Keily 

Manjari 

X 

I opened my eyes to find a sleeping figure lying next to me, their hair brushing against my face and 

neck. 

Sadhvi, still in her clothes from last night’s party, had her head turned away from me as she slept peacefully, releasing light snores. I yawned and sat up. 

I winced as a throbbing headache made its presence known, causing me to regret all the alcohol I had consumed last night. 

Massaging my temples, I took in my surroundings. 

Sun rays peeked through the half–parted curtains at the window, casting a bright light on the light–blue walls of Addison’s room. 

The queen–size bed, where I had sat and where all three of us had squeezed in last night, was positioned in the middle of the room, close to the wall behind it. 

The wall clock hanging in front of me showed 7:45 a.m. Beside the bed was a small stool–mine and Sadhvi’s clutches were on it along with a small lamp. 

On my other side was a wooden dressing table with a simple, long mirror. The room had a minimalist design, the opposite of mine. 

It had been almost a month since I’d last been here with Addison. 

I pushed myself out of bed silently and went to the attached bathroom to freshen up. 

As I stood before the basin, I flinched at my reflection in the mirror. Mascara was running down my checks, and my makeup was smudged all over, mimicking the face of a rundown zombie. 

My frizzy morning hair perfectly completed the horrendous look. Like Sadhvi, I was also in my party dress, which was now wrinkled and scrunched up from the night of sleeping in it. 

The hangover was real. And the heaviness in my head made it even more real. 

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Emergency calls only MO 

I am never drinking again. 

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A knock came from the outside right after I finished washing my face. I opened the door to a sweaty Addison in a tank top and yoga pants. I guessed she was returning from her morning jog. 

Unlike us, she hadn’t drunk at the party, so she’d probably had a fresh start. 

“Your dad is coming to pick you up,” she said and gave me a packaged toothbrush. “He’ll be here in an hour. And Mom wants you to have breakfast with us.” 

I nodded, wondering if Auntie knew about her niece showing up drunk at her doorstep last night. But I didn’t give it much thought, as Addison didn’t look worried. 

She had more experience than me with dealing with the aftermath of high school parties. 

Sadhvi was still sleeping soundly when I came out. Addison looked up from her phone as I sat 

beside her on the bed. 

“Do you remember last night?” my cousin asked, looking at me curiously. 

“I drank a little too much, but I don’t think it was a total blackout.” I chuckled but quickly regretted it when my head pounded mercilessly. “Yeah, I remember last night.” 

“You were crying when we were driving home.” Addison immediately got my full attention despite my bad headache. “I kept asking you if something was wrong, but you just cried and didn’t say anything. 

The blurred memory of the night after the encounter with James flashed in my mind. 

His words had left quite an impact on my drunken self. 

It wasn’t like I didn’t already know I didn’t belong with them. I knew it was strange that a fat girl like me was hanging out with all the beautiful, popular people. 

A Piggy playing dress up. 

After I found Addison and Sadhvi in a corner of the big house, we decided to head to Addison’s home. 

Handling Sadhvi, who was worse off than me, was getting difficult for Addison. So it took hardly any convincing from my side to leave. 

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As we passed James’s home on our way, something triggered, and my mind took me to our last conversation. Tears spilled when my brain started replaying his insult again and again. 

I was sure my emotions had been exacerbated by the alcohol. 

I remembered Addison looking at me in worry and asking if something was wrong or if someone had hurt me, but I kept shaking my head and crying silently, refusing to tell her about the humiliation that I had gone through. 

Now, seeing her concerned about me, I felt bad for being so difficult last night. She’d already had Sadhvi to deal with and didn’t need an emotionally unstable cousin to add on top. 

18:47 

“It was probably nothing,” I replied. My embarrassment still stopped me from revealing anything to her. Also, James harassing me wasn’t something new either. 

I with Lucas, thinking 

“Are you sure?” she asked, her face settling into a frown. “I left he’d look after you. 

“I’ve known him since we were kids. But he was drunk, and you never know with guys. Did he do 

“No!” I immediately cut her off. Lucas had been nothing but kind to me. 

“He didn’t do anything. In fact, I had so much fun with him. Maybe I was crying because we were about to k*ss but got interrupted.” 

Seeing Addison going as far as to suspect her childhood friend just for me got me scared, and I nervously blurted out a half lie. 

Great! 

A teasing smirk appeared on Addison’s lips. “Is my ship sailing?” 

“No.” 

“But you were going to k*ss him? And you two looked so cute together dancing.” 

We were going to k*ss only to spite James. And it was a very bad idea. 

“We were drunk, Addison,” I said, wanting to put an end to her fantasy involving Lucas and me. I shouldn’t have let my tonene slin, 

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shouldn’t have let my tongue slip, 

“I’m grateful nothing happened or it’d be so awkward for both of us. 

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“Sink your ship, because a guy like Lucas will never go for me, especially when there are so many beautiful girls already after him.” That was the truth. 

“Why won’t he go for you?” Addison quirked her brows. “What’s wrong with you? You’re beautiful“-she pinched my checks very aggressively, making me yelp–and so cute.” 

