Ghost From the Past

Chapter 16:

Walk of Shame

It's been 2 years since I last updated this story, and I'm so SORRY! I have no excuse. I probably got swept away with life and other story ideas and forgot all about this story. I think I just have a fear of ending things to be honest. I hate endings, they're so sad! Shoutout to Zozozoie, Kary Bobbins, Guest, & Sunshine Spray for reviewing chapter 15! Thank you so much!

"Don't freak out!" I internally scream, balling some of the bedsheet into my mouth. There's a naked stranger sleeping in the single bed beside me. He's on the outer edge of the bed, and I'm pressed against the cold wall. It will be impossible to get out of bed without waking up the guy. Who is this guy? How much did I have to drink last night?

I look around the room, hoping that something will jog my memory.

The wall I'm pressed up against is cold, and I soon come to realize that the walls are made out of brick, with beige paint painted over it to give it a warmer look. The room is tiny with a single curtained window above the desk at the foot of the bed, my dress tossed carelessly across it. On the opposite side of the room is an identical bed with a matching desk placed next to the nightstand. At the foot of the bed is a wastebasket, a door that I assume to be the exit out of this dreary room, and finally, on the right side of the room are two small closets, and an ajar door leading into the bathroom which doesn't appear to have a bathtub or shower.

My head drops into the pillow with a heavy groan as the realization hits me. I'm in some guy's college dorm. I hooked up with a cute college guy I met at the party! What the hell is wrong with me? When did I become so…slutty?

"At least he's cute," I mumble, taking in the man's delicate features. His brown hair is cut short, except for where his bangs hang across his closed eyes. He has a defined jawline. Clear skin. A silver cross earring on his left ear, which is touching the left side of his face. He has some muscle tone, and I'm sure I would find a nice set of abs if I flipped him over, but, compared to Trunks, he's more on the slim side. Whoever this guy is, my first thought when I set my eyes on him in my drunken state must've been…"Kpop idol. Get him girl!"

I don't get the chance to feel any delight from last night's hook up as I come to a huge, life changing realization: This was my first time.

Yes, I slept with Trunks when I was 22 and married to him during that time I went into the future, but this is the present.

I slept with a stranger! My first time was with a stranger! This is the day I'll think of when Bulla and I talk about our first times! This is the day I will think about when older Fable asks," Mom, what was your first time like?"

My chest tightens at the sudden thought of Fable, the little girl currently growing inside Valese's womb. The little girl who was never mine to begin with.

The stranger next to me falls to the floor with a heavy 'thump' as I shove him off the bed. Clutching the bedsheet to cover my body with one hand, and clasping my mouth shut with the other, I stumble to the toilet, barely making it in time as everything I drank and ate last night pours out of my mouth.

" Oh, God," I groan out as my stomach prepares to eject more fluids. It tastes horrible and I wish it would stop soon, but the vomit seems endless. Worse, the toilet smells like it hasn't been cleaned in weeks. I know I shouldn't rest my face on the toilet seat or cling to the sides as if it were the only thing keeping me afloat in the middle of a sea storm, but the room is spinning, and a pounding headache has crept in. This is my first real hangover. "That's what you get for ditching me at the party," I imagine Bulla saying once she sees me. Oh, crap. What time were we supposed to leave today?

"Do you want me to hold your hair back?" The guy offers. He slowly places a bottle of water and container of aspirin on the floor next to me. I shake my head. It's too late. My extensions are ruined. I'll have to take them out before I leave this room.

He stares at me for a moment. I look nothing like the hot girl I was last night. " Is there anyone you want me to call to come get you?"

"No," I gurgle out just before another wave of nausea hits me. Once my stomach is completely empty and there's nothing left for me to possibly puke out except for my organs, I take a few breaths, then ask," What's your name?"

"Leo."

Leo, I notice, has dimples when he smiles." It's nice to meet you, Leo. Before I leave your apartment and never look back, can you point me to the nearest shower? I really need to take a shower."

"Yeah, sure. The showers are in the building across from this one. I'll take you there." Leo glances at the bedsheet I'm wrapped in." I'll gather your clothes for you."

"Where's my phone?" I ask once Leo hands me my clothes.

