Rhea tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't. As much as she tried to pull them open, the eyelids stayed shut. Nerves boiled at the bottom of her stomach – had she gone blind? She rolled over, and fell onto the hard floor.
"Ouch!" Rhea cursed. By now the little nerves at the bottom of her stomach had began to rise, and were now swarming around the base of her throat.
"Rhea?" Rhea heard Adeline's voice.
"Adeline, oh my god, I've gone blind! Adeline!" Rhea's voice faltered.
"No you haven't, stupid. It's your mascara – it's stuck together. Have a make-up wipe."
Rhea reached out with her hands and felt her hands make contact with a wet wipe, and rubbed her eyes hurriedly. She opened her eyes, this time successfully.
Adeline was walking back to her room, wearing absolutely nothing. Rhea observed the villa. "OH MY FUCKING GOD!" The villa smelt of smoke, and it was a tip. Empty beer cans and wine bottles littered the floor, and a chair was burning. Stu was lying on a couch, and Charlotte, Doug and Alan were no-where to be seen. A woman tip-toed past Rhea, and waved goodbye to her, before stepping out of the door. "What the fuck?" Rhea placed her head between her knees, trying to remember what had happened last night. It felt like someone was wacking her round the head with a hammer, so she gave up, and scrambled back onto the mattress. Why am I sleeping on the floor, she thought to herself. Rolling onto her side, she bashed into Phil, whose shirt was missing.
"Oh, Christ." Rhea couldn't think anymore, and felt a lump rising in her throat again. Had she slept with Phil? She was in so much pain. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she screwed up her face in an attempt to shut out the pain. She felt warm arms wrap around her, and, giving in, she snuggled into Phil and wept against his chest.
Suddenly, a sharp blow to her side winded Rhea. Phil sat up abruptly, knocking her head by accident.
"Shit, sorry Rhea!" Phil looked at her, alarmed, then at Alan, who was running around screaming, with – wait – with no pants on. Ewww.
"Don't go in the bathroom Phil, there's a tiger in there!" Phil got up and Rhea saw that his belt and trousers were undone, but hey, at least they were still on.
"Alan, shut up!" Rhea smothered her face with a pillow, trying to kill herself.
"Holy shot, he's not kidding! There's a tiger in there!" Phil yelled from the bathroom.
"Please be quiet." Rhea rolled onto her front and tried to drown out the ringing in her ears.
"Aww, Rhea I'm sorry." Phil rubbed the small of her back, comforting her. Rhea suddenly realised that she was wearing nothing but her pyjama shorts.
"Fuck!" Rhea grabbed the covers and pulled them over her body. Phil smirked.
"You didn't have to do that. That view was making me feel better." Rhea kicked him feebly, but smiled.
Stu was awake, and wandering around, shouting random things about Melissa and how fucked he was.
"Hey Phil, Rhea – is my tooth missing?" Stu asked nervously. Rhea lifted her head slowly. Stu screamed in disgust as he saw his reflection in a silver tray.
"Oh no!" Rhea gasped as he showed her his mouth. "Oh, Stu." Rhea stood up shakily, still holding the sheet around her.
"I look like a nerdy hillbilly." Stu whimpered, and Phil and Rhea tried to stifle their laughs.
"Rhea, go and find Charlotte and Adeline, and Alan, go find Doug. Then we can get out of here before housekeeping shows up." Phil said.
"Alright, but I need a shower. I feel so dirty!" Rhea pulled a face in disgust, and Phil winked at her.
Walking into her room, Rhea grabbed the clothes closest to her – that was, the clothes that hadn't got sick on them – and rushed into the shower. After a hurried wash, she dressed quickly into a pair of Adeline's shorts and one of the guys' shirts – she had no idea whose it was. She found Adeline wrapped around a complete stranger, who looked at Rhea as if she was a weirdo as she pulled Adeline out from under the covers.
"Come on, Adeline. We have to get a move on!" Rhea half-dragged Adeline out of her room and into the bathroom, where she threw some clothes at her friend. "Adeline, wake up!" When Rhea knew that Adeline was fully awake and getting dressed, she started to search for Charlotte.
"Charlotte? Charlotte, where are you?" Rhea ran around the villa looking for Charlotte.
"Hey guys, I can't find Doug anywhere. I've checked everywhere, and his mattress is gone too." Alan walked up to Phil and Stu, who were talking on the sofas.
"And I can't find Charlotte." Rhea collapsed on the sofa in the space between Stu and Phil.
"You know what? I bet they're downstairs having a coffee. They are fine, Rhea," Phil noticed Rhea nervously whining, "and Stu... Doug will be fine!" Phil seemed slightly put off by his best friend screaming and wailing like a child.
"Phil's right Stu, I'm sure they're downstairs in the lobby. Shall we go and have a look?" Rhea patted Stu's knee.
"Yeah, let's go." Phil got up slowly, rubbing his temples. Stu continued mumbling to himself, until a strange noise broke their thoughts.
"What in the world was that?" Rhea rushed to the sound. Inside the closet was a crying baby.
"WE STOLE A BABY?" Adeline came up behind them.
