Natasha Elliott heard the insistent ring, ring, of the doorbell from within her deep and troubled sleep. She vaguely tried to stir, but she was tied to the bed and someone was driving a truck through her head, right behind her eyes.
She managed to open one eye and winced at the sunshine through the curtains, she shut it again, but heard the ring again. She shifted slightly and her body reacted by letting her feel every joint pain and muscle burn it could. She groaned and a warm hand touched her face. Opening her eye she gazed into the open eye of her twin sister Annette.
"What the f... what is that Goddam noise..." Annette's eye closed as a groan escaped her lips.
"Fuck knows, but it is getting on my bloody nerves. God my head, what did we do last night?"
"Party..." said her twin, they both moved slowly and regretted it.
Their red hair untied and loose, sleep strewn, littered the pillows, they sat slowly, still aware of the ringing from downstairs. They were both naked, their breasts now above the duvet. They heard the clunk and thud of the door opening to the street, then shutting. There followed the clump of feet on the stairs, followed by the bedroom door opening. Vanessa Elliott strode into the bedroom, to find her daughters, naked in bed together, hands over their faces, groaning.
"Whoever that is, take what you want, but leave me to die quietly." Natasha said from behind her hands.
"Me too," said Annette, feeling very sick suddenly.
She summoned all her strength to leap out of bed, knocking her mother aside as she sprinted for the bathroom. The sound of her retching filled the quiet room. Natasha gulped and threw herself sideways to run and join her sister. Vanessa Elliott walked to the bathroom, to find her offspring crouched over the toilet, a hand each holding their hair back, and retching into the toilet bowl.
"Hello darlings, how was the party?" she asked with a giggle.
Slowly Annette and Natasha stopped and sat back, spittle dripping from their lips onto their chins and chests.
"My God you two look rough, heavy session?"
They nodded weakly finding tissues and wiping their mouths, chins and chests. They looked sheepishly as Vanessa flushed the toilet for them.
"Well darlings it seems as if you two have had a fabulous time, but the after effects are kicking in with a vengeance. Sore heads, dicky tummy, feel like crap all over?"
They nodded and sat side by side on the bath edge. heads hanging down, faces hidden behind a cascade of tousled red hair.
"Right, well while I fix you breakfast, you two shower and dress, then we'll talk."
Vanessa moved out of the bathroom heading for the stairs. The girls looked at each other and smiled, just.
"Do you want to go first in the shower, I need to pee, said Annette.
"So do I but I'll do it in the shower while I wash," said Natasha, standing and wincing.
"Gross, but carry on," said Annette as she walked back to the toilet, unleashing a torrent of pee into the bowl.
Natasha stood and climbed into the bath, holding the glass shower screen for balance. Squatting slightly she too emptied her bladder, then reached up to turn the shower on. The water hit her and she groaned, then she grinned as she felt Annette's hands on her as she climbed into the bath as well.
"Let's share, I'll soap you, you can do me, but no kissing, my mouth's like the bottom of a budgies cage and you smell like a brewery."
"Yeah me too, God we must have sunk some beers last night."
"Beer, I don't like beer."
"Could have fooled me the way you chugged it down."
"Oh God, yeah it's coming back to me now."
"In your mind or from your stomach?"
"Don't, I think that's empty now."
"Your mind?"
"Both, what on earth were we thinking?"
"Well we both allegedly had a good time, but the price is hell."
"We better get washed up before Mum comes back up, I don't like the ways she's smiling, she's got something on her mind and I think it's us."
"Oh no, we're going to have to explain it to her aren't we?"
"Yup!"
Ten minutes later they came downstairs to the kitchen, smelling the breakfast before they reached the bottom of the stairs. Vanessa sat at their table drinking a mug of tea, with two more mugs steaming on the table. As they sat opposite the mugs, she placed two paracetamol tablets each beside them. Turning to the oven, she proceeded to dish up eggs, bacon, toast and cooked tomatoes and mushrooms. Each twin looked at the plate and blanched. Putting ketchup and brown sauce on the table Vanessa sat back down.
"Eat!" she commanded and like two small schoolgirls they did as instructed.