Chapter 25: Chapter 25

25. Eye Opening

Dillon

The sunlight was streaming in strongly by the time Dillon woke up. Someone inside his head was hosting a rock concert and for every time he blinked it sounded like the bass from a speaker. He groaned loudly and winced in pain when he started remember bits and pieces of his night.

Keith had convinced him to go to a party, at a Michael- something's apartment, and he had reluctantly tagged along. Keith seemed to be the only one grasping how little interest he had in Laura and after she had told Brittany and Austin about the kiss he'd decided never to speak to her again. She had called and called but he had ignored her calls, even ignored Austin for a while. Keith, who was still trolling for girls, told him to forget about Laura and go to Michael's with him in search for new 'fresh tail' as he put it.

He hadn't had enough to drink to warrant this painful hangover, that much he knew, but the rest of the evening was a complete blur to him. He got a flash of fear when he wondered if Laura had been there and if he'd done anything stupid. Dillon shifted in the bed and took a deep breath followed by a sigh of relief when he saw the full glass of water and two Advil placed on the nightstand – he had been smart.

But there was something off about where he was. The smell of the pillow he was resting on smelled less like him and more like...a girl. Had he gone home with Laura willingly or had she taken advantage of his drunkenness to trick him back to hers? Dillon felt the rush of panic and discomfort reach him but knew that if he indeed was at Laura's he needed to get out before she knew he was up. Slowly he got up and closed his eyes at the pain he felt when he went from his former position to sitting up – he must've drankat least one bottle by himself.

"Where the hell am I?" He said out loud and looked around the room with tired eyes.

He saw a well cleaned room filled with books and what looked like a vision board shoved in the corner between the door and the dresser. Briefly he looked at the nightstand again and noticed a note placed right next to the glass of water, which he was now drinking. He picked up the note and begun reading it slowly:

Hey Dillon,

I tried to wake you before I went to class but you were too passed out. There is water and Advil next to this note, take whatever you want from the kitchen.Jack will be staying over so don't be startled when you see him on the couch in the living room.I'll be back around 3 pm.

/Libra

He read the note at least four times before he put it down, took the Advil's she left for him and smiled. Somehow he had either called Libra or she had been at the party last night, but regardless of what happened she had brought him back here and taken care of him. Even after he showed up to her apartment at night with lipstick smeared across his face she had still come to his rescue. The fact that he couldn't remember what had happened last night left him more worried now considering Libra had probably been there to witness it!

Suddenly a sharp pain reached his stomach and he understood that despite his hangover he was starving. He needed to eat something and then get out of here before Libra returned back home – he needed to have a shower before seeing her and thank her properly. Dillon staggered out of Libra's bedroom, afraid he'll snoop if he stayed longer, and heard noise coming from the kitchen area. That's probably Jack, he assumed.

"Good morning," he said once he got confirmed that Jack was the one making the noise – he was making himself quite the sandwich when he turned around to meet Dillon's eyes.

"Good morning to you too," Jack chuckled, "had quite the night last night, huh?" He turned around and took a big bite of his sandwich and smirked when he saw Dillon lick his lips. "Let me make you one too." He said.

Dillon thanked him with a nod and took a seat on one of the bar stools while he tried his best to not fall back asleep. He made a silent vow never to drink like that again, or let Keith talk him into anything.

"What time is it? I don't know where my phone is." Dillon stuttered as he tested forming a sentence.

Jack handed over a sandwich to a starving Dillon and kept eating his own, "It's well over 1 pm at this point; you've slept for most of the day. Do you remember anything at all from last night? You were quite drunk."

"No, everything is mostly a blur to me – care to fill me in? Just warn me if I did something I should be concerned about." Dillon buried his head in his hands for a moment and used his palms to rub his eyes clean from sleep.

"We called you last night but you were so out of it that your friend, Kent or something answered. He told us where you were and we came to get you. You were passed out in the bathroom and had said someone might have slipped you something..." Jack looked down and mumbled the last part as if he didn't dare say it out loud.

Dillon fell silent and stopped eating for a moment. He tried to piece together some of the night with what Jack had said but he couldn't really recall anything significant. He had at least two beers with Keith but then everything turns black for him. Then an ice cold memory forced itself into his mind and he held his breath. On prom night he had found Libra on the bathroom floor, just like she had found him last night, the difference was that he hadn't tried to help her at all – instead he had done something much worse.

I am a terrible person.

"Are you alright, Dillon? Libra left some pills for you to—"

"I'm fine, I took them. I should be going right now and try to get some notes for my classes."

"You're not going anywhere," Jack said loudly, "finish your food first so I know you've at least eaten – I promised Libra that."

Yet again; I am a terrible person, Dillon reminded himself.

They ate in silence for a while but Dillon could see that Jack had something he wanted to say, most likely something about him and Libra. He was slightly jealous at her for having found such amazing friends that only wanted to look out for her – he clearly didn't have those friends here. It made him miss Charlie and childishly he wished that Charlie missed him too and that his new friends weren't going to take his place. When Jack had glanced at him enough times Dillon put his sandwich down and sighed, crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows.

"Out with it, Jack," he mumbled, "I can see that there's something you want to tell me."

Jack looked away for a second and then bit his lips nervously. Had he actually done something bad last night and if he was he prayed it was fixable. Drunken Dillon was no good Dillon but these days it meant something to him to be a better person.

"It's just that," Jack mumbled, "what's going on between you and Libra. She's not sure, it seems you're not either but I want to know. Libra is...fragile inside, although she hasn't told me why I assume you already know why. She reminds me a lot of myself a while ago and I would hate for someone to hurt her." He fixated his eyes on Dillon.

"I haven't planned on hurting her if that's what you're insinuating." He replied with an annoyed voice. Memories of the old Libra came to mind and he winced visibly to force them away.

"I'm not saying you are, I just wanted you to know that I'm looking out for her. I think you should talk to her about your intentions, if you will, so she won't get hurt." Jack raised his eyebrows again as if he wanted a response from Dillon.

"What about me then? I might get hurt too, does that concern you?" He challenged Jack but didn't really know why.

Perhaps something in him wanted Jack to be his friend now that he understood him slightly better. He seemed like a nice guy and one who would actually care about him as a person and not like Austin, Keith and Todd did – a player trolling for another notch on his bedpost.

"I think you'll be fine Dillon, but for the record; I am your friend too." Jack said and smiled. "Although there's another thing I'd like to tell you."

"Oh god, what is it?" He groaned and knew he most likely hadn't escaped last night without at least one major screw up.

"Your roommate was hitting on Libra last night at the party, took her phone and tried to bait her into 'having some fun' with him. You don't have to tell him I told you this but keep an eye on him."

After what Jack had just said Dillon felt numb inside. Todd just wouldn't quit, even if there were tons of other college girls willing to have fun with him. Todd had been nice the first and second day but the more time passed the shittier he had become; as a friend and a person. Dillon closed his eyes and thought about what it'd be like to not live with Todd anymore – it made him smile. His father could help him with the formalities of it all but he needed to get Todd out of his apartment and usher in someone else – someone like Jack.

"Say you wouldn't know another freshman looking for a roommate, or perhaps you are?"