章 23: It Takes Guts to be Drunk on a School Night
"How much... could they have drunk to be so... wasted like this?!" Brook complained while completely struggling to carry Hyolyn on his back. He feels like his spinal cord will break real soon.
Vaughn, on the other hand, seems to be so effortless in carrying Chlea. He just can't help but be mad. Mad because Chlea did not inform him she is going to party in a bar let alone she is drunk like this. Bad things could have happened to them, to her.
After successfully placing Chlea who is now comfortably asleep at the back seat, Vaughn turned to Brook and growled. "How come you did not know they were going to party at a club?!"
Brook closed the backseat door and put a hand on his temple, "I didn't know, okay? Hyolyn and I fought, she did not even respond to my messages so how the heck am I supposed to know?"
Vaughn shook his head. "Whatever. Will you drive Hyolyn home?"
Brook paused as he was about to go inside the driver's seat, "Of course! His brothers would kill me if she doesn't come home tonight!" He replied, went inside the car, and then drove off.
Vaughn just can't help but put a palm on his face. 'How could they get so wasted on a school night like this?' He asked himself. The roads were already empty and the only source of light was the only one coming from Vaughn's car.
There were people roaming the street, some were in hooded jackets with cigarettes lit on their hands, perhaps call center employees on a graveyard shift. Aside from them, there were no other signs of people around.
At around 2 AM, Vaughn arrived at Chlea's house where he picked her up when they went to Kawasan Falls. He got off the car and then rang the doorbell twice. Vaughn is uncertain whether somebody will be awake at this time but he noticed that the lights inside the house are all lit. He got optimistic someone will open the gate for him and get Chlea.
A few seconds later, a woman who looks too young to be Chlea's mother and is likely in her late 20s hurriedly opened the gate. She is wearing a black body-hugging dress paired with 6-inch stiletto heels with her hair left loose.
Worry flashed all over her face as if she is expecting someone else to come, she tried to mask
it over by formally asking Vaughn. "How may I help you?" While subconsciously peeking outside several times over the minute.
"Am I at Chlea's house? She is inside my car completely passed out." Vaughn informed in a way not to agitate or worry her more.
Without hesitations, the woman ran to Vaughn's car parked outside as fast as a bolt of lightning while hissing "Her Dad is going to kill me" multiple times.
"Open up!" The woman, who is Chlea's personal assistant, Catherine nervously yelled at Vaughn. Thoughts have been running wild inside her mind as to where Chlea might have gone for the past few hours. She has exhausted everything she can to find her but to no avail, they were not able to locate her.
Catherine did her best to make sure Regan does not know Chlea sneaked out with her cousin, Hyolyn. Surely, if Regan will know, Catherine will be put in her place. This way she was so nervous when she heard Chlea is inside a stranger's car.
Catherine pushed an earpiece on her left ear and ordered, "Miss Chlea is here downstairs. Come quickly and place her inside her room." She then gave Vaughn a piercing look. "Who are you? What did you do to her?"
Realizing that this woman may not know he is Chlea's boyfriend replied, "I... am Chlea's friend. I happened to be in the same area as she so I drove her home."
Scanning him from head to foot, Catherine glared at him. "You better not do anything to her. I
got your plate number memorized and this property has high definition CCTVs around. Be careful." She warned. Aristle, a well-built bodyguard, carefully lifted Chlea from the car to inside the house.
The next morning, Chlea woke up with a pounding head. The world feels like swirling which is why she squinted her eyes. Chlea shut her eyes close and then went on to open it again.
'Heck, I can't remember anything last night!' She whispered to herself while massaging her head.
"The audacity I have! We have classes today!" She jumped off her seat and looked for her phone.
Her eyes grew big. "11:42 AM?! IT'S ALMOST NOON TIME! AHHHHH!" She shrieked.
The household servants came running to her door to see what is wrong with Chlea. "Madam, are you alright? Do you need anything?"
