Tomorrow's Blues

6. The Breakfast

After I had a shower and put on some different clothes, I went to wake Alice up, but noticed that Joseph's door at the end of the corridor was slightly open. Hoping he was in there, I tiptoed down to it and knocked.

"Yeah," came his voice from inside, so I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Joseph probably wasn't expecting it to be me, but he didn't show it as he glanced up at me. He was lying face up on his bed, on his phone, but when I entered the room, he put his phone down. "Hungover?"

I shrugged. I was feeling ever so slightly nauseous and I did have a bit of a headache, but I'd had a lot worse. "Not too bad."

"And Alice?" There was a small smirk on his face as he sat up.

"Not sure, I haven't seen her this morning, and I'm not sure I want to," I said, wincing. "Uh, I just wanted to say thanks for coming to get us last night, I don't think I said that yesterday."

Joseph looked at me for a moment before just nodding.

I pressed my lips together, mumbling a quiet, "Okay, then." I was about to leave when I suddenly had a thought. "Do your parents know about Alice?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Let's keep it that way, yeah?" I suggested, and was about to leave again when I stopped and turned around once more.

"What is it, Liliana?" Joseph said in exasperation.

"When did I fall asleep last night?" I said, shuffling my feet.

"I don't know, like twenty minutes in, maybe. And did you know that you talk in your sleep?" Joseph's expression was sly.

I scowled. "And what did I have to say?"

"Oh, you know, just going on about how great of a person I was and how I was your hero."

"Funny," I said sarcastically, but I felt my mouth twitch slightly.

"I've got to say, though, you're a hell of a lot less talkative this morning than you were last night," he remarked.

"So, I wasn't completely sober. And this morning I'm tired." I yawned. "Cut me some slack. Anyway. I'm gonna go and see Alice. Thanks again." Joseph nodded and lay back down as I left, making my way to Alice's room.

I saw in relief that Alice's light was on inside her bedroom. At least she was up. I tentatively knocked on the door, and all that responded was a groan. I chuckled as I went inside, glad to see that she hadn't been sick again or anything. Instead, she was just lying with her face in her pillow.

I sat on the end of her bed and tapped her shoulder. "How you feeling?"

"Bloody fantastic, thanks," came her muffled reply. She turned her head so she was facing me. "How do you think I'm feeling?"

"You want some water? And painkillers?" I offered, giving her arm a light rub.

"That'd be nice," she muttered, burying her face back in the pillow. I shook my head at her and quickly went downstairs.

Catherine and Mark were no longer in the kitchen, so I rifled around some drawers to find painkillers. Grabbing them and a glass of water, I went back upstairs with the supplies and handed everything wordlessly to Alice. She took the painkillers and drank the whole glass of water.

"Feeling up for some breakfast?" I suggested. "We could go out, get some fresh air, and maybe go to 'Melissa's' or something?" 'Melissa's' was this little breakfast café that did the most amazing meals, and I was thinking I could also get a job there.