I woke up in bed.

It wasn’t my bed.

I shot up and looked around the room rashly.

It wasn’t my room.

Also, I had a splitting headache.

I let out a few disgruntled curses and tried to sit upright. I felt like vomiting.

I looked around the room.

Definitely not my room. It seemed like I was in a huge apartment. The bedroom I was in was way bigger than mine. Not to mention the bed. It was a comfortable queen size, with white bed sheets, like in a hotel.

That wasn’t a hotel, right?

Just before my mind got to ask too many questions the door opened.

„Sup.“

A short girl with a blond bob came in.

„Val? What the ...“

„Drink up,“ she said, handing me a glass filled with a pink fluid.

„What’s that? Looks like poison.“

„Electrolytes, for the hangover. They are strawberry-flavored for kids, but still taste like shit.“

„Ugh, okay ... to be honest, I don’t really feel like ingesting anything. It might just come back up.“

„Shut up and drink, it helps with the sickness.“

Despite her words, she seemed unusually kind. Not as foul-mouthed and energetic as usual. Or maybe she was just tired as well.

She looked a bit different, from the one time, that I met her. Bags under her eyes. Or maybe she just didn’t wear makeup.

I gulped down the beverage in one fell swoop.

„Bwaahahah,“ my shivers were vocalized.

„Sooo, care to explain? Why am I here? Did you kidnap me? Will you break my ankles and force me to do V-Tube streams for you until I die?!“

„No.“

Again, she was unusually calm.

„Oh.“

„You ... don’t remember anything?“

„Nope.“

„Oh my god, well considering the condition you were in yesterday ... that’s fair.“ She nodded understandingly and took the glass from me, putting it on the bedside cabinet.

„Oh, right, the party!“ I remembered. „Wait, what do you have to do with the party?“

„Okay, I guess I’ll have to explain.“