In a blur, like the rest of the day

The house was quiet when Cathy finally stumbled through the front door, her head still throbbing from last night’s escapades. She winced as sunlight streamed through the windows—way too bright. Classes had been a blur, her body aching in places she hadn’t known could ache, her mind replaying flashes of skin, breathless moans, and the slick, sinful heat of the night before.

She kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the couch in the living room, groaning. The others would be back soon, but for now, she had the silence to herself—well, aside from the relentless drumbeat of her hangover.

One by one, the girls trickled in, their voices bubbling with energy despite the exhaustion lingering in their movements.

“You look like ****,” Allison announced, plopping down beside Cathy and nudging her with a socked foot.

“Feel like it,” Cathy mumbled into a cushion.

Anita smirked, dropping her bag by the door. “Skipping class to nurse a hangover? Bold move, pretty girl.”

“Not all of us can bounce back like you,” Cathy grumbled, though there was no real bite to it.

Suki slipped in last, her dark eyes flickering between the others with a mix of curiosity and something else—nervousness? Excitement? She perched on the arm of the couch, fingers twisting in her lap.

Jo, ever perceptive despite—or maybe because of—her blindness, tilted her head. “Someone’s got something to say.”

All eyes turned to Suki, who flushed under the attention. She took a breath. “I… I was thinking about last night.”

A beat of silence. Then Erica snorted. “Yeah, join the club.”

Sam elbowed her twin, but she was grinning too.

Suki bit her lip. “It was… new. For me. But I—I liked it.” Her voice was soft but firm. “I think I’d like to do it again.”

A slow, wicked smile spread across Anita’s face. “Truth or Dare, round two?”

The energy in the room shifted instantly—shoulders loosened, eyes darkened, lips parted. Cathy sat up a little straighter, her headache momentarily forgotten.