White Chocolate #22 Lethargy
Author: Doriliv
Flavors: White Chocolate # 22 Lethargy
Rating: G
Word Count: 534
Summary: The Morning After the Night Before - Kate and Simon
Notes: Part of a bigger story: The Morning After the Night Before - Rachel and Dean
The first thing she noticed was the pounding. She forced her eyes open but couldn’t make anything out. She rubbed her eyes to clear them. OK, this wasn’t her bed.
Kate sat upright. The basement. Simons room. “Oh, God.” She rubbed her forehead as memories from the night before came back to her. She found her shoes at the end of the bed and quietly made her way up the stairs to the basement door. Before opening it, she pressed her ear to the door, listening for any signs of life on the other side. She wasn’t about to walk into an ambush. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she made her way out to the kitchen and up to her room. The next obstacle would be Lizzie. As quietly as she could, she turned the doorknob and entered the room. Luckier, Liz wasn’t actually there. Kate suddenly realised she had no idea what the time was. Before finding a clock, she reached for her brush. She combed it through her hair a couple times hoping to at least neaten it out a bit. She refused to look in the mirror just yet so didn’t know how affective it had been.
Oh, the pounding. The pounding was still there. But first things first, she was still wearing the clothes from last night. Still in zombie-mode, she pulled out the first jeans and top that met her hands and slipped them on. Coffee. Coffee, coffee, painkillers. Kate made her way back downstairs to start the hangover rituals. Coffee, coffee, painkillers, coffee, grease? Kate had never tried the greasy food approach to hangovers. Or was it oily food? Either way, she didn’t like the sound of it. She couldn’t eat something like that so early in the morning. Although, having not seen a clock yet today she had no idea if it was still even morning.
She began to think she was the only one home. She’d managed to get from the basement to her room and most of the way back again without any sign of the others. So it startled her slightly when she opened the kitchen door and found Simon reading the newspaper which rested on the island, toast in one hand and a coffee in front of him.
“Morning.” He said.
“Is it?” Kate felt the kettle, still hot. She poured the remaining water into a cup of with the coffee. No milk. No sugar. Disgusting really. But she wanted to feel awake, fast. “So, listen. About last night.” Kate busied herself with hunting for the painkillers so she didn’t have to look at him. She didn’t really know what she would say next, she hoped she’d said enough to start the conversation and he would take the lead from there.
“Don’t worry about it. I haven’t said anything to anyone.”
Kate felt safe enough to face him and actually stand next to him now.
“I figured you’d want to do it you’re way.” Simon continued.
“What?” Kate exclaimed surprised. What was he thinking?
“Your letter, your story.” He shrugged carelessly.
“Oh, right. Yeah, thanks.” So he was pretending nothing happened. Or maybe, as far as he was concerned, nothing had happened.