A splitting headache, dry mouth and the feeling that her eyelids had been replaced with sandpaper greeted Addison when she woke up tangled in the duvet of Brigid's bed. She knew it was Brigid's duvet as her own wasn't covered in an abstract paint splatter design. Her duvet also generally tended to smell like musk and coffee while Brigid's was always cotton fresh. She noticed her jacket from the night before had been placed on Brigid's sloped artist's desk. She was still in the dress she'd worn to the party. She groaned slightly and shifted her body slightly as the bedroom door opened. Her neck creaked loudly and she was positive that it was going to feel stiff for the rest of the day.

Brigid came into the room carrying a tray burdened with a large mug, a glass of water and a stack of dry toast. Addison stretched up, ignoring the loud cracking in her back as she stretched. God, her back as well as her neck would feel stiff all day now. Addison braced herself for the wrath that Brigid would no doubt bring down upon her. Brigid placed the tray down and turned to look at Addison. She winced slightly as she waited for Brigid to start shouting at her.

"Here" Brigid said, holding out a pack of headache tablets and the glass of water. Addison looked down at the tablets Brigid had just placed in her hand then back up to Brigid. "I'm not going to yell at you because I'm not angry at you." Brigid said knowing instantly what she was thinking because they'd been friends for that long.

"You're not?" Addison asked. From how angry Brigid had looked last night she was convinced that Brigid was planning to shout at her for quite some time about various things.

"Oh for God sake Addison! Of course I'm not angry at you, can't you see that I'm just worried about you?" Brigid asked. "You promised me you wouldn't drink so much then I find you outside, drunk as anything with Dylan Willis of all people! I would have thought that I would need to be worried about you with Molly but now clearly I have to add Dylan to the list as well!"

"You hardly need a list..." Addison muttered.

"Don't Addison, just don't. I clearly need a list when I find you draped all over Dylan like a freaking scarf." Brigid snapped. "Oh God, now I'm snapping at you...great, just great. Look, I'm not angry with you but I will be if you're not careful in the future. I love you too much to let you act like this ok? Oh and please answer your phone; it's been buzzing since last night." Brigid said throwing Addison's phone at her. She reached for it but it still managed to hit her in the chest. Looking down at the screen she saw she had several messages:

Molly Foster: 23:46 - Hey Harper, didn't see you before you bailed. One of my little minions said you were outside smoking with Dylan Willis? So from wholesome Christian you go to foul mouthed bad boy? Way to go Addison!

Niamh Willis: 7:34 - Hey! Didn't see you much last night! Molly's house is huge and I swear I got lost at least fifteen times. Did Dylan tell you about us wanting you to come for dinner soon?? Text back! Xxx

7:46 - By the way Dylan was asking about you, if you were ok etc. and I gave him your number. Hope that is ok.

7:48 - Also apparently Dylan has your lighter...

7:50 – Since when did you smoke???

7:54 – I'm not going to ask why my brother has your lighter because you'll probably have a pissy fit at me.

7:57 – That sounded mean...sorry...

8:01 – Text me back when you're alive ok?

8:03 – If you are alive that is.

Unknown: 8:53 - Hey, it's Dylan. Niamh gave me your number so I could see if you were ok, I hope that's ok. How's the head this morning? Brigid seemed pretty pissed off last night, hope she didn't yell at you too much. For a small chick she looks damn strong. Hope the hangover isn't too much of a bitch and that you got back to Brigid's alright. Um, text back if you're in the land of the living ok?

Aaron: 9:15 – Guessing you stayed at Brigid's last night. Try not to be too dead when you eventually get home. Oh, dad's asking about UCAS shit for you. Applications and stuff. I'd come up with a killer story re. you not going to uni.

Addison rubbed her eyes several times before groaning at the onslaught of messages. She would reply to them when she actually found the will to live. "I'm never drinking again." Addison said blinking furiously to try and dispel the raging pain pounding in her head. "I need to get back home, apparently dad is on the UCAS warpath." She added trying to pull herself out of Brigid's bed.

