Shut Your Mouth When I'm Talking To You

The sun spilled through a crack in the curtains and played across Meike’s face. She squinted as the light caused her a thumping headache.
The pain soon moved down her body into her stomach as she felt her whole body lurch and she vomited into a bucket sitting next to the bed. After a full three minutes of retching she slowly wiped away the tears of exhaustion and the vomit around her mouth.
She collapsed back into the pillow as the thumping in her head became louder. She lay there for a minute, hands blocking the light from her eyes.
Slowly she opened her eyes properly and realised she wasn’t in her room.
Meike took in the poster covered walls, couch, TV and play station as Gerard opened the door with a glass of water and a towel.
He gave Meike a concerned, half smile.
“Morning,” he said,
Meike rubbed between her eyes in discomfort as Gerard sat at the foot of his bed.
“How are you feeling?” He asked passing her the glass of water.
Meike took a long sip before replying,
“Like utter shit”
Gerard gave her another half smile, as Meike seemed to wake up a bit more.
“Wait, why am I at your house…in your bed?” Meike asked, wiping her face with the towel Gerard had bought her.
Gerard took Meike’s drink and placed it on the side table.
“Don’t you remember last night?” He asked, his hazel eyes suddenly becoming hard and serious.
Meike furrowed her brow in thought.
“Bridget’s party…how much did I drink?”
“A lot,” Gerard answered, his eyes still filled with seriousness.
“What?” Meike asked, beginning to get a bit worried at Gerard’s expression.
“Last night,” Gerard started, “Ray and I thought we would gate crash Bridget’s party and surprise you, we asked someone if they knew where you were.”
Meike narrowed her eyes, “And…?”
“And, they said that you had gone off with some guy upstairs.” Gerard said slowly.
”What!?” Meike said, “I would NEVER go off with one of the guys from that party!!”
“That’s what we thought,” Gerard said, his face contorted with concern.
“So we went looking for you…and then we found you.” He paused looking straight at Meike; she lowered her chin and looked at Gerard questionably.
He continued, “Some guy was on top of you and…,” Gerard’s voice caught in his throat.
Meike stared at him wide eyed. A cold feeling swept through her and for a millisecond she swore her heart stopped.
“You’re, you’re not saying…” tears started building up at the back of her eyes.
Gerard bit his lip, and shook his head, “No, no we got there just in time.”
Meike closed her eyes as the tears squeezed out of her eyes, and collapsed into the pillow. The drunken memories from the night before began to flood her mind.
The music, Adam, the alcohol, and Gerard. She remembered this familiar scent, and the relief she had felt when she was in his arms.
She looked up at the roof.
“If you had been a few minutes later…” She got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach just thinking about it.
She sat bolt up right and vomited again into the bucket. Gerard rubbed her back soothingly until she had finished.

After some dry retching she lay back onto her pillow and looked up at Gerard, whose hazel eyes were glassy with tears.
Meike slowly got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.
She turned on the shower and undressed as the room filled with steam.

As she stood under the shower, the hot water streaming down her back, she closed her eyes for a second.
Instantly she was ambushed by half-memories of the night before, Adam’s hand up her top, her pants around her knees……
Meike slid down the wall so she was sitting on the shower floor. Tears fell from her eyes and were washed away by the water.
“Why am I so upset? She thought to herself, “Nothing happened! I’m ok. I have had a guy’s hand up my top before, its no big deal,” As much as Meike said this to her self, she couldn’t shake off this sick feeling of violation.
She finished off her shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself.
She glanced in the mirror, and saw bruises on her arms.
The feeling of having her arms pinned to the bed flooded her mind and the panic and confusion she had felt last night consumed her.
Meike’s legs gave way, and she was on the floor sobbing, head in hands.
The door to the bathroom opened and Ray came in scratching sleep from his eyes. He took one look at Meike and was by her side in an instant.
He placed his arm around her as she shook, her back heaving from her sobs.
“Shhhhhh, its ok, its ok,” He comforted her.
Hearing the commotion from the bathroom, Frank, Mikey and Gerard came through the door and seeing Meike; they imitated Ray and were by her side on the floor in a flash.
Mikey looked hopelessly at Frank, who pulled out his phone.
“She needs a girl, I’ll call Polly,” He said as he looked concernedly at Meike.
Gerard and Ray slowly helped Meike up.
“Come on, lets get you changed,” Ray said, still hugging Meike.
The boys lead Meike to Gerard’s room and gave her a bag of her clothes.
She had calmed down a bit and took a shuddering breath.
She looked at her clothes confused.
“Where did you get m-my clothes from?” she asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
Gerard gave a small half smile,
“Frankie broke into your house, after we brought you home,” He said, “And grabbed some of your clothes.”
“Oh,” said Meike, a small smile crept across her face, “Good thing he has climbed through my window before.”
Gerard’s eyes widened slightly and Ray gave Meike a confused look. Meike laughed a little at their reactions.
“Frank climbed through my window the other night.”
Gerard looked slightly alarmed but Ray just smiled in amusement.
The two guys left and Meike fished through the clothes, deciding on her favourite ripped and grey jeans. She opened up Gerard’s draw looking for a pair of socks; however she spotted a black t-shirt with a skeleton ribcage. She pulled it out and was surprised to find it clean.

Frank flipped the pancakes and caught them perfectly in the pan. He wiped his hands on his apron and turned around to see Meike walk through the kitchen door.
“Cool top,” He smiled as she took a seat.
Gerard looks up and raised an eyebrow.
“I do believe, that’s MY top!” He said.
Meike looked at the top she was wearing and gave a small smile, “I hope its okay…” she trailed off.
“OH…oh don’t worry, its fine,” He replied giving her a reassuring smile.
Gerard walked over to where she was sitting and looked into her dark brown, eyes.
He put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed it.
As soon has he had done that she seemed to relax.
“Ray and Mikey went to get her, she will be here soon.”
Frank coughed up a piece of pancake that was too hot to be eaten. Meike and Gerard looked at him and he announced that Breakfast was ready.

As Meike helped set the table Ray, Mikey and Polly all came through the front door.
Polly gave Meike an awkward wave which she returned with a small smile.
Frank took two plates of pancakes and handed them to the girls.
“Do you guys want to eat on the porch?”
Meike’s nodded
“That would be good.” She murmured.

As the boys held a competition to see who could consume the most golden syrup, the girls talked quietly outside.

Meike wasn’t sure if it was the pancakes, or talking to Polly, but she was beginning to feel a lot better. The girls took their plates into the kitchen and handed them to Mikey who was doing the dishes.
Meike sat on the couch wand tucked her legs underneath herself.
Gerard came over and sat next to her and wrapped his arm reassuringly around her shoulder. She leaned on this shoulder and closed her eyes briefly.
“How are you feeling?” He asked.
Meike twisted her head to look at Gerard, “Better,” She answered and smiled slightly.
Gerard gave her a small squeeze and they both turned to Mikey who was drying dishes.
“Hey Mikey, looking very domesticated there.” They laughed

As her and Polly went to leave the guy’s gave her a hug each.
“See you tomorrow” Ray said.
“Yup,” Meike nodded.