Everything was spinning, everything was too loud, too fast. 

Emilio thrust his hand forward, trying to get the world to hold still.

Instead, he lost his balance and ended up on all fours staring at the grass.

“L-laady bugggg,” he chirped at the cricket in front of him, admiring its beauty.

For a moment, the world stopped shifting in and out of focus.

For a split second, Emilio felt himself coming back.

He reminded himself that he was Emilio fucking Everhart, a billionaire super genius, he was NOT  going to let himself pass out drunk in some random person’s backyard. Even if today had been awful, those days were behind him.

Pull it together Emilio, he yelled at himself.

He tried focusing on the chirp from the ladybug— No, it's a cricket, damn it, Emilio, you should know that! He cursed himself and his drunken brain.

“Okay,” he muttered and began to push himself up.

Bad idea!

The rush left him dizzier than the fall, the loud music and raging lights were bombarding his mind again.

He needed to get out of there. Fast.

He fumbled through his pocket as he stumbled towards the house.

“We-key!” Emilio yelled at his phone when he finally managed to pull it out. 

He made his way through the crowded mansion, the other celebrities too drunk to care, dancing, smoking and drinking around him as he pushed past. 

“Wicky!” He yelled again at his phone, confused as to why his AI, Ricki, wasn’t responding.

“I... gotta do evverythin round here.” He said, exasperated.

He looked at the phone again, moving his arm closer and further from his face until it looked the least blurry. He hit the green button twice: redial.

“Haha” He laughed, bringing the phone closer to his ear and hearing it dial. “'Even when I’m...dr-drunk I’m smart,” he proudly informed those around him, they nodded without listening.

He started humming along with the dial tone as he stepped out of the house.

“Mr. Everhart?” He heard someone finally answer on the other line.

“BENNNJIIII! Why’d you take so long? Bennji it’s bad.” Emilio yelled into the phone.

“No, Mr. Everhart. It’s Mateo, Mateo Angeles… We spoke on the phone earlier today, for an interview.” Mateo said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he glanced at his clock on the nightstand. “Mr. Everhart are you okay? It’s three in the morning!” 

Was he getting a booty call from THE Emilio Everhart himself?!?!? He quickly pushed away the silly thought.

Emilio could feel his best friends worry over the phone.

“Benji, I messed up." He said, "I’m sorry. Why'm just a bad idea person?" Emilio said, wandering further away from the house, the music was too loud. "Benji, I need you pick me up.”

“Mr. Everhart," Mateo said, quickly getting out of bed, "Where are you? Are you in trouble, should I call someone? I'm not Benji.”

“Benji, come. Hurry okay," Emilio kept mumbling as he made his way towards the street, "This was a bad idea Benji.”

“Okay, Mr.Everhart—Em-Emilio, I need to know where you are. Was that music in the background? You at a party?" Mateo said, holding his phone to his ear with his shoulder as he hopped around his room struggling to put his sweatpants on. 

He tripped on the pants and tumbled to the floor.

He quickly recovered, pulled them on and grabbed the phone from where it had slid to. 

Eddie was humming on the other line, oblivious. 

"Do you know what neighborhood you’re at?” Mateo said, slightly out of breath as he got up off the floor.

“Course I know what ne-nay-, the place. I'm not stupid, you know. I’m brilliant man.” Emilio said, continuing to stumble down the street.

“Yes, Mr. Everhart." Mateo said, grabbing a hoodie, his wallet and his keys before leaving his apartment. "You are a brilliant man, the smartest man I’ve ever met. Now an address?” 

“STOP!" Emilio said suddenly, whispering, almost at the brink of tears, "Just... stop. I’m not. I'm not brilliant. I’m stupid.”

“Emilio,” Mateo said as he went down the stairs of his apartment as quickly as he could without falling again, “I’m getting to my car and I don’t know where to go. You are very smart, we can have a discussion on whether or not you're stupid afterward, yeah?”

!! Update 1/20/21 !! I've made some revisions to the chapters! This includes characters' names and some chronological aspects, so some comments may not make sense because they're referring to something that has since been revised !! Update 1/20/21 !!