VIOLET’S P.O.V.

I groaned as tried to I roll over, the light streaming into the room and shining right into my eyes, only to fall flat on the floor. My curtains looked like someone was trying to close them but got distracted halfway through the process.

In our drunken haze, Georgie and I had probably tried to close them but got distracted with the wine, as two bottles were sitting guiltily on the table. The wine bottles had labels on them, telling us that the main ingredient was the morning after regret with a hint of never making it to your bed and one helluva stiff neck. Round one goes to the wine bottle.

“That’s one way to wake up,” I grumbled just under my breath as laid uselessly on the floor, trying to convince the evil Oompa Loompas to stop throwing a party in my head.

Taking a look around, well trying to, the sunlight was making that rather difficult with the hangover I was supporting. I blinked rapidly to get my vision to start clearing up and I recognized my surroundings slowly but surely. I was lying on the floor in my living room.

How I got here I have no idea... The last thing I remember from last night is being thirsty and wanting to get something to drink, which then somehow became Georgie, Cole and myself doing shots, and after that, it is mostly all blank except for random blurry memories… Sometime after that, we must have found our way back to my apartment. I don't know what happened to Cole though or where Georgie is in my apartment for that matter.

My head was spinning, how much did I have to drink last night? I don't normally… I haven’t… Oh gosh… last time I felt like this was when my drink had been spiked and I woke up that morning… But I was with Georgie and Cole all night wasn’t I?

Before I could let my mind wonder about it anymore, I heard another groan coming from the other side of the couch. Ahh, that's where Georgie was then.

I answered the groan with my own grumpy groan, letting the other person know that I am in as much pain as they are.

A raspy voice called out my name, “Vi?”

I didn’t have the energy or it in me to answer with anything but a grunt.

“What the hell happened last night…”

I could tell from the raspy voice that it was Georgie that was on the other side of that couch, making me wonder if Cole was here somewhere as well. I don't remember him coming home with us, although everything was such a blur he honestly could have and I probably wouldn't remember.

I immediately started to regret trying to think so hard because it felt like those stupid Oompa Loompas were dancing to the beat of Gasolina by Daddy Yankee.

“Screw you Daddy Yankee,” I mumbled out aggressively.

“What was that?” George grumbled from the couch.

I decided to ignore her and tried to convince my limbs to haul my ass off the floor and go get a glass of cool glass of water. My throat felt like I had swallowed the entire Sahara desert.

I begrudgingly stood up and slowly walked, well more like stumbled over to my small kitchen, slapping haphazardly at the light switch to try to get it to turn off. The bright lights burning my eyes and making my head throb even more if that was possible. The sunlight was already bright enough that I could see perfectly without needing the kitchen light trying to blind me.

“If you’re getting tea, please make me a cup,” Georgie mumbled while trying to shade her eyes from the sunlight streaming into my apartment.

“Yeah, sure.” I called out, “Do you have any idea what happened last night? I’m drawing a blank. There are the slightest flashes but other than that I can remember nothing.” I put the kettle on to boil while I pulled out two mugs from my massive mug collection. I didn't have all that much in my apartment. Ever since I was little, I started buying mugs with all my friends; which then turned into me just buying mugs that I like and before I knew it, I had built up an entire collection.

“Thanks,” she moaned out before stumbling into the kitchen and hauling herself up onto the kitchen counter, swinging her feet like a little child. She stared off into space deep in thought, “I’ve only got bits and pieces as well… what do you remember?”

I hauled myself up onto the counter to face George, “I know we started by taking shots and I vaguely remember having some kind of competition…”

Jumping off the counter when I heard the Kettle start to scream, I was hit by a wave of dizziness. I reached my hand out to try stead myself before I walked over to the kettle to pour the boiling hot water into the two mugs I set aside for tea. “ Here you go,” I said passing her mug to her.

Georgie jumped in, “Thanks. Yeah I remember that as well, although from there it's kind of blurry…” she trailed off trying to take a sip of her tea.

I settled back, leaning against the counter, cradling the hot tea in my cold hands. I chewed on my bottom lip in thought about last night. Struggling to clear my thoughts, I knew just what we needed to cure a hangover.

“I don't know about you but I could really do with Charlie's famous hangover smoothie right about now.”

“Oh my gosh, yes!” Georgie perked up a little when she mentioned, We have to get croissants from that bakery and coffee cafe place you like so much.” Georgie rubbed her temples trying to help the pressure in her head, “Some food should hopefully help with this hangover.”

