Hi.

18. The Hangover.

I got high a couple of times after that. During February vacation I would sneak out at 2 in the morning and meet Lark down the street at this park nearby and we smoke some weed for a while. It felt awesome.

Probably a week after the vacation I was hanging out with Lark in his apartment watching The Kids Are Alright with him and he pulled out a weed stick.

"Want a puff?" He lit it up and held it out.

I nodded and took it out of his hands and placed it in my mouth. I was already high from my own that I got from Brett at school. It was right after Kitty made a comment that I looked like I lost a lot of weight and Tina threaten to kill me if I made us lose Regional. Not to mention I failed three tests and a quiz. I had a lot of stress in that moment.

After a while it felt wonderful. Everything around me became so cool and things floated and I kept hearing the birds outside talking to me. Lark smoked another one he had.

Together we smoked until Lark left the room and brought out three large bottles; a vodka bottle, an empty bottle and an apple juice container. He poured them both into the empty bottle he had, with a funnel settled at the top, then took that single bottle and shook it together until it mixed well. He took a couple of chugs of it, laughing a bit, then handed the bottle to me. "Try it, Marley….it good. Taste more apple than vodka."

I took the bottle out of his hand and chugged it myself, tasting more of the apple juice than the vodka. Instantly I felt like I was flying and began laughing while flapping my arms up and down and yelling "Tweet! Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!"

We laughed together for the rest of the night, smoking two more joins each and drinking another bottle of apple juice vodka. I think we called a couple of people on my phone and left silly messages, then a few random numbers.

Lark walked me home afterwards and since Mom was out working late I was home alone. I let him in and he used the toilet while I sat on the couch, took a cigarette, and smoked. Lark came out and found me in the living room.

"Mama Rose...cigar... no no." He muttered.

"Fuck it," I slurred. "I do...what I...I...Tina bitch." I had no idea what I was trying to say, actually. "Screw them."

The phone began to ring. I saw Lynn as the caller ID. "Hello?" I giggled.

"Marley, are you drunk?"

"No, me silly." I laughed.

"I'm coming over now, stay there."

"Bring pizza!?" I yelled then hung up and laid back on the couch giggling. Lark fell onto the ground and giggled too.

We both laughed until Ryder came inside and saw his girlfriend and cousin drunk and high on the ground. I vaguely heard him cuss and mumble about kicking Lark's ass for getting me to do this. I said I wanted to drink since Tina was being mean to me, but Ryder said I shouldn't of handled it like this. He told me to lay upstairs in my room and after he had to help me get there, he said to rest while he got Lark back to his apartment.

I fell asleep but woke when Ryder came in with a pitcher of water, bread, crackers, bananas and a bucket. He told me to just keep relaxing and if I had to vomit to let him know. I pretty much slept the whole time but Ryder kept waking me up to have water and eat some food, though I tried to decline them. He made me have them.

I woke up the next morning feeling like complete shit. I was still asleep in my bed and Ryder was sleeping next to me. I looked down and saw the covers of me and right when I had thought we had sex last night I pulled the covers up and saw I was in my bra and underwear whilst he was still in his clothes.

I heard my Mom coming up the stairs and I fell asleep again. She opened the door and I heard her say, "Ryder?"

Ryder stirred and shifted. "Hi Millie," He muttered.

"Thanks so much again for taking care of Marley while she has the bug. I'll be home later this evening. I hate working when she's sick." Mom said.

"She's got good hands." Ryder said.

Mom mentioned about some soup in the kitchen and then left. Once I heard the car leave I stirred and looked at Ryder. "Ry?"

Ryder didn't say hi back, he just looked at me.

"Ry?" I called out again. "Why am I no clothes on?"

"I stripped down after your Mom went to bed since you were muttering about being to hot," He spoke softly. "Marley, stop acting like this. This isn't you Marley, you're better than this."

"Grah blah ugh," I muttered as I pulled the covers over my head. "My head hurts!"

"You're hung over. I told your Mom you had the stomach bug and I would stay here to take care of you. My parents didn't mind." Ryder told me.

"Where Lark?"

"Hungover himself I assume," Ryder told me. He took my hand gently and said, "Look at me," I pulled the covers off and faced him. "Thank God you didn't do anything stupid other than prank phone call me and Brittany, who now thinks Lord Tubbington is a King in Japan," He laughed a little. "But seeing you drunk Marley isn't a good thing Marley. What if you and Lark went somewhere else or your Mom figured it out?"

"Fffuuuuccccccckkkkkkk," I moaned out, my head throbbing again. "Stop yelling at me, Ryder!"

"I wasn't yelling at you." Ryder stated in a small tone. "Don't drink. Just ignore Tina and if she keeps lashing out on you, you've got Unique, Jake, Blaine and I to calm her down. Okay?"

"Fine." I said with an attitude.

"Want breakfast?" He asked. God what was with all the questions? Can't I have my first hangover without being harassed about it?

"Nooooooo!" I moaned out again. "Just go!"

"Marley I'm going to stay whether you like it or not. You're hungover."

"Blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah, blah, blah, blah." I muttered rolling my eyes. "I'm fine! I just wanna go to sleep."

I slept for an hour until Ryder woke me up again for breakfast and I felt a little better. I know drinking was bad but I liked it a lot. All I wanted now though was a cigarette.