Pounding.
Pounding and throbbing is all I could feel, my head was obliterated by the amount of alcohol I consumed last night.
I knew I shouldn't have drank those tequila shots, I guess that's why Niko called the game 'bad luck'.
I woke up in my bed, in my dorm.
I was confused at how I got to my own bed considering the last I remember was me in some random room at the party, on someone else's bed.
In that bed I remember Vincent was with me, behind me holding me.
I could never forget that no matter how drunk I got.
Somehow after all that, I wake up, alone, in my own bed.
I slowly sit up in my bed, clutching my head as it throbs harder when I'm not laying down.
I groan in pain and close my eyes, wincing as it feels like a cows heartbeat inside my ears.
"You sound pleasant over there." I hear Niko from his side of the room.
Oh yeah, I forgot about him.
"Niko what the fuck happened last night, how did I get here?" I turn to him and question with wide eyes, piercing his soul intentionally.
I then notice Niko was only wearing boxer briefs, and nothing else. I looked back up to see him smirking at my realization.
"Niko would you please cooperate!" I wine, hinting for an explanation of last night.
"Yes boss!" He salutes mockingly. I roll my eyes.
"I found you and Vinny in the bedroom, you were passed out and he didn't want to leave you, I offered to bring you home but he said he was fine to get you home. So I went home and soon after he showed up carrying you and put you to bed. Im assuming he drove you home from Shorline and didn't walk, cause he made pretty good timing and I just don't think-"
"Okay less important Niko, but thank you for the info. I guess I really passed out because I don't think I remember any of that. Last I remember was laying in the bed with him." I pinch the bridge of my nose, why the hell did I have to forget half the night.
"Are you guys a thing or something?" Niko asks, sounding not too ecstatic.
"Are you kidding me? Vincent hates me, last night was the first time he didn't make me feel scared. He even saved me from Logan forcing himself all up on me." I exasperate.
"Logan did WHAT? I'll fucking kill that guy I swear." He sits up in his bed as he practically turns red and grunts angrily.
Should I be flattered he's this defensive?
"Its fine Niko. On another note, it's really just okay to miss the day of school today cause of the party? How come no one moves it to a weekend or something." I flip my covers off of me and slip out of my bed.
"That defeats the purpose of the party, the best part is the breaking the rules part. That makes a party come to life." He explains dramatically as I make my way to the bathroom.
I leave the door open as I brush my hair, putting it in a messy bun afterwards. I brush my teeth and wash my face before checking in the mirror, making sure I looked alive enough for the day.
I turn the bathroom light off and walk out to the boxes on my side of the room. I had already opened my boxes of clothes to find my party outfit, which I was still wearing.
So.Fucking.Uncomfortable.
I picked out a pair of grey Nike sweatpants with a black spaghetti strapped crop top. I grabbed my clothes and sauntered back to the bathroom and changed. I cupped my stomach as I looked in the mirror in my comfy outfit.
I was definitely bloated from the tequila.
Just great.
I groan and leave the bathroom again, as soon as I walk passed Niko's bed where he's sitting up on his phone, I hear him whistling at me.
"Damn girl." He licks his lips then clenches his teeth.
I give him a playful wink followed by laughter before I throw myself back onto my bed.
Usually dorm beds are supposed to be like super uncomfortable, but this one really wasn't that bad, I found it pretty comfy.
I didn't know if it was just me but I found that Niko flirted with me a lot, I knew it was just playful and in banter, but sometimes I feel like with the way he looks at me, if I told him to take me, he would.
Sometimes I think to myself that it wouldn't be such a bad idea, we get along fine, we have this platonic connection but also this out of the blue bond that makes it so nothing is awkward or weird.
If I were to ever have sex with a friend, Niko is first in line.
The only reason Vincent isn't first is because somehow I see Vincent as more than a friend. I've spent no time with him and barely know him but somehow I don't think we bond on a friendship level.
In some way, he's so much more.
I'd want him to be anyways.
Mine and Niko's eyes both shoot to each other after hearing a knock on the door.
I turn to the door as Niko gets up, in his underwear, and goes to look through the peep hole.
He laughs and shakes his head after he looks and proceeds to open the door, letting in Ryer and James.
Ryer had his dirty blonde hair in a grey tuque, still hanging out at the bottom of the hat, he had on a black hoodie and white basketball shorts. James was wearing a very revealing blue muscle shirt, with dark grey sweats.
It was was bro hangover central in here, so much testosterone.
I noticed the boys were breathing heavy, come to think of it I could smell a sweaty stench too.
Not a bad one, but I knew it was some man sweat.
"Were you guys shooting hoops?" Niko asks them as he sits down on to his bed, reaching into his drawer.
Ryer begins to lift his sweater over his head revealing his bare, muscular core. Though for some reason he kept the hat on too, but it looked good.
Why was everyone abnormally good looking in this guy group?
