When I wake up, Ace is still sleeping. He looks so peaceful. Men should be asleep more often.

I don't want to be just sitting here when he wakes
up so I grab my phone and get up as quietly as I can. When I close the door I lean against the wall and try to remember the details of last night. Too much drinking,  Collin, Ace. I've drank a few times in my life, and never enough to forget a whole night.

As I walk down the stairs I open my phone and see six missed texts from Sonal, eight from Ananda, and four missed calls.

I was supposed to be the designated driver.

I call Sonal and immediately start apologizing.

"What the hell Kyra? Are you okay?" She's pissed, but her first instinct is still to check on me.

"I'm okay I have so much to tell-" I start.

"Maybe we can talk about that later. That was shitty Kyra." She's upset and I get it. But I'm sick of having bad days so I decide I'll fix it later.

"Okay. Did you guys get home safe."

"Yeah we're fine. Bye Kyra."

When I get home I manage to avoid my dad and get to my bathroom. I take a long shower and do my makeup. I make myself a big bowl of lucky charms and let my thoughts roam. There's a lot to think about.

I remember now that Collin found out I've been tutoring Ace. I don't remember when my life got so much motion. I'm ready to go back to being nonchalant. I go and grab my yarn to crochet.

But if Collin won't explain to me why they hate each other so much, then it just seems petty and immature that he's so mad at me for it. I'm stressed but at the same time I just want to take today to forgot about all of it. Ace, Collin, Olivia. But when Ace crosses my mind I think about the parts I remember from last night. I think about the fact that he stayed there. That he brought me to a safe room and brought me water.
I don't know how I'm supposed to act around him now.

But it turns out I don't have to worry about how to act around Ace— because by Tuesday I still haven't seen him. We don't have any set schedule so there's no reason I have to find him. And it's weird that I'm even thinking about Ace.

I've thought about Collin, and I'm upset that he's upset, but I'm also pissed that he can't act his age and explain this whole thing to me. They act like middle school girls.

I'm sitting in the library, headphones in and computer open. Somehow my peaceful place has now become a meeting spot for me and Ace, because he taps my shoulder and waits for me to take out my headphones.

"Hey?" So I really don't know how to act. I don't even know how much of the night I forgot, the things I said or did. I just keep thinking about the fact that he stayed.

"Are you busy? I've got a quiz next period." He looks like the other night hasn't crossed his mind once.

"Um- yeah I can help. Is here fine?" He nods and sets his bag down beside me. "What class?"

"Chem. Our teacher never gives us a break." He sighs and opens up his notebook. 

"Have your grades gone up since we started?" I ask, making small talk seems like the best option.

"Yeah. They're getting there." He gives me a small smile and starts on a problem, asking questions when he has them.

"You're not wearing purple today?" He smirks at me. I actually have to scan my outfit because I'm pretty much always wearing some form of purple. But he's right, there's none today.

"I guess not." I smile back at him. Him saying that has just made me wonder more about the other night.

"Ace, can I ask you something."

"As long as it's not about chemistry, go head Kiera." He puts down his pencil and gives me his attention.

"I don't remember the other night." I'm embarrassed to bring it up.

"You want me to tell you what happened?" He asks and I nod.

"Let's see. You drank by yourself for the first half of the party, then danced around for a while. I took your drink and brought you upstairs. Collin saw us, you told him you tutor me. Oh and you threw up. A good time I'd say." I blush as he tells me all of this. Wow I should never drink again.

"Did I say anything?" I don't mean anything, I mean something weird, something too open.

"You said a lot of things." Ace is enjoying watching me squirm. It's uncomfortable to not know what I did.
"You asked about me and Collin." Oh wow. And I don't remember his answer.

"And what did you say?" I ask. Might as well try.

"I told you the truth." I wait for a better answer. But he goes back to chemistry. I don't understand why one of them won't just explain it to me. 

The bell rings and my chance to find out is over. We pack up our stuff and walk to the hallway, stopping by a corner locker. There's no one in the hallway yet.

"Are you okay?" I don't understand at first— and then a small memory comes from the other night. Ace asking me why I drank, me telling him I didn't want to be alone.

"Yes. I was being stupid." He looks like he might say something but just looks down at me. I see his hand come part way up and then drop. I wonder what he
would have done, I wonder what stopped him. "Thanks for staying the night." I think I owe him thanks. Ace doesn't have any real reason to be taking care of me.

"I had fun." He laughs a little. His green eyes look so much sweeter than the first day we met.

And then Collin walks around the corner. Walks is a gentle word for it, it's almost a run. He pulls Ace by his shirt and punches him square in the jaw. Once, Twice, a third hit. I've never seen Collin so angry.

"Collin!" I scream.

"You slept with her? She was drunk you piece of shit!" He spits in Aces face.

Ace is hitting back now. "Guys!" I don't know what I'm supposed to do but I can't just sit here and watch. Ace has Collin pinned now. But he's not hitting him anymore, just trying to stop him. "Whoa dude- we didn't-"

Collin spins around and is hitting him again. I've never seen him so angry. He thinks Ace slept with me while I was black out. Ace's nose is bleeding. There's yelling and I realize there's a crowd now. I have to stop them somehow.

I reach in and try to grab collin's elbow. Instead it drives back and lands against my nose. I scream.

They stop. "Shit. Kyra are you okay?" I just stare at Collin. I'm in shock. I don't know what just happened or what I'm supposed to do now. I open my mouth. I close it. Ace is fuming at Collin, but his focus is on me. I walk backwards and finally I turn, walking fast.

Part of me expects Ace to follow, and when he doesn't I don't know what to do.