Ten of Me ✓

Twenty-One

NICOLE

I woke up the next morning, barely able to open my eyes. They were stinging so much that they were actually watering on the pillow I'd fallen asleep on to. When I finally managed to crack them open enough to see the ceiling fan still rotating in circles, I heard Chloe's voice.

"Hannah," she gasped, leaning forward so that her head blocked my view of the fan, "What is wrong with your eyes?"

"What?" I asked blearily, sitting up straight. Jazmin and Ariana weren't in the living room anymore, but Chloe was sitting on the couch in front of me, holding a mug filled with hot coffee

"Your eyes," she said, taking a sip of her drink. "They're completely red and bloodshot."

I stood and yawned, exhausted. When I checked my phone, I saw I had twenty-one missed calls from Dad and even a text from Mom. "Slept in my contacts," I explained to Chloe, collapsing on the couch to read Mom's text.

Hey honey—I know you're probably fine, but your father is hyperventilating over here with you not being home and all. Will you at least tell us you're all right so we don't worry all night?

She'd sent that text at four in the morning; how she'd expected me to be awake then, I didn't know. I'd fallen asleep after one TV show in Chloe's living room, listening to the chatter continue around me—it had been around three AM.

I texted her back, letting her know that I was all right and that I'd be back in a little while. In reality, I dreaded going back home and having to face my family. Mom would be sympathetic once I'd told her everything that would happen, but I knew for a fact my father would be furious. Not only had I snuck out, but I'd stayed out way too late and hadn't even told him where I was. I'd be lucky if I wasn't grounded until I went off to college.

I got up off the couch and accepted a cup of coffee from Chloe before heading into her bedroom to change back into my party dress. It and my hair had dried out significantly overnight, but my dress was still stained brown. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I reminded myself of a zombie.

After pulling my hair up into a messy ponytail and blinking my eyes a few times to try and make them hurt less, I hurried back into the kitchen. Much as I wanted to take out my contacts, I knew that I couldn't—I wouldn't let Chloe see that my eyes were really brown

The large white clock on the kitchen wall identified the time as nine in the morning. "I'm heading out," I said to Chloe, slinging my purse over my shoulder. She was still sitting in the living room, drinking her coffee and reading a magazine. "Thanks for everything, Chlo. Can you tell Ariana and Jazmin that I said bye?"

"Sure!" Chloe took my coffee cup from me and put it in the sink before unlocking the door to the apartment for me. "Hope we'll see you soon. Good luck with everything, okay?"

I smiled and gave her a quick hug. "You, too," I said, stepping over the threshold and out into the hallway.

Even though my feet were killing me in my sky-high heels, I made myself jog as quickly as I could down the stairs, through the alley, and to my car. Once I'd unlocked my door and slid into the driver's seat, my phone started vibrating obsessively with a phone call from Dad.

I studied the screen for a few minutes, debating whether or not to answer the phone, and eventually just silenced the call. I'd deal with him when I got home—I couldn't possibly drive and fend off his yells at the same time, anyway.

I put the car in reverse and backed out of my parking spot, cranking up the music until the beat filled my ears. I thought of last night, and everything that had gone wrong. All I wanted was to take a long shower and then collapse in my bed. I'd probably sleep until Monday morning when it was time to get up for school.