What Happened on Christmas?

“Ouch! It hurts!”

My head was hurting tremendously. It feels like someone is hammering on it rigorously. What the hell is happening?

I wake up to some clanking sound. My roommate, without a doubt.There is an orchestra running in the kitchen.

The pain is tremendous. What the hell did I take last night?

Yesterday was Christmas. My roommate and her boyfriend had a party. I think something happened there. The only person that kept coming to my mind was Tyler Johnson. The last thing I remember was that we both had a fight.

“Are you good now?”

I looked at my doorway, and my roommate Nancy stood with a coffee tray in her hands.

“Thank God, you woke up, Scarlett.” “I assumed you wouldn’t be awake until the afternoon,” she said.

“Why did you think so?” I asked.

“Don’t say you remember nothing at all!” she said as she handed me the coffee mug.

I shook my head innocently. The mug was warm. It was still snowing outside. I should have been with my family in Nashville. How could I have forgotten this?

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I missed my flight.” I raised my cup and took a small sip. It was rich and dark with creamed oat milk. I have been a coffee addict for a while now. Since I have shifted to Manhattan, my love for tea has completely been replaced by coffee. And I think Tyler is somehow responsible for this. He was the one who challenged me to drink dark Manhattan-made coffee for a month, and that has sadly become a routine for me now. I couldn’t work or think straight if I didn’t have it.

“You wanna know why?” she asked.

“What?” I missed the conversation.

“Your flight. You wanna know why you missed your flight?” She asked again. I could read her expression. She must be thinking that I have gone officially mad now.

I wanted to concentrate on what she was saying, but somehow my clothes were making me uncomfortable. I looked down and found that I haven’t changed. I was still in my party dress. It was dusty pink and tailored in floral lace. The asymmetric hem was somehow making it difficult for me to cover my legs. I loosened up my self-fabric belt. I could finally breathe.

“I did something last night, right?” I said.

She nodded. “Yup. You were drunk.”

“Oh dear. What are they going to think of me?” The pain somehow lessened, and I was able to recall what happened last night.

I think Tyler challenged me to drink four vodkas, again. He played his trick well. The next time he meets me, I’ll kill him!

“Dear,” she said as she removed one of my hoop earrings. Now I noticed that the other one was missing. That was my favorite thing I bought for Christmas! “You should be concerned about what Tyler thinks of you,” she corrected me.

“What is Tyler’s connection to this? By the way, he is responsible for everything that happened. He was the one that came up with that crazy challenge!”

“Yes, but do you remember what happened afterwards?” She took a sip. Her lips were hiding behind the mug. I think she was smiling.

I tried to recall things again. I accepted the challenge. After drinking four shots of vodka, I.. don’t remember anything.

“Did I do something?” If that is so, I don’t want to know! This is the reason my father advised me not to drink at the party.

She handed me a note.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Read it. Maybe you’ll get all your answers.”

I opened the note and read.

“I would like to take the girl - who proposed to me in front of all my family and friends - on a date. Afterall, I haven’t answered her yet. And don’t think of skipping tonight’s dinner, because I have your beloved hoops. - Tyler Johnson.”

Oh my god.