By the time Adrian came to his room, Lorenzo was already asleep. He carefully snuck to the bathroom, making sure not to wake him. He didn’t even want to think of what would happen in the morning. For all he knew, this was the last night they were friends. Adrian took a long shower, even put his clothes in the washer. Yet nothing got rid of the disgusting feeling of the alcohol and the drink over his clothes.
The entire night, Adrian could barely sleep. His head was pounding and his thoughts were racing. He’d spent hours turning around in bed, unable to get the conversation with Chloe out of his mind. He only stalled and stalled going to sleep. Just the thought of Chloe telling Lorenzo everything made him sick. How could he have acted so irresponsibly? His reputation was about to be ruined and he’d be powerless to stop it. He was supposed to forget his problems, yet he’d only made them worse. There was no escape. Through the silence of the room, his thoughts only got louder. He almost wanted to just get up and return back home. It wasn’t even certain which option was worse anymore. His parents, the source of all his stress and madness? Or the school, his former escape that he’d ruined with his carelessness?
As his drowsiness slowly took over, he thought back to what Chloe said in the end. She wanted to try and be friends, to forget the argument they’d had. Adrian was so overwhelmed by his own emotions, and the thought of some stranger seeing him in that state — he needed to leave. Should he have said something different? To try and make amends, even though she’d seen a less than perfect version of him? That wasn’t supposed to be him. Nobody was supposed to know how he really is. If only there was a way to make her forget everything. And to think she was even willing to help him. It made him feel so small and pathetic. Adrian could never accept help from someone else, what would his parents think? He wasn’t good enough to achieve anything on his own.
As daytime approached and the sun peeked from the horizon, he’d finally become tired enough to fall asleep.
The next morning, well, evening to be precise, Adrian could barely drag himself out of bed. His pounding headache had only gotten worse after sleeping. By the time he woke up, Lorenzo had left the dorm and the sun had already begun to set. Adrian took his phone from the bedtable, checking the time. If he hadn’t checked the date as well, he would’ve assumed he didn’t sleep at all.
As he sluggishly scrolled through his notifications on the lockscreen, one stood out to him immediately. A text from Lorenzo. As soon as he processed it, his heart rate spiked up and his eyes widened. He didn’t think he’d have to deal with everything so soon.
Hey dude, You busy? Chloe and I was wondering if you could hang out.
Adrian immediately sat up, rubbing his eyes. He reread the text again, making sure he saw it correctly.
Chloe. And Lorenzo. They wanted to hang out with him. Today.
That was very soon.
He sighed, his fingers shaking as they moved across the keyboard.
Very busy, actually. I’m going to be busy for the next few months and years and decades and never text agai…
Delete. He couldn’t send that.
Adrian laughed bitterly to himself. He locked his phone and threw it on the bed. He’d respond later. For now, there had to be a way to take his mind off things, forget everything again. With the side effects from the party, drinking was out of the question. Maybe a walk would help clear his mind.
He stood up and opened his closet, looking through his options for something to wear. After a short 60 whole minutes, he’d finally decided. He got ready for the day, before finishing his outfit off with sunglasses and leaving out the door. As he stepped out in the hallway, he looked around to make sure Lorenzo wasn’t nearby. And once he was certain, he swiftly made his way out to campus.
Adrian wandered around aimlessly for a while. Never in his three years at the academy did he think to take a walk around the campus before. Just taking time to observe his surroundings and learn about the layout of the school. To enjoy the peaceful nature of the countryside; the forest, the lake.
And in fact he was right to never attempt. Because it was the most boring thing he’d ever done. At least, it helped his headache a bit, though he could still feel the effects. After half a circle, he returned back to the center of the campus.
Though it was night, there were still students gathered around the area. Some were simply talking and hanging out, some made their way back to their dorms. Adrian turned his head down as he walked. He wasn’t up to having another conversation, he knew it wouldn’t go well in his state. He slipped his sunglasses over his eyes and made his way to an isolated bench. There weren’t many people nearby, he doubted anyone would pay him attention.
He leaned on the backrest, turning his head up. The sky was clear and all the stars were visible. It was an unusual sight for someone used to the city. As sad as it sounded, it was only something he could see in pictures. If only he’d taken a camera with him to the academy. Or at least taken his phone from his dorm room. Well, it didn’t matter. The sound of crickets filled the air, as a gentle breeze blowed through. Adrian sighed and closed his eyes. For a moment, he was at peace. Lorenzo and Chloe didn’t exist, and neither did his parents.
But from the distance, he heard footsteps against the concrete. He opened his eyes briefly. Before he could turn his head down, he saw a shadow towering over him. And soon enough he noticed a familiar face — it was Izzy. One of his… Acquaintances. It seemed he couldn’t escape socialization after all.
He put his glasses on the top of his head, faking a smile. “Oh, heyyy! How’s it going?” His eyes were still a bit red, and his face twitched slightly as he struggled to hold the smile. He hoped she wouldn’t notice.
@Jass {✧} Isabella Rodriguez
@Kate {✧} Chloe Yang - mentioned
@ChayChay05 {✧} Lorenzo Perez - mentioned
Outfit
Once again, sunglasses at night
