Westside || Jonah Marais

• SIX •

❝ H U N G O V E R ❞

Amity sits in a bed she has never been in before, surrounded by walls she had never seen, and is wearing a Guns 'N' Roses shirt that most definitely is not the dress she left her hut in nor is it anything she owns - especially considering the fact that it nearly falls to her knees and keeps slipping off of her shoulders every time she moves. Much to the annoyance of her pounding headache, vaguely familiar voices can be heard outside of the bedroom.

Amity didn't remember anything that happened last night after she sat down at that bar, and wasn't entirely sure if she should be thankful or upset about it.

Determined to figure things out, she swings her legs over the side of the bed, only to immediately let out a loud groan and fall back against the white blankets, quickly attracting the attention of those on the other side of the wall as all of the voices disappear.

The door opens seconds later, revealing a shirtless figure surrounded by blindingly bright sunlight.

"Jonah!" Amity whispers happily, not wanting to add to her headache. "I had a feeling you were behind this."

She sits up slowly, gesturing for him to come sit beside her. Running a hand through her beyond tangled and messy hair, Amity lets out a content sigh and rests her head on his shoulder.

"You are the happiest hungover person I have ever seen," Jonah compliments, grinning down at the girl. "How do you feel?"

"Like absolute shit," she answers honestly, closing her eyes to block out the light. "And just a teensy bit confused, because I'm not entirely sure where I am or how badly I embarrassed myself last night."

"You're in Daniel's, Jack's, and Zach's hut they've rented. They let you crash here because I couldn't remember where your hut is," he explains patiently. "And you didn't do anything too embarrassing, other than strip in front of me."

Amity jerks away from him, ignoring her headache as her eyes practically bulge out of her head.

"I did WHAT?"

Jonah can't help but to laugh, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. "You puked in my car, and on yourself, so you took your dress off. Then, you passed out before I could give you my shirt, so getting it on you was another trip in itself."

Amity hides her head in Jonah's shoulder, blushing furiously as he explains it and growing even more mortified with herself.

"Come on." He stands up, holding his hand out to help her as well. "You need some breakfast in you and I'll take you back to your own hut."

Instead of taking his hand, Amity holds her arms up with a hopeful smile. "Carry me, please?"

Jonah immediately obliges, turning around so she can climb onto his back. Hungover Amity, while not as confident as Drunk Amity, was still quite outgoing. Jonah found it utterly endearing, since it was still such a stark contrast compared to the quiet girl he first met.

"Wait," Amity frowns, thinking about all Jonah had said. "Why were you at the club? I'm pretty sure you didn't go with us, or did you?"

Jonah's face falls, his features turning angry at the mere thought of why he had to show up in the first place.

"Bey called me," he explains curtly, not wanting to ruin her mood as well. "Now, what do you want for breakfast?"

<<>>

"Why are they here?" Bey asks, stumbling through the front door and leaning against the wall for support. "I thought you would be with them."

Amity stands in the middle of the living room, having gotten back only an hour earlier, with an angry Jonah on one side of her and a confused Daniel on the other. He had insisted on coming back with them after Amity finished eating the waffles Jack had so graciously made, wanting to know if Bey was okay since she hadn't answered her phone in quite a while.

"Bey, just go take a bath," Amity says calmly, giving her friend a glass of water. "I brought a few Lush bath bombs for you."

Bey pouts but, nevertheless, accepts the glass. "I would be mad at you for bringing them here, but you're too nice to me. I'm such a bitch to you sometimes."

"You're still drunk, aren't you?" Amity sighs, helping Bey out of her heels and into the bathroom.

"Yup," Bey states somberly. "No, I'm not as think as you drunk I am. And we all came down when the sun came up. I think I've had enough."

"Bey," Amity sighs again.

Ever since they left the boys' hut, she and Jonah had been arguing over last night's events. Jonah blamed Bey, believing none of it would have happened if she hadn't of left Amity alone and drunkenly vulnerable. Amity, on the other hand, defended her best friend, blaming herself instead for drinking so much. It caused Jonah to grow angry, not at her, but at the fact she could blame herself in situations where it clearly wasn't her fault. Amity, frankly, was too upset for Bey's hungover antics.

"I'm going!" Bey protests weakly, shuffling into the bathroom and sliding the door shut. Not wanting Amity to have the last word, she mutters her next remark quietly to herself. "I'm not as think as you drunk I am."

Amity heads back into the living room, sitting as far from Jonah as she could manage on the loveseat as Daniel sits up in the armchair.

"Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine," Amity murmurs, laying her head on the armrest and closing her eyes, wanting nothing more than to let sleep overtake her. "She's still hungover . . . . doesn't throw up."

"She wouldn't feel as bad if she had just stayed with you," Jonah mutters under his breath, causing Amity's eyes to snap back open.

"Jonah," Amity pleads, glancing back at him without sitting up. "Please just drop it."

Jonah's glare softens, his argument faltering as he notices the distraught look in her eyes.

"You're right," he concedes with a sigh. "I'll stop."

Amity hums in content, closing her eyes once more and curling into the cushion as she dozes off.

Daniel remains in the armchair, quietly observing the two - a hobby he found himself doing more often than not and had earned him the nickname 'Sherlock' among his college peers. He enjoyed observing people, strangers and friends alike, thinking of them as puzzles he needed to solve in order to truly understand them.

Jonah carefully brushes Amity's hair out of her face, revealing her peaceful expression. He tucked it behind her ears, letting the rest drape over the love seat.

Jonah generally had a content, easygoing demeanor. His eyes were already crinkled with laugh lines, the smile creases along his face more pronounced for someone his age. Daniel, along with the other boys, thought of him as his older brother.

Looking at Jonah, Daniel could clearly see the care in his face for the sleeping girl. But, Daniel also knew Jonah didn't plan on making a move anytime soon, which he found quite annoying. With the sunlight coming in through the open glass door and the curtains fluttering in the breeze, the two, in his opinion, looked like the most perfect pair of soulmates he had ever seen.

Jonah looks up, and seeing Daniel watching him, startles backwards. He coughs before sitting up and reaching for his phone, causing Daniel to snort.

"It's none of my business," Daniel begins, standing from his seat. "But you only have ten more days with her. You should make the most of it."