FIRST KISS (High School Romance - FYI - In need of redrafting/rewrites)

Chapter Four

When I woke up I was completely disoriented. The first thing that struck me was the fact that there was a pounding in my head that was unlike any I had experienced before. Like a million tiny pick-up trucks racing round and round and crashing into my skull every so often.

Then I realised I wasn't in my own room. I rubbed my eyes like an idiot, as though that would change anything. Nope. Still the same room. It was bigger and more...sterile than my room at home. It was all creams and beiges. I sat up, holding a hand to my forehead.

Over in the corner of the room was a pile of orange garments: my dress, my tights rolled up into a ball, and my red converse. And on the dresser was the pumpkin-stalk hat.

I groaned. I knew exactly where I was. I was in Bryce's parents' house, in the spare room.

I struggled out of bed and looked in the mirror. My hair was a mess, but my face was clean. My arms were clean. I must have showered before I went to bed, because I had definitely been covered in orange face and body paint last night.

I was wearing a huge Superdry t-shirt that I recognised as one of Bryce's.

And then it all came flooding back: Taylor, the fight, the vodka in the trunk of the car, the throwing up out the window of Bryce's car.

Oh god.

I sat back down on the bed not knowing what to do. Did his parents know I was in the house? What time was it? Could I go down for breakfast?

Just then there was a knock on the door.

I looked up.

"Mel?"

"Hunh," I groaned.

The door opened and Bryce poked his head round, checking I was decent before stepping inside the room. He looked fresh and alert; not hungover at all. But then, he'd been driving, hadn't he?

"It smells like a brewery in here," he said, wrinkling his nose and going to open the windows.

"Sorry." I hung my head.

"So you should be. My car stinks of sick."

"I'll get it valeted for you." I watched as he pulled the curtains apart and forced open the sash windows.

"I've already booked it in for later today."

"So I'll pay for it."

"Don't bother, Mel."

Uh-oh. He was one not happy man this morning.

Sitting on the end of the bed I pressed my toes to the floor.

"Bryce?"

He turned. "Yeh?"

"I'm really sorry about last night -"

"That's OK," he interrupted.

"Woah, wait. I'm not done yet."

He let his shoulders slump and dropped his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Go on then."

I hung my head again. "I'm sorry about the way I acted. But I really think it was bad of you to take Taylor out without at least warning me. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd react exactly the way you did and I didn't feel like dealing with your crap."

"My crap?"

Man, I could not believe he had just said that.

"Yeh, your crap. The whole world doesn't revolve around Melissa Brandon, you know."