Waking up to loud silence, too heavy, without the hum of her own refrigerator or the distant rush of the road. She turned over in her bed, her head aching with protest, and felt the cool, charcoal-grey silk sheets beneath her, which smelled faintly of pricey cedar. This wasn't her studio apartment. There was no pile of laundry in the corner. Rather, a mist-covered treeline that she was unfamiliar with was exposed through the floor-to-ceiling windows
A blister pack of ibuprofen and one glass of water were on the bedside table. Not only was there ibuprofen, but it was the extra-strength variety that she only purchases from that one pharmacy with the blinking neon sign. The house itself seemed empty, as though the occupants had either left in the middle of their sentence or hadn't been there at all.
The bare concrete floors froze against her bare feet as she walked down the hallway. The "empty" feeling turned into something harsher as she entered the kitchen, despite the fact that the house was a masterwork of frigid, modern minimalism, all glass and sharp angles.
On the marble island sat a single dish of bread, cut into triangles just like her mother used to do—crusts removed, three small dollops of bitter orange marmalade on the side. It was still steaming.
She checked her phone. The battery was dead. She froze when she looked at her reflection in the charred oven door. She wasn't wearing the same clothes as the night before. Combined a dramatic black sheer robe with a tie-waist and feather trim on the sleeves and hem with a silky white slip dress with delicate black lace trimming at the necklace to create a sensuous and feminine look. She wore comfy yet fashionable white slippers with lace and black bow details that she found beside the bed. All that made her appearance whimsical yet with a sophisticated touch.
At the far end of the house, the heavy door clicked shut. She yanked it open, expecting a threat, but was hit by the crisp, exhilarating aroma of pine and newly cut grass. The air was unnaturally pure, with birds chirping frantically.
A vast, manicured backyard awaited her, resembling a high-end landscape magazine. The lawn was a sea of beautiful emerald velvet, bordered by flower beds full of out-of-season white lilies. The chilly atmosphere of the house did not extend here; the sun was warm on her face, but the quiet persisted—until she heard it. The sound came in from behind a dense line of willow trees on the property's edge: a burst of loud, musical laughing and the clink of cutlery against porcelain. It sounded like an outdoor party. It sounded like it was Sunday afternoon.
She hurried, her feet sliding into the soft turf. She came to a complete halt as she broke through the willows.
There, her friends from yesterday, Belinda and Filly—the same bunch she had been doing shots with at the pub's rooftop hours earlier—were stretched out on a set of upscale wicker loungers. Instead of wearing clean whites, they were wearing the same rumpled t-shirts from the previous evening, and they were encircled by an untidy spread of gourmet donuts, lukewarm coffee, and an oddly enormous bowl of chips.
'Pheew!' The tension deflated instantly, replaced by a wave of sheepish relief. She majestically approached them. "Look who finally rejoined the land of the living!" Filly hollered enthusiastically once she spotted her. "We were about to check if you still had a pulse, but Ivy said you looked too peaceful to disturb."
"And by peaceful, she means you were snoring like a freight train," Seth added. Scoffing she pulled a stool and sat next to Filly 'Why would Ivy say that, it's not like she cares anyway,' she croaked, her voice like sandpaper criss-crossing her legs as well as her arms over her chest.
Sliding her the huge bowl of crisps without even lifting his head from his phone Omar offered. At the same time Filly handed her a glass of water. Glancing at Filly back to Omar whose phone was buried on his phone. Exhaling loudly she drank the water. 'What are we doing in an Airing BnB ? Can we leave before we are charged for another day,' she suggested while scratching her head.
Scoffing, 'This is your friend's residence,' Filly clarified. Glancing at him, then surveying her eyes across them as they were spread out. 'You live here? In this classy mansion? They nodded their heads in agreement. ' I see,' she stated
'How did we get here?' she inquired turning to Filly. 'Meess op! Girl you mess ooop!' Luca answered mimicking a Nigerian accent before Filly could say a word. 'That can't be me, I', m cool when I am drank or high,' she stated making everyone scoff dismissively. 'You know that's a lie,' Seth countered.
With a rising tone 'I am nothing like you guys.' 'As a matter of fact why am I the only with different clothes from what we were wearing yesterday?' she inquired her left hand supporting her face.
'You puked on you and even got into a fight with this some dude just because he decline to buy you another drink,' Filly narrated. '…despite the fact that you were totally wasted,' Anna added. 'That's a lie,' she objected with a frown on her face.
