SCOTT'S POV
_ My son, wake up or you'll be late. _ My mother's voice, despite being the softest I knew, echoed inside my head.
_ Mom, can you speak more quietly? I feel like my head is going to explode at any moment. _ I ask and open my eyes, but I immediately regret it. The light seemed to blind me and the things spinning around were making me nauseous. I pull the sheets up and cover myself completely.
_ Scott, don't do that anymore. You're going out every night and coming home drunker and drunker. Don't ruin your life like that. _ She pulls the sheets off me, but I keep my eyes closed.
_ Mom, please, we'll talk later. My head is killing me and her voice feels like needles in my brain. _ I speak as quietly as possible and if I wasn't so hungover, I would swear she hadn't heard.
_ I just want you to promise me that you won't do that again. _ She speaks with a voice full of concern and I feel the need to comfort her.
_ Okay, mom. I promise. _ I promise even though I know I won't keep it, but I wish she would stop talking and leave me alone to enjoy my hangover.
_ You know I love you, don't you? _ I nod and feel everything inside me turn over. I hold my head with my hands and let out a groan of pain.
_ Look at the state you're in. Don't ever do that again. _ She scolds me in a tone too loud for my disturbed neurons.
_ Okay, mom, okay. Now leave me here alone, please. _ I beg her to leave my room.
_ I'm leaving now. I love you. _ She runs her fingers through my disheveled hair and leaves a kiss on my head.
_ I love you too. _ I say and go back under the covers.
_ Go take a shower and don't let your father see you like this. _ Her voice was a little lower and I assumed she was already at the bedroom door.
I limited myself to just raising my finger in a positive sign.
_ If you need help getting to the bathroom, I'm here.
_ Thanks mom, but I think I can do it alone.
I hear the door closing and the annoying sound of her heels moving away.
Yesterday I went out with the boys and I don't even know how I ended up here. I only remember that I left the nightclub with a girl and took her to my apartment, after doing everything I was willing to do with her and that she was willing to give me, I left her there alone and went back to the party. I have a vague memory of having entered a competition to see who could drink the most and after that the night is a blurry flash in my head.
After a few minutes, I sit up in bed and open my eyes very slowly. I blink a few times and get up too quickly, because I feel everything around me spinning. I sit back down on the bed to recover from the sudden climb and then I leave, supporting myself on the furniture. The walk to the bathroom seemed too long. Holding the doorknob, I rip off my boxers and throw them on the floor. I drag myself to the shower and step under the freezing water. I let out a muffled scream when I feel the cold temperature come into contact with my hot skin and stay there until I feel my fingers wrinkling. I don't even bother to grab a towel, I leave the bathroom and go look for some clothes. _ Scott, don't wear any more clothes! _ I hear a scream behind me and grab the first thing I see and wrap myself in it _ I never thought I would have to come across you in this state at seven in the morning, now I'm going to be traumatized. _ Leo speaks a little too dramatically and throws himself on my bed. _ Just knock on the door next time before coming in. The room is mine and I can do whatever I want in it. _ As if that damn headache wasn't enough, I still had to put up with an idiot telling me what to do or not to do in my own house.
_ Calm down, you don't need to get stressed. _ He says in a funny tone.
_ What are you doing here? _ I ask reluctantly as I grab some white boxers, light jeans and a black t-shirt.
_ I came to see how you were doing, the way we left you at home earlier I would have sworn you had fallen into an alcoholic coma. So I came to get your CD collection for myself, but it seems my wishes aren't always granted. _ He makes a sad face and picks up one of my favorite CDs, spinning it on his finger.
_ Put that down now. _ I take it from his hand and pull the covers from under him, knocking him off the bed _ And he leaves my room. _ I growl in his direction and he doesn't seem to be intimidated by my tone of voice.
_ And is that any way to treat a guest? _ He gets up from the floor and throws a pillow at me, hitting me in the arm. I look at his face and throw the pillow with all the strength I had in one arm, since I was holding the towel around me with the other. The idiot ducks and the pillow hits the picture frame that was on the dresser. The picture frame spins for a few seconds before falling to the floor in pieces.
_ Get. Out. Of here. Now. _ I threaten him and he starts laughing.
