You wake up with a strange feeling, and a bad headache. You're on the sofa and streamers and confetti are everywhere. A party, perhaps? You don't quite remember.
You turn yourself so you're sitting upright. You can't quite summon the energy to stand up yet, so you stare down at the carpet. The taste of stale cupcakes mixed with vomit returns and lingers at the back of your throat.
You look around. Your good friend Rose is lying in the middle of the carpet, unconscious. She looks unconscious, anyway. She doesn't look like she's sleeping. Your other friend John is lying bolt upright with his back against the wall, and he's actually sleeping. Funny. A lot more people must have turned up but you can only see your friends. That's best friends for you - they'll be the only ones left after a party. First to arrive, last to leave.
Speaking of friends, where is Dave? You found the other two, but Dave's missing. You lie back, and land on something squishy. The squishy thing flinches. Dave!
Woah. Dave. He's lying on his back, fully stretched along the sofa. He's so tall that his feet are dangling over the other armrest. His shirt has ridden up his stomach slightly, his jeans are stained with drink, and he still has his shades on. Typical Dave.
You resist the urge to wake him up, or the others for that matter. What did you drink that makes you feel so dizzy? If Roxy was involved it's bound to be dangerous. But there's no sign of the other kids.
Dave shuffles behind you. "What the..."
"Hi, Dave," you say cheerfully. "How you doin'?"
"Ugh. I feel...what's the word? Grubby, granny...groggy. Groggy. That's it." He scratches the back of his head and sits up. "You know, there's another chair over there."
You look at where he's staring. "Yeah, and?"
"Why choose to sit here? I mean, come on, I'm way taller than you. I take up the whole sofa." He stares at you. "I take up the whole sofa. As in, there's no room."
"I...I didn't. I woke up here," you stutter. "I literally haven't moved."
"Huh. Weird." He swings his legs around to sit next to you and buries his head in his hands. "What even went on last night? I remember absolutely nothing."
"I don't know either. And by the looks of it," you point at John and Rose, "they won't be able to tell us either."
"Wow. They're pissed. Got anything to eat?" he asks. You shrug. "I'll eat the air, don't worry."
"Eat your glasses," you say stupidly, the regret it when he looks at you oddly.
"You didn't take my glasses off, did you?" he questions.
"No. Why?"
He doesn't reply. Instead, he shakes his head like a dog and you watch his short blonde hair. He then takes off his glasses, and his eyes are shut. You lean forward to try and see his face. He turns to you, and you flinch back in surprise, as he's unaware that his face is so close to you.
"Look," he says, and he opens his eyes. Bright red eyes stare into your summery green ones, and you twitch your nose like a bunny. Dave copies, then looks away, quickly donning his shades again. You stand up.
"You look too, uh, weak to stand up. Stay here, I'll see what we have to eat." You search for a reason to move away.
The kitchen is also lined with various party decorations, and low and behold, there's Roxy, lying face down under the kitchen table. You can only wonder where the others are. Her laptop is open and running, and you can see that there's various photos of last night uploaded to some social networking site. You scroll through them, taking in every detail. One of Rose and John, each holding a can of beer; one of Jake and Dirk on a dance game; one of Roxy mixing drinks; one of Rose pulling a face; one of you and Dave kissing; one of Jake and Jane on the dance game; three people that you're not sure you know; Jane, John, and two other strangers...the list goes on.
You search through the paper plates and plastic cups in the hope of retrieving something edible, stepping over one of Roxy's heeled boots in the process. Your vision isn't quite as good, even though you have glasses. You can't find anything, so you return to Roxy's laptop and read her latest status.
"omgf dane and jad r soooou cute! jade just fel assleep on dav itts adoreabble"
Wait, what? You know you woke up on the same sofa as Dave but you didn't realise you were actually lying on top of him. And there's a photo for proof.
You pause, then look back through the photos. How did you not notice that one of you and Dave making out? Better not tell Dave about this.
"Found anything?" Dave says, walking in. God, he's tall. You slam the laptop shut.
"Uhhh, no. There's nothing that's probably not spiked," you reply nervously. He looks at you.
"Why'd you close the computer? Something I'm not supposed to see?" he asks suspiciously. He tries to reach out behind you but you move to lock his way every time. He stops. You giggle.
"Alright." This time he reaches two arms behind you, and wraps them around you. He picks you up, rotates on the spot, and drops you. He then opens the laptop.
For one tiny moment, the thought comes to you that Dave actually just had his arms around your waist. And that his hands were pretty much on your butt. And that you were both pressed against each other. Pressed so close that you could feel his breath on your skin and smell his familiar scent on his clothes.
Then you return to the matter at hand.
"Dave, no." Too late. He's already seen the photos. He stares for a while, then turns back to you.
"So this is what we get up to when we're drunk?" He laughs once, and a small smile forms on his lips. His lips. His lips.
Dammit, Jade, shut up.
"Explains why you woke up on the same sofa," he continues. You look down at the floor. "Let's get this place cleaned up."
He gives you a small kiss - but a proper kiss - and walks back into the living room. And for you, that's good enough.