Page 41 of Awakened
I brushed my teeth but realized I couldn’t brush my tongue without gagging and gagging while that hungover would lead to dry heaving, and that was not a road I wanted to travel.
Grabbing the mouthwash, I filled the cap to the brim and tossed it into my mouth. I swished and gargled for what felt like forever and did a round two. Not bothering to wash away the black sludge under my eyes, I stomped downstairs. Everyone was lazily eating pancakes and watching TV in the living room.
“Hey, Sunshine,” Seth said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I flipped him off and went to the kitchen. It wouldn’t be the kumbaya, hand-holding kind of day I’d hoped for. If Seth’s attitude had to suck, at least he made his blueberry pancakes. The last time I’d eaten those delicious, magical cakes was the morning they found my dad in the woods. They said it was an animal attack, but that explanation never sat right with me. I sat completely shocked as Aiden held me and Seth fed me bites, both trying to coax me out of my nonverbal state. Those fluffy, buttery pancakes with tart blueberries and warm syrup had reignited my appetite.
“You going to make a plate or just stare at them?” Brandon leaned against the counter, smiling at me.
If I spoke, I was pretty sure my head would explode, so I waved him off, loaded three huge pancakes on a plate, grabbed the syrup bottle, and headed to the living room. I put my plate on the coffee table and sat on the floor in front of Emily’s legs.
Brandon set a mimosa in front of me.
I frowned at the bubbles rising to the top of the orange juice. “Yeah, I need a drink like I need another hole in the head.”
“Hair of the dog, Les,” he said, sitting beside Emily.
I rolled my eyes, poured a line of syrup on my pancakes, and started a systematic attack on my breakfast. Halfway through the stack, I felt someone watching me. Turning my head cautiously to not upset the delicate balance of my brain and skull, I found Seth staring at me with a slight smile.
“What are you looking at?” I asked and took a small sip of the mimosa.
“You, you weirdo. I’ve always wanted to know why you only syrup a small row at a time.”
“This way, the pancakes don’t get soggy, and I can better control the pancake-to-syrup ratio.”
His smile widened, and he shook his head. “You’re a freak of nature.”
I stuck my tongue covered in blueberry pancake debris out at him, and he shoved my shoulder.
I went back to finishing my meal and the others quietly talked about the night before. It wasn’t until I was faced with an empty plate and glass that I was strong enough to join the living and their conversations.
“When’d you get back last night?” Brandon asked Seth.
I purposefully kept my head down, trying to look at Seth out of the corner of my eye.
“Uh, around four.”
“Oh, man. Why didn’t you just stay there? Maybe she would have been the one making breakfast.” Brandon winked and did this jerky thing with his elbow.
“Who would have fed you guys?” Seth asked with a laugh. He stood to take my plate, but I picked it up myself.
“I got it. Thanks for breakfast,” I mumbled and dragged my ass to the kitchen.
Why was I so upset? Didn’t I leave with Zach? I mean, I puked and was tucked into bed like a fucking child, but that’s beside the point.
I had watched Seth go home with more people than I cared to remember. It always kind of bothered me, but that morning? I was acting like a jealous ex-girlfriend, and it was ridiculous. Who was I to stop him from fucking every cute hipster in The Grove?
I’m fine. This is no big deal. As far as Seth knows, Zach and I banged every which way last night. He was right to find a little nighttime entertainment.
I placed my dishes in the sink and made another mimosa. If I was going to get through the day, I would need a buzz. Hangover be damned.
As I dropped a few pieces of strawberry in the champagne flute, Seth walked in.
“Can we talk?” Noticing my grimace, he added, “Maybe once those mimosas take the edge off?”
“Yeah, sure. Later.” I pushed past him and returned to the living room. Emily patted the spot Seth had left, and I plopped down, throwing my feet into her lap. Emily grunted on impact and playfully glared at me.
Brandon asked, “What are we doing today?”
