Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction concocted entirely within my imagination. Any resemblance to real people shouldn't be surprising since most of my stories are based on people I know. While I hope you enjoy this story and are compelled to provide feedback, I don't expect the subject matter will appeal to everyone who reads it. As such, I discourage venomous, nasty feedback full of violent wishes against essentially fictional characters in fictional situations. If this story does not appeal to you, there is undoubtedly one somewhere on Literotica that will, so your energy will be better spent on finding it rather than on vilifying me.
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Just seeing her name again on my computer screen brought back a rush of happy memories and caused my heart to drop into my stomach. I couldn't remember the last time I'd thought about her, much less the last time we'd been in touch, but there had been a time when we couldn't get enough of each other. The start of our relationship had been as much of a pleasant surprise as it was seeing her name again twenty years later. It had been between Christmas and New Year's during my senior year in high school when I got a call from a girl who had graduated the previous year. I wouldn't have said she was a friend but we'd gone to school together since elementary school, so we certainly weren't strangers. She was calling to tell me about a party at Mary's house and encouraged me to come. I knew Mary even less than I knew Debbie, so I wasn't sure why I was getting a personal invitation, but I was never one to turn down an opportunity to party, especially when I knew that at least a couple of girls would be involved.
I called my two best friends to let them know about the party but, being that it was the holiday season, Rob was going to be off visiting relatives and Jim was out of town. I preferred the company of my boys when venturing into uncharted waters, but certainly would have no problem going stag, especially in light of the personal invitation. It was obvious when I arrived at Mary's house that the party was already in full swing, which had been part of my plan. I walked in the front door and said hello to a few people I knew but I wanted to find Mary and Debbie to see what kind of reception I would get. They were both in the kitchen and Debbie nudged Mary when she saw me. Mary looked up and I was pleased to see her eyes light up.
"Hey, how are you?" she asked and I could tell right away that she'd already had a few cocktails. I wasn't sure whether this would work in my favor or not; obviously alcohol had a tendency to lower inhibitions but I didn't want to end up questioning whether she was capable of giving consent should an opportunity present itself. It was a bit early to start considering such things, however, but I resolved to tread lightly and exercise caution. We talked for a couple of minutes before she suggested that I grab a beer from the keg in the other room. I talked with a few other people on my way to and from the keg then came back to talk to Mary and Debbie some more. I was definitely getting a vibe from Mary, which still came as a bit of a surprise to me, but I didn't dwell on it too much and just made sure that I was giving her clear signals right back that I was interested in wherever things might lead.
Since it was her party, she wasn't able to ignore everyone else around her and, consequently, we'd talk for a while, we'd part for a while, and we'd talk for a while again. I thought things were going pretty well, but I was still concerned that she appeared more than a little buzzed. I decided that, as long as she could continue holding a conversation, I probably shouldn't worry. When it started getting late and the crowd was thinning out, I suddenly couldn't find her anywhere. I was less worried that she'd hooked up with someone else than I was that somebody might be taking advantage of her if she was beyond the ability to consent. Her house wasn't so big and I was relieved to find all of the bedroom doors open but, as I looked into the master bedroom, I saw the bathroom door partly closed and light spilling from the opening. I slipped up quietly, not wanting to catch her peeing, but wanting to confirm that she was okay.
Glancing into the bathroom, I saw her kneeling on the tile floor with her head resting on the rim of the toilet. I debated briefly just slipping away quietly, but my concern for her overruled that idea and I gently pushed the door open. She glanced up at me once she realized she was not alone as I was taking a seat on the rim of the bathtub. She didn't look good at all but she smiled weakly and said "Hi." I grabbed a washcloth and soaked it with cold water, then handed it to her and she wiped her brow and the back of her neck.
"Thanks," she said weakly.
"Anything I can do?" I asked. She shook her head.
"I think I got rid of all of the alcohol and my dinner, too," she said, "but I think I'm done being the hostess."
"People are starting to clear out, anyway," I told her, "I'd be happy to stick around until the rest of them are gone to make sure no one overstays their welcome. Debbie is still here, too."
"I'd appreciate that," she replied, "Can you send Debbie up when you go downstairs?"
"Sure."
"And don't leave without coming back up to say 'good-bye,' okay?"
"You got it." I think I knew as I headed back downstairs that there was something special starting up at that moment. If I'd just been interested in scoring with her, puke breath definitely would have had me reconsidering. I certainly wasn't thinking about kissing her right then, but I found myself concerned for her, getting sick at her own party. I found Debbie and sent her up, then checked on the remaining guests while picking up cups and wiping down the kitchen counters. Debbie rejoined me and helped me get the place back in shape.
"Are you staying over?" I asked her.
"No, but I think you are," she replied.
"What?" I asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Mary wanted me to ask you if you'd stay over and make sure she survives the night," she said with a shrug, "I think she was touched that you came in to the bathroom to check on her and will feel more comfortable having you here than she would being alone."
"What about you?" I asked.
"If you don't want to stay, obviously I will, but you're her first choice," she replied.
"No, I'm fine with it, if it will make her feel better," I decided, "I think the worst of it is probably over and she'll just be sleeping but let's see if she's got some ginger ale and some Tylenol around here."
The last few people lingering were finally getting the hint so I took Mary some Tylenol and ginger ale while Debbie made sure that they successfully found the door. Mary was still in the bathroom, but visibly brightened when I reappeared. I had her take the Tylenol with some ginger ale and she managed not to gag, which I took as a good sign. She was definitely doing better, so I helped her up and got her over to her parents' bed. I set the trash can beside her and promised I'd be back, then went to check on Debbie. She was doing a final sweep now that the house was empty, so I joined her and we were pretty certain that we hadn't missed anything.
"You sure you're good with this?" she asked as she pulled on her coat.
"Yeah, I am," I replied, "I'm assuming that we'll just be sleeping, then I'll make sure she survives the hangover. I'm sure she'll call you to let you know how it goes."
It had to be one of the strangest situations I'd been in, where I knew that a specific someone felt a specific way but was limited in what I could do about it. Debbie seemed satisfied, so she took off and I headed back upstairs after locking up the house. Mary didn't stir as I entered the master bedroom, so I made sure she was still breathing, then covered her with the blanket folded up at the end of the bed. I didn't want to unmake her parents' bed, so I checked around until I found a couple more blankets and brought those into the master bedroom. I took off my shoes and sweater, covered myself in a blanket, then covered the two of us with the other one. It didn't take very long before I was snoozing alongside Mary.
I heard her get up early the next morning and go into the bathroom, but fell right back asleep and only stirred slightly when she came back to bed. When I woke up later that morning, I was on my back and she was snuggled right up against me. It was light enough that I could take a good look at her and see the contentment on her face, which made me glad that I had agreed to stay. We had a brief moment when she opened her eyes and saw me looking down at her then smiled before the look on her face changed drastically and she bolted for the bathroom again. She had a sheepish look on her face when she returned.
"False alarm," she said but I encouraged her to drink more of the ginger ale that was on the nearby nightstand.
"Are you okay?" I asked as she grimaced.
"It's warm and flat but it's not trying to come back up, so that's a good sign," she replied.