Page 3 of The Pinkie Pact

Right after he shut it, not quite a slam, but not exactly gently, my angry stomach decided it wasn't done with me. I didn't make it to the toilet, instead retching into the sink just like Kara had the night before.

When I was done, I dared to glance up at the mirror. And what I saw shocked the hell out of me. No wonder Kara's brother had hated me on sight. I was a total and complete wreck—mascara streaked down my face, my hair a knotted mess, lipstick on one cheek, flecks of vomit stuck to the other.

I would hate me too. I hated myself right now.

How the hell had I let this happen? Again?

The Pact

Sky

Kara came into the bathroom just then. "I'm really sorry about my brother. He can be such an asshole sometimes."

"Only sometimes?"

After I rinsed out my mouth, I turned on the water and wiped the vomit off my face with some wet toilet paper. Why hadn't I at least cleaned myself up a little earlier? I looked like I should be committed immediately to drug rehab or needed some kind of 5150 hold.

"Believe it or not, only sometimes," she said. "But that, just now, that was probably the worst."

Even in my state, I didn't miss her dejected posture or the way her eyes suddenly filled up with tears. She looked almost as bad as I did. Almost.

We were quite the pair.

No wonder "Mr. Perfect" had completely lost it. He probably thought we'd had a way crazier night than we really had. All we'd done was drink. A lot. And that's it.

But by the looks of us now, you would never know that, and he hadn't bothered to ask, had he? He'd probably assumed the absolute worst.

Even what we'd done, though, was too much. Ihadto find a way to do better. I had promised my parents I wouldn't mess up this time around. Because if I did?That was it for me. I'd be stuck working at home, paying rent to my parents, scraping by till I could move out on my own.

Ihadto be serious this time. I just didn't know how really. And not with a roommate like Kara who liked to party.

After watching me wipe my face down, Kara left the bathroom and slunk down on her bed. "We need to talk," she said so quietly I almost didn't hear her.

"What was that?" I asked, taking a seat on my own bed. I didn't think I'd be accomplishing much today.

She looked up at me, her own face mirroring mine. "I said we need to talk."

I had a sudden weird feeling. "Are you breaking up with me?" I said, half-joking but also kind of serious. No one had ever broken up with me before. But I'd said those words a few times to some guys, and now I knew how it felt to hear them.

"What?" She laughed then walked over to the tiny kitchen area and grabbed two boxes of cereal, tossing one to me. "Here. This might help us."

I dug into the box of Fruit Loops and popped a handful into my mouth, testing them out to see if it was too soon, but they tasted so good. As I reached for my water bottle, I watched Kara chomp on some Captain Crunch and waited to hear what she had to say.

"So..." she started then paused to chug some of her own water. "This really sucks."

I was so confused right now. She almost seemed scared to talk to me. What could she possibly have to say to me that she was nervous about?

"You know I'm a very open person," I said, trying to reassure her. Was it about her sexuality? "I'm really accepting of, well, pretty much everything."

"Well, there is that." She laughed. "I mean, sometimes I hook up with guys. And sometimes, I hook up with girls. But that's not what I'm trying to tell you."

I paused my eating, feeling a little sick again. "Well, what is it then? You're freaking me out."

She glanced out the window next to her bed at the busy street four stories below us. "It's just I got into a shit-ton of trouble last year."

"You did?" Her brother had mentioned something about that. "What happened?"

"Ugh," she groaned. "I can't. I can't even talk about it right now. Not that I don't trust you. I actually really do... which is weird because we just met. But it'll make me sick if I tell you."

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