“Thalia, do you have a hangover?”
‘Yes’, Thalia thought, ‘A very bad, and annoying one’ She could have admitted, but instead she had flashed a smile, ignored the pounding beating inside her head, and said, “No?” Thalia had denied, “What makes you think I have one? Do I look that dead?” Thalia questioned as she chuckled, as if she had told a funny joke.
As if her throat didn’t feel like sandpaper, or the dimming light in the halls wasn’t exacerbating her headache. As if she weren’t already weary of conversation, or as if her nose wasn’t still throbbing from last night’s revelry. Having a hangover was never pleasant, but today it seemed to bear down on her with an unusual gravity, weighing upon her shoulders like a lead blanket. . It reminded her of when she was younger, at a party hosted by her sisters when their parents went away, just like the masquarade party- it had been a masked party, she had been wearing a mask because it was a party to celebrate ‘freedom’ as her sisters had said, for juniors and seniors before they entered college and experience the depressive nature of college.
Last chance to be kids, Kaelith had said, taking a bite of a red apple, You will come won’t you? She had asked, as if the event weren’t taking place in the very house Thalia called home.
“I literally live in the house” Thalia had responded, confused.
'You know what I mean," But at that time Thalia did not, because Thalia struggled with understanding her sister or people in general, she had always found herself a little ‘loss’ when it came to people outside viewing them from her camera lenses ,
“Are you going to wear a mask, join in the revelry, or continue being your weird self?” Kaelith had pressed, her words a mix of teasing and exasperation, leaving Thalia to ponder her place amidst the festivities and the world beyond.
Kae’s words weren’t meant to wound; they were the playful banter exchanged between sisters or closest friends, a language Thalia had grown accustomed to. “I’ll continue being my weird self,” Thalia had retorted to Kae’s jest, brushing off the teasing with practiced nonchalance.
Yet, despite her declaration, Thalia found herself donning a mask at the party. She lingered on the outskirts, perched by the poolside, her legs immersed in the cool water, a silent observer of the festivities unfolding around her. She resisted the pull of the crowd, content in her solitude, until curiosity or perhaps a burgeoning sense of adventure propelled her into the fray.
And then the drinks flowed freely, blurring the edges of inhibition until one reckless decision led to another. She found herself entangled with a boy, familiar yet strangely distant behind his own mask. It was a moment spurred on by a game of truth or dare, an impulsive act that spiraled out of control, staining the night with bloody hues.
The aftermath was a haze of confusion and consequences. Police lights pierced the darkness, casting shadows of apprehension over the revelry. Her sisters had quickly cleaned up the house, and Thalia had woke up to a horrible hangover, just like now.
But just like before- Thalia touched her pendant, she would survive it, and nothing would happen, nothing strange like the… like what had truly unfolded then.
"Are you flirting with me? Thalia had teased, knowing it would cause Desdemona’s cheeks to redden. Desdemona had been quick to deny, her voice and gesture very shy. It was all so undeniable cute, and had caused Thalia’s smile to widen.
“Just true, huh?” ” she teased, leaning in slightly, her voice dipped in playful incredulity. “Well then, I can also confess, I’m rather glad to be with you right now,” Although, she had tried to escape a conversation with her a few minutes before.
“Last night was weird,” Thalia admitted, at Mona’s questioning gaze, “Was stuck on an assignment and did not get enough time to sleep,” Thalia lied. For some reason, she just did not want to admit to Desdemona, that she had drank way more than she should have, and now had a terrible headache. She knew Desdemona would not judge her, just be disappointed or feel sorry for her, but that was exactly what Thalia did not want, she had already disappointed herself enough last night.
She had hoped that Desdemona would stop asking questions, would naively accept what Thalia had said, but she did not, instead she had asked more questions, asking if she had flirted with someone and it did not go quite well. Thalia blinked at that, “No-Well, something like that,” It was not technically ‘something like that’ because Thalia had not flirted with the dark haired girl from the party- she thinks, at least from what she remembered, instead she had taken a photo of her, and had completely embarrassed herself in front of her, “There was no flirting though,” Just a very large amount of embarrassing behavior. Wishing to change the subjects, Thalia had immediately brought up breakfast, asking if Desdemona was hungry, to which she had said no, then had quickly rephrased it to say they could grab a snack and go up to her room to meet kiki. “You brought Kiki with you?” Thalia had questioned incredulous.
Kiki was Mona’s pet lizard, a pet that Mona rarely never not spoke about. She was small, green and was liked very much by Atum Thalia’s cat.. Thalia did not remember if they were allowed to bring pets in or not, but "I won’t tell anyone, " Thalia said, shaking her head and chuckling, “Can’t believe you brought him with you though,” Although that was very believable, giving the fact it was Desdemona they were talking about after all. “But yes, you should probably feed him. Let’s go get some snacks for Kiki,”
Thalia and Desdemona made their way to the campus cafeteria, the scent of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the chatter of students as they queued up for their morning pick-me-ups. Reaching the counter, Thalia had found herself ordering a cup of black coffee- always keeps you awake after all! and a plain bagel. She had also picked some blueberries, “Some blueberries for Kiki,” Thalia smiled.