What's the code to get in?" I inquired. There was complete silence.
"Annabel!"
"no__thing" I glanced at her in confusion. I pushed the door open, and it clicked as it unlocked. Is she joking? Doesn't she care about safety? How has she not set it up?
Entering the room, the aroma of sweets overwhelmed my senses. The motion light activated. I suppose she loves sweet scents. I laid her down on the bed and took off her sneakers. She looked exhausted.
"How much of it did you consume?" There was silence. Is she intentionally ignoring me? She was awake.
"Just how much did you take, Annabel?" My tone rose. My annoyance overwhelmed me.
"You didn't even activate your safety lock; you really don't care about your safety, do you?"
Silence again, then I started to hear soft sobs. What? Why is she crying? I didn't raise my voice that much. I stood there, puzzled and unsure of how to respond.
"I-I-I..."
I cleared my throat. "I didn't mean to raise my voice. I can't help you if you don't tell me what exactly happened," I said, eagerly waiting for her to respond. I hated being ignored or left clueless.
Her hand began to move, and she gestured towards the kitchen. She must be thirsty. I helped her sit up, brushing her hair away from her face, and offered her some water.
"Three sips," she finally said. It wasn't much, but it depended on what substance was in her drink.
"I guess we've discovered something today: you have a low tolerance, and I can tell you haven't taken any substances before now?" She nodded in response.
"Did you eat?" I asked. She shook her head.
Who in the world goes to a party without eating first? I shot her a judgmental look, though I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud. I couldn't stand the thought of her crying again.
I went to my car to get the burger I had bought earlier. I quickened my pace as I climbed the stairs to her floor. I hadn't felt this tense since I took the legal method exam in my first year.
I placed the burger in her hand, and she finally looked at me. Her lashes were wet with tears. I realized I had never looked at her this closely before; her eyes are beautiful.
"Thank you," she said, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. I watched her unwrap the burger and remove the tomatoes, I guess she doesn't like them. I observed as she took a big bite and quickly filled her glass with water to avoid choking.
" Another" She handed me a glass cup, looking straight at me. Is she enjoying this? I filled it again and handed it to her
"You should call the security team to set up the door code. Safety is important," I said.
"I planned on doing that tomorrow," she replied.
"Today," I said firmly.
"It's past midnight already," I said calmly.
"Oh… are you okay standing?" she asked.
"I'll be leaving shortly," I replied.
" The guy you were with...Did he give you the drink that made you feel dizzy?" I hoped she would say yes.
"No, no, no, he didn't; he's not like that."
"You just spent a few minutes with him, and already you think you know him. You can't blindly trust people."
"But he didn't." Yeah, he didn't. Why was she defending him so vigorously?
"I suppose you're not feeling so dizzy anymore; the effects of the drugs will fade eventually. It's good that you didn't consume too much of it."
"Thanks to the food."
Quietness settled in. The room began to feel uncomfortable. She fanned herself as if she were warm and pulled off the blanket I covered her legs with it.
"I suppose I should go," I said, quickly making my exit.
"Nic!" She called out.
"Please turn on the AC on your way out."
I did, and just before I could grasp the doorknob—
"Nicholas… Thank you." The warmth in her voice as she said my name was truly comforting, it tingled my senses.
I turned back; she appeared anxious, as if expecting me to scold her for using my full name—only my grandparents ever called me that; everyone else referred to me as Nic, with the exception of my mom, who called me Nico. I couldn't help but gaze at her disheveled hair, bare legs, and the smudged makeup that still left her looking attractive.
"Be safe, Annabelle," I called out, closing the door behind her with a decisive thud. I couldn't stand the thought of being in the same room with her any longer
"C'mon, Nic, she's James's friend for crying out loud! What are you thinking?" My mind was in a whirlwind, and I couldn't help but feel a rush of frustration. Had I really been out of the game for so long that I was actually tempted to check her out? I couldn't let that happen. Sigh. I revved my engine and sped back to the dorm. I needed to clear my head.