She woke up to the sound of her mom calling her name. It was a dream. But when she opened her eyes, someone was calling her name. The blurry shape became clearer as her eyelids opened all the way up.
“Jan?” she tried to remember where she was. The room was unfamiliar but she recognized the scent. “Marlon?” she saw him sitting on the floor by the bed she was laying on.
“Hazel … are you alright?” Marlon took her hand and leaned closer to observe her eyes.
She thought for a moment and furrowed her brows, “Did I fell asleep? Where am I?”
“You’re in my room … do you remember how you got here?”
She could see the concern on his face, she searched her foggy brain for the memory of the moment that led her to that room. She put her hand on her forehead, “I just remembered I felt so sleepy … I was with Dennis at the balcony … I think he took me here because I could hardly walk, my legs were heavy … I held on to him and …” she shook her head, she was surprised she couldn’t remember what happened after that.
“I came here as soon as I heard,” Jan said from the background. She too had a concern look on her face, “How do you feel now?”
Hazel widened her eyes, “I feel … fine … a little high?” she laughed lightly.
“Hazel … baby … do you feel any different? I mean … are you hurt?” Marlon persisted.
Jan took a sharp glance at Marlon, and then back to Hazel.
“What do you mean? Did I fell and hit my head or something like that?”
“No … he meant …” Jan let out a frustrating breath, “You were alone with Dennis in this room for some time … do you feel anything different? Like … in your body?”
That question jolted her up to a sitting position, she touched her breasts and straightened her skirt. She tried to feel her own body for something different. “I don’t think so … do you think he did something to me? He wouldn’t do that would he?”
Everyone fell silent. Jan looked at Marlon for a response.
Hazel tried to feel her crotch, between her thighs to detect if she felt sore in any part around that area, “I feel fine … it suppose to sore … right?” she looked at Jan.
Jan was biting her nail, “Yeah … sore … do you feel anything like that?”
Marlon dropped his head and pinched the middle of his forehead, he wanted to kill Dennis.
“No … I feel like I felt any other day … come on … Dennis wouldn’t do something like that … he’s your childhood friend … right?”
“He swore he didn’t do anything, but …” Marlon sighed.
“You made him swore? Did I miss something?” Hazel was amused.
“You slept the whole time, he locked the door … I had to … are you sure you’re alright? Can you make sure? Should we go to the doctor or something?” Marlon said in a low voice.
“What?” Hazel put her feet on the floor. “I think you’re a bit paranoid … I’m going to the bathroom … I think I need to pee,” she said nonchalantly.
Marlon and Jan stared at her in silence.
“I’ll let you know if I feel sore or if there’s any blood … which I’m sure there’s nothing … stop staring at me like that … you’re creeping me out.”
Marlon couldn’t believe how trusting she was of Dennis. A guy she only just met at that party, who obviously had given her something that made her extremely sleepy and locked her unconscious in a bedroom.
“Oh my God!” Hazel shouted in the bathroom.
Marlon jumped on his feet as if a lightning bolt just hit him. He was instantly sober. Jan’s eyes widened, her heart raced.
The bathroom door opened, “It’s 10 minutes to midnight … I have to go! Oh my God … how long was I sleeping? Did I slept through your party?”
She came rushing out with her phone in one hand. “I’m fine … no stain … no sore … nothing … what’s with the horror faces??” she looked at them. “I can’t be late … my parents won’t let me go again next time if I’m late … Jan, can you take me home?”
“I’ll drive you home,” Marlon said.
“No … I’ll take her home … you get some sleep … you’re not in a condition to drive,” Jan said.
“You’d drive me home? Don’t you have a party to host?” Hazel asked as she was getting ready to leave. “I can’t hear any music … what happened?”
Jan glanced at Marlon who didn’t know how to explain to her.
“Party’s over early … come on … let’s get you home,” Jan grabbed her arm.
“Really? So everyone’s gone home?”
“Um … hmm … we’ll talk about it tomorrow … okay Cinderella … let’s get you to your pumpkin carriage and go home … you have a boyfriend to say goodbye to tomorrow,” Jan said.
Hazel gasped, “Oh … God … yes … let’s go, … thanks for the party baby,” she was back to her playful self, and a sweet smile on her face. She walked over to give him a hug, and a peck on his cheek, “Sorry I fell asleep … I promise I’ll do better next time,” she laughed.
Marlon tilted one corner of his lips and an eyebrow, “Sure,” he said. There was never going to be a next time … not for Hazel anyway. He was already regretting having her at the party, he knew it was a bad idea. Something bad could’ve happened to her and he wouldn’t forgive himself if it had.