Must have water.. Body.. Dehydrated.


Fuck, I drank too much last night. My head was pounding, my body felt gross and I was definitely going to die if I didn't drink two gallons of water right away. Staggering down the stairs and into the kitchen, I poured glass after glass of water to help my foggy mind recover, but it just made me feel sea sick. At least it was barely day light. I'd have plenty of time to sleep this second drunk off. Popping some Advil in my mouth, I slumped back up the stairs and into the bathroom, where I relieved myself, scrubbed my teeth and took a ten minute shower so I wouldn't have to smell the vodka on my body any longer.


Back to bed.


I tossed and turned for about two hours, until I just couldn't take it anymore. Thankfully, I didn't feel as crappy as I had the first time I woke up, but now I was starting to really come down from my hangover and random events from last night were popping up in my head. Ember was with Alex. He kissed her, after Zack warned me they were on a fucking date.. But then what happened?


Think. I saw him kiss her, and then... Oh fuck. I punched my best friend. Bigger fuck, I kissed Ember, too. She freaked out. She pushed away from me and ran away. How could I have done that? It's obvious by the way she acted that my feelings aren't returned, but there's no way I can fix this now. Maybe wallow in my misery for a few days by avoiding her. I can blame it on the booze, that way she thinks I don't really like her. How could she pick Alex over me? Once again, Alex steals the spotlight and I'm left to pick up the fucking pieces.
Might as well start now.


If I pretend that I was too drunk to remember what happened, no one can hold it against me. Sure, it'll suck going back to being Ember's dick brother, but at least she'll be able to sleep better at night. I just couldn't see her with Alex. Anyone else but Alex. He's my best friend, he should be able to look at me and just know when I feel a certain way about a girl. Did no one notice the way I smiled when she smiled? Or how, when I'm talking to her, it's like I'm literally swimming through her eyes to figure out what's going on in that pretty, little head of hers? Ember's just.. She's this perfect, tiny firecracker and I can't help the way I feel about her. It'd just be easier if she didn't think I was some sort of freak now.


Rolling my eyes to the thought, I dug around beside my bed until I found my cell phone. Calling Alex was the last thing I wanted to do, but he is my best friend, I can't just let these bad feelings hang over us. Letting out a groan, I hit dial when his name lit up. A part of me was hoping he wouldn't answer.


I sat there for a moment, listening to it ring, until something else caught my attention. Blink was playing, just down the hall, and I knew damn well that was Alex's ringtone. Please, please do not let him be where I think he is.


My body moved slowly through the hallway. I no longer had my phone pressed against my ear. I could see that it was still calling Alex and I could still hear his phone. My feet stopped moving just in front of Ember's door and I could feel my heart begin to race. Maybe he just left his phone here and she got it. Yeah, that has to be it. Still, I needed the proof.
With my fingers wrapped around the knob, I braced myself for what I might see when I heard the mumble of voices coming from Ember's bed.


"Alex, turn that damn thing off."


I'm hearing things, aren't I? Swallowing the lump in my throat, I pushed open Ember's door just in time to see Alex reach over Ember's body to grab his phone from the dresser. His eyes scanned the screen, then they looked in my direction. I probably looked pale as a ghost, standing there, holding my phone. He instantly began to shake his head, trying to tell me, silently, it wasn't what it looked like. But I didn't fucking care. I'll be damned if he's getting an apology now.


"Jack, dude."


"Jack?" Ember sat up beside Alex, her eyes growing wide as she stared at me in the doorway. "Uh-"


"You know what? Don't."


Slamming Ember's door, I stomped down the stairs, grabbed my keys and darted out of the house. So much for pretending.

Notes

Oh snap. Jack thinks they're getting their freak on and he's MIA. :O