SOBER FEELINGS - Joonas Porko

21 - and then it hit me

The vivid images of a highly disturbing dream were flashing before my eyes when I woke up. My eyes and limbs were feeling numb and my skin was burning, too hot and too heavy was the big blanket that layed ontop of me.

I slowly opened my eyes and lifted the blanket to sit up. Immediately the room started spinning and a sharp pain was tormenting my head from the inside out.

The severe headache and the sick feeling that appeared in my stomach when I sat up reminded me that I had the tendency to underestimate the side effects of alcoholic liquids.

"Lyra, this is embarassing. Pull yourself together." I slapped my own cheek a few times and took a deep breath, trying not to get consumed by the disgusting feeling of yet another hangover that could have been avoided if I hadn't had the glorious idea to drink with Joonas until he had to throw up.

My heavy eyes caught sight of the glass filled with water that was standing on the nightstand next to me and I remembered the warm feeling of Joonas placing a soft kiss on my forehead before my consciousness had shut down.

My lips were absent mindedly forming a little smile when I took the glass in one of my hands and lifted it to my mouth. Soon the cold water worked miracles against my dry, itchy throat and I felt how my stomach started to relax once I had taken in the cool liquid.

I took another deep breath and now attempted to get up from the bed which I ended up doing more or less successfully. I was stumbling a few steps forward on my weak legs. Bright and flashing circles in all colors were blocking my vision and I hectically blinked a few times before I leaned my body against the wardrobe next to me to find support.

"Lyra, come on." I said to myself in a slightly annoyed tone of voice as I proceeded to slowly take one step after another until I was certain that I was safe and steady on my legs.

When I reached the doorframe I stopped for a couple of seconds, turning my head to the left and then to the right. Joel and Joonas were nowhere to be seen but I distantly heard their voices coming from another room down the hallway. I didn't exactly remember which room was hidden behind each door but I could recall that the room on the far right side, from where their voices were echoing through the hallway, had to be the sparsely decorated kitchen.

As I was slowly walking down the hallway Joel's and Joonas' words seemed to get louder and louder with every step I took in their direction. It almost sounded like they were in a heated argument since I had never heard Joel talk in such a harsh and stern tone of voice.

When I had almost reached the open door I stopped and froze in motion. I usually didn't have a very nosy or secretive nature about me but I also didn't want to burst into the kitchen out of nowhere when it clearly sounded like the vocalist and the guitarist were about to rip each others heads off soon.

A few seconds ago I had only understood a couple word fragments here and there, which still had been enough for me to evaluate the situation. Now however that I was hiding behind the doorframe I could hear the two men talk more clearly and what I heard didn't exactly make me think more positive about the whole situation. On the contrary. I was getting more and more concerned with every sentence, no every word that the two of them threw at each other.

"No Joonas. You can't be serious." I heard Joel hiss before I percieved a loud banging noise. The noise was so loud in my ears that I winced and could only imagine with what force the blonde vocalist had slammed his hand onto the kitchen counter to give further emphasis to the words that left his lips.

"What should I have done? Tell me!" Joonas answered. His voice was loud yet he appeared to be more defensive than anything else. I could sense the deep desperation he was in.