Deciding that was the best plan of action, Georgie and I both finished our tea before going to try and shower last night of us. Our make up was smudged all over our faces since neither of us had been able to make it to the bathroom and wash it off. We stank of alcohol and our hair rivaled Hermione Granger’s and a bird’s nest combined.

I have known Charlie since I was sixteen. I first met him at this Bar and Grill a friend of mine, Darcy, had been working at. Charlie and I had instantly become best friends and I quickly introduced him to Georgie.

One night, after a particularly long night out, Georgie and I had dropped Darcy off at work even though all of us were supporting really bad hangovers. Georgie and I plopped ourselves on the bar stools, feeling sorry for ourselves. Charlie saw that we were intensely suffering, and after torturing us for a while and laughing at our misery he told us to give him a few minutes so he could whip us up what was soon to be known as the Hangover Miracle Smoothie.

I typically wasn't one for smoothies but this one tasted absolutely amazing. I swear that within half an hour it felt like we hadn't even gone out at all. Thank goodness for the magic of Charlie's smoothies.

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I wasn't joking when I said his smoothie was soon to become famous. Charlie left the Bar and Grill he was working at and had opened up his own sandwich shop. It quickly became very popular with the college crowd, and once they found out about the miracle of his Hangover Smoothie, it was a done deal. His place was always packed with every college student and drunk teenager that was within driving distance.

His little shop was small and didn't look like much but he seemed to be doing very well and I know he is happy. He made the most amazing sandwiches which is why I took Cole there yesterday.

Georgie and I were finally ready, looking somewhat more presentable than we had been just half an hour before. I, myself was in black tights with a slightly baggy gray jersey, white scarf, and my favorite ankle boots. Georgie was in sweats and a cropped hoodie that she had bought on her recent trip to London, as well as her black vans. Both of us rocking massive sunglasses.

We stepped outside of my apartment, allowing the bright warm sun to wash over us. As we started to stroll down the street, I got a weird feeling that we were being watched. More specifically, I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I felt very paranoid all of a sudden.

I tried to keep cool facade as I looked around the busy streets, and the scary part, that feeling was not wrong. I could see a camera trained on me. Someone was definitely watching me and not being as subtle as they thought they were being.

I grabbed Georgie’s arm in panic, “George, I think we are being watched. That guy across the street in that grey t-shirt just took a photo of us, I swear.” Georgie discreetly looked around, trying to find the man I spoke of and I knew she spotted him when a look of slight fear crept across her face, mirroring my own. Georgie was used to the occasional pap following her but this guy just seemed like a creepy dude. She suggested that we order an uber as neither of us got a good feeling from this man watching us. Nor were we in any place to drive, nevermind walking, despite it only being a few blocks. Hopefully, if we get an uber however then we would lose the creepy man that was following us.

Surprisingly, there seemed to be almost no traffic during our ride over to Charlie’s which was strange because that pretty much never happens here in New York. Not that I was complaining I was more than happy to get there in ten minutes instead of having to spend half an hour in the car.

The Uber driver looked at us almost knowingly when he dropped us off at Charlie’s shop. It’s not like Georgie and I were being discreet about our hangovers due to us supporting massive sunglasses that covered almost half of our faces...

Walking into the store, the bell chimed as the door opened and I just saw Georgie flinch as the noise went straight to her head. Honestly, it was not that much better for me either.

“Violet! Georgie!” Charlie yelled out as he saw us enter.

“Not so loud,” Georgie whispered out while clutching her head. I just groaned and pathetically leaned my head against the freezer, the cold helping slightly with my headache and nausea.

“Two Hangover Smoothies coming right up then,” Charlie called out, laughing while we groaned at how loud he was being.

“I hate you,” I half yelled half-whispered.

“I love you too Vi,” Charlie singsonged back. While walking into the back to make us our smoothies. See Charlie only made the smoothies in the back of his shop because he was paranoid that someone was going to steal his super secret recipe on how to make them. Wed asked Charlie multiple times what was actually in the smoothie but he always refused to give us a straight answer.

A few minutes later Charlie bought back our smoothies in his signature takeaway cups, “I assumed you girls are going to go and get croissants from that bakery Vi loves.”

