Writer's Cramp: The Morning After

Prompt: It's New Year's Day and you stumble out of your bedroom hungover after an awesome party. When you get to the living room you notice a big pile of clothing that is moving. Write a short story or poem about what is under that pile of clothing
Word count: 999

Stacey’s head hurt.

If I don’t open my eyes, then it will just go away, she told herself.

When that failed to work, she resigned herself to the fact that she would have to get up.
Staggering out of her tiny bedroom, Stacey made her way to the kitchen, hand over her forehead.

Pouring herself a glass of water, Stacey struggled to remember what had happened at Steve and Harriet’s New Year’s Eve Bash the night before.

I remember laughing, that one guy-what was his name? Fred, no Frank, the one who knows my brother! He was hilarious! I remember lots of people, music, dancing. And, champagne, yes I remember LOTS of champagne…

No matter how great the celebration had been, she wasn’t sure it had been worth it.
She tossed some pain relievers into her mouth and swallowed with difficulty.

“Bleh! Forget the champagne, feels like I ate someone’s pillow!” she coughed.

“Urrmph?” A sleepy moan from the living room made Stacey jump in alarm.
Oh God! What else am I not remembering from last night?

Stacey hurried to the living room to find a huge heap of moving clothes piled on her sofa. The heap mumbled something, and suddenly an arm flopped out, dangling from the sofa.

Heart in her throat, hand clutching her worn bathrobe tighter, Stacey crept nearer to the mysterious pile.

“Nina? Terry? Is that you?” Who am I kidding, no woman has arms that hairy!

“Stacey? Will you shut up? My head is killing me.” The owner of the hairy arm growled back, and all of Stacey’s anxiety left.

Ted.

She still wasn’t sure how her brother ended up on her sofa, but if that was the worst thing she didn’t remember, then she could go back to bed and nurse her wicked hangover in peace.

“Ted baby, who is it?” Suddenly a female voice floated up out of the pile to be joined by a shapely leg.

Stacey felt her head begin to throb like a ripe volcano.

“Ted, and whoever else is lying naked on my couch, I am leaving the room, and coming back in five minutes with a camera. So get up NOW!” The volcano exploded and two blonde heads popped up out the clothing.

She turned on her heels and slammed her bedroom door.

Ignoring her sick head, she threw on jeans and a sweater.
“I am going to kill that jerk! I am going to throw him out the window! Using my apartment for his stupid macho flings! Oooooh!”
Stacey continued to pace her room, until she remembered her threat.

“Right, camera, where’d I stick it?” After digging through her own pile of clothes on floor, Stacey located it.

Switching it to “on”, she marched back into her living room, armed and ready.

Ted was helping the petite blonde back into her slinky red dress and Stacey raised her camera and began snap pictures.

“Hey! Cut that out, the light is killing me! We’re dressed, we’re dressed!”

“You don’t have your shoes on, and you’re still in my apartment!
I want my key back Ted. Now.”

Ted heard the danger in his little sister’s voice, and was about to reply when there was a sudden pounding on the door.

All three occupants of the room flinched in pain.

A loud bellow came booming through Stacey’s door.

“Open the door or I’ll knock it in!”

Glaring at Ted, Stacey raced to the door and undid the latch. She just knew this was some how his fault.

Flinging open the door, Stacey encountered a very blonde, very angry giant.

“Who are you? Where’s Tina and that no good for nothing son of a b-!”

“Watch it Thor! Don’t you dare swear in my home.”

Stacey spun on Ted who had his arms around the petite blonde, Tina.

“Ted, I can’t believe you’re sleeping with married women! This is a new low for you! I don’t care how drunk you were, I am personally going to neuter you!”

Stacey advanced on the pair, who suddenly looked much more frightened than when the blonde god of thunder had exploded into the room.

“Hey sis, calm down, Tina’s not married, not yet,” Ted hastily assured his flaming sister.
If he’d had any idea she’d be so mad, he never would have crashed at her place after hitting the bars last night!

“Hi, I’m Tina,” the blonde mini-goddess extended a shaking hand.

Thor, god of thunder, interrupted any pleasantries.
“Tina, what the hell are you doing with this jerk? I told you to ignore him!” And you," he said fixing burning eyes on Ted, “I ordered you to stay away from my little sister.”

Glancing at the blonde god, Stacey recognized him as Frank, the charming man from the party last night. Sudden understanding cleared her head as she remembered Ted talking about his best friend from college, Frank, who was moving back to town.

Last night he just hadn’t looked so... big. Well he clearly hasn’t recognized me yet. Thank the lord.

Immediately a loud outburst of arguing tortured Stacey’s woozy head. Thor looked ready to kill, Ted looked resolute and righteous, (yeah right,) and Tina was shouting that no one ever listened to her.

Stacey walked to the kitchen, and made some coffee. After setting four cups of coffee and some muffins on the table, she returned to her living room, where Tina was now sobbing.

“We’re getting married! I don’t care if you approve, I love him, and if he does go back to his stinking old ways, I’ll kill him myself!”

Stacey decided that she liked Tina. Anyone who was ready to kill Ted to keep him in line was alright by her.

Stacey once more raised her camera. Flash!

All noise ceased as three startled blonde heads turned to Stacey. Stacey smiled. Boy was she going to have fun once these photos were developed!

“Breakfast time! Hope you like muffins.”