They Say Love Hides Behind Every Corner. I Must Be Walking In Circles!

Chapter 16

“No, no, no!” Jasmine held up a hand. “No beer!”

My face fell. No beer?

Jasmine shook her head at me, laughing a little, and she and Maddie left.

“Duude!” Forrest said. “Let’s party like a rock star!”

“WHOO-HOO!” I hollered.

&&&

“Ow, my head,” I muttered as I tried to sit up. Man, I have got to get it together. These little night out’s are gonna be the death of me, I swear. But once again, I didn’t recognize my surroundings; at least, I didn’t at the beginning. After looking around, I realized I was in Forrest’s living room. I was on a mattress on the floor, and Forrest was crashed out on the couch.

I looked down, and (thank the Lord) I had all of my clothes on. I looked at the clock next, and it was already nearly noon. Oh, God. Liv was going to skin me alive for this. I stumbled up, holding my head from the sharp pain, and prodded Forrest’s shoulder. “Dude,” I whispered. “Wake up.”

He didn’t even shift his position. “Forrest,” I said a little louder. “Wake up.”

"You’re gonna have to be way louder than that,” Paul said with a snort as he walked in the living room. “He sleeps like a rock.”

“Alrighty then,” I agreed. “FORREST!” I bellowed. “WAKE THE FUCK UP!”

He suddenly stirred and threw his hands up. “I surrender!” He quickly sat up.

I snorted. “Dork.”

He glared at me and I just shrugged. Then I remembered why I had woken him up in the first place. “Dude, you have to take me home, Liv is probably freaking out.”

“Oh, shit,” Paul said. “You didn’t tell Liv you were staying out?”

"No,” I replied. “I didn’t think I would stay out this long!”

“Well, Forrest is still hungover.” Paul glanced over at the now snoring Forrest.

I rolled my eyes. “Can you drive me, then?”

“That’d be best,” Paul agreed.

I nodded, took Forrest’s watch from his wrist so I wouldn’t be late anymore, and left. Paul snickered. I just shrugged.

&&&

“Serena!” Liv barked. “Where have you been?”

“I was at a friend’s house,” I replied coolly.

“You were at a friend’s house? I called Bethany, and she said you weren’t with her,” Liv retorted. “Which friend?”

“My new friend Maddie, she was new to our school and I befriended her. I saw her at the mall and she invited me over. I wasn’t about to be rude and say no.”

Liv eyed me warily before giving me the green light. I sighed in relief. My head still hurt, though. Ouch. “Oh, yeah, I had a few questions, you know, about me.”

“Yeah, sure, sweetie.” She turned to face me.

“If I could go anywhere in the US, where would it be?” I asked.

“Probably Chicago,” Liv answered. “You were always fascinated by it, for some reason. That’s where you’ve always wanted to live when you get out of college.”

 “What did I want to study?”

“You either wanted to go into professional volleyball or the law,” Liv answered. “Maybe a lawyer, maybe FBI, or maybe one of those CSI people.”