Chapter 2: Morning After

Morning After I quickly pulled away from Mike, trying to create some distance between us. The morning light streaming through the window was harsh, and it made me squint. I looked around, trying to take in my surroundings, and realized I was in Mike's house. I had no idea how I got there. Mike sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and gentle. I nodded, still trying to process everything. My head was throbbing, and my mouth felt dry. I was dressed, but my clothes were rumpled, and my hair was a mess. Mike swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "I'll get you some water," he said, heading to the bathroom. As he was gone, I quickly got out of bed and looked for my phone. I found it on the nightstand, and I quickly checked the time. It was already 10 am. I had so many missed calls and texts from my friends, and a few from my mom. I felt a pang of guilt and anxiety. My mom was going to kill me. I quickly sent her a text, telling her I was fine and that I would call her later. Mike came back into the room with a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin. "Here, drink this," he said, handing me the water and aspirin. I took the water and aspirin from him, feeling a little grateful. As I sat back down on the bed, Mike sat down next to me. We sat there in silence for a moment, the only sound the ticking of the clock on the wall. I didn't know what to say to him, and I didn't want to talk about what happened the night before. Mike broke the silence. "You should probably get going," he said, his voice neutral. I nodded, feeling a little relieved. I quickly got dressed, and Mike walked me to the door. As we stood there, he turned to me and said, "Take care of yourself, okay?" I nodded, feeling a little awkward. I left his house, not knowing what the future held, but knowing that my life was about to change in ways I couldn't even imagine. As I walked back to my house, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. I knew I had to tell my dad about Mike, but I was scared. What would he say? Would he be angry with me? I took a deep breath and pushed open the door to my house. My mom was in the living room, looking worried. "Where have you been?" she asked, her voice stern. I hesitated, not knowing what to say. But before I could answer, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Emily. "Hey, girl, where are you?" she asked, her voice cheerful. I sighed, feeling like my life was about to get a lot more complicated.