Barry told the story. I couldn't concentrate, everything around me was starting to spin.
Cody noticed something was wrong and put his hands on my face. “Baby, you okay?”
My stomach was more than gurgling now, it was churning. And my mouth was watering like I was going to be sick.
“Just cold,” I said. “I need something to drink, want me to get you a beer?”
“I'll come with you.”
“No, stay, I'll be right back,” I said and jogged away, heading for the side parking lot by the dumpsters.
I didn't want Cody to see me puke. We weren't at a point where we were showing each other our bodily fluids. I knew I'd be fine once I got out whatever was hurting my stomach and then I'd rejoin the group. Maybe I'd even tell him I wasn't feeling good and I'd go back to my dorm room to sleep.
Halfway to the dumpster, the food rose to the back of my throat and I took off running with my hand over my mouth. Behind the dumpster, I lost it all. The dinner we ate and the two beers, it all came out.
My stomach was still churning, my head was foggy, and the rest of my body was sweating. I sat on the ground, the snow soaking into the butt of my jeans. The spins were getting worse, so I put my head between my knees, trying to make it stop. Behind my lids were circles of blackness like I had rubbed my eyes too hard, but I hadn't touched them.
“Give her another minute,” I heard someone say.
“Cody?”
I heard laughing. Two different voices and they were deep.
“Cody, is that you?”
And then all I saw was blackness.
When I woke up, my body was stiff and my muscles ached like I had the flu. I was freezing and reached for the blanket, but my hand grabbed only a fistful of air. Where was my comforter?
Even with my lids closed, I could still feel the brightness around me. Had Katy forgotten to shut the blinds?
I sat up to look for my blanket and opened my eyes slowly so they'd adjust to the light. The sun almost blinded me.
Where was our dorm room? Why the hell was I outside, surrounded by woods and sitting on a mound of snow? My pants were next to me in a clump, my jacket was unzipped, and my shirt was torn at the bottom.
Panic ran through every part of me. I didn't know where I was. And I didn't know why I was half naked.
Scrambling to my feet as fast as I could, I yanked my jeans over my boots and took off running. The button on my jeans was missing and the zipper was broken, so while I staggered through the snow, I held the waist to keep them on.
There were footprints in the snow. I thought if I followed them, they'd lead me to somewhere I recognized.
The heel of my boot broke off from stumbling over twigs. My nose was running. The wind was making my eyes water, and it was hard to see where I was going.
There was a swishing noise up ahead and the trees started to clear. Cars? Cars swished, right? Something was swishing.
A branch hit my face. I tasted blood on my lips.
A road. A main road with more than one lane.
I tripped over a big rock. Both my body and pants fell at the same time. I needed to haul myself back up. I was almost at the road. But so tired.
At the clearing, I saw the street, and across the way was the University of Maine sign. I was fifteen minutes away from our dorm.
I crossed the four lanes of traffic without looking both ways. Cars honked. My pants slid down my waist and every step pounded my muscles like I was lying on a bed of nails.
My other heel broke off at the beginning of Long Road. Cumberland Hall was at the bottom of the hill.
I wheezed from the cold and strain. My toes cramped from the pointy-toed boots.
Someone was leaving Cumberland Hall. “Wait,” I shouted.
They held the door and I pushed my way through. Our shoulders hit, and the person yelled, “Ouch, watch it.”
I bolted up the two flights of stairs and down the hall to our room. Our door wasn't locked and I threw myself into the room.
“Where the hell have you been?” Katy asked. She closed her textbook and put
Cody noticed something was wrong and put his hands on my face. “Baby, you okay?”
My stomach was more than gurgling now, it was churning. And my mouth was watering like I was going to be sick.
“Just cold,” I said. “I need something to drink, want me to get you a beer?”
“I'll come with you.”
“No, stay, I'll be right back,” I said and jogged away, heading for the side parking lot by the dumpsters.
I didn't want Cody to see me puke. We weren't at a point where we were showing each other our bodily fluids. I knew I'd be fine once I got out whatever was hurting my stomach and then I'd rejoin the group. Maybe I'd even tell him I wasn't feeling good and I'd go back to my dorm room to sleep.
Halfway to the dumpster, the food rose to the back of my throat and I took off running with my hand over my mouth. Behind the dumpster, I lost it all. The dinner we ate and the two beers, it all came out.
My stomach was still churning, my head was foggy, and the rest of my body was sweating. I sat on the ground, the snow soaking into the butt of my jeans. The spins were getting worse, so I put my head between my knees, trying to make it stop. Behind my lids were circles of blackness like I had rubbed my eyes too hard, but I hadn't touched them.
“Give her another minute,” I heard someone say.
“Cody?”
I heard laughing. Two different voices and they were deep.
“Cody, is that you?”
And then all I saw was blackness.
When I woke up, my body was stiff and my muscles ached like I had the flu. I was freezing and reached for the blanket, but my hand grabbed only a fistful of air. Where was my comforter?
Even with my lids closed, I could still feel the brightness around me. Had Katy forgotten to shut the blinds?
I sat up to look for my blanket and opened my eyes slowly so they'd adjust to the light. The sun almost blinded me.
Where was our dorm room? Why the hell was I outside, surrounded by woods and sitting on a mound of snow? My pants were next to me in a clump, my jacket was unzipped, and my shirt was torn at the bottom.
Panic ran through every part of me. I didn't know where I was. And I didn't know why I was half naked.
Scrambling to my feet as fast as I could, I yanked my jeans over my boots and took off running. The button on my jeans was missing and the zipper was broken, so while I staggered through the snow, I held the waist to keep them on.
There were footprints in the snow. I thought if I followed them, they'd lead me to somewhere I recognized.
The heel of my boot broke off from stumbling over twigs. My nose was running. The wind was making my eyes water, and it was hard to see where I was going.
There was a swishing noise up ahead and the trees started to clear. Cars? Cars swished, right? Something was swishing.
A branch hit my face. I tasted blood on my lips.
A road. A main road with more than one lane.
I tripped over a big rock. Both my body and pants fell at the same time. I needed to haul myself back up. I was almost at the road. But so tired.
At the clearing, I saw the street, and across the way was the University of Maine sign. I was fifteen minutes away from our dorm.
I crossed the four lanes of traffic without looking both ways. Cars honked. My pants slid down my waist and every step pounded my muscles like I was lying on a bed of nails.
My other heel broke off at the beginning of Long Road. Cumberland Hall was at the bottom of the hill.
I wheezed from the cold and strain. My toes cramped from the pointy-toed boots.
Someone was leaving Cumberland Hall. “Wait,” I shouted.
They held the door and I pushed my way through. Our shoulders hit, and the person yelled, “Ouch, watch it.”
I bolted up the two flights of stairs and down the hall to our room. Our door wasn't locked and I threw myself into the room.
“Where the hell have you been?” Katy asked. She closed her textbook and put
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