My head is buzzing. There's something ringing in my ears. Shut up. I open my eyes, and an excruciatingly bright flash of light makes me shut them again in pain. I swing my arm in front of my face and groan. What time is it? Hell, what day is it?

I attempt to reopen them, with my arm still covering my eyes. I slowly remove my arm as my eyes adjust to the lighting.
A string of lights is festooned on the wall in front of me. Wait... what the hell? I don't own pink lights!

I look down. These sheets aren't mine either, they're much too girly. I think I remember...

I get flashbacks of my dude Federico and me in a car. Another one of bodies dancing. People drinking. Me drinking. People cheering. People slapping me on the back. Me laughing. Some random guy passed out on the couch. Other dudes drawing on his face with a Sharpie.

Federico talking with two cute chicks. Federico inviting me over to join in. A dark girl with pink hair sending me looks. Her grabbing my hand and leading me upstairs to a dark room. Her removing her shirt.

I look to my right. There's a girl's body with her back turned to me under the sheets. She has pink hair. I sit up and rub my eyes.

I have to get out of here. My parents will be pissed once they find out I'm gone.

After searching for my clothes and putting them back on as quietly as possible, I take my phone off the nightstand and check the date and time. It's Sunday, April 1st, 9:52 a.m.

I leave the room and head down the hall towards the stairs. The hall is trashed with random plastic cups and stains on the used-to-be-nice carpet. I go down the stairs. Guess I wasn't the only one who passed out.

Just as I was about to open the front door, a thought suddenly ran through my mind. How will I get home? Federico's the one who drove me here!

I send a text to Federico asking where he is. I wait five seconds. One minute. I call him. He picks up after it rings two times.

"Yooo bro. Why are you calling me so early?" Federico yawns.

"Early? EARLY?" I shriek.

"Mmm... mom be quiet," a random voice mumbles from somewhere in the living room.

Shit. I forgot I was still in the house! I swiftly open and shut the door. It's cold outside, good thing I'm wearing my jacket.

"It's already ten dude. I need you to drive me back home." I shiver. There's silence on the other end.

"Hello? Did you hear me?"

"Huh what? Oh yeah. I think I might have left without you."

"What do you mean you THINK you left without me?"

"Oh you're gonna be so mad. I left the party early last night!" Federico began to cackle.

"You asshole!" I stomp a foot on the ground. "How the f*ck am I going to get home now?"

"Woah woah calm down bro."

"How am I supposed to calm down when-"

I hear footsteps on my right and immediately turn around. Federico is walking with a sly grin on his face.

"Happy April Fools." He hangs up and puts his phone in his pocket.

"Damn you," I mutter while shaking my head and looking at the cloudy sky.

"I can't believe you actually thought I left. That was friggin' hilarious dude." He began to laugh again and slapped his knee.

"Yeah yeah very funny. Can we please go now?"

He mimed wiping a tear from his eye and said "Sure. Let's go."

"Oh come on, it wasn't that funny." We began walking.

"Yes it was!" He raised his head and guffawed.

I playfully punched him. "Oh shut up."

———

"Tanner, honey? Are you awake yet?" My mom's melodious voice comes from behind my bedroom door.

I had snuck in through my window and tucked myself into bed in case she came in. The stupid thing was that I still had yesterday's clothes on.

I pretended to be barely waking up by yawning loudly.

"It's already 10! Hurry or you'll miss breakfast."

"Sorry, ma. *yawn* I'll be down in a few minutes, let me take a quick shower."

"That's alright, sweety. I'll wait." I heard her light footsteps tap down the stairs.

I waited a few seconds before opening the door and running to the bathroom.

I turned on the shower and began to strip when VBBB! I took my phone off the counter and looked at who had texted me.

Anne May: Sorry to bother you, but do you know what we had for calc hw on Friday? I've been so busy this weekend.

Oh. My. Gosh. Did Anne May- The Anne May text me?! I rubbed my eyes. I must be imagining things.

Anne May is one of the prettiest- no, pretty doesn't even begin to describe her. She has wispy chestnut hair that falls just an inch beneath her slender shoulders. She usually carries it in this strange but beautiful style in which 2/3 of her hair cascades down her back while the rest is tied up in a ponytail. She also has bangs above her tender ebony eyes.

Anne May hangs out with the IT crowd, or better known as the popular ones. I've had a crush on her since junior year- but have just recently begun to talk to her this year. If I can have her as my girlfriend, my senior year will be complete.

I've been to every party. It's senior year, and all cliques have merged in some way or another. To my great dismay, I didn't see her at the party last night. It would have been more enjoyable with her in it.

I'm almost certain she was home studying or doing volunteer work. This is what makes Anne May so special. She's not like all the other girls in her group. They all wear too much makeup and are constantly looking at their reflections. But Anne May- she takes one look and she's ready for the day. She only wears a little makeup. It makes sense, she's already beautiful without it. Whenever a "weirdo" walks by, she doesn't make weird faces or sneer like her friends do.

Ever since our calculus teacher placed us at the same table, Anne May and I have began to talk little by little. She smiles at me every morning in that first period, and it's enough to make me giddy all day. We help each other out on math problems and share answers. We complain about the apathetic and strict teacher and congratulate each other on passing tests.

My fingers dance across the screen as I send her a reply.

Me: Hey Anne May, it's no problem at all :) We had this for homework...

No more than twenty seconds had passed by when she answered back.

Anne May: Thanks Tanner! You're a life saver 😪

Me: Anytime! 😁

"I'll always be your life saver..." Oh, did I say that out loud?

Sh*%, I still have to take a shower! My mom is waiting downstairs.

I turned on the faucet and let the lukewarm water wash over my aching body. Water vapor filled the room, and my mind clouded with fantasies about Anne May.

How does she look when she steps into the shower? I imagine life in a parallel universe, or a time in the future where she walks into the same room as me. She's wearing nothing but a towel. She giggles and surprises me by jumping in with me. The hot water is plastering our hair to our head, splashing droplets on our unconcealed bodies. She leans close to me and strokes my cheek, with her other hand on my chest. I pull her closer, my hands on her slim waist, and our lips meet.

My thought bubble pops when I realize that I'm kissing my... hand. Gosh, what an idiot. I smack my forehead and finish showering.

———

It's amazing what a shower can do to a hangover after a crazy sweaty night. I've dressed in comfortable clothes: an oversized grey T-shirt and black shorts with white stripes on the side.

I skip down the stairs into the hallway. I am about to enter the kitchen when I hear my parents talking in suspiciously hushed voices. I stop and stand near the wall, out of their view.

"What do you mean he got out of prison? That man should have been sentenced for life for all those horrible things he did!" My father said in a gruff voice.

"I know. They informed me this morning at 6." My mother muttered, rubbing her face.

Who? What man? And who would be calling my mother at six in the morning?

"We have to do something..." My father clasped his hands and looked down at them, brows furrowed in concentration.

"We can't," my mother reached over the table and put her hands around my father's. "[Too quiet for me to understand] ... will kill us."

What the fuck? What on earth are they talking about?

My father sighed. "Whatever we do, we can't let Tanner know we're not his real parents."

My heart stopped. It took a great deal of effort to move my feet and self out of the safe hiding spot behind the wall. I stood before my shocked parents in the kitchen.

"I-is it true?" I stammered. "Am I really adopted?"