New Turns

"Matt?" I wasn't expecting my college senior to be here. Did he stalk me or does he have some sort of GPS plugged on me?

"Emmy, it's you? I thought I was mistaken but it's really you. What a surprise! What are you doing here? You aren't stalking me right?"

"Wait a minute- I should be the one asking you this. What are you doing in my hometown?"

"You live here?"

"Precisely. Now tell me what are you doing here? Pretty sure you aren't that desperate to locate me as I didn't pick up your call."

"That reminds you didn't pick up my call. Why did you do that though? I was going to discuss the routine with you."

"Apologies. I got caught up in some business. But hey, you didn't answer me as to why are you here?"

"What do you mean by why I am here? I live here."

"You live here? When did you start living here?"

"Since I was in the womb, I guess."

"Seriously? You lived here through out your childhood and I wasn't aware of it?"

"And why would you? Are you the local sheriff or something?"

"No, I mean, I had grown up in this place and I know pretty much all of the people residing here except for a few new residents. But, I can't find you in my memory."

"Maybe your mind was preoccupied with someone else and thus you didn't pay attention to your surroundings."

"What do you mean?"

"I am not lying." He raised his arms in defense.

"See, even now your mind is wandering somewhere else."

"Nothing, I just had a rough evening."

"Looks like you badly need a drink."

"Don't mind me. I don't want to hold you up."

"Trust me, you aren't. I am going to the bar anyway. Come, join me."

I do need a drink and I really don't want to go back home. But, should I trust, Matt? We aren't that close though. Anyways, what are the odds? I am not a lightweight, so I can manage going back home after a drink or two.

"Count me in, Senior."

We made our way through the long waiting line outside the pub. The disco lights inside the pub blurred my vision. I couldn't see anything except the human bodies grooving over loud music. It was crowded inside and I couldn't see Matt either. A hand grabbed my wrist and I tried yanking it off. But instead, the person pulled me closer. Our face were inches apart as I could feel the unsteady breathing on my cheeks. I tilted my face to look at him and our noses touched each other.

The face was undeniably good looking and the disco lights made it look more alluring. It was Matt. We both knew it wasn't intentional and the drunken crowd was the reason for our proximity.

"Follow me closely" He said with his eyes lingering on my lips.

I followed him through the crowd 'very closely' until we reached an empty seat near the bar.

"What will you have?"

"I will go for tequila shots."

"Can you hold your liquor, Emmy?"

"Of course."

After 10 shots.

"H-h-h-heeeeeey! d'ya evvvverrr fell for someone?"

"I think you had enough Emmy. Leave the glass."

"Wheeeere are you taking my glasssshhh?"

"We will go back home. That's enough for tonight."

"Whaddyya mean enuff fluff? D'ya know how pathetic I felt? The one I loved for years, the one I cared about for sooooooooo many years, my best friend, made fun of my feelings." I stood up from the tool.

"Wowwww the flurrr is movin! Hold me Captain! The ship is sinking!."

"Calm down Emmy and sit down. I will call for a cab now"

"Oukkkaayy. I will sit down. I am a good girl aren't I?"

"Yes, you are." He patted on my head.

"Then why won't John like me back?"

"I like..."

Everything felt blurred. I felt drowsy, and my head started spinning. The last thing I could see was the blur face of Matt and his voice echoed through my mind.

"Hey, don't sleep here! Where do you live Emmy?"

The next morning I woke up with a heavy hangover. My head hurted as if banged on hammer. I couldn't dare to open my eyelids as they felt heavy. My mouth felt dry and I looked around for a glass of water.

I found a glass filled with lemon water. Anything to quench my thirst. The sourness of the drink tingled on my tongue and I coughed.

"You okay?" The voice came from the corner of the room. I looked towards the voice and saw Matt sitting on the sofa.

"What the duck! Why are you in my house?"

"You never told me your parents own this hotel."

"Hotel?" I looked around the room and it was indeed a hotel room. It has French curtains and a creamy texture on the wallpapers of the room. A large size LED TV mounted on the front wall with movie discs stacked on the small wall cabinet next to it. I was on the bed with Matt in my room, who wore a robe, sitting on the sofa, looking all messy and everything looks good but the question is Why?

"What's going on?" I asked while I scratched my head to remember how I ended up here.

"You don't remember, do you?" He asked in calm manner.

"Isn't that obvious, Senior."