“Thank you, Charlie!” Georgie and I chorused together. I had already called another Uber which was waiting for us outside as I did not want to hail a taxi. The wind had picked up considerably since we had been inside the shop and it felt like it was going to start snowing in the next few days. The wind had that icey feel that blew right through you, the kind where no matter what you can feel it in your bones. I did not feel like walking in that and I was still a bit put off from the guys from earlier.

“Bye girls,” Charlie yelled out. Waving wildly as we walked out back through the door. The bell jingling slightly as we opened the door.

“Goodbye Charlie,” George and I sang out before hopping in our uber.

“Good morning,” the Uber driver greeted us as we were settling into the car. Georgie and I greeted him back, “Excuse me for saying this but you look very familiar..” the driver said looking at me curiously.

“I guess I just have one of those faces,” I said slightly weirded out. Georgie looked over at me, I could tell she was also slightly weirded out by it all as well. This was so strange, this whole morning had been strange...

We arrived at the cafe shortly, already feeling better from our smoothies. As we walked inside but I could have sworn that I saw another person following us and what looked like a bright light flashed. I have to be imagining things. Maybe people were trying to get photos of Georgie? It happens occasionally when someone recognizes her. ‘It’s nothing,’ I said to myself trying to shake it off, something didn't quite feel right though. Especially with adding the weird guy from this morning into the equation and what the uber driver had said about me seeming familiar.

Before I could freak myself out anymore Georgie had pulled us both into the line to place our orders. Seeing all the tables start to fill up, she turned to me, “Maybe you should go save us a table? Unless you want to just go sit in the park and eat our croissants, or we could go back to your house and have a pajama day?”

“Can you just order for me, I’m going to run to the restroom quickly and then let's take them back to my place, we can have a chill day, order takeout later and have a proper sleepover.”

“I was planning on sleeping over anyway but yeah sure, you want your usual then?” Georgie said with a distracted look on her face.

I hummed in agreement before rushing off to the bathroom. Hopefully, despite how busy this place is, there won’t be a queue for the bathroom a mile long, but then it is a girls' bathroom and there's always a queue.

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Coming out of the bathroom and I caught some more people staring at me and I could have sworn I saw someone trying, to not so discreetly take a photo of me… What on earth is going on? What is with people and trying to take photos of me today?

I saw Georgie standing off to the side near the door and made my way over to her. She handed me back my smoothie, which she had been holding for me, as well as a brown paper bag which had my favorite chicken and mushroom croissants. I heard a chair creaked loudly as someone hurriedly stood up as we were walking out the door.

All of this not helping my paranoia, I leavened over and whispered to Georgie, “I think there are people who are following us, try to walk a little faster I don't want to be bombarded by paparazzi trying to take photos of us or something stupid.” I half giggled at that, as paparazzi would really wanna take photos of me, I was no one special.

I mean sure I had done the odd modeling job but nothing like the campaigns Georgie had done. No one really knew my name and after everything, I prefer it that way. Sure at one point, I had wanted something different but not anymore.

We started to walk down the street when two guys with cameras came right at us shoving them in my face. I had been joking about paparazzi I didn't think they would actually try to take photos of us. Then two became four then eight and before I knew what was happening Georgie and I were surrounded by camera flashes and being yelled at. Questions being hurled left and right as the crowd around us just continued to grow larger and larger with every second.

> “Violet is it true your dating Cole Wentworth?”

>

> “How does it feel being the other woman?”

>

> “Violet! Violet! Did you know he was engaged?”

>

> “Come on give us a smile!”

>

> “Are the engagement rumors about Cole and Sophia true?”

>

> “Homewrecker!”

Cole was engaged?I was hanging out with a guy who was already in love with someone else? Why did he lie to me?I do not want to get involved with someone who is supposed to be with someone else…. What had I gotten myself into?

My thoughts kept racing around my head, trying to process everything that was being thrown my way. Georgie ever the protective best friend, realized I was frozen and somehow managed to hail a taxi.

She tugged on my arm, elbowing all the paparazzi out of the way as she leads me through the crowd trying to get me to the taxi. Just as she was opening the door a black Range Rover came screeching to a halt. It took my eyes a moment to focus on the blurred person as they leaped out of the car.

It.was.Cole

He threw himself out of the car without a care for the paparazzi that soon swarmed him and came running towards me. Georgie was having none of it and shoved me in the taxi. My eyes, filled with mortification locked with Coles, just as I was being shoved into the back of the cab and soon after, we sped away. I refused to allow myself to look at Cole’s frozen body, staring after the cab that was quickly fading into the distance.