A burglar or a kidnapper?

The sound of the phone ringing was like a sharp, piercing noise that seemed to drill into my brain. I pulled the pillow over my head, hoping to block it out, but it just kept ringing and ringing.

Luckily, the phone stopped ringing and I was grateful. My head was pounding, and I could feel a familiar wave of nausea rising in my stomach.

'But why am I as messed up as I am this morning?' I asked myself.

I started remembering the previous night in bits and pieces. I was in a shitty mood and Sam had convinced me to go out clubbing on a school night, which was something I rarely did. We played beer pong, and I must have won because I was now paying the price for it.

I'm having a massive hangover, and I can barely even lift my head off the pillow. I had vowed not to have another one of these anytime soon, but here I was, struggling to even get out of bed.

And then it hit me.

'Oh shit, I'm supposed to be in school.'

My mom hadn't even bothered to wake me up, and now I was going to be late. With the little strength in me, I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom, turning on the shower and letting the water wash over me.

As I stood there under the showerhead, the warm water cascading over my head and down my body, I couldn't help but replay the events of the previous night in my mind.

The sound of the water landing on my skin and hitting the tiles added to the sense of reflection and introspection.

I closed my eyes, letting the water wash away the remnants of last night as the memories came flooding back to me. The smell of alcohol and perfume, the feel of the smooth leather couch beneath me, the taste of my favorite cocktail on my lips.

All of it came rushing back, each detail as clear as if it had just happened. As I stood there in my briefs, lost in thought, the water began to turn cold, jolting me back to the present moment.

I quickly turned off the faucet, grabbed a towel, and stepped out of the shower, feeling slightly more awake.

I left the bathroom, wrapped my Donald Duck towel around my waist, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Now before you say anything, my grandma actually got it for me even though I'm not particularly fond of it, I remember a lesson my dad once taught me about always accepting a gift even if you like it or not.

I always tried to remember that and accept gifts with gratitude. So, that's that about that.

Just as I was starting to feel a bit better, the headache came back, this time in waves that seemed to crash over me. I groaned and held my head in my hands, trying to ride out the pain.

When it finally subsided a bit, I noticed a glass of water, some aspirin, and a note from my mom sitting on my bedside table.

I picked up the note:

"Take them, they'll help. But you've got a lot of explaining to do when I get back. You can stay in if you don't feel up to school. See you soon." - Mom

As I read through it, I couldn't help feeling a sense of dread at the thought of the lectures I would have to endure later that night. But for now, I took the pills and laid back, letting sleep wash over me once again.

This time, I was awoken by the blaring horn of a car outside, jolting me awake from my slumber. As I groggily sat up, I was relieved to find that my pounding headache had finally subsided.

'Thank God for drugs' I said mentally.

Grumbling to myself, I swung my legs out of bed and made my way to the front door, tightening the towel around my waist.

As I made my way down the hallway, I heard the sound of the kitchen door opening. Instantly on alert, I frantically searched for something to defend myself with, but unfortunately, I couldn't find anything that seemed suitable.

So, with nothing but a flower vase in hand, I tiptoed towards the kitchen, hoping to catch the intruders by surprise.

I stood in the doorway, my heart racing as I mentally counted down from three. I had to be quick, ready to face whatever danger lay ahead.

As I reached zero, I burst into the kitchen, my body tense and ready for action. But instead of the burglar or dangerous stranger I had expected, I found Sam standing there, a long metal rod clutched in his hand.

He looked as startled as I felt, and as I took in the scene, I let out a scream and dropped the flower vase I was holding. It shattered into pieces on the floor as Sam screamed in surprise and dropped the metal rod onto the kitchen counter.

"What the hell are you doing with a flower vase?" Sam yelled at me, his eyes wide with shock.

"And what are you doing with a metal rod?" I countered, my voice shaking with adrenaline.

"I thought you'd been kidnapped or held captive or something," Sam explained, his shoulders sagging in relief.

"I thought you were a burglar or someone dangerous," I admitted, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me.

We both let out a sigh of relief, and Sam pulled me into a comforting hug. As we embraced, we couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Our misunderstanding had been a hilarious if terrifying, mix-up.

"What's up, mahn? We didn't see you in school this morning," Sam said as we left the kitchen.

"What time is it?" I asked, trying to shake off my lingering hangover.

"It's 11. I snuck out of school to check on you since you decided not to answer our calls," Sam replied.

"Thanks, man. I had a huge hangover this morning. I didn't even expect to be up so soon," I told him, feeling grateful for his concern.

"But why did you drink that much? You've always had more control than me." Sam asked, looking at me with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"We'll discuss that in the car. Let me just get dressed first," I replied, heading towards my bedroom.

"Alright, I'll tidy up the kitchen a bit. You don't want your mom coming home to this mess," Sam offered.

"Thanks," I replied grateful for having Sam.

"It's a little cold outside so get something warm to wear," Sam shouted behind me as I headed for the bedroom to have a quick shower.

When I emerged, I was dressed in a pair of black jeans, a grey round-neck t-shirt with a bunny painted on it in the colors of the US flag, and a black pullover sweater to keep me warm.

Despite the headache that lingered in the back of my mind, I was determined to go to school as I dislike missing classes. Fortunately, Sam was willing to drive, so I wouldn't have to worry about driving myself in my impaired state.

As we climbed into the car, I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for causing Sam and the rest so much worry. He had gone out of his way to check on me, even sneaking out of school to do so.

I just hope we don't get caught or we might end up getting detention or worse - getting suspended.

Sam started the car and we set off towards school, the cool air rushing in through the open windows.

I wrapped my sweater more tightly around myself, trying to shake off the chill and focus my mind ahead.