Chlea got up, "Yes! Why didn't you wake me up? I have classes today!" She yelled, unable to control herself. Unbeknownst to her, Catherine is behind the servants waiting for her turn to nag Chlea. She has always been
strict towards Chlea because if something messes up, Catherine ends up receiving all the bad talk from Regan.
With arms crossed, "They. Oh I mean, 'we' woke you up. You were too tired from partying last night you did not even notice."
Catherine paused for a while to think and then resumed, "I mean, you should have known better, Chlea. You have classes today so you shouldn't have gone partying on a school night. It's not even something you need to be reminded of. Always bear that in mind."
To Chlea, Catherine's every word bear weight. "She is right, I should have known better," Chlea said to herself after they went out of her room. She just sat down on her bed feeling bad.
Chlea has no choice but to be absent from class today. Before anything else, she checked her phone for some unread messages. Apparently, there are four. One from Gayle, one from Hyolyn, and two from Vaughn.
Chlea tapped open Vaughn's message.
'How are you feeling?'
'You awake now?'
"Good thing. Now that he messaged me, how did I even get home last night?" As frustrated as she is, Chlea tried to shut her eyes off trying to remember what happened. To no avail, nothing seems to come to her mind.
'Was I drugged? How did I get home? Does Dad know?' Endless questions pop rapidly like popcorns under heat inside her mind.
Still in her dress last night, Chlea went to the bathroom to take a quick shower and change clothes as well. Afterward, she came downstairs to grab a portion of food because she is starving real bad.
Maria was washing the dishes, "What do you like to eat, Madam?" Maria respectfully asked while wiping her hands on her pink polka dot kitchen apron.
"Nah, I'll just make my own coffee." Chlea who looks bored replied. Maria then went to wash the dishes in the sink.
Moments later, Chlea's phone rang, and upon picking it up, she saw it is Gayle calling.
With a smile, she picked it up. "Hello there, pretty!" And then cracked up.
"Hey Chlea, where are you? You are late for two subjects already!" Gayle blurted on the other line.
Shaking her head, "I'm at home. I will be absent today because got so wasted last night that I woke up just now."
Chlea could hear Gayle and Molly gasp because they could not believe she went drunk last night, on a school night.
"Ah seriously, girl! On a freaking school night, you went drunk?!" Gayle shrieked.
Molly added, "Geez, getting drunk on a school night needs another level of confidence. Chlea, bring me with you next time!"
Gayle just can't help but laugh. "Seriously, bring us with you next time so that you will not be absent alone!"
"Hey, I'll remember that! I will let you know next time we party out." Chlea reassured.
"Alright, we will be heading to our next class so I'll hang up for now, okay? Bye mwa."
*toot*
Earlier, Chlea felt that she should not have gone with Hyolyn last night but a part of her was happy too. She has not partied like that all of her life and it was a liberating experience. Now Chlea is thinking about how she should make this day productive to make up for her absence at school, there seems nothing to be done in the house so she felt bored.
All of a sudden, her phone rang again but now, flashing an unknown number. Seems like an international number. With much reluctance, Chlea answered.
"... Hello?" Chlea said after a brief pause because for unknown numbers she would wait for the other line to speak first just to know if she recognize the voice. But right now, the person on the other line seemed to be thinking the same way which is why Chlea decided to speak up.
Chlea could hear the other person giggle. "Hello, my dear niece." A womanly voice greeted who apparently is her Aunt Jac.
"Aunt Jac? Wait... you called!" Chlea shockingly replied as she recognized her Aunt's voice.
Jaclyn does not answer phone calls let alone make one. This is the reason why Chlea is utterly surprised by Jaclyn calling her. Physically, if Chlea and Jac would be with each other side to side, people would probably think they are around the same age. Jaclyn does not seem to age at all.
This is one quality of hers she is known of, she ages like a fine wine. One that gets better throughout the years. Jaclyn is known for her elegance and of
course, her stubbornness. Jac is whom their family relative thinks about where Chlea got her rebel attitude from.
"Yes, hun! Of course, I thought we should catch up a little before I leave the country. Would you be available today after your class?" Jac lovingly asked her niece as she would like to talk to her about an important matter, her marriage engagement.
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