Chapter 15 Video leaked
Cecilia
I woke up feeling like someone had personally hit my head repeatedly with a frying pan.
My eyes barely opened before I groaned and buried my face deeper into the pillow. Never again.
Actually, no.
Memories from last night flooded my brain and I winced.
The loud music, the ping pong, Alex laughing, Rachel screaming, warm hands on my waist. My eyes snapped open immediately.
Wait.
I sat up too fast and instantly regretted it when pain exploded through my skull.
“Shit,” I muttered dramatically.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains while my phone buzzed nonstop on the nightstand beside me. I ignored it completely and forced myself out of bed.
The second I stood up, dizziness hit me.
“Okay,” I muttered to myself while grabbing the wall for support. “Maybe not so fast.”
My dress from last night was draped over the chair near my vanity while one heel somehow sat near the bathroom door. I had absolutely no memory of taking them off. Which was concerning.
I shuffled toward the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. My makeup was smeared slightly beneath my eyes. My hair looked suspiciously decent considering how chaotic the night has gone. And there was a faint bruise near my arm. That was probably from fighting Rachel.
I washed my face slowly while trying to remember everything after the dance with Alex. The memories came in blurry flashes.
Rachel grabbing my hair, me tackling her to the ground, Alex pulling me away and then…I couldn’t remember anything after then.
After showering and changing into a white sweater and skirt, I headed downstairs. The house was too quiet. The second I reached the dining room and saw the empty chairs, i was filled with disappointment.
No Mom, no Dad.
Of course.
I dropped into my seat with a sigh.
Honestly, I didn’t even know why I kept hoping things would suddenly change overnight. The sound of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. Then Gertrude emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray dramatically.
“There she is!” she announced loudly in her thick Spanish accent. “The little alcoholic.”
I burst into laughter immediately.
Gertrude placed the food in front of me while shaking her head disapprovingly. “You nearly gave me heart attack last night.”
“I’m alive.”
“Barely.” She narrowed her eyes. “Who drinks that much on school night?”
“In my defense…”
“No defense.” She pointed a spatula at me threateningly. “You looked like baby giraffe when that boy carried you inside.”
My fork paused halfway to my mouth. “Boy?”
Gertrude scoffed. “Yes, boy. Unless men have suddenly become invisible.”
I blinked. “Luke brought me home?”
“Luke?” She frowned. “No. This one was taller.”
My stomach tightened slightly. “What?”
“He had dark hair.” She waved her hands vaguely. “Pretty eyes. Serious face. Like he wanted to fight everybody.”
Oh my God.
Alex brought me home?
Heat rushed to my face instantly. “No.”
Gertrude squinted at me suspiciously. “What’s wrong? He’s not your friend.”
“No! He’s….”
She grinned immediately. “Aha!”
“It’s not aha.” I cringed. I already knew what she was thinking.
“It is definitely aha. He's your boyfriend.”
I groaned and dropped my head onto the table dramatically. There as no use arguing with her.
But why would Alex bring me home?
Actually, Why was he nice to me at all last night?
Gertrude sat beside me while sipping her coffee. “He carried you like you were precious.”
My head snapped up immediately. “That literally did not happen.”
She shrugged innocently. “I only say what I see.”
I pointed at her accusingly. “You’re becoming nosy in your old age.”
“And you are becoming dramatic in yours.” she huffed.
I snorted into my juice.
Gertrude smiled fondly before fixing my hair slightly. “He stayed until you were fully asleep.”
Something inside my chest tightened unexpectedly. That was…
I shoook my head and quickly shoved the feeling away and focused on my breakfast instead.
But the entire drive to school, my brain kept replaying blurry moments from last night. Alex’s hand on my waist. His voice near my ear. The way he looked at me during that dance and then…
The car ride home. Bits and pieces came back slowly.
‘Do you hate me?’
‘I could never hate you.’
My fingers tightened around the steering wheel. Did he actually say that? Or did drunk me just hallucinate it?
Honestly, both felt possible. By the time I pulled into the school parking lot, my thoughts had become one giant mess.
Then I spotted him. He was leaning against his car while scrolling through his phone. Like usual, several girls walking past kept glancing at him.
So annoying!
I huffed as I parked quickly and got out before I could overthink it. The second he noticed me approaching, one corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Still alive?”
“Barely.”
“Tragic.”
I stopped in front of him and crossed my arms. “Why did you take me home?”
He locked his phone and shrugged casually. “Charity work.”
I rolled my eyes. He definitely wouldn't make this easy for me. “You’re impossible.”
“You’re welcome, by the way.”
That made me pause slightly. Right. I probably should thank him.
Instead I blurted, “Did anything happen?”
Alex frowned immediately. “What?”
“You know…” I gestured awkwardly. “While I was drunk.”
The easy his expression shifted surprised me. His jaw tightened slightly. And suddenly he looked offended..
Oh no.
“If you’re asking whether I took advantage of you,” he said flatly, “the answer is no.”
My stomach dropped immediately. “That’s not what I meant…”
“I took you home because you were drunk and trying to fistfight people.” His tone didn’t seem like anger to me, just cold and sharp.
“I know that,” I said quickly. “I just..”
But he had already stepped back. “You should probably stay away from alcohol for a while, Celia.”
Then he walked past me.
My chest tightened annoyingly as I watched him leave.
Great.
Now I sounded like I thought he was some creep. Which wasn’t true. At all. Actually, if anything, Alex had been weirdly gentle with me last night.
I rubbed my forehead with a sigh. Fantastic. I stood there debating whether to go after him when someone slammed into my side dramatically.
“CECILIA EVANS.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the loud voice.
“Shit! Amber! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
She grabbed both my shoulders dramatically. “We have a problem.”
I blinked.“What now?”
Amber shoved her phone into my face. And immediately, a gasp escaped my lips. “Oh my God.”
A video played on the screen. Me and Rachel fighting outside the bathroom. Very aggressively and very embarrassingly.
The video zoomed in right at the moment I yelled: “NOBODY EVEN LIKES YOU!”
Several students nearby had already gathered around another phone watching it too. One guy laughed loudly.
“This is insane.”
Amber looked horrified. “Someone uploaded it last night. It's all over the school.”