Fingerprints ( #1 BOOK IN THE SERIES )

November

The next thing I know, I am waking up with a pounding head. It feels like there are people trapped in there with little hammers, hitting my head as hard as they can. It also doesn't help that my mouth has completely dried up, making me feel really thirsty, thirstier than what I have ever been. Rolling over, I grab the duvet which is draped all over my body and slowly open my eyes.

It is still dark outside but there is enough light for me to make out where I am. At first, I assume I am in my own bed at home but I soon realise that is not the case. The bed I am to start with is so much bigger and ordinarily, there isn't someone lying right next to me.

Unlike my own, Cory's eyes are still shut tight and his chest is moving up and down in a rhythmic motion. I groan to myself, wondering how I ever could have gotten myself into this mess. This is not the kind of thing that I do, I don't go out and get drunk and then sleep with people that I barely know. I let out another groan of frustration, only to end up waking Cory up.

"What time is it?" I hear him mumble to himself, obviously not wide enough awake to realise what has happened.

"Four in the morning." I tell him, while getting out of bed myself, pulling a top over my head.

"Huh..." he groans to himself before rolling over onto his side.

A moment later I watch as Cory shoots up into a sitting position, just realising what has happened.

"What the hell happened?" he turns around and asks me.

"I don't really remember but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure it out, do you?" I turn around and ask him.

"No, I don't think it does. What are you doing?" he asks me while I gather some of my things up off of the floor.

"Getting ready to go. We can't still be here when Laura wakes up. Questions will be asked. We need to go now." I tell him, throwing his clothes at him.

Cory quickly throws his clothes on, looking ridiculous as he does so.  The pair of us must look ridiculous in our outfits, last night when it was Halloween it would have been fine to look like this but now, the morning after, not so much. The whole situation makes me laugh, how has this even happened?

"What are you laughing at? What is funny about any part of this?" Cory asks, pulling his jacket on, finally ready to go.

"We're both doing the walk of shame together." I tell him through another laugh but then I quickly raise a hand to my mouth to silent the sound.

"Well I guess that is true." He smirks at me and then grabs my hand.

The two of us quickly run down the stairs as quietly as we can and sneak out of the front door. Immediately, the cool air hits my face, sobering me up even more but at the same time, makes my  stomach feel sick. I guess the hangover starts now.

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I spend the weekend in bed, nursing my headache which refuses to go away. I tell my mum that I must be coming down with the flu but she doesn't believe me but she also doesn't say anything else. By some kind of miracle, I feel completely fine, just in time for school but I can't get rid of this weird feeling in my stomach. I think it has to do with the fact that I am seeing Cory again for the first time since Halloween. It has only been a couple of days but it feels like an eternity since I have seen him.

Dragging myself out of bed, I try and ignore the nerves in my stomach and get ready for school, wondering how Cory is going to react. Luckily, when I see him, nothing seems to be awkward between us. Instead he pulls me into a hug, kissing the top of my forehead as he does so.