from the kitchen. The rattling pots made my head pound even more than it already did. I remembered why I always took ibuprofen before I went out when I lived in Boston. But I hadn’t planned on getting so toasted last night. It was all Luke’s fault.
Images of the night before flashed in my head and I groaned. I didn’t want to remember ruining his relationship with Carrie. He would hold it over my head forever. I had a vague memory of him in the parking lot, but I didn’t remember much else. I couldn’t even remember how I got home. Ugh, I was a mess.
A knock on my bedroom door had me yanking up the covers.
“You don’t have anything I’ve never seen before, girl. Get up. We have to pick up your dad in an hour,” Rainey said matter-of-factly, and then she disappeared down the hall.
“What are you even doing here?” I yelled, slamming my pillow onto my face. “And how are you not hung over?!”
Her face reappeared in the doorway and I lifted my head to look at her smiling face.
“Luke called me. He said he was given specific instructions to leave you alone, but he wanted to make sure you were on time to pick up your dad. It was super sweet of him. And I’m not nursing a hangover because I didn’t exactly drink last night,” she said conspiratorially. She disappeared again and I sat up slowly.
My head ached, but it wasn’t the worst hangover I’d ever had. I could manage. I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen, still clad in my clothes from last night.
Rainey turned to look at me when I entered the kitchen. “It’s too bad you slept here, because wearing those clothes again this morning would make for one hell of a walk of shame.”
“Shut up. Where’s the coffee?” I mumbled.
“No coffee, it’s bad for a hangover. Here.”
She thrust a bottle of water and two ibuprofen in my hands. I wasn’t impressed, but I sat on the barstool at the counter and downed the water and pills.
“How did you end up not drunk last night? I saw you have several drinks,” I said.
“Well, Jimmy and I kind of have a deal. I never drink alcohol, but he makes the drink colorful and pretty so I can act like I’ve been drinking. We established the deal when I was home for Christmas and Gabby demanded we go drinking. I’m not much of a drinker,” she confessed.
“Oh. Good for you, I guess. It wasn’t my intention to have so many, but Gabby kept ordering them and I felt obligated.”
“What are you, sixteen? I’d think you would be above peer pressure at twenty-one years old, Mal,” she lectured.
“I know, I know,” I mumbled again and looked down at my water. “Can I at least have some orange juice?”
“Sure,” she said.
Rainey grabbed a glass and poured me some, setting the glass and a plate of toast and fruit in front of me.
I felt nauseous just looking at the plate. “I don’t think I can eat.”
“Eat it. You’ll feel better,” she promised.
I managed to choke down half a piece of toast and a few grapes. When I pushed the plate away, she sighed.
“You don’t eat enough,” she complained.
I laughed. “I eat plenty, Mom. I’m trying not to throw up after a night of binge drinking.”
Rainey smiled and cleared my plate for me. “Take a shower and we’ll get going. We’ve got to pick up your dad and I want to stop at the store on the way.”
I did as she instructed. Thirty minutes later, I was ready to go. Rainey insisted we take her mother’s minivan, since it would be easier for Dad to get into. I reluctantly agreed, as a trip to town in a minivan wasn’t exactly riding in style.
“Since when do you care about what other people think?” she asked once we were on our way to the hospital.
“I don’t,” I replied a little too defensively.
She laughed. “Well, you didn’t really care about what Luke thought of you last night.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you remember talking to Carrie last night?”
“Luke’s girlfriend, right? I’m pretty sure I ruined
Images of the night before flashed in my head and I groaned. I didn’t want to remember ruining his relationship with Carrie. He would hold it over my head forever. I had a vague memory of him in the parking lot, but I didn’t remember much else. I couldn’t even remember how I got home. Ugh, I was a mess.
A knock on my bedroom door had me yanking up the covers.
“You don’t have anything I’ve never seen before, girl. Get up. We have to pick up your dad in an hour,” Rainey said matter-of-factly, and then she disappeared down the hall.
“What are you even doing here?” I yelled, slamming my pillow onto my face. “And how are you not hung over?!”
Her face reappeared in the doorway and I lifted my head to look at her smiling face.
“Luke called me. He said he was given specific instructions to leave you alone, but he wanted to make sure you were on time to pick up your dad. It was super sweet of him. And I’m not nursing a hangover because I didn’t exactly drink last night,” she said conspiratorially. She disappeared again and I sat up slowly.
My head ached, but it wasn’t the worst hangover I’d ever had. I could manage. I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen, still clad in my clothes from last night.
Rainey turned to look at me when I entered the kitchen. “It’s too bad you slept here, because wearing those clothes again this morning would make for one hell of a walk of shame.”
“Shut up. Where’s the coffee?” I mumbled.
“No coffee, it’s bad for a hangover. Here.”
She thrust a bottle of water and two ibuprofen in my hands. I wasn’t impressed, but I sat on the barstool at the counter and downed the water and pills.
“How did you end up not drunk last night? I saw you have several drinks,” I said.
“Well, Jimmy and I kind of have a deal. I never drink alcohol, but he makes the drink colorful and pretty so I can act like I’ve been drinking. We established the deal when I was home for Christmas and Gabby demanded we go drinking. I’m not much of a drinker,” she confessed.
“Oh. Good for you, I guess. It wasn’t my intention to have so many, but Gabby kept ordering them and I felt obligated.”
“What are you, sixteen? I’d think you would be above peer pressure at twenty-one years old, Mal,” she lectured.
“I know, I know,” I mumbled again and looked down at my water. “Can I at least have some orange juice?”
“Sure,” she said.
Rainey grabbed a glass and poured me some, setting the glass and a plate of toast and fruit in front of me.
I felt nauseous just looking at the plate. “I don’t think I can eat.”
“Eat it. You’ll feel better,” she promised.
I managed to choke down half a piece of toast and a few grapes. When I pushed the plate away, she sighed.
“You don’t eat enough,” she complained.
I laughed. “I eat plenty, Mom. I’m trying not to throw up after a night of binge drinking.”
Rainey smiled and cleared my plate for me. “Take a shower and we’ll get going. We’ve got to pick up your dad and I want to stop at the store on the way.”
I did as she instructed. Thirty minutes later, I was ready to go. Rainey insisted we take her mother’s minivan, since it would be easier for Dad to get into. I reluctantly agreed, as a trip to town in a minivan wasn’t exactly riding in style.
“Since when do you care about what other people think?” she asked once we were on our way to the hospital.
“I don’t,” I replied a little too defensively.
She laughed. “Well, you didn’t really care about what Luke thought of you last night.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you remember talking to Carrie last night?”
“Luke’s girlfriend, right? I’m pretty sure I ruined
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