"Calm down, Adeline – I'm sure we didn't. Let's just act like it's ours, and we'll find its mother downstairs." Rhea said consolingly.
"It's a he, not an it!" Alan piped up.
"No one gives a fuck, Alan." Phil held Rhea's bag whilst she propped the baby over her shoulder.
"Alan's right, he's a gorgeous baby boy!" Rhea tickled the baby's nose affectionately. He gurgled. "Aww, I've always wanted a baby!" Rhea smiled widely, whereas Phil turned a shade of green. Adeline laughed loudly at the expression on Phil's face.
When the party got into the lobby, Adeline and Stu searched the hotel for the others, whilst Phil, Alan and Rhea sat down beside the pool. Phil wore sunglasses to hide his bloodshot eyes and Alan held the baby "Carlos". Rhea placed her head on the cool metal table in an attempt to cool her headache.
"I feel awful." Rhea said quietly.
"Same." Phil tried to ignore Alan, who was trying to get his attention.
"Stop that, Alan. That's disgusting." Rhea lifted her hair off her face and stared at Alan, who was making the baby do rude actions. Phil tried to hold back a laugh, and Rhea slapped him.
"What? It's quite funny! You just need to learn how to take a joke, Rhea." Phil looked at the tired girl next to him. Her wet hair hung in ringlets around her shoulders, and it hid most of her face.
"I need to learn how to take a joke? Honestly Phil. You probably think the fact that we might of had sex last night is a joke." Rhea glared at him.
Phil held up his hands and shook his head. "I don't think that's a joke Rhea. Just calm down..." He added nervously as Rhea fumed.
Stu and Adeline walked up, saving them from the horrible awkward silence.
"I can't find Doug or Charlotte anywhere. Oh my God, what if they're dead?"
"Stu, they're not dead, I promise." Phil reached out and took his friend's arm.
"I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if something horrible happened to Charlotte. Or Doug." Adeline and Rhea looked at each other.
"Why can't we remember anything from last night?" Adeline questioned.
"No clue, Adeline." Rhea shrugged.
After some discussion, and checking their pockets, they had figured out hardly anything. Suddenly, Alan pointed out a hospital bracelet on Phil's wrist. Rhea grabbed his wrist in horror, inspecting the bracelet and checking him over with her hands.
"Phil, are you alright?" Alan said.
"I'm fine, Alan, Rhea." Phil looked at Rhea who was still searching for something wrong with him. "Rhea," he said, catching her hands as they started to move over his legs. "I'm fine." Rhea gazed into his eyes, her head pounding. Tears welled inside her and she covered her face with her hands.
"I'm just so worried." She curled up into a small ball on her chair, shutting herself out from the world. "What if you got hurt last night? What if something horrible has happened to Charlotte or Doug?"
"Look, let's go find the car, and we can go to the hospital. It might give us some clues, Rhea." Adeline smiled at her friend.
"Yeah, we should just get out of this place." Stu looked at the puddle of sick on the floor next to him.
They all stood up, Phil offering his hand to Rhea. She took it gratefully, and leant on his shoulder as they walked out of the hotel and to the car collection area.
"Here's your car, officers." The porter smiled at Phil, and Rhea who was holding onto his hand. A police car pulled up in front of them.
"Don't say anything." Phil whispered. Adeline, Stu and Alan made their way into the back seats, Alan injuring the baby in doing so. Phil opened the passenger door for Rhea and helped her climb in, she smiled weakly at Phil, silently saying thank you.
"Picked up a lovely girl there, sir." The porter nodded towards Rhea and then winked at Phil. Phil cleared his throat loudly, just smiling at the man and getting into the driver's seat hurriedly.
"Now which way is it to the hospital?" Stu asked.
"Please get off the sidewalk!" Phil talked through the microphone, as they drove along the sidewalk, sirens blasting out loudly. Stu and Adeline were cringing in the back, and Rhea and Phil were just laughing. "Lady in the leopard dress, you have an amazing rack." Phil grinned. Rhea smacked his knee playfully. "But not as amazing as the girl next to me. Yes, you heard, Rhea Rivers has the best rack in the world!" Rhea covered her ears in disgust and tried to hide her face from the laughing crowd.
"Phil, you dick!"
"Hey, you slapped me!" He winked at her.
As they arrived at the hospital, Rhea took control of the baby and sat with Adeline outside the hospital.
"I'm nervous, Rhea." Adeline frowned.
"I am too, Adeline. We all are." Rhea smiled weakly, rocking the baby.
"So what happened between you and Phil last night?" Adeline asked.
"I think we slept together. I woke up next to him with just my shorts on and his trousers were undone." Rhea giggled. "I guess you didn't stop me from lap dancing then."
Adeline snorted. "Sorry! I don't know whether we did or not. I can't remember a fucking thing."
"Who was that guy you were with this morning?" Rhea waggled her tongue at Adeline.
"What, that man in my bed? I honestly have no idea!" Rhea laughed out loud, the happiest she'd been all day.
The boys came rushing out of the hospital, shouting, "We know where to go!" Rhea continued laughing at Adeline and the men as they tripped over each other in a race to get to the car first. And, for the first time that day, the sun shined.