Reconstructing Amelia (unedited)

Chapter 13

October 19th, 2019

I forced my eyes open, immediately feeling sick to my stomach. The rain was pouring outside, drumming loudly on the roof with dull patters. I glanced around at the grey light streaming in from the windows and shot upright, finding myself in somebody else's bedroom. I recognised Alan's room, from its dark grey walls and furniture. Why on earth would I have fallen asleep here? I desperately racked my brain, trying to remember anything from last night, but I remembered next to nothing aside from attending a party with Alan.

I knew I would be dead when I got home. Ben would be in his usual Saturday hangover stupor and I'd have to deal with the consequences. And I'd left poor Javi all by himself for the entire night, leaving him to defend himself from Ben if he'd come home too angry.

I quickly slid out of bed, ignoring the wave of nausea it sent me. I wobbled on my feet for a moment before realising I was wearing someone else's shirt. I was wearing a green long-sleeved shirt that hung to my knees, obviously belonging to one of the Adams boys. Other than that, I was still in my jeans and socks from last night, my Converse on the floor beside the bed. I was mortified at the thought that one of the boys had changed my shirt. I prayed whoever it was hadn't noticed the litter of scars and bruised tapestried across my body.

The door swung open and I hastily jumped back as one of the triplets strode in. I think it was Cayden - from the looks of his curly blond hair and glasses. He offered me a shy smile as he held out my jumper and jacket neatly folded in his arms.

"We washed them for you," he explained. I took them gratefully as Cayden shuffled out, closing the door behind him. I quickly changed back into my clothes, tugging on my shoes and oddly struggling to tie the laces. My body felt sluggish and stiff. The bedside clock read about eleven a.m. I was definitely in a lot of trouble when I got home.

I stumbled out of the bedroom and hurried down the stairs, my limp surfacing with the added inflexibility of my legs.

"Mia?" Calvin's voice interrupted me. I slowly turned around, avoiding his gaze. Alan and Eli came out of the kitchen looking confused, but when they saw me poised to leave they tensed.

"Hey, you're awake," Eli commented, giving me a gentle smile. I was honestly quite surprised to see him awake and functioning. He'd been pretty drunk last night.

"We have breakfast," Alan said. "You should stay and have some painkillers," I took a backwards step towards the foyer.

"Thank you for the hospitality but I really need to get home," I said quietly, my voice scratchy. I mentally cringed at the sound. The boys all exchanged glances.

"I think you should eat something and take some Advil," Eli reinforced. He came and put an arm around my shoulders, guiding me towards the kitchen. "I promise my cooking isn't that bad," I sighed in defeat, taking a seat beside Cayden at the counter. There was a large spread of pancakes, bacon, and strawberries. I hesitantly reached for a berry, taking a bite at Eli's nod of approval.

"Hey Mia," Cayden greeted, busy with his own plate.

"Hi," I whispered back. Calvin seated himself down too, helping himself to a plate of five pancakes, drenching them all in syrup.

I nibbled on a few more strawberries before Alan brought me two small pills and a glass of orange juice. I downed the medicine quickly, hoping for a speedy relief from the nausea.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" Alan asked, his green eyes searching mine intensely. He looked tired and I wondered if I had anything to do with that. I shook my head.

"Not much," I answered. "Just going to the party and meeting you guys and a few of Alan's friends. Then it starts to get all fuzzy,"

"How about a guy named Micah Davis?" Eli prompted. I thought for a moment, letting the name bounce around through my mind. I could picture a tall boy with red hair and striking blue eyes but that was about it.