Free High School Hangover by Stephanie Hale Page B

apparent I’m no longer wearing a bra. This is not good. I swear, if I find out Jack saw me naked, I’m going to kill him.
    This dress is so tight I can only take baby steps or I’ll blow it out and the last thing I need is to be half naked when Jack comes to. I hobble over into a claustrophobic aisle and make my way carefully through the maze of boxes, shining the flashlight on them to read their inscriptions. All this stuff must belong to Jack’s family. Maybe they had to move again. I almost feel guilty but then feel the sequins brush against my skin reminding me that Jack is not to be pitied, especially if he has seen any of my unmentionables. I see a box marked Zander’s bedroom that I throw open but it only yields Star Wars themed bedding. I’ve heard that name before. It had to have been from Jack. I bet that is his little brother’s name. I continue on my mission and the flashlight beam lands on a towel draped over something in the corner. I make my way over to it, careful not to make any noise because I still haven’t rehearsed what I’m going to scream at Jack when he wakes up.
    I lift up a corner of the towel to reveal a large plastic bin with a grated metal door. The light shines inside the bin onto something pale yellow and lilac-colored. I don’t know what it is but the smooth texture reminds me of a pair of Mom’s outrageously expensive shoes. I move the light further in the bin when it reflects back at me in a pair of ruby red eyes. A sliver of red forked tongue flicks out causing me to fall backward and tumble into a box. I wiggle out of the box shining my light back toward what I now know was a cage to make sure the giant snake hadn’t suddenly formed opposable thumbs and opened the cage to come after me.
    I clutch my chest and try to resume normal breathing while getting as far away from that cage as I can. In another corner I spot a fat Oriental vase that is exactly what I was looking for. I gather the skirt of my newly acquired ball gown and squat on top of the vase. This isn’t my finest moment by far, but when I think of how priceless it would be to see the expression on Jack’s face when his mother asks him why her favorite vase is filled with pee, I don’t have any problem releasing my bladder into the vase. It feels so good not to have to hold it anymore that I accidentally drop the flashlight and it rolls away. I’ve broken the seal now so there is no stopping midstream to retrieve it.
    I can still see a small sliver of light as it rolls away so I’m not too worried. I must have drunk my weight in punch last night. I wonder if Jack was right about me overdosing on caffeine and that’s why I can’t remember everything right now. I felt fine in the pool and I didn’t drink any punch after that. At least I don’t think I did. I’m so confused about everything. I bury my throbbing head in my hands and continue filling the vase. It dawns on me that I didn’t have any underwear to pull down before hopping onto the vase. That means I’m completely naked under this dress. Holy crap, I am not the kind of girl who wakes up missing her underwear. What in the world happened to me last night?
    “Dimples, what are you doing?” Jack asks, shining the light right on me.
     
    *****
     
    “Stop calling me that,” I rant, after I’ve screamed at Jack to move away from me so I can drip-dry and fix my dress. “Is this your idea of a joke? Kidnapping me and holding me hostage against my will?”
    “Calm down,” he orders, which ignites my temper further.
    “Don’t tell me to calm down. Do you know how many people are probably looking for me? How long have I been gone? You’re going to jail for this, you know?”
    He shines the light right in my eyes, nearly blinding me, but doesn’t say a word. I swear he is the most irritating person alive.
    I take a few deep breaths and try to calm down since it is obvious Jack isn’t going to end this until I do. “Can you please tell me why you