I woke up the next day in my apartment, right inside the door. The only reason I don't think yesterday was just a drunk dream is that I have bite marks on my neck and bruises on my arm. And that sprained ankle as well.
I had a jolly time trying to stand up. After god knows how long, when I'd finally getting upright, I had to limp, almost jumping while supporting myself with a hand on the wall to the bathroom.
I practically fell into the tub, barely reaching the faucet but I managed to turn on the water. I decided to have a bath. It was easier than trying to stand up. Luckily, I kept my bath soaps and fancy bath stuff next to the faucet, in reach when I was relaxing.
I grabbed the lavender scented soap, quirting a good amount on the faucet so it could drip into the water, creating the perfect amount of bubbles. I even got a bath bomb, like I wasn't about to have a break down and clean my wounds and instead was simply taking a nice bath after getting drunk on a Friday night.
God that was a fucking mess.
I relaxed into the steaming water as I focused on what happened yesterday. It was a Friday yesterday, and I was celebrating graduating with my masters soon. I'd decided to go drinking with some buddies from the "secret society" I pledged into in university. It was a secret society, but everyone knew about it. Just not what they did. I pledged by chance, and it changed my life. In a good way. Helped me decide I want to teach; I made friends.
It was this dingy Irish bar we used to go to in Uni, never having money for expensive wines or liquors, but always had a few pounds for a cold glass of beer.
It was a dingy hole in the wall, but it was our dingy hole in the wall.
I was even having fun, throwing back a pint with the lads, watching the game, reminiscing over our college years; how Levi ran naked through the quad. How I went skinny dipping with Veronica Leona, the headmasters daughter and got caught by security in the pool. Our first secret society party, which really was a party. Like, I can't remember half the night still, years later.
I hadn't realized how much I had missed interacting with my friends until I had hunted them all down for a pint.
It was down this memory lane, that Professor Ivory Shade decided to join the party. She was beautiful, as always. So unnervingly beautiful that it took your breath away.
She was wearing a dark dress and her signature glasses, these warped oval shaped glasses that surprisingly fit her sharp chin and thin cheeks. Her beauty mark stood out next to glossy lips. Her green eyes were alight with mischief.
She had seemed surprised to see us there, though I suppose that it was an act, now that I think about it. I had never seen her there before, after all.
We didn't suspect a thing; we happily told her, slightly drunk, about how I was graduating soon; how Levi was hoping to get a promotion; Trevor was expecting a child soon. A little girl. He even proudly showed her a photo of the latest ultrasound.
Johnny was getting married; Mitch was getting a divorce from his husband (he told me he was going to try to get couples therapy first. He doesn't want to lose his husband, Dave. Dave's a nice lad. Good for Mitch. I hope it works out for them.); Avery had been cheated on; and Daniel was starting his hormone medicine, telling all of us that soon he was changing his name to Dani.
Good on him, I suppose. Whatever makes him happy. It's not much of a stretch anyways. He's always been the most feminine of us. Makes a lot of sense when one thinks about his closet full of skirts, heels, and dresses.
I always just thought he liked to dress in drag, course.
But I'm all about self-discovery.
She joined us. She even started drinking, but as she drank more and more, us boys, we got worried. We offered to call her a cab but she declined, saying her car was around the corner. I offered to take her to her car, and once we far enough she revealed her true colors, biting my neck when she appeared to be faint.
It was a nightmare after that.
Fuck.
The bath water is purple.
It's supposed to be blue.
The blood mixed in with the dye.
Double fuck.
How am I still alive?
I was supposed to go see my brother for lunch, go see mum's grave, and then go on a blind date this evening.
Those definitely weren't happening now.
I groaned as I stood up, my body protesting my every movement.
After I drained the tub, I threw on some loose sweat pants and headed for the kitchen. I opened the fridge door…before immediately closing it. There was a pungent smell coming from that darkness I now called my fridge. Like death.
…Maybe I'd been out for longer than I thought.
I looked at my phone, noticing that it was dead. I sighed and plugged it in, bracing myself to open the fridge again.
!
Yep. Something definitely died in there.
When I turned my phone on I noticed texts from the boys from last night and from Reggie, my best friend.
There were twelve missed calls from Reggie alone. Twenty from my brother, like thirty from the boys. Even Dave called me.
I opened my messages, clicking on Reggie's name and scrolling the forty five messages to text him.
Me: You'll never believe the crazy night I had last night.
Almost immediately Reggie texted me back.
Reggie: YOUR ALIVE!!
Reggie: OMG mate! Do you know what you put me through? To Theodore?
Me: what are you talking about? It's been like a day. I talked to you on Friday. Last night.
Reggie: Mate… that was last week. You've been missing for five days now.
Five days?! What the bloody—
My phone rang. It was Ivory Shade. When I let it go to voicemail she texts me.
Prof. Shade: So I heard you survive… welcome to the night, klyde.
...so it wasn't a dream after all.
With a pale face I called Reggie. I freaked out. I told him everything. I even cried.
"I'll be right over," he had said.
I shouldn't have had him come over.