My Painless Addiction (#Wattys2017)

Chapter 14

I was definitely not a morning person. Waking up at fucking seven was bad enough with college and to be awoken with a slap on my head after a hangover was just tiring and draining.

Why was everything so annoying for fuck's sake?

I groaned as I sat up, rubbing my head which had hit the floor. The musty smell with a skull splitting headache was enough to make me scowl.

Great start, Toni. And it is barely dawn.

She was there on her bed, clutching her blanket with her fucking life. She was certainly scared out of her wits by my presence and I knew that she was wondering about how a random asshole had ended up in her room, knelt next to her bed.

Hard to believe that I saved her a few days ago from a molester and now she was looking at me like I had just cursed in church.

I looked around to find her roommate for an explanation to what happened last night but then that female was not anywhere in my vision. I shook my head to clear the view, wincing as the slow throb in my head became more pronounced.

I thought I had downed only a few shots last night. I don't think it should not hurt this much.

Fuck this.

I was brought back to attention as she snapped her fingers in front of my eyes.

I hissed as I looked up at her to frown to which she raised her fucking perfect eyebrows. That was too sharp a sound in the morning.

But a pleasing sight to look at her face.

"Don't please yourself too much. I just got here last night. Nothing happened." I muttered, glaring at her.

My mouth tasted disgusting as I picked myself off the floor. I seemed to be doing this excessively these days. I walked to the small table beside the bathroom door, grabbing a mouthwash as I pushed the door open to the tiny bathroom.

After I had rid myself of my bloody discerning morning breath, courtesy to a little bit of borrowed toothpaste in the cup and swirling my mouth with some mouthwash, my head began to clear.

I had been drunk to my bones but my deranged self had managed to find a way to her fucking room.

If this shitty fate thing even worked, then please just help me disappear to my apartment right now.

I closed my eyes and waited for a few seconds before I opened them again.

Of course it wouldn't work now. Fate was a bitch. It would work on all sorts of stupid shot like ending up in a room, belonging to a girl who I barely knew.

But something useful? Fuck no. I had to do that cheap crap myself.

I splashed some water on my face as I stared at the person in the mirror. My face looked pensive, eyes red and a firmly set mouth. I wiped the water off with the sleeve of my jacket, as I walked out and headed to the door when a hand shot out in my way, stopping me momentarily.

I rolled my eyes as I said, "I've told you that nothing happened. Now let me the fuck out."

She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest.

She looked utterly bedraggled, her clothes rumpled and hair sticking up in different directions, but fuck, she looked interesting.

I sighed as I gave in, "I just wanted to check how you were doing after that day. I came in to the frat party and I thought I could drop by but you were asleep. I didn't do anything, I swear."

She squinted her eyes and annoyance began creep up my bones.

I just told her the fucking truth and now she decides to be skeptical?

"Now that I can see that you're fine enough to be disbelieving about my story, I'm leaving. So step out of my way."

I took a step to the side and walked out of the door before she could say a word.

Halfway across the way to my apartment only did I realize that I had yet forgotten to ask her name.

Groaning, I hit the steering wheel with my hand. Now I would have to talk to someone again.

On a second thought, I didn't have to.

Why was I so interested in this woman anyway?

I had just broken up with my girlfriend of two years. I should probably be moping around and smoking up. But here I was, running around some weird chick whose name I didn't even know or had ever talked to me.

Fuck, I m a messed up asshole.

But I guess rationality never triumphs curiosity in my head and I decided that I would ask her about it in class.

Or maybe I won't.

But I wanted to. I did want to know about this strange girl who I had met in class and who refused to speak a word to anyone but had screamed for help at the top of her lungs. I wanted to know about this girl who had irritated me on her first day by setting off her fucking car alarm, blaring in the college parking lot in the early hours of the morning. I wanted to know about this girl who had changed the way I thought about a book which I had steadfast and clear opinions on.

Silence and ear shattering noises followed her wherever she went. I couldn't also help but notice that I had no sense of self control or regulation. Palestina had been just like her, drawing me in like a moth to a flame.

Except that she had talked and this girl had never uttered a word around me.

Like I had fucking threatened to choke her if she spoke, she never spoke a bloody word.

I vowed, I would find out that day.

I will know how she sounds.

I will make her talk.