Confused

I looked at the clock and though it seemed like I had been out for hours, it really was only about 30 minutes since I had gotten home. Just as I was trying to sit up my bedroom door opened with my brother and Angie standing there. They looked worried and scared.

"How'd I get here?" I asked both of them

"He carried you" Angie replied pointing at my brother

"Yea, I heard you fall and rushed in. By the time I got there Angie had turned off the water and we threw the towell around you and brought you in here."

"Am I bleeding?"

Angie came and sat next to me on my bed, "No, but it's a pretty good size bump"

I looked up at my brother who was still in the doorway, "What are we gonna tell Mom and Dad? You think I'm sobber enough that they won't notice?"

My head was still pounding and before he answered I asked Angie to get me an icepack. I knew he was still mad at her and I wanted to talk to him alone.

"Yea, you seem pretty sobber. What the hell were you thinkin', J? You could have seriously gotten hurt or sick! That's not like you at all.. what's going on?"

I sighed, I didn't want to tell him WHY I was drinking, or at least not the real reason why. "I don't know.. it just seemed like a good idea at the time. I was in a funk and Angie offered me some. I wanted to try it. I didn't think I'd get this drunk."

"ANY type of drunk is bad when you're 13, J! You know that! And I don't buy your excuse, but I'm not going to push you. Tell me when you're ready"

"Thanks, so.. what are we gonna tell Mom and Dad, anyway? We can't tell them the truth. Umm.. can you grab me a shirt or something?"

"I'll just tell them Steve stopped by and he had been drinking and got sick. You tell them you hit your head at Angies or something.. don't worry, we'll figure it out."

"O.k. and please, don't be mad at Angie. I could have said no"

With that he grabbed a t-shirt from my closet, tossed it to me and made his way out the door just as Angie was walking in. She sat back down on my bed and handed me the icepack. "Don't worry about him... I told him it wasn't your fault and that I could have said no. He'll get over it"

I asked Angie to give me a few minutes so that I could get dressed and that I'd meet her out in the livingroom shortly.

"Just holler if you need any help or feel dizzy again"

I thanked her as she walked out and shut the door behind her. I sat there for a few minutes trying to get my story straight. The three of us had to have the same story for it to be believable and I knew just what would work.

I emerged from the hall and slowly walked to the livingroom. My head was pounding and I was a little dizzy but this dizziness felt different compared to the drunken dizziness I had before. My eyes even hurt. I reached up and felt for the lump on the side of my head and winced. It definately was big and definately sore. I got another icepack and joined them to watch some T.V.

We all sat in silence until Angie announced she had to head home. It was close to 7 and my parents would be there soon. We needed to get our story straight just incase. I explained my theory and so did my brother. We decided on telling my parents that my brother was sent home early from work because it was a slow night and his friend Steve (who was much older) had stopped by and gotten sick. I was at Angie's and she went to show me the new puppies 1 of ther other dogs had had, however, the mama dog got angry we were touching her puppies and came at us. I who had a fear of dogs went to run back in the house, but tripped and smacked my head on the cement. We said goodbye to Angie and plopped back on the couch.

I wasn't hungry but my brother, the human trashcan, was starving. Before either of us had moved from the couch we heard a car pull into the driveway, Mom was home. She's so much harder to lie to, she can see right through it. Guess it's a Mom's intuition, I don't know. Dad pulled up on his motorcycle right behind her and my brother and I exchanged worried glances. While I was passed out my brother had cleaned up the pukey trashcan and the bathroom, so at least the evidence wasn't out in the open.

"Hey.. sorry we're home so late. Did you guys eat yet?" My mom asked as she closed the garage door.

"No, but I'm starving!" answered the bottomless pit, my brother.

"No, but I'm not really hungry. I ate something when I was at Angie's. Can you take a look at my head? I hit it hard today."

"What did you do?" My Dad asked walking towards the kitchen.

I got up and followed him, with my Mom right behind me. "Angie was showing me the new puppies and apparently the momma dog didn't like it and started chasing us. I went to run back in the house but tripped and whacked my head on the concrete."

My Dad laughed and shook his head, "You're just like your Mother. She trips over her own feet"

My mom playfully slapped him on the arm and tried to look hurt, but ended up laughing. "He's right, you know. I trip over air! Now let me look at your head"

I leaned over for her to see the knot. "Does it hurt?" she asked as she touched it and I flinched, "Ohh, I guess it does. It's a big bump, are you feeling sick? Dizzy? How's your vision?"

"I was dizzy right after it happened but I'm fine now. Just tired."

"I don't think you have a concusion, but let me know if it changes. I don't feel like cooking... who wants pizza delivered?"

We all agreed and ordered the pizza. No one mentioned anything else for the rest of the night and I went to bed relieved. Relieved with a pounding headache. I just hoped it would be gone by the morning.