"Yeah we were at the court for like 2 hours, burning off the booze man. Vincent said he was going to come over too." James answers Niko.
Vincents coming?
I knew I was right about there being man sweat, the basketball playing ties in with that evidently.
I look over to Niko who grabs a blacked out plastic bag. He pulled out a cardboard holder for what looked like rolling papers, then I watched him pull out weed from the bag.
I was now very convinced it was rolling papers.
"Niko what the hell are you doing, what if you get caught with that?" I gasp as I watch him begin to roll a joint.
How the hell did he manage to get drugs in here, minor drugs, but still drugs into a correctional academy dormitory.
This guy was real sneaky, I'm starting to see how he got into this school in the first place.
"Relax sweetheart, we're at the top floor, it only goes up from here. Up and out the window." He laughs, finishing up his rolling.
He was surprisingly quick, I wouldn't doubt he does this kinda thing often.
I don't think I've ever gotten high before, maybe the times I can't remember I could've but I'll never know. I've never seen it as a bad thing or anything either, everyone gets high.
I seen it as a harmless recreational activity.
As he sparked the joint I wondered if I've tried something and had no clue about it, maybe I could've tried or done some crazy things and I'll just flat out never know.
That kind of thing bothered me, knowing there's probably some experiences I've had that I'll never get to replay in my head ever again most likely.
"Are you hitting this Grace?" Ryer holds out the burning joint towards me.
I stared at the smoke rising out of it as it burned down.
Whats the worst that could happen, everyone gets high.
Just gonna send it.
I reach my hand out and pinch it with my fingers, bringing it up to my lips to suck and inhale a fair amount of smoke.
I hold it in for a few seconds, then I blow out with a smile and begin to laugh, it burnt my throat a little but it wasn't so bad.
Suddenly the boys begin to laugh with me, I pass the joint back over to Niko as I begin to feel the effects of the high slowly unveil.
I just felt, really good.
So simple, yet so great.
"Atta girl Grace, she's down to spark up Niko. You got lucky buddy." Ryer teases him on his way to the bathroom, still shirtless and glistening.
"Shut the fuck up Ryer. You sure run your mouth a lot for someone who doesn't know all that much." Niko growls.
Just as Ryer closes the bathroom door behind him, the dorm door opens revealing a jaw dropping Vincent.
Wearing a black baseball cap backwards, no shirt whatsoever, and light grey joggers, lighter than me and James, though James were darker than mine-
NOT THE POINT, SHIRTLESS VINCENT.. SHIRTLESS VINCENT!!!
I swear on my life I had to slurp up my drool as he walked in.
His vibrant eyes made everything so much more amazing, if somehow his core and perfect abs could even get more amazing.
He had huge biceps and legs, I was beginning to think he either worked out every single day surprisingly, or he secretly plays hockey or something.
"Hey Vince, you want a hit?" James holds the joint out to Vincent.
"Hell yeah man." Vincent sticks his hand out to grab it.
"Hear that Grace? No more for you stoney baloney ." Niko jokes as Vincent takes a long hard drag of the joint.
I'd be choking by now.
He exhales and his eyes meet mine as he turns his head towards me. "The Princess over here got high? Is that what you're saying here Niko." Vincent laughs, with a sinister grin plastered across his lips.
What the hell was so funny?
"Take another hit, I know you like it." Vincent whispers as he leans towards me with the small little joint left.
He brings his finger tips that embrace the joint up to my lips for me to suck, I inhale the smoke and hold it before breathing out.
He snickers to himself as he leans back and smokes the rest on his own.
God I almost forgot how odd and somewhat scary he was.
He was just intense.
Intensity that'll make a bitch wet.
Jesus Christ Grace...
Suddenly, I realized maybe he wasn't that intense.
A memory from last night arose, of Vincent caressing me and grasping me as he laid behind me.
I remember the sound of sniffles making me alert once again, I remember hearing and feeling him silently cry behind my neck as he was holding on to me.
I felt the breath of his sobs hit the back of my neck as he tried to silence himself. He hugged tighter the harder he would cry.
I guess he thought I was asleep because I'm pretty sure that never would have happened if he had the slightest inclining that I wasn't passed out.
How could I forget Vincent was crying into me as we laid with each other?
I knew I couldn't forget laying with him but to think I'd remember hearing his sad, heartbreaking sobs as he held me.
I don't remember what happened after I heard him though, I guess I didn't react, or maybe I did.
My memory goes black again beyond that point.
Someone who's so tough and cold like Vincent is, he probably shouldn't be the one crying into some girl.
There was something so off about that.
He was so backwards.
Why do I like it?
Vincent is pretty tricky isn't he?
Little does Grace know that he's broken on the inside🥺
Do you guys think he's doing the right thing by making her hate him to protect her?
Let me know your thoughts beauties :)
Don't forget to comment and vote.
-Tia