Royce woke up in his room.
His memory was disoriented at first, he couldn't shake the fogginess but it all came back to him in bits of pieces. Gay bar. Making out. Nathan. Anxiety attack. How'd he get here? He was still in the same clothes but a blanket was draped over him. Royce didn't move from his spot for the next few hours, letting it all sink, letting his thoughts settle.
He could still taste the alcohol in his mouth and it wasn't pleasing. He decided to freshen up. A hot shower would help clear his head.
Later, his little sister came to see him. Her eyes were sad, not quite the sad like him but Royce hated seeing it. Her hair was shoulder length and blood red, just like him, small pointed nose, she still had the babyface thing going on, even if she turned sixteen two months ago. Big round eyes, high cheekbones.
"Are you alright, Da?" Wren asked taking a seat on the edge of his bed. Royce could tell she was nervous about something.
Ever since she was five, she had started calling him da. Royce remembered asking her how did she come up with that and she said, a boy in her class calls his big brother da. She was obsessed with that word ever since.
"I'm alright." A sigh escaped from his lips, his eyes scanning his room. "Who dropped me off?"
"Nathan." She whispered, biting her lip, almost scared to even say his name in front of him. "He found you passed out in an alley and brought you back home safely."
Royce shut his eyes, begging God to offer him some patience. He hated the idea of Nathan bringing him home. He hated everything that happened in the last few hours.
"He says he's sorry." Wren continued. "Maybe, maybe you should talk to h-him? He isn't all too bad, Da. If not, just thank him for bringing you home."
If Royce was ever close to anyone in this world, it was his sister. She was the only one that stuck around when even his friends abandoned him. He wanted to tell her off, say no but the hopeful look in her eyes broke him.
"I'll think about it, Wren."