"Yeah, what you need is a shower because I really doubt that your dad will really appreciate you coming home having alcohol vapours leaking from your pores." Brigid said wrinkling her nose.

"I can shower at home; I've spent too long passed out on your bed." Addison said gulping down more Aspirin and water.

"Look, I don't care that you passed out on my bed." Brigid said firmly. "I just..." she began to stutter and Addison braced herself because clearly, Brigid was building up to something. "Look, Addison...I'm worried about you and I know you keep telling me to stop worrying about you but you're my best friend and I love you so much so I don't want to see you fall apart like this." Brigid said seriously as she gripped onto Addison's wrist. "Please Addison...I can't see you carry on like this. It's not fair...it's not fair and I hate seeing you like this. I thought you were getting better but last night...well, you were a drunken mess."

"Brigid-" Addison said wincing because she couldn't remember much from the night before but what she could remember wasn't remotely positive. She really hoped that she hadn't actually kissed Dylan Willis and that had just been a drunken dream. Sadly, she was fairly convinced that her comment about Dylan being able to bench press her had been said while Addison had been both conscious and in Dylan's presence.

"No, I'm not going to stop talking because you need to hear this Addison. I can't see you carry on like everything you do doesn't matter and like you don't matter because it's stupid. You do matter and I don't want to watch you become even more miserable...I really thought you were getting better but recently you just seem to be sinking back to how you were six months ago. Please just...just remember that everyone around you cares even your brothers though you don't think they do." Brigid said gravely.

"Is that the end of this pep talk?" Addison asked tiredly.

"Yes because you sink of alcohol and your hair looks like it's completely given up. I'll come with you, stave off the university lecture for a while." Brigid said tapping Addison lightly on the arm. With a sigh, Addison got off off Brigid's bed and grabbed her jacket that had been slung over the end of Brigid's bed. While she was busy pulling on her shoes, she heard Brigid give a little cough. Looking upwards, Addison gave her a questioning look. "Addison..." Brigid said and her voice suddenly sounded wary like Addison was a horse that would bolt as soon as Brigid came too close to her. "You and Dylan Willis..."

"Are nothing but people that know each other." Addison said too quickly. She could tell that she'd said it far too quickly just by the look on Brigid's face.

After a moment Brigid gave another cough. "He looked worried about you last night." She commented.

"No, he looked scared when you shouted at him." Addison said quickly correcting Brigid.

"How do you know that?" Brigid asked in surprise as her eyebrows shot up. "You were close to passing out at that point."

"You have a very loud voice when angry." Addison pointed out because it was true. She might have been soft-spoken to many people but Brigid really did have a wicked temper on her.

"Well I found you outside nearly passed out and the only other person there was Dylan. I wasn't going to get angry at you-"

"So you chose Dylan to be the one to yell at?" Addison asked. No one deserved to be on the end of one of Brigid's moods. Addison's forehead still bore a small scar from the time when they were nine years old and Brigid hit her over the head with a videotape case because she had upset her over something neither of them could remember anymore. The last thing Addison wanted was for Brigid to yell at Dylan over anything, especially Addison herself.

"You seem defensive for someone you say is just someone you know." Brigid said and her words held even more weight and subtext than Addison thought was possible.

"I know what you're getting at Brigid." She said with a small sigh.

"Oh, you do?" Brigid asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes I do, so stop it because it is not what you think at all, we're not even friends."

"You seem to spend a lot of time together for people who aren't friends." Brigid said.

"Brigid-"

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you wouldn't have kissed him last night if you had either become even more drunk or you thought that you could get away with it." Brigid said still with an eyebrow raised. Addison looked at Brigid but she found that she couldn't form any words. "See, you can't do it." Brigid said looking smug.

"Brigid, I don't like Dylan like that, I don't even like him in anyway." Addison said quickly looking away.

"I don't believe you one tiny bit and I'm getting sick of having this conversation. Just grow a pair already and admit to him that you like him." Brigid said bluntly. "Now come on, hopefully, I can sweet talk Aaron into making me one of those caramel coffee things."

"Any excuse for him to use the fancy coffee machine." Addison said with a smirk as they left Brigid's room.

