Duckie

Chapter 5: The World Of Adults

I groaned in pain, my brain pounding in my 'lil noggin as the sunlight penetrated through my tightly squeezed eyelids. My voice left my throat in a pathetic whine/sob as I rolled over, trying to escape the sun's painful rays. I heard muffled voices from above and peeled my lids apart, my eyes squinting with effort as I surveyed my surroundings. My eyebrows scrunched in lazy confusion when I realized that this was not, in fact, my bedroom I was sleeping in. The soft carpet of the basement caressed my cheek, and the stairs loomed over my head. Slowly, I lifted myself from the ground, groaning the whole way up. I pulled the hood of my oversized sweatshirt over my head, pulling it further down until it covered my face, then made my way up the stairs on my hands and knees.

When I finally reached the top of the seemingly endless stairs, I collapsed onto the cool hardwood, moaning through the fabric of my hood. "Help, I'm dying," I croaked, my hands wrapping around my head as if that could keep my brains from pounding against my poor skull.

I felt every heavy footstep of whoever this fat tub of lard was as they made their way over to my rotting body. The steps stopped and I sighed in relief before I flinched at the finger that poked my throbbing head. A smug huff of laughter was followed by Maddox's amazingly loud and amazingly annoying voice. "Looks like someone can't hold their liquor," he singsonged snidely.
I lifted my head and peeked one heavy-lidded eye at him in irritation, swiping a sluggish claw towards him. He dodged effortlessly, bouncing back to his full height with a thunderous thud, causing me to wince back into the safety of my hoodie.

Hands grabbed under my armpits and dragged me the rest of the way out of the basement. Usually, I would've been screeching from the ticklishness, but I was in too much pain to react to something as small as that at the moment. Whoever it was pulled me to the recliner in the living room, leaning the chair back. I cracked my eyes open again to spot Joji with beautifully messy bedhead stretching his hand out to me. In his palm a couple of pills were perched. He pushed his hand toward me, encouraging me to take them. With another groan, I grabbed the pills, then the glass of water that was in Joji's other hand. "Take them all, it'll help." I nodded, tossing the capsules back and following them closely with the water that felt like heaven on my parched throat.

Joji leaned in front of me with a hand on either arm of the chair, making sure I locked eyes with him before he began talking. "Do you feel sick? Should I grab you some medicine for that, too?"

I pouted gratefully at him, wrapping my arms around one of his in a hug. "You're the best mom ever, Joji. I think I'm okay, I don't really feel sic–" My eyes widened as I felt my head become hot. I knew what that meant.

I shoved Joji to the side and leapt from the chair, racing to the bathroom with a speed I didn't even know I had and making it to the bowl just as I emptied my stomach. I let out yet another groan of pain as I fell back onto the cool tile of the bathroom floor. I heard a scoff from the door of the bathroom and glanced over to see Nico looking down on me with a smirk on his frickin' full Greek lips. Him and his dagnab beautiful Greek genes. "Well, isn't this a sight for sore eyes?" He just loved rubbing sugar in my wounds, didn't he? Or is it salt? Oh shiitake, it's salt isn't it? This headache was messing with my mind, I'm usually not this dumb, I swear.

Without a word, I turned my head to look at the opposite wall, ignoring Nico and his stupid comments. After a couple moments, a knock sounded on the open door of the bathroom and I flinched, my hands flying to my ears to cover them. I spun my head back angrily, ready to shout at whoever it was to just leave me alone when I felt another wave of heat fill my head. I scrambled to the edge of the toilet to release some more of whatever was left in my poor poor tummy. My flat stare turned slowly to the cause of this mishap, only to land on Papa, who had pity evident in his vibrant eyes. He sighed into his never-absent cup of coffee, pursing his lips as he tapped his watch with his free hand. "Sweetie, I think it's about time for you to get ready for school. The boys are heading out in forty-five if you don't want to walk."