She used to do that a lot when we were kids and only stopped when I began to cry. 

“Don’t do that.” I unlatched my burning cheeks from her vice grip. “You do realize that it hurts.” 

I received a goofy grin before she brought us back to the tople. “It’s not a miracle if Lucas likes you. Have some confidence in yourself, Kelly.” 

“It’s easy for you to say when you look like this. I don’t–I don’t exactly fit many people’s criteria. I’m fat.” It slipped out before I could stop myself. Am I still drunk? 

“No, you’re not fat,” Addison said immediately. “Sure, you’re a little bit chubby, but that’s a trait. that makes you look like you. You should flaunt it, little sis.” 

I shrugged. I was sure many people, including James, would shake their heads. 

“So what was it that interrupted your k*ss?” 

“Uh… I don’t exactly remember,” I lied and felt bad for doing it. Addison was being so good to me. 

“Well, try not to let anything interrupt you next time.“” 

Before I could say there wouldn’t be a next time, she stood up and smacked Sadhvi hard on her back. The sleeping girl only let out a small groan before tossing her b*dy to the other side. 

“I won’t be getting rid of her before afternoon,” Addison stated with a long sigh and turned to me. “Let’s go. Mom must be waiting for us.” 

Aunt Clarissa was 

in the kitchen, preparing omelettes, when we reached downstairs. 

She and Addison looked very much alike, with the same skin tone and hair color, but Addison was taller and leaner compared to her mother’s slightly plump figure. 

When she looked at us, I was surprised to find her smiling at me instead of looking at me with a stern gaze. Maybe Auntie didn’t know I had been drunk. 

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“Hello Auntie,” I greeted, smiling back. 

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“Your father will be here soon,” she said, “and he knows about the alcohol. Be prepared to contain 

the damage.” 

I gaped at her, horrified, my headache hitting back with full force. Oh no! 

“Mom!” Addison yelled. “Why did you tell Uncle? He’s not like you; he’ll freak out and won’t let Keily go to other parties.” 

So Addison got her coolness from Aunt Clarissa. 

Auntie shook her head. “Addison, you brought her under my roof, so you can’t expect me to hide it from her parents. They’re family.” She flipped the omelette from the pan to a plate. 

“Also, you’re underestimating your uncle. He’s protective because he sees Keily as his little girl, but I’m sure he’ll understand that she’s growing up too.” 

She turned to me and gave a very bright smile. 

I could only muster a compliant nod at her optimism. 

“Whatever.” Addison rolled her eyes and sat on one of the dining chairs. “Sadhvi’s still in bed. Don’t make breakfast for her.” 

I quietly seated myself next to her. 

We ate our breakfast, making small talk about school and other things. Auntie was pleasant as always. I inhaled everything on my plate and also had seconds. 

No wonder I was fat when I stuffed myself like that. But the food was delicious. Aunt Clarissa cooked way better than my parents–or it was simply the change of taste that I liked. 

trip, so he 

My sore head was also cured. Uncle Mike, Mom’s brother, was on a weeklong business trip, 

wasn’t with us. 

When Dad showed up and threw a glare my way, I hid behind Addison, or tried to. Fortunately, Auntie had a few words with him before sending him my way, making his forehead crinkle less with 

anger. 

But he was still clearly irritated. 

“Didn’t I say no alcohol? my father began. We were in his Honda SUV, driving back home. It was only a five–minute ride, but that was enough for Dad to give me a piece of his mind. 

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“Wint else did you do that I still don’t know and 

“I promise it was just alcohol/Leered, looking at my lap. 

I nodded, 

“Kelly, I’m not sure how to go about this,” I heard him sigh 

“It’s the first time something like this lons happened. But you’re eighteen and an adult legally. I think I’m going to leave this to your mother” 

I grinned internally. Mom was definitely better and softer with punishments than Dad. 

“Tell me at least you enjoyed the party,” he said, his voice a little jovial, lightening the tension between us. 

I looked at him shyly. The creases on his forehead had disappeared, showing that our confrontation was over. That’s it? 

Aunt Clarissa had to have put some spell on my father because I’d never expected to get out of trouble this casily. 

I smiled to myself before answering. “I did.” Well, until James. 

“Good.” 

Now that the worst was over, I couldn’t wait to get back to my bed and have another long nap and wash away all the tiredness with a hot shower. I’d had a long night. 

I’ll deal with you in school- 

W 

Or maybe the worst was yet to come. 

James’s warning before he had ordered me to look for Addison crawled in my head. I hoped he hadn’t really meant it, and it had just been the heat of the moment. 

I rested my head against the side window, not having the energy to think about what tomorrow 

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“Good” 

Now that the worst was over, I couldn’t wait to get back to my bed and have another long nap and wash away all the tiredness with a hot shower. I’d had a long night. 

I’ll deal with you in school- 

Or maybe the worst was yet to come. 

James’s warning before he had ordered me to look for Addison crawled in my head. I hoped he hadn’t really meant it, and it had just been the heat of the moment. 

I rested my head against the side window, not having the energy to think about what tomorrow would bring with him.