really loopy myself and then the other guy was behind me all a sudden, feeling up my skirt, and I punched him in the face and he kinda stumbled back, so I turned around and saw you were trying to shake the guy off and leave but you were staggering. You pushed him away, and he slapped you hard across the face. Sophia came up behind him and kicked...like between his legs...and he doubled over but he got her and hit her too, so Nathan stepped in and threw some punches, but took more honestly. Tyler, and Caleb came and restrained him while Noah and Jayden pulled the cars around."
         "Are they ok...?" I asked, reaching for Nathan and Sophia but they were too far from me.
       "Yes they're fine. Just a few cuts and bruises no biggy."
       "Then how come it feels like a biggy." I heard Nathan's usual sarcastic voice suddenly. My eyes shot up and I got up steadily from my spot and rushed to his couch, grabbing his face. I examined him for injuries while he tried swatting me away, half laughing half hissing because he was in pain I guess.
       "Are you ok you complete moron? Don't play hero again." I said hugging him lightly.
       "I'm fine calm down Ash." He said chuckling and patting my back lightly. I pulled away and pouted. Then I turned back to Alysa.
         "So Alysa, did you get these guys numbers? I need to tell them thank you."
         "Um. No because we were kinda busy." She said like I was an idiot.
         "Ok I'll just go back to the bar tonight and see if they're there."
         "Uh yeah I don't think so mate." Rianna said shaking her head.
         "Why?" I said standing up. I started to get lightheaded and tried to hide it.
         "Um. One, that," she said pointing at me. "And you are AN IDIOT YOU'RE NOT GOING OUT TONIGHT." Rianna said.
         I did my best pout and big eyes at them. "Go whine to someone who cares." Jo said crossing his arms. "You're not going out."
       I finally noticed Sophia and upon second glance, saw she was also banged up, with bruises on her eye and cheek. Her hand was bandaged from punching I'm guessing and her lip was a little swollen.
         "Sophia! Are you okay oh my gosh..." I exclaimed with wide eyes.
       "Oh yeah I just got some action. The girls made a fuss over me and put me on the couch." She said giving them stink eye which they returned.

       A few hours later, I had a headache and so I sat up to look for my water and Tylenol. I'd been napping because Alysa the doctor made me Nathan and Sophia, and so everyone else was just chilling in the living room I think. I sighed and opened the bottle,  grabbing the water on the bedside and took a long drink while squinting from the headache.
       "Want me to get some pain killers from the Ms. Doctor?" Someone in the corner chair asked.
       I spit out my water all over my blanket. "OMYGOD." I sputtered.
       "Oh geez, I'm so sorry." Noah said standing up and rushing over to help.
       "Noah!" I gasped. "What—what are you doing here?" I said trying to kick the blanket off with the COLD WATER.
       "Well I wanted to see if you were okay."
       "Why? I'm just like a stranger."
       "Well I don't know. I...I mean I just wanted to."
       "I don't understand you boys."
       He laughed and brushed his hair out of his face while he bent over and tried to dry up the water on my legs.
       "Okay all good." He said looking up, too close to my face.
       I cleared my throat and turned away awkwardly. "So uh where's my friends?"
      "They ran out to get food and your other two friends are still sleeping. So I told them I'd help you out." He said flashing a smile before turning around and grabbing the cleaning kit. I squinted one eye at him trying to figure him out.
        "Can I clean your face up?" He asked holding up the kit and gauze.
        I shrugged and nodded. He pulled up a chair next to my bed and took out his phone. He held it up and I was confused what he was doing until I heard the camera sound go off.
       "Hey! Noah stop!" I yelled laughing and slapping him and his dumb phone.
       "What? You look like a badass. And the bruises look good." He said with a big grin.
       I did a duck face and laughed. He took the kit a started cleaning the cut on my cheek bone, then the one on my lip.The anti bacterials stung like hell and I clenched the onto my legs really hard. He gently ran his fingers over the cut on my forehead from the beach, which was still healing, and I winced, because it was taking a while to heal.
      "What's this?"
      "Surfing accident." I said frowning. He dropped his fingers and nodded, grabbing a bandage and looking down.
       "So which college are you going to?" He asked, clearing his throat.
"University of Denver." I said smiling at the memory when we all opened our letter together. It reminded me of the song Photograph for some reason.
"Wow. That's pretty amazing."
"I'm shocked, but I'm really happy. This is it. I opened those letters and I couldn't believe it."
"Well that's the last one. Here take these." He said shaking out some Tylenol out of the bottle.
I downed them with my water, and said thank you in sign language because my mouth was full.
"What?"
I signed again, and he rolled his eyes. "I don't know sign language Ashlyn."
I shrugged and smiled.
       "It means thank you." I said grinning.