The next morning, Nick woke up with a terrible headache. The sunlight hurt his eyes and it took him some time to get used to it. He looked around and had no idea where he was. The sound of plates and things falling caught his attention and he followed the sound.

Luke was preparing breakfast and it looked like World War II had just happened in the kitchen.

“Man, what’s up with all the noise?” Nick asked rubbing his eyes.

“Good morning, man! Could you get any sleep?”

“Any? I slept like a log! Why am I here anyway? What happened last night?”

Luke laughed. “You don’t remember anything, do you?” Nick looked confused now. His head still aching. “I found you drunk last night at a bar trying to kiss some red-haired girl. You said something about Alice having fun and you wanted it too… I didn’t quite understand.”

Things started getting clear in his mind. He remembered overhearing Alice on the phone and then going to a bar. He started drinking and dancing with a girl, but couldn’t remember any further than that.

“What the hell happened in that bar last night? All I remember is drinking and dancing with a somewhat pretty girl… what was her name? Carol? Kamilla? Cassidy? Cassie? Yes, Cassie!”

“I guess that was it. Why were you drinking like that, Nick? You barely drink anymore!”

Nick didn’t know exactly what to answer. He couldn’t find the right words to tell Luke what happened.

“I tried to talk to Alice. She had called me while I was in Germany, she sounded as if she had been crying. I came back as fast as I could, but she kept lying about it. I knew something was going on, but she wouldn’t tell.” Nick took a deep breath. “Every time I tried to talk to her she burst out in tears and she wouldn’t talk. Then last night, I was going to call you and when I got the phone she was talking to her sister.” Nick paused, not sure if he should continue. Luke gave him an encouraging look.

“I heard her saying she had hooked up with someone else while I was away. How could she?” Nick looked outside the kitchen window.

“Man, that was low! Never thought Alice would do something like that to you. You were so in love.”

“That’s what I thought!” Nick chimed in.

“But have you talked to her? What did she say to you?

“I haven’t. I couldn’t stand looking at her face, then. I don’t think I can now. I just left and ended up at that bar.”

Nick remembered she had called him a million times last night. His head ached again.

“Hey, Luke, do you have an aspirin? My head is killing me.”

Luke was going to pick up his medicine box, but the phone rang and he answered it.

“Hello… Oh, hi. Yes, yes, he is here. Don’t worry… No, he’s ok. We went out to talk and he just crashed in my house… Ok, right. I’ll tell him to call you. Bye.”

Nick heard the conversation and knew it was Alice. Luke hung up the phone and looked at him. No words were necessary.

“I don’t want to talk to her. At least not for now. Where’s that medicine, anyway?”

Luke took the medicine and gave it to Nick. Both were silent for a while.