Chapter 18 Her first sleepover…Nixon Estate
Chapter 18: Her First Sleepover…Nixon Estate
Golden always hated when her period came. The cramps were unbearable, making her unable to do anything.
Despite being on hormonal imbalance drugs, the side effects were painful. She lay on her bed with a hot water bottle tied to her waist, trying to ease the discomfort.
Varney had canceled his trip so he could be there if she needed him. He had already checked on her a couple of times that day.
Alex had called when Golden didn’t show up for her first period class and promised to drop by later in the evening.
Just as Golden was about to drift off, her phone buzzed.
She lazily picked it up and saw a message from Alex:
Alex: “Hey Gigi, how are you feeling now?”
Golden: “Not good… still feel like crap. Feels like someone’s trying to knife me from the inside.”
Alex: “How about a cup of brown sugar? It might ease the discomfort.”
Golden: “How do I make that?”
Alex: “Warm water, a tablespoon of brown sugar, stir, drink. Magic back in Bejing.”
Golden: “Okay… will try it. Thanks, babes.”
Alex added: “By the way, Professor Dwayne posted the group project topics. And we got one hell of a topic.”
Golden raised an eyebrow. “…side eye emojis…”
Alex: “Neurotoxic effects of synthetic opioids on adolescent brain development. Seriously, why couldn’t we get something simpler? Linda got an easier one: Comparative analysis of pharmaceutical industry practices in toxicological research. We’re the good guys, shouldn’t we get the easy topic?”
Golden smiled: “Calm down, Alex. Our topic isn’t bad, it’s challenging, yes, but you’re not the type to back down. Since when are you scared of Linda?”
Alex: “Me, scared? Girl, please! Got to go, Gigi. Check up on you later.”
Golden put her phone away, smiling, then remembered Alex’s advice about the brown sugar water. She quickly texted Varney:
Golden: “Hey V, can you come to my room for a sec?”
A minute later, Varney knocked and stepped in.
“Hey Gigi, how are you feeling? Need anything?” He approached her bed and checked her forehead, while she leaned into him, hugging his waist.
“The pain won’t go away, V… but Alex suggested brown sugar water. Can you make some for me? Florence is out running errands with the chef.” Her big eyes gave him no room to refuse.
“Sure. I’ll be right back,” he said, disentangling himself and heading downstairs. He hoped it worked. If it did, he’d buy a stockpile to keep in her room.
Golden didn’t notice when she dozed off. When she woke, it was already dark. The brown sugar water had worked like magic, she slept deeply and restfully.
After a quick shower and changing her tampon, she was surprisingly hungry. She headed downstairs, assuming Florence had left, but knowing her dinner had likely been saved.
As she neared the dining room, she heard voices—Alex! Thrilled, she quickened her pace.
“Look who finally graces us with her presence,” Varney said, standing to pull out a seat.
“How…?” Golden turned to Alex.
“Well, I called a couple of times, no answer. About to give up, I got Varney on the line, he said you were knocked out. He offered to pick me up for a sleepover since it’s the weekend… and even offered to pay me. What’s with this guy throwing money around?” Alex said, pointing to Varney.
Golden hugged Varney tightly. “Thank you, V!”
Alex pouted, crossing her arms. “Hel-o-o! Why does he get a hug? I’m the one agreeing to the sleepover…he lives here, it doesn’t count.”
Golden laughed and pulled Alex into a bear hug. “Thanks for always indulging us. Besides, now we can work on our project without all the hassle.”