Chapter 3 | Hangovers & Whispers
1093 Words
Titania’s POV
My head was pounding.
Groaning, I cracked one eye open—and instantly regretted it. Bright light stabbed through my skull, and I winced, rolling over to escape it… only to thud straight onto the floor.
“Ow.”
Laughter echoed somewhere above me. Familiar. Teasing.
“What are you guys doing in my room?” I muttered, still half-asleep and more than a little confused.
Lucy snorted. “This isn’t your room. It’s Pete’s basement.”
“Your room now,” Pete added, grinning from the couch.
I blinked up at them, trying to make sense of the moment. “Then why am I on the floor?”
“Because you roll off the couch sometimes,” Lucy said matter-of-factly, sipping something that smelled way too much like coffee and not enough like mercy.
“Oh,” I mumbled, wincing as my brain throbbed again. “My head hurts.”
“Yeah, maybe that’s ‘cause you drank like a fish last night?” Pete offered, tossing me a cup of coffee with a perfectly timed smirk.
I took it like a lifeline. “Thanks.”
I glanced around the room. “Where is everyone else?”
“Asleep,” Lucy said with a shrug. “Still recovering.”
A low hum was all I could manage. As much as I wanted to crawl back into the safety of unconsciousness, school was still a thing we were pretending to care about.
“I’m gonna get dressed,” I muttered, pushing myself off the floor with the grace of a drunk newborn giraffe.
“Your bag’s in my room,” Pete called after me. “Along with everyone else’s stuff.”
Upstairs, the chill of the bathroom tile made me shiver. I brushed my teeth, peeled off last night’s clothes, and sank into a warm bath, letting the steam erase a fraction of my hangover.
Ten minutes later, wrapped in a towel, I slipped into Pete’s room and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a jersey that said “NERD” in obnoxious block letters across the front. Honestly? Iconic. I pulled my long black hair into a messy bun and secured it with pins. Fake glasses on. Converse laced. The illusion was complete.
Let me formally introduce myself. I’m Titania Scarlet—5’5”, pale-skinned, black-haired, and hourglass-shaped. People have told me I’m hot. I don’t usually lead with that, though. At school, I’m the quiet nerd. Low profile, zero drama. It’s better that way.
Back downstairs, the rest of the crew was finally awake, all looking varying degrees of wrecked.
“Morning,” I said, voice scratchy but alive.
A chorus of half-hearted grunts greeted me.
“We’ve got five minutes to get to school,” Pete announced, keys already in hand.
Cue chaos.
We all scrambled into Pete’s car, nursing caffeine and regrets. I couldn’t remember most of what happened last night—just flashes. Music. Heat. Movement. But something weird had happened, I could feel it.
At school, we tumbled out of the car with seconds to spare before the bell rang.
“Lunch meetup?” Josh asked.
We nodded like zombies and scattered to our classes.
Mine? Math. Of course.
I loved math—normally. But with the dull ache still gnawing at my temples, even the word equation made me want to curl up and cry.
I slipped into the classroom just as Mr. Smith turned from the board. His eyes narrowed.
“You’re late.”
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, shrinking under the weight of thirty pairs of eyes.
“Don’t let it happen again,” he sighed.
I nodded and headed for the only empty seat… right next to Xavier.
Of course.
The school’s resident bad boy, the one with a reputation for breaking hearts and rules. I kept my gaze low, heart drumming louder than it should. I sat down and pretended the hangover was the only reason I was flushed.
Math dragged. My brain wasn’t cooperating. My thoughts kept drifting—to last night.
To him.
Lunch couldn’t come fast enough.
I grabbed my tray and joined the usual chaos at our lunch table. Clark, Mindy, Josh, Lucy, Pete—our misfit band of beautiful weirdos.
“Sup, everyone,” I said, sliding into my seat.
“Ladies,” Clark greeted dramatically.
“We’ve got a man among us too,” Josh added.
“Oh? Where?” I said, glancing around. “All I see is you.”
Laughter bubbled around the table.
I leaned in, lowering my voice. “Okay, someone tell me what actually happened last night. My memory’s... fuzzy.”
“Oh, we remember everything,” Mindy grinned.
“Spill.”
Lucy smirked. “You put on a show last night.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
“You and Xavier,” she said, dragging out his name like it was forbidden candy. “On the dance floor. It was steamy.”
“What?!” My voice cracked so hard it turned heads.
Lucy giggled. “You didn’t even recognize him. Too busy being drunk and, y’know... all over him.”
I groaned and buried my face in my hands. “Oh my God.”
“You couldn’t keep your hands to yourself,” Pete added with a smirk. “Respect.”
The table erupted in laughter. My face was burning. Great. Of all people...
And I had no memory of it.
I prayed Xavier didn’t recognize me. My “club look” was worlds away from the nerd persona I wore here. I was just... Titania. Quiet. Invisible. Mostly.
“Let’s not forget Josh almost fighting that guy,” Pete said, grinning.
Josh groaned. “I don’t even remember why!”
“Because you thought he insulted your hoodie,” Mindy said, deadpan.
“Oh yeah.” He sighed. “Fair.”
“And Mindy tried to chop up a pineapple ‘cause she thought SpongeBob was inside,” Clark added.
“I will not apologize for my dedication,” Mindy shot back, crossing her arms.
We all cracked up again.
It didn’t matter how chaotic last night had been. This—this laughter, these people—was the real magic. Our messiness. Our memories. Our ridiculousness.
By the time the final bell rang, I felt lighter. Still confused. Still embarrassed. But lighter.
And somewhere—beneath the layers of nerdy clothes and fake glasses—was the girl who’d danced with Xavier.
And maybe… she wanted to come out and play again.
- Writer