"It's on my desk. I think it's dead. I can charge it for you if you want."

I shake my head." No, that's okay." I'm sure most of my texts, missed calls, and angry voicemails are from Bulla. We're supposed to fly out to our university on the other side of the world together. Hopefully we didn't plan to leave first thing this morning because, judging by the bright light glowing around the edges of the curtains, it's close to two in the afternoon. I slept half the day away.

Leo hands me my phone. The screen is black. Cold and dead. The door loudly creaks as it closes, sealing me into the tiny room.

"I'm never drinking again," I tell my reflection.

A shelf full of clean bath towels and wash cloths grabs my attention. They're white. Before my good conscience can talk me out of what I'm about to do, I take one of the wash cloths, wet it with warm water, then set to work on scrubbing the makeup off my face. It takes two wash cloths to make my face look clean and presentable. One wash cloth has black smudges all over it from my mascara and eye liner. The second is mostly orange from my foundation and there's pink blotches on the bottom corners from my lipstick. I normally don't wear makeup so I have no idea if that will leave a permanent stain or not. Next, I take out my hair extensions, which I drop onto the pile of washcloths and kick into the corner between the wall and toilet.

"Why didn't I pack a change of clothes?" I groan, letting the bedsheet wrapped around my body fall to the cold floor. I put on my underwear than slip on the dress I wore at the party. Without the extensions, my back feels more exposed, just like my chest.

Leo gawks at me after I step out of the bathroom. Maybe he thought my extensions were my real hair, and he's just surprised to see me with shorter hair. I look nothing like the sexy woman he took to bed last night.

"What?" I defensively snap, crossing my arms over my chest, even though he's only stunned by my face. Not even my boobs were enough to get his attention. My face is plain and dull without the magic of makeup.

Leo blinks." Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about something. The showers are in the building across from this one. You're going to need your shoes."

I have the straps of the shoes I wore last night hooked around my finger. In my current state I know I can't walk in them, so I'm not even going to try. They can hang against my thigh for now.

" I don't feel like wearing shoes today," I smile, opening the front door that leads into the hall. I can hear the 'ding' of an elevator, and the voices of people walking out of it. I mentally scold myself for sleeping with a stranger and not being smart enough to leave right afterwards. Multiple people get to witness my walk of shame because I was too drunk to leave when it was still dark. My smile tightens. "After you."

Leo hesitates. His directions were easy enough. I don't need him to show me where the showers are, but I want him to walk me there. I'm sure he's used to saying "bye" at the door and slamming the door shut on whoever he spent the night with, but I want to make this a little harder on him.

"I need you to call a ride for me after I get out of the shower. My phone is dead and I don't have any money. I can't walk up to people in this outfit and ask for directions either," I whine, my voice cracking a little as if I were about to cry. If I was a normal girl, this would indeed be a problem.

"Yeah, okay," Leo mumbles, sticking his feet into a pair of indoor slippers. He walks out the door first and I follow. Maybe it's just the paranoia of having sex for the first time, but I'm convinced everyone we pass in the hall knows what we did last night. I guess it's only obvious, considering that I'm still in last night's dress, my hair is a mess, and the shame is written all over my face. Leo greets some of his friends with a passing smile or high-five, none of them ask to be introduced to me. They know they'll never see me coming out of his room again.

Just when I thought the worst part was over, that it couldn't possibly get any worse, it does.

There, sitting on the grass in front of the building, beneath a large oak tree, is someone I really didn't want to see. He's glaring down at his phone, unaware that I've just walked out from the building he's been waiting in front of all night long (judging by the prince costume he's still wearing). Maybe I gasp out his name, or maybe he senses me staring at him. Whatever it is, Trunks looks up from his phone, looks at me, then settles his death glare onto Leo.

The tiny hairs on my arm prickle up at Trunks' murderous glare. He stands up, then briskly walks across the grass, blue eyes locked onto Leo.

"Run," I whisper.

See you in two years! Haha just kidding. I have nothing to do tomorrow so I'll probably be working on this story. I didn't know what to name Leo, like, what's a good fuckboy name? Ryan? He almost became a Ryan.

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