All's Fair in Love and HoCo (ONC 2022)

Chapter Sixteen: I'm Gonna Be Sick

"Emily, turn off the alarm!" my mom screamed from the ground floor of our house.

After a quick "Wuh," I registered what she'd said and glimpsed the time as I hit the snooze button. 8:15. Bri had to be home in forty-five minutes, and she was still snoring beside me. "Bri! Wake up!" She didn't budge, so I debated between waking a sleeping dragon or dealing with her mom, the Dragon Lady. Bri was the lesser of two evils. This time, I nudged her.

"Go away!" She rolled to her other side and pulled my lilac comforter over her head.

I tugged on the comforter. "Seriously, Bri! Your mom'll be pissed if you're not at home at nine."

"But everything hurts," she whined as she sat up. She took a breath. "I'm gonna be sick."

I handed her a glass of water and told her to drink it. She obliged and then I popped open a bottle of acetaminophen, shook out four caplets, and gave her two of them before taking them one at a time.

"This is awful. How do people do this every weekend?" she asked once she'd taken the medicine and finished the water. She sniffed her arms. "Do I smell like beer?"

She reeked of it. I probably did, too, so I slathered on some Pink lotion to make it past my parents until I could take a shower. "Jump in the shower. You can use some of my Pink lotion afterward."

Mom usually made Bri's favorite breakfast when she spent the night with us: baked banana oatmeal. Unfortunately, neither of us were up for it, but I served myself a scoop while Mom rummaged through the cabinets. Mom dished a few spoons of the oatmeal into a Cool-Whip container and handed it to Bri. "You'll appreciate this when you're less hungover."

"Mom!"

"I wasn't born yesterday." She rolled her eyes at me. "Bri, would you like a ride home?"

Bri nodded then gave a sheepish look. "Could you not tell my mom that we drank last night?"

"If your mom asks, I won't lie to her." Mom slipped her purse over her shoulder. "Let's go so you won't be late."

A few hours later, Kandy knocked on the door. Fortunately, I'd had plenty of time to take a shower and rid myself of the telltale beer stench. I'd also had time to do my makeup and twist my hair into a messy bun.

As we walked the same way downtown as I had with Bri, Kandy asked, "How has your weekend been?"

I told her that I'd gone to Oktoberfest and had a great time, but I kept quiet about Tim being there. I didn't think Kandy was a gossip, but I didn't know her very well, either. I didn't need rumors floating around the school. I asked how her weekend was going.

The sigh almost seemed exaggerated. "It was good until this morning. My brother tripped and hurt himself. My mom is at the ER with him now."

I stopped by an oak tree, its bark so knotted that it seemed like time had carved several faces onto it. I was certain each had seen its fair share of tragedy. "Are you sure you want to do this? We can reschedule some other time."

"No, I mean, yes, I want to do this. I've looked forward to it the whole weekend. Besides, it'll keep my mind off everything."

We continued along the path and Kandy asked where I was moving next. I really didn't know yet. Some people knew a year ahead of time, but it seemed like we usually found out about two months before we got there. When we were stationed in Georgia, I didn't know on the last day of school that we wouldn't be back the next year, and there were so many friends I lost contact with. It still stung six years later.

"Where is your family going?" I asked.

"They're going to San Antonio. I'm thinking of going to A&M." She gulped. "I have to decide by November first."