I was sat barefoot on the kitchen floor, leaning my head back against the

stove and feeling sorry for myself. Home alone, no food in the fridge, and

sick. This is what I get for buying a huge house all for myself. Who does that?

I was considering ordering some food and searching my medicine cabinet for

an Advil when my phone rang. The reach from here to the countertop was

incredibly tiring for my arm, but I flipped the phone open and answered.

“Hey, Stacie” I already knew what she was going to say

“What are you wearing to Cody’s party tonight?” She asked excitedly. Oh

how disappointed she would be to hear of my position.

“Babe, I told you I don’t feel well, like at all, I’m sick” I took a good

moment to look around the kitchen and feel bad for myself some more.

“Oh no. No you’re not, do you know who’s going to be there?”

“I don’t know, Cody’s tramp friends I’m guessing” That was a little harsh

maybe, but Cody’s friends truly were tramps.

“No! Josh is gonna be there, with all the boys, including Liam” My back

shot straight up. Fuck. I looked at the clock. 22:47. Shit shit shit

“Why? Liam never comes out with the guys, are you sure?” I was already

going through scenarios in my head. Don’t go, and miss out on my only

opportunity, like ever, to see Liam again. Or go and look sickly and quite

possibly throw up and show everybody what a hot mess I am.

“Because” She dragged out the word “I told Shaun that you would be

there” Double shit.

“Shit, Stace I’m actually sick. I’m sitting on the kitchen floor right now”

“Don’t worry about that” She said determinedly “I’ll be there in twenty minutes and I’m bringing pizza. Take some pills and make us a drink will you” And then she hung up.

I sighed. Although my head was currently pounding and I hadn’t eaten anything today, A small flurry of excitement beat in my stomach. I would see Liam again, how long had it been? A year. I might feel like shit, but it was

nothing I hadn’t rallied through before. With that I pushed myself up from the floor, taking a minute to grip the

counter top and swallow back to bile that rose in my throat. I walked clutching my stomach like the hunchback of Notre dame, to the bathroom and rummaged through the drawer until I found my Advil, then took two with

water from the sink. Next order of business, drink. That was easy, I still had half a bottle of my favorite white wine, riesling from the coast, in the fridge. I filled two wine glasses with ice and a generous amount of wine, took mine in hand and sat on a bar stool by the kitchen island. Quite the improvement if I do say so myself.

Stacie let herself in twelve minutes later, a large purse over one arm also carrying a steaming pizza box, and two iced americanos from Starbucks balanced in the other. Yep, that’s why I love that girl.

She steered straight to the fridge and extracted her own glass of wine and then set the pizza box in front of us and scooted onto the stool next to me. It smelled hot and delicious and I didn’t waste a moment before grabbing a

sloppy piece and devouring it. Stacie took a piece for herself and then started sipping her coffee.

“So how do you feel?” She asked after I had finished chewing.

“I’m nauseas, my head hurts, it’s not that bad really, I don’t think I’ll throw up, I hope not” Suddenly I questioned the bite of pepperoni pizza in my mouth.

“No I mean about seeing Liam again” She corrected. I took a good swig of wine.

“Um, nauseous, hope I don’t throw up” She nodded soberly.

“Well not to make the situation worse, but you do look sick, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so pale” I sighed. This was so typical, I was going to be seeing Liam Hefly, also happening to be my ex-boyfriend, after an entire year,

and I looked like shit. Awesome.

“Maybe I just shouldn’t go”

“Please as if you would miss the opportunity to see him again, after”

Yes, after. After he used our breakup to write an album about me, becoming in said year, the most streamed artist on Spotify, like ever. He beat Michael Jackson, with a song about me. So yeah, he might have been a cheating lying piece of shit, but I was going to this party.

“Do I really look that bad?” I asked.

“Please, you know I’m just teasing, you look gorgeous as always, in fact I hate you”

“That makes me feel a little better”

“Good” She hopped off the stool and I finished my pizza and did the same,

double fisting the coffee and wine.

Our bare feet slapped on the polished tile as we wandered through the house. 

 

The whole architecture was beautiful and tuscan, all polished

sandstone and warm orange tile, and it just so happened that the guest

bathroom was my favorite, and the designated getting ready spot.