"Well, you drank like a pig last night and screamed I Like You Matt in the pub. Tsk, so embarrassing. Then you fell asleep in the bar before I could even ask your address. I tried calling someone from your phone, but your battery was dead just like it's owner. I had no other options, rather than bringing you to a hotel. So here you are."

I buried my face inside the covers. I wasn't sure how to face senior. I always had a high tolerance for alcohol but maybe I did overdo last night.

"Is everything you said true?" I asked, my face still inside the covers.

"Everything, except for the screaming part. You didn't scream I like you Matt. I made it up."

"Asshole." I threw a pillow at Matt. But he dodged it.

"Woah woah! You shouldn't act like this to your benefactor though."

"Why are you in a robe?" I asked although my brain was making stupid conclusions such as maybe I tore his shirt or stripped him off.

"You guess."

"I don't remember. Maybe I stripped..."

"You puked on my shirt."

"Oh Thank God!" I sighed a breath of relief.

"Excuse me?" He looked at me in disbelief.

"Oh! I didn't mean it like that. I am so sorry for ruining your shirt and obviously for puking on you. Must have smelled bad." I felt so ashamed of my drunken antics.

"You should feel sorry. How can you boast for your high tolerance when you drink like that and act like an animal?"

"What kind of an animal am I when I get drunk? A cat with claws or a doe eyed puppy?" I was curious to know how I act around cause this was my first time to get this drunk.

"You act like a pig. Drinking like you never tasted alcohol and sleeping like there is no tomorrow."

"Okay. Pig is a popular animal though."

"Dead pig is popular." He remarked.

I was going to snap at him but my conscience said to keep calm as he truly is my benefactor. There was something else I wanted to ask him but I didn't have the guts to bring it up. The doorbell rang and the housekeeper brought back his shirt from dry cleaning. He headed towards the bathroom to change.

"Umm... Senior!" I called out.

He stopped and turned to hear me out.

"D-d-did we do it?" I asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"Did we have sex?" I asked this time in a loud voice.

He dropped the shirt that he was holding. He sighed. He then bend over to pick up the newly dry cleaned shirt. He turned around to look my way.

"Does your back hurt?" He asked.

"Nope." I answered.

"Then we didn't." He said as he shut the door of the bathroom.

That's a relief. Or else I would have no idea how to act around Matt when we are in college. And to make matters worse we are the study partners till the end of the semester. It would have been awkward for both of us. But starting today, I can see Matt in a new light. My prejudice against him has decreased but I am still annoyed with his narcissism. Before I could think of anything else another thought striked me like a thunderbolt.

"My phone!" I sat up straight and fumbled over the cushions and under the duvet. I couldn't find it though.

"Matt! Where is my phone?" I shouted.

"On the bedside table. I plugged it to a charger." He replied from the bathroom with the shower still on. I could hear the water dropping over the bathroom floor.

"Oh! I found it." I switched it on to see the number of calls I have missed and the death threats that I will be receiving.

"You are welcome." shouted Matt.

"Yes yes, thank you."

It didn't take a minute before the notifications of missed calls and messages flooded my phone screen. All the calls were from my parents, John, and from his parents too. Before I could open the text messages, an incoming call popped out. I literally dropped the phone when the caller id came up. It was John. I took a deep breath and picked it up.

"Hey."

"What the hell, Emmy?

"The weather is nice. It's a bit sunny over here."

"Are you out of your mind? You sneaked out of the house without informing anyone. You put your phone switched off and didn't even bother telling us where the hell you went." John screamed.

I swear my ears would have started bleeding if he continued speaking.

"Is it Emmy?" I could hear my mother's voice from the other side of the phone.

"Yes. She finally picked up the phone after being M.I.A for a night and has the audacity of talking about the weather."

"Will you let me speak or just keep on rambling?" I felt quite irritated both because of the hangover and also because he didn't give me a chance to explain when the perpetrator is him.

"How dare you raise your voice when you are the one at fault?" He argued.

"Is everything alright, Emmy?" Matt inquired unaware that I am still on the phone. I motioned him to keep quiet and showed him that I am on call.

"Okay" He whispered.

"Who was that?" John asked.

Shit!!!

"I will explain later. I will return home within an hour. Tell Mom, not to worry. I am alright." I ended the call before he could say anything else. That's a temporary escape though. The real challenge is waiting at my house. At this time, I felt like Lady Macbeth, a dagger is hanging over my head.