'Girl' Belinda Interjected. 'You better believe them, because you were chaotic. You even cried over your ex. The one who got engaged to someone else.' She cleared her throat her eyes scanning all over the place. Avoiding everybody's eye contact.
'Let's go to our usual place, I really need hot, spicy noodles,' she changed the topic while scratching her head looking at Filly. 'That's the only thing that can cure my hangover right now. 'What about your friends?' Filly asked
'Please Fiillyy,' She pleaded. 'Let's go.' Shaking his arms with a puppy face. All eyes were sure on them. 'You guys look good together, are you certain you're not a couple,' Belinda inquired. With wrinkled eyebrows 'noooo' Mishy clarified removing her hands from his. The wide smile on Filly's face when Mishy was pleading with him instantly disappeared.
'Ok, we'll go_'
'That's more like it,' Mishy interjected
'_but,' she frowned 'we'll have one of them escort you there and bring you back_' 'Huh!' she exclaimed loudly. 'Yes,' he said.
' and why is that? I have my apartment,' she said.
'That's the problem, I don't know where your key is. I checked it in your coat, and purse not forgetting the rooftop. Nothing.' He explained
'F******,' she groaned covering her face with both hands with tightened jaws. 'We have an extra room, where you slept,' Anna offered. With a mischevious grin she leaned in closer to Filly. Her hand supporting her chin, she stared him dead in his eyes. Slightly moving back with eyes widened 'what?' Filly asked. 'I'd rather stay at your place,' she replied. Sitting upright, he placed his index finger on her forehead and in a slow Mo he pushed her backwards 'You can't remember,'
Pushing his hand way she made sure to inquire why. 'Because I stay with my brother now,' ' I can sleep at your pub,' she suggested 'the chairs there are comfortable. He shook his head in disagreement. 'Please!' she begged.
' Mishy! Why are you being so stubborn? You're annoyingly being a pain in the a**,' Omar commented as he placed his phone on the messy table. His hands on his chest, he leaned on the chair looking her dead in the eye. 'Finally, someone to put you back into your senses just like the old days,' Ivy said. Flickering her eyes, with her mouth wide open she glanced at the two in disbelief. 'Mhh! Scoofing. ' _what gave you the idea that you can address me in whatever manner you wish to?' she asked with curiously raised eyebrows. Staring back at him but it was as if she was not even seeing him. He was blurr almost like didn't exist. 'Don't mistake me for your fiancé,'
'Well! Dragging her into this is quite a cheap (pausing) stupid move to make,' he countered. Unevenly "Woo!' Luca exclaimed as Seth said 'It's bout to go down'. Through her teeth she sacked in air as she looked away from them.
'That's quite a lot for friends,' Belinda trying to cool their tempers. 'Don't you think?'
'Clearly, you didn't receive the memo of whatever is going on here,' Malaika rudely replied to Belinda with a rising tone. 'You cannot disrespect my woman in my presence,' he said bossily as he stood up. Rolling her eyes she sighed dismissively. 'Neither will you disrespect her in my presence,' Filly defended Mishy as he lunged upward. The other five friends seemed to shrink after Malaika's sharp comment about Belinda hit the air.
The three ladies were frozen not to know, the other two men just sat there, staring at the two elephants in the room. Everyone there had an idea of what was going apart from Belinda. ' Apologize to her,' Omar demanded looking down at Malaika making her feel like she was in a pit. 'Over my dead body,' she mumbled immediately.
'Are you insane!' Filly asked in shock.
Like is this how to talk to someone you once loved. Just because you've moved on? 'Babe, it doesn't have to come to this>'Belinda remarked. 'Bro,' Luca said as he shook his head in disagreement 'don't do that.' 'I agree with Luca,' Seth added.
'You know what?' she said as she lunged up angrily smirking the stool she sat on, falling backwards. Aggresively removing the rob and throwing it on the stool. She was left with the silky white laced dress, revealing her body. Starting from her skin color to her features leaving everybody in awe. ' I'd rather sleep in the trenches rather than in these people's house.' She began to stomp away, few steps away she turned back like she had forgotten something. ' Filly, are you siding with them now?' She didn't wait for a reply she walked away instantly.
' On her behalf, I am really disappointed in you,' Filly began as he moved to the exit. ' She really looked forward to yesterday. She gave it her to prepare yesterday's reunion, but that's how you repay her? Above all, she wrote this book 'It's Not Summer Without You.' She's yet to publish it , but it's a limited edition with six copies, one for each of you.' Good riddance,' he said and walked away.