---

The driveway was full when Addison and Brigid reached the Harper house. Addison wanted nothing more than to lie down in a dark room for the next week or so until her head stopped pounding. Hopefully, by that time Dylan would have forgotten everything that Addison had drunkenly said to him. On the other hand she could build a time machine, go back in time and never say anything remotely drunk to Dylan but building a time machine would be a pain in the ass so it probably would have been better if Niamh invented it. To be honest if Niamh invented a time machine it had more chance of working than if Addison tried to invent one.

After finding the hallway and living room suspiciously empty, Brigid and Addison gingerly walked into the kitchen to the whirring sound of the coffee machine and the sight of Aaron leaning against the kitchen countertop with one of his large coffee mugs in hand.

"Just in time." Brigid said with a grin. "I'll take a very frothy caramel latte. Addison will probably have a bucket of bitter, black coffee."

"I'm on it." Aaron said pouring liberal amounts of syrup into his coffee.

"Hey...where is everyone?" Addison asked warily before going to the cabinet for the strongest headache tablets known to man.

"Brigid!" Came the booming voice of Addison's father as he came into the kitchen. Addison winced at the volume of his father's voice. "We haven't seen you around here for a few weeks."

"Oh, you know how it is Mr Harper, busy with coursework and stuff." Brigid said. Aaron handed Brigid her coffee and she gave him a swift smile. Addison practically drained the steaming mug that Aaron gave her.

"Working hard on those grades?" Mr Harper said. Brigid nodded and shot a look towards Addison. "I'd ask if you two had fun at the party but I can smell the alcohol seeping from my daughter's pores." He added, looking over at Addison. Addison gave her father a thumbs up and a mocking smile. He simply shook his head.

"Are you even supposed to be drinking?" Aaron asked looking Addison up and down.

"Shut up Aaron." Addison muttered. "I'm going to grab a shower." She added as she put her nearly empty coffee mug down.

"Please do, the smell of alcohol is overwhelming." Mr Harper said. "Now Brigid, pull up a chair and tell me how your studies are treating you. Addison keeps ominously quiet on the subject."

"With good reason." Addison muttered as she hurried out the room. She was tempted to stay in the room just to stop her father from going on and on about university, however, she really needed to shower. Well, curl in a ball on the floor of the shower and pray that her hangover would go away.

When Addison walked back into the kitchen, Brigid was drinking yet more sweet smelling coffee. She shot Addison an apologetic look that instantly made Addison suspicious. What exactly had her father weaselled out of Brigid?

"Well, that's better." Mr Harper said as he looked at his daughter. Addison had washed her hair and covered her entire body with shower gel. She no longer smelt like alcohol but tea tree instead. "I don't mind you spending your nights with friends, but you know better than to drink. I doubt the doctors will be impressed with you."

"Then I just won't tell them." Addison said as she went over to the coffee machine and made herself a large black coffee. "And no, I'm not mentioning it to my therapist either. That woman just looks for excuses to call me crazy."

"Brigid was just telling us about your new friends." Mr Harper added. From her seat, Brigid mouthed 'sorry'.

"Which friends would these be?" Addison asked trying to sound nonchalant.

"The nerd and leather jacket guy." Aaron said from his perch. The smile on his face was a pure smirk. "I'm guessing this is leather jacket guy who is also in your art class."

"Yes, Dylan's in my art class. He's actually really good. Loads of talent." Addison said and instantly she realised that she'd said the wrong thing. Her father raised his eyebrows at her.

"So he has talent? Is he planning on throwing his talent down the drain and not apply to any universities." Bollocks.

"I have no idea. He could be training to be a magician for all I know." Addison snapped.

"Don't snap at me Addison, I'm simply asking a question. Brigid has been telling me how her applications are going. I'm assuming that your other friends are going to university while you, on the other hand, clearly don't have a plan."

"I have a plan." Addison said.

"And that plan is?"

"Go to bed, sleep off this hangover and then ignore any questions regarding my university choices." Addison said as she raised her coffee mug as if giving a toast. Her father looked back at her and shook his head.