Stay

20

EVIE

The morning after a drunken escapade was always the worst type of mornings. It was nothing but painful headaches and bad breath. My stomach begins to churn, and it's a blur of white walls as I run towards the bathroom.

Leaning over the toilet seat, the contents of last night's shenanigans lurch out of my system. I hold onto the edge of the seat as my body convulses. Remnants of last night's alcohol and chicken wings go down the drain, finding rest in the outside world. Groaning, I fall back against the wall. I felt disgusting. This was another reason why I never enjoyed birthday parties. The morning after was always a pain.

The headache that I woke up with continues to pound against my skull. The morning light felt blinding against my sensitive eyes. Once I felt like my body wasn't going to release my organs, I slowly stand up, using the sink as leverage.

I reach out for my mouthwash, only to be met with a bottle of cologne. Strange... I don't own men's cologne. Last time I checked, I wore a ten dollar body mist that smelt like summer. At least, that's what the bottle told me I would smell like. The jury was still out on that one. At least people weren't running away in disgust whenever I stood in front of them. I pick up the bottle, examining the label. Beside it was another bottle - aftershave, followed by a toothbrush that was not mine. Clearly, I was not at my apartment.

The speed of my heart picks up. Frantically, I rush out of the bathroom, my mind working overtime to remember anything from last night.

Last night... last night...

All I could remember was dancing with Niall, then Ginny coming over to steal him away. After that, I joined the girls in a round of shots followed by more shots. Anything after that was a complete blur...

I felt sick. Running back to the toilet, I lean over the brim, allowing whatever was left in my stomach to release. I lean back once again, wiping my lips with a small piece of toilet paper. Other than the headache, my body wasn't sore. It didn't feel like my virtue was taken away from me last night, so I know that whatever I did last night... whatever happened here in this apartment did not involve a hot rendezvous with some stranger. However, the oversized, faded The Who band tee I was wearing said otherwise.

Slow knocks come from the door, causing me to jump out of my skin. I yelp and hit my head against the wall, making my headache go from an eight to a thirty.

I jump up, rubbing the back of my head in hopes of soothing the intense pain. I look around the small bathroom, searching for some form of protection. Whoever this was, I didn't know their story. I didn't know if they were actually serial killers and that this was my last morning alive. Gee - what a great last morning...

"Evie," a muffled voice calls from the other end. They knew my name. I was on a first name basis with my murderer. Peachy...

"Evie," they call out once again. I pick up a plunger, holding it tightly in my grip. I watch as the doorknob slowly turns...

"High-ya!" I scream, flinging my body and the plunger forward. My intruder shouts, his low, gravelly voice booming throughout the small quarters. This resulting in me screaming back, my eyes screwing shut... too frightened to look up.

"Jesus," he yells. "What the hell, Jones?"

I open my eyes to see Niall, standing with his hands up in the air, protecting his face from any sudden attacks.

"Niall?"

"The one and only... Fucking hell Jones... What were you planning on doing? Plunging me to death? Jesus," he groans, running his fingers over his head, tugging at the ends.