_ It seems like someone here woke up with a hangover. _ He mocks me and leaves, closing the door behind him. Not even five seconds later the door opens and he sticks his head in the half-open space _ And remember, next time don't be so stupid as to enter a drinking competition, I don't like babysitting grumpy drunks. _ He seems to think and lets out a frustrated sigh _ Man, if you had seen every hottie I had to turn down because of you, you would thank me for the rest of your life and I would even win the Nobel Prize for best friend in the world. _ If it wasn't you who I was competing with? _ I ask, trying to remember, but my head pounded every time I forced my memory. _ Ask Jack, but thinking about it, maybe he won't even remember since he got out of this worse than you. I swear I don't understand this habit of you guys competing for everything. _ He says and closes the door, leaving me alone.
Jack. It had to be.
I grab the clothes I had set aside and put them on with a bit of difficulty as I try to balance on one leg while putting on the bottoms. I grab the first sneakers I find and put them on. I put on perfume, fix my hair and grab my sunglasses. My eyes were swollen and red and I don't have the patience to put up with my father's lecture at this time in the morning.
I go downstairs and go to the dining room where everyone is already eating without even bothering to wait for me. I pull up a chair and collapse on it.
I need a really strong coffee.
_ Pour it for me? _ I hand the cup to Hanna who was holding the coffee pot in her hands. She serves me and returns the cup with the steaming liquid inside. Before I bring the cup to my mouth, my father says.
_ Take off your glasses, Scott. _ His voice was hard and full of bitterness.
_ I'm fine like this. _ I ignore him and take a sip of my coffee.
_ It's rude to sit at the table with glasses on. Take them off now. _ He orders me and I take them off but I don't look at him. _ Look at me when I'm talking. _ I don't look and he starts drumming his fingers on the table. A sign that he was getting irritated. _ Look at me, Scott. _ He yells and the headache that had been getting a little better comes back with a vengeance.
_ Can you keep your voice down? _ I look at him and see his face turning red with anger.
_ Hungover again, you irresponsible bastard. You'll never get better anyway. When are you going to find something more useful to do than spend my money on your drinking and those prostitutes you bring to that apartment. It seems like you'll never amount to anything in life, you imbe...
_ Can you shut the hell up? _ I stand up and push the chair that hits the table and falls at my feet. The coffee I was drinking was already on the floor along with the cup that were now mere pieces of French porcelain.
_ That's the way to talk to me, you brat. _ He was already walking quickly towards me. His fists were clenched and the veins in his neck were visibly clear.
_ Will, no! _ My mother screams and grabs his hand that was raised ready to hit me.
He never hit me and I don't know if he would have the courage to do that.
I look around. Mom had tears in her eyes, Hanna had a scared expression on her face and Leo watched everything while finishing a slice of carrot cake.
_ Get out of here now or I don't know what I'm capable of doing to you. _ He growls in my direction.
_ I'm going with you. _ Leo says and takes another piece of cake.
I grab my things that were on the couch and leave there with my blood boiling and my head hurting more than ever.
_ Can you give me a ride? _ Leo asks as he arrives at my side.
_ And your car? _ I ask after letting out a heavy sigh that felt like it had been locked up for ten years.
_ It broke down. So I thought: who is my buddy who owes me one for taking care of him when he was drunk? I thought, thought, thought and you fit all the characteristics perfectly, so I called the mechanic and got a ride with my neighbor here.
_ And why didn't you ask him to take you to college? _ I unlock the doors of my car and open the door, getting in right away.
_ Like I said, who is my buddy who owes me one for... _ I interrupt his pathetic speech and look at him with an ugly face.
_ If you were going to rub it in my face, why did you bring me? I didn't ask for anything. _ I put on the belt and slam the door hard.
_ Because I'm your friend. _ He sits down next to me and puts on his seatbelt.
_ A great friend. _ I comment sarcastically. I turn on the ignition and wait for the gates to open.
_ I have to confess that I didn't come just for the ride, but also for the food that Mary makes. _ Leo says and puts the piece of cake he had taken before we left in his mouth.
_ Don't you have food at home? _ He laughs and puts the whole cake in his mouth in one bite.
_ Of course I do, but you can never have too much food. _ He talks with his mouth full and crumbs fall, dirtying the entire upholstery of the seat.
_ You're dirtying my car. _ I say impatiently.
_ Sorry. _ He runs his hand over the dirt on the seat, which ends up leaving chocolate syrup stains on it.
_ Ow, it's getting worse. _ I point to what he was doing.
_ Sorry, Cot. _ He runs his dirty fingers along my arm and I lightly elbow him in the stomach. He dodges and starts laughing non-stop. I can't control myself and I burst out laughing along with him.
_ I'll send the bill for the cleaning to your house later. _ I say between laughs and leave towards the college.