Changing With Autumn

Chapter 10

I woke up the next morning to the pained groans coming from Erika’s side of the bed. I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face and the satisfaction that I gained from her very much so deserved discomfort. I didn’t even feel a little bad for her after last night. Not an ounce of sympathy stretched to comfort her from my side of the bed. It wasn’t until I rolled over slightly that she noticed my presence and sobered enough while remembering that I was supposed to be there.  

“Oh my God! Willow! I’m so, so, so sorry.” She jumped up onto her knees on the bed and faced me. Momentarily forgetting the massive headache from her punishing hangover.  

 “Oh good morning to you, my total douchebag of a best friend with no self- restraint whatsoever.” I replied with my annoyance very clear and audible in my voice. 

“Seriously Willow, I’m so sorry. I know how much you hate me right now and honestly I totally hate me right now too. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.” She said graveling desperately with tears brimming in her eyes. 

“What part is that Erika? The part that you forced me to go to a party knowing how much I hate them? The part where you ditched me and left me on the couch to go hang out with Aaron? The part where you didn’t even tell me that you left me on the couch to go hang out with Aaron? The part where you got so drunk that you left me there in that house alone and abandoned, terrified for your safety and stuck with no way to get back home? Or how about the part where Aaron got some guy that had to have been drinking and driving to get me back here?” I said with my anger rising higher and higher.

 Last night I was so frustrated and panicked in the whole situation that I didn’t have time to really register how upset I actually was, but thinking back to it now, I couldn’t stop the fact that all of the stress, fear, anger, and feelings of betrayal were coming back at me in full force and rolling off of me in very tangible waves. I could see the tears that I was causing to fall from her eyes, but I didn’t feel bad for her at all. She deserved to feel all of it right now, and I wasn’t going to pacify her this time. What happened last night was brutal so she could sit here and get a little taste of it too. 

 “Please Willow, I didn’t mean for any of it to happen. Honestly. You have to forgive me. You’re my best friend and I would never intentionally hurt you. I’m stupid. I’m so stupid.” She begged me and her tears were coming faster now. 

“Erika honestly, I just need you to stop right now. I’ve got to go. I caused all kinds of problems with my parents yesterday so I could hang out with you and instead I got ditched. The only reason I’m here right now is because I didn’t want to go back home last night. So I’m up now and I’m out.” I said moving to get off of the bed.   

Erika reached out to grab my arm and stop me but I jerked it away first. I bent down to grab my bag and keys and walked out the room. I could hear her shuffling to follow me out, and her pleas for me to stop. I had made my way down the hall and into the living room when I saw Aaron laying on the couch covered with a tiny throw blanket and drooling all over the couch throw pillows. He must have already been passed out when I got here last night because I didn’t remember seeing him when I came in. I rolled my eyes and let out a disgusted scoff before continuing to the front door. I made it to the door as Erika made it to the living room and Erika’s crying behind me stirred Aaron awake. He shot up right as I was walking outside and I slammed the door shut behind me.  

It wasn’t until I was almost to my car that I realized that my face was wet and that I had been crying. I unlocked my door and slid into the driver’s seat banging my hands against the steering wheel and taking a minute to let myself cry it out. It took me a few minutes to get myself under control again enough at least for me to be able to drive home. Driving away I could see Erika and Aaron arguing in the window and couldn’t help myself when the word “Good” ran through my mind. 

By the time I had made it back home I had already accumulated 6 missed calls and 10 unread text messages from Erika. Luckily, my parents weren’t home from their weekend plans yet so I didn’t have to come up with some bogus reason as to why I had come back early. I was thankful to the teenage drama Gods that I could easily walk into the house, grab a water from the fridge and walk straight into my room without any of the questioning looks and interrogations that I was already mentally preparing myself for. I knew they were coming at some point, but at least them still being gone gave me a few more hours to come up with something. 

I walked through my bedroom and slammed the door shut behind me. I threw my bag on the floor and flopped myself onto my bed, landing face first into my pillow. I inhaled the fresh linen scent and allowed it to calm me down slightly before flipping onto my back and pulling out my phone only to be greeted to another missed call and two more text messages. Rolling my eyes, I opened the thread from Erika. 

Willow please, you have to understand I’m sorry. 

I’m a horrible friend. I get it. I didn’t mean to hurt you. 

Dude I was drunk.You’re not being fair. 

Come on, answer the phone.  

You know you’re kinda being a baby right now. 

How am I supposed to apologize if you won’t answer the phone? 

COME ON! You know you’re my b***h. I love you. Please don’t be mad at me. 

Stop being dramatic! 

Aaron’s said his friend wasn’t even drinking by the way. Your argument is invalid. 

That’s not the point. You’re right I’m a b***h. Please. I’m sorry. 

Ok. I get it. I love you. When you’re ready to talk I’ll be here. 

I love you. 

In all honesty, after reading through her internal conflict I wasn’t even all that mad anymore. Yeah it was super, SUPER shitty of her, but in her defense she was drunk and I was very well acquainted with the antics of drunk Erika. She had never been into drinking because she didn’t like feeling out of control, which is exactly what always happened. Every time she had started drinking it always ended up being a disaster somehow. Something always happened that caused some kind of chaos and it always got blown up into some crazy drama. Because of her inability to handle her alcohol she normally stayed away from it altogether. 

The chaos of last night was all because of Erika drinking, (well mostly anyways). Most likely it was Aaron that convinced her to drink in the first place which is a super asshole move considering he also knows exactly how she gets. I mean, in reality if anyone was to blame it would be Aaron for being an i***t that couldn’t take a genuine breakup hint and continuing to be his inconsiderate pest-like self. Well that and Erika’s lack of willpower and her inability to control herself and her stupid teenage hormones. Stupid Erika. 

Even though my anger towards Erika had slightly begun to dissolve now that we were no longer in the heat of the moment and I was capable of a slightly more rational evaluation of the entire situation, it didn’t change the fact that she deserved to squirm. It was horrible that I had such a soft spot for her, I don’t think I would ever be able to forgive anyone else in the same situation, but I would be lying to myself if I said I would never forgive her. Regardless of my pushover syndrome when it comes to this girl it didn’t mean that I was going to entirely let her off the hook. I was going to milk this for a while and let her mull over what happened last night.  

Sighing, I threw my phone to the side and decided that since I was home now anyways I might as well get a start on this excessive school workload that I had to complete before monday. I grabbed my backpack and started to pull out the overkill of assignments I had put off. Looking at it all spread out in front of me I had already begun trying to figure out ways to get out of completing the work and what excuses I would give the teachers come Monday.  

Fortunately for me, it was at that exact moment that my stomach decided to put in it’s own opinion and add in a hollow growl. Well, I hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday and I was hungry. Plus, food is fuel and I would be needing a lot of energy to complete all of this work so it wouldn’t hurt to take a few more minutes and have a lunch break right? I laughed to myself as I walked out of my room and doing a mental high five I thought, “procrastination wins again.” 

Just as I was making my way back into my room after my hour-long lunch break I heard my phone buzzing on my bed. “Man this girl is relentless” I mumbled to myself. Rolling my eyes I grabbed for it just as the buzzing stopped. I looked at the call log and didn’t recognize the number on the missed call. As I was about to throw it back down again, another buzz hit my hand from a text message coming through.  

I read the words displayed on my phone screen and I was hit with a wave of panic. 

“Hey there not so basic and boring!”