Hangover A musky odor of humid forest and alcohol lingers in the air. It is too early in the morning and the sun is not up yet. Only a tiny piece of sky appears mixed with yellow, green and blue colors. The windows and doors are wide open. Many of the guests found a couch, a bed or a bathtub to sleep on but most people lie passed-out on the carpets and cold hardwood and marble floors. The stereo has been unplugged but very neon lights still glows in the morning’s dark shadows. Face first onto a dirty skin-scrapping carpet, Justin achingly and slowly wakes up from a short sleep. Feeling small nudges against his right side. In his still-sleeping mind, he’s about to kill the mother-fucker who’s attempting to wake him up. He feels a major hangover coming to his senses. “Justin. Justin wake up. I’ve been looking all over for you.” The unfamiliar voice is echoing in his sensible, throbbing ears. “Justin.” He hears a softer whisper. “Hey.” Brian says in a cute whispering fashion as Justin wakes up in pain. Justin stares at Brian taken aback. He swallows like he has sand in his throat. “Hey…” Justin’s voice is hoarse from sleep. Justin stops for a moment and looks at the people passed out around him, trying to recall what-the-fuck happened last night. “The heck…” He whispers to himself, rubbing his palm over his stinging eyelids. “You don’t look too good.” Brian keeps his voice low to not wake the others. “Don’t I?” Justin answers, still looking around confused. “Well, I feel great.” He obviously lies, feeling like he just got a bat to the head. “Get up.” Brian extends his hand to help Justin up. He grabs it and let Brian lift him off the floor. They walk across the room, stepping over bottles of beer, clothes and sleeping people, to walk outside; the door already wide open. They walk on the wet morning grass, the air’s fresh and humid and a thin gray cloud of fog roams around. Brian takes out his cigarettes from his back jean pocket and takes one out. He smokes it enough to suffice his immediate need and offers it to Justin by handing it in front of him and raising his right brow. Justin takes a drag from it. He feels the strong smoke irritating his throat and coughs a few times. Brian laughs with his gorgeous smile of his. “Am I corrupting you?” Brian rhetorically asks. “Don’t be so proud. It’s not my first.” Justin looks away; taking another puff between his fingers and hands it back to Brian. “Do you have a ride?” Brian asks, twisting his foot in the grass, making a muddy hole. “I think so. She’s probably passed out upstairs too though.” Justin looks down at his dirty jean’ rim, acting similar to Brian. “Do you want to drive back with me?” Brian asks and throws his cigarette butt on the ground. Justin looks up to meet Brian’s gaze. “Everyone should be waking up soon.” “How do you know?” “You’ve never been to one of our parties, have you?” Brian smirks and dives his hands down his pockets. “Can you tell? No, I just moved here last night.” Justin smirks too. “Well, usually we all leave at the same time. So that those who don’t have a ride can get in with someone who has an empty seat in their car.” “Clever.” Justin says. “So are you coming with me or not?” Brian asks, suddenly sounding more calm and serious in his voice. “Yeah.” Brian laughs softly. “You’ll love the wake-up call.” “What wake-up call?” Just then, they hear heavy hardcore music, loudly blaring from the inside of the house. Practically making the walls shake and the windows shatter to pieces. They laugh with each other as they hear people curse and scream through the ear-splitting sound. Emmett comes out the front door with a white bed sheet wrapped around his torso, followed by more people covering their ears and cursing. “Grr! Every time!” Emmett says as he walks towards Brian. “Yeah, ha-ha-and-fucking-ha Kinney.” He says. “Careful Emmett’s not a morning person.” Brian declares. “You’re fucking right I’m not.” Emmett storms out of their way and makes his way between the cars towards Brian’s Jeep. “Come on.” Brian sweetly says to Justin and gently nudges his side. They walk at the same rhythm, taking long strides in the tall green grass as they follow Emmett from afar. The cars’ headlights all turn on at different times like an amusement park’s lights as people get inside and turn on the engines. There are about twenty cars in the made-up parking lot. “That’s me.” Brian points to his Jeep with his keys as they get closer, seeing Emmett get in and slam the backseat’s door shut. Brian and Justin take their seat in front, and wait for everyone else to find a car to get a ride in. They all look sleepy and like they’re having the worst hangover of their lives. As he adjusts it, Brian looks into the rearview mirror. “Em?” He looks back and sees Emmett sleeping, face first onto the black leather. He nudges Emmett’s knee. “Emmett?” “Ah- Fuck off.” He murmurs still wrapped into the bed sheet he took from whomever. The music gets turn down to low volume. Cars begin to drive of the grass and leave out the long length driveway. At his turn, Brian drives off. “Where am I taking you?” Brian speaks softly so to not wake Emmett. “Take a left turn over there.” Justin says, feeling a bitch of a headache coming. Brian follows along the road, flashing his signal to left. “Are you going to need help walking to the door, you look like shit.” Sunken back in his seat, Justin huffs a laugh and looks at Brian. “Huh- thanks, but no I should be fine.” He point out the window. “It’s 127.” Brian breaks at 127 and looks straight to Justin as he opens the door. “See you in two days.” Justin frowns. “What?” “School.” Brian clarifies and gets cutoff from Emmett in the back. “Kiss goodbye and drive!” Emmett slightly shouts from under the bed sheet. “Sorry, I’m tired.” “Bye.” “Later.” Brian smirks. ___________________________________________________________________ Closing the door shut behind him, Justin leans against it and closes his eyes for a moment. He kicks off his shoes. “You look like a girl who’s terrified because she just got her first kiss.” He hears coming from the kitchen. “Hi Deb.” Justin walks over to Debbie, and hugs her tight, kissing her chubby cheek.