I Never Told You What I Did for a Living
Hangover
When I woke up the next morning, the sun was shining in through Gerard's bedroom window. I scrunched my face up and wiped my eyes, yawning.
"Good morning," Gerard's voice was soft, and he set a glass of water and an aspirin on the nightstand. When I gave him a confused look, he shrugged. "I thought you might need it."
I nodded and took the pill. My mouth was dry and I drank the whole glass of water in a matter of seconds. Gerard sat down on the bed beside me and stroked my hair.
"Lily, have you ever been drunk before?"
"To be honest, no. And now I know why."
"Why?"
"I feel like trash," I responded simply.
He laughed. "I can tell. You seemed a little wierd last night."
I instantly sat upright as the memories came back to me. The motion gave me a head rush, and I slowly sank back down.
"I'm sorry," I whimpered.
"For what?"
"I wrecked your night. You had to take care of me instead of having fun."
"It wasn't a big deal. Just remember for next time," he leaned in towards me and whispered. "You come on a little strong."
I covered my face in embarassment. He laughed again and kissed my forehead. I looked up. There was a smile on his lips, but his eyes were serious.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"Something's wrong, Gerard. I can tell."
"Nothing's wrong," he insisted, but his eyes continued to betray his words.
"Don't lie. You can tell me."
"I swear, nothing's wrong. I just hate to see you hurting right now."
My head was throbbing and I felt sick to my stomach. I knew that he still wasn't telling me everything, but I didn't push for anything more.
"I'm okay," I assured him as I climbed out of bed. He slid his arm around my shoulders and we went into the kitchen.
Ray was still sleeping in the chair, but Frank was sitting at the table, flipping through a grocery store flyer.
"Morning," he said as he looked up and saw us.
"Good morning," I replied, my voice revealing that there was nothing "good" about it.
He chuckled. "I'm impressed that you survived. You were in tough shape."
"I wasn't that drunk," I protested. Unfortunately, the speech I was making in my own defense was much too loud, and I clutched my head as I sunk into the chair beside Frank.
"Right. Then explain why you're such a zombie today."
I shot him an angry look as Gerard set a cup of coffee in front of me. I stared into the cup, wondering if I would be able to keep the drink down. I decided not to risk it yet and pushed the cup across the table.
Gerard sat on the other side of me and sipped his own coffee. "Going to classes today? Or are you going to stay here and nurse your hangover?"
"We'll see what I feel like in a few hours."
"You're not going," he answered for me. "It's okay. I'm sure Mikey will love to have the company all day."
"I won't be very good company."
"He'll sleep until noon at least, so you've got all morning to have a nap and feel better before he even gets up."
I nodded. I suddenly felt as though I was going to throw up, but it wasn't from the hangover. My guilt was eating away at my insides. He was right, I wasn't going to school today. But I could never go to school with him the way I wanted. I had to finish high school first. Why did I ever lie to him?
"Lily, you should go lie down. You look a lot worse all of a sudden," Gerard rubbed my back a little. His touch was gentle, and I wanted more than anything for him to hold me tight and never let go.
Instead, I got up and went back to his bedroom. I crawled beneath the blankets and closed my eyes. After a few moments, I smelled eggs cooking and groaned. My stomach churned and I curled up into a ball.
"Lily," Gerard walked into the room. "I'm going to go to class now. Frank and Ray are going to hang out for awhile, but if they're gone when you get up Mikey will still be here. I've got to work afterwards, but I'll be home by five. Get some rest, okay?"
I nodded. "See you later."
We shared a quick kiss and he left. I sighed. If it wasn't for the hangover, I would have been completely content in that moment. As it was, I felt as though I was dying. Sleep didn't come easily, but when it did, it was bliss.
"Good morning," Gerard's voice was soft, and he set a glass of water and an aspirin on the nightstand. When I gave him a confused look, he shrugged. "I thought you might need it."
I nodded and took the pill. My mouth was dry and I drank the whole glass of water in a matter of seconds. Gerard sat down on the bed beside me and stroked my hair.
"Lily, have you ever been drunk before?"
"To be honest, no. And now I know why."
"Why?"
"I feel like trash," I responded simply.
He laughed. "I can tell. You seemed a little wierd last night."
I instantly sat upright as the memories came back to me. The motion gave me a head rush, and I slowly sank back down.
"I'm sorry," I whimpered.
"For what?"
"I wrecked your night. You had to take care of me instead of having fun."
"It wasn't a big deal. Just remember for next time," he leaned in towards me and whispered. "You come on a little strong."
I covered my face in embarassment. He laughed again and kissed my forehead. I looked up. There was a smile on his lips, but his eyes were serious.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"Something's wrong, Gerard. I can tell."
"Nothing's wrong," he insisted, but his eyes continued to betray his words.
"Don't lie. You can tell me."
"I swear, nothing's wrong. I just hate to see you hurting right now."
My head was throbbing and I felt sick to my stomach. I knew that he still wasn't telling me everything, but I didn't push for anything more.
"I'm okay," I assured him as I climbed out of bed. He slid his arm around my shoulders and we went into the kitchen.
Ray was still sleeping in the chair, but Frank was sitting at the table, flipping through a grocery store flyer.
"Morning," he said as he looked up and saw us.
"Good morning," I replied, my voice revealing that there was nothing "good" about it.
He chuckled. "I'm impressed that you survived. You were in tough shape."
"I wasn't that drunk," I protested. Unfortunately, the speech I was making in my own defense was much too loud, and I clutched my head as I sunk into the chair beside Frank.
"Right. Then explain why you're such a zombie today."
I shot him an angry look as Gerard set a cup of coffee in front of me. I stared into the cup, wondering if I would be able to keep the drink down. I decided not to risk it yet and pushed the cup across the table.
Gerard sat on the other side of me and sipped his own coffee. "Going to classes today? Or are you going to stay here and nurse your hangover?"
"We'll see what I feel like in a few hours."
"You're not going," he answered for me. "It's okay. I'm sure Mikey will love to have the company all day."
"I won't be very good company."
"He'll sleep until noon at least, so you've got all morning to have a nap and feel better before he even gets up."
I nodded. I suddenly felt as though I was going to throw up, but it wasn't from the hangover. My guilt was eating away at my insides. He was right, I wasn't going to school today. But I could never go to school with him the way I wanted. I had to finish high school first. Why did I ever lie to him?
"Lily, you should go lie down. You look a lot worse all of a sudden," Gerard rubbed my back a little. His touch was gentle, and I wanted more than anything for him to hold me tight and never let go.
Instead, I got up and went back to his bedroom. I crawled beneath the blankets and closed my eyes. After a few moments, I smelled eggs cooking and groaned. My stomach churned and I curled up into a ball.
"Lily," Gerard walked into the room. "I'm going to go to class now. Frank and Ray are going to hang out for awhile, but if they're gone when you get up Mikey will still be here. I've got to work afterwards, but I'll be home by five. Get some rest, okay?"
I nodded. "See you later."
We shared a quick kiss and he left. I sighed. If it wasn't for the hangover, I would have been completely content in that moment. As it was, I felt as though I was dying. Sleep didn't come easily, but when it did, it was bliss.