Coasting

Chapter 10

Day 25-the actual day.

I felt like I was dying.

I had never had a hangover like this. No matter how much water I chugged, no matter how much sleep I got, no matter how much Advil I forced down my throat, the headache, the stomachache, the heaviness in my eyelids never faltered.

Monica and Michael were gone when I got home from Jonesboro, thank God. I figured they were at work. It took us a while to pack up all our stuff, boat back, then drive back to Dan's. Fletcher and I went back with John to his house to help him put away all the rest of the stuff he had in his car, and then I was driven home. Fletcher grabbed my hand from the front seat before I left the car.

"Hey. I'll call you?"

"Yeah," I said, my heart racing from his touch.

It had been like this all morning. I wouldn't say it was awkward. It was just that the night before was memorable. Indescribable. I felt that even though I was still Jamie, and he was still Fletcher, a part of us was now Jamie and Fletcher.

I went upstairs to bed and slept for the rest of the afternoon, desperately needing some sort of rest.

I was woken up around five thirty by Monica, who was sitting on the edge of my bed, still in her work clothes. Everything about her looked perfect as it usually did.

"Hey," she murmured when I finally opened my eyes. "How are you feeling?"

I groaned into my pillow and she stayed silent, but I could feel her gazing at me. "You should shower. You smell like sand and beer."

I didn't respond because of the judgment in her voice.

"So you had fun," she added.

I finally looked back at her and gave a jaded smile.

"I'm glad," she said. Even though there wasn't any enthusiasm in her voice, I could tell that she genuinely meant it. "Do you want dinner with us? Michael should be home in an hour or so."

"Make me a plate," I mumbled, my eyes already closing. "I'm going back to sleep..."

The last thing I felt before darkness encased me was Monica running her thin fingers through my tangled, sandy hair. I heard her whisper something, but couldn't make the effort to understand the words.

~ ~ ~

It was eight that evening when I was woken by my phone ringing. My body felt a little less tired, but my head still throbbed from the shrill sound.

I picked it up without even checking the Caller ID, and groggily mumbled, "Hello?"

"You sound like sunshine, Sleeping Beauty."

I groaned with my eyes still closed, "Fletcher, why are you calling?"

"I'm on my way over as we speak."

"What?" My eyes snapped open. "Why?"

"Because I can't go back to sleep. And I want to watch a movie."

"Can't you do that by yourself." I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see.

"What's the fun in that? Plus, we made a pact that you had to see Tommy Boy within twenty four hours."

I had totally forgotten about that part of our long conversation on the beach that previous night.

"Favorite movie," I had asked him, as he drummed his fingers on my knee.