I shifted positions several times to escape the sunlight hitting my face. None of them worked.
With a long yawn, I pushed myself upright where I lay. The issue wasn't the sun; it was where I had fallen asleep.
The digital clock by the bedside was showing noon. I had already lost any chance of making it to my only afternoon class. Sleeping a little more would've been perfect, but for a proper comfort-nap, I needed to be in my own home. School… the girls… My phone?
Crap!
They were probably worried sick because they couldn't reach me. I jumped out of bed, washed my face in the bathroom, and changed clothes just as fast. It was time to leave.
If Kerem was still asleep, I needed to wake him and make him drive me home. Because as a student surviving on an average allowance, paying for a taxi in broad daylight wasn't appealing at all. Besides, he was the one who dragged me to his house, he should take responsibility.
With that thought, I headed downstairs, but froze when I heard voices coming from the garden.
From what I could see, Kerem was still asleep on the couch. And the voices belonged to his beloved friend group.
Them seeing me would be bad for both of us. He wouldn't want to explain last night's situation because he had kept it from his friends. And I couldn't possibly explain why I spent the night at the house of a guy who wasn't even my friend—without throwing him under the bus and starting a hundred misunderstandings.
Conclusion: I had to hide immediately!
But where?
Based on previous experience, I knew waking Kerem was a terrible idea. There was zero chance of avoiding being caught before he actually woke up.
I looked around in panic. The staircase area was too exposed. There was no other room to slip into besides the living room.
Before they reached the front door, I darted into the kitchen. There had to be some back door or something leading to the garden that I hadn't noticed last night. It was practically a tradition for detached houses with gardens. As I searched frantically, a loud curse slipped out.
Of course, with my luck, this house didn't have one.
I mentally noted to bring up this missing garden door with Kerem later, then kept looking. The rattling from the front door sent me into full panic.
'Why on earth would you hand out keys to your entire friend group, you idiot?!' What was I supposed to do now?
"Frizzy, you kept us waiting forever. Open the door already!"
Hearing Demir yell threw me into a panic, and that's when I noticed a door near the cabinets on the far side of the kitchen. I rushed to the tall, narrow door and pulled it open just as the front door opened too.
I shoved aside cleaning supplies and squeezed myself inside. I tried to close it, but since there was no handle on the inside, I couldn't stop it from staying open by a finger's width. In that cramped space, I pressed myself as far back as possible and prayed no one would notice me.
"Kerem! Where are you, my sexy quail?"
I giggled at Bora's call, only to swear when a mop handle fell on my head. I shoved it back into place. The guy could take revenge on me even while he wasn't here. Unbelievable!
As their voices grew less distinct, I started worrying about how the hell I was going to escape this dusty, tiny closet. Doing that while they were still inside would be a miracle. Not to mention Kerem had to figure out what was happening and not blow my cover.
I wished those uninvited guests would leave already so I could free myself from the ridiculous position I was holding against gravity. As their voices grew closer, I held my breath.
"Breakup hasn't treated you well, brother. Seeing imaginary girls now?"
Demir was the first to enter the kitchen.
"It's all because of that celery-faced girl. She finally drove the poor guy mad."
Even Bora's hatred for Burcu sounded adorable.
"Don't start this crap in the morning. I don't even know where the girl disappeared to."
"What girl, man? Who are you even looking for?"
Rüzgar was the only one who took Kerem's irritated tone seriously.
"The girl you're talking about must be the owner of this jacket."
Hearing Nil's words, I wanted to bang my head against the wall. I had forgotten to grab my jacket in the rush. And naturally, it was still hanging on the chair where I left it last night.
"No way! He actually brought a girl home."
Demir's genuine shock was weird.
"My quail wouldn't do something like that. It must be a cat. Definitely a cat."
"Unfortunately, Demir's right, sweetheart. Look, they even had dinner with wine."
This girl was the last person on earth I wanted as an enemy.
"Hold on. Something's off here. If there's a girl who managed to get inside this house and even had a romantic dinner, which none of us saw, then why was Kerem asleep on the couch?"
I should've let Aylin choke Demir that one time.
"I told you, Teddy, that breadstick girl—"
"Hh-choo!" I tried to suppress my sneeze, but I was pretty sure they heard it. Well, that's what happens when you hide in a dust-filled closet!
"What was that?"
At Nil's question, I held my breath and stayed absolutely still.
"I saw puppies in the yard yesterday. Must've been from them."
Kerem must have finally realized where I was.
"You brought the puppies inside? The sound came from here."
If I got out of here without getting caught, I was going to be the first one who punched Demir!
"You're imagining things. Let's go eat something, I'm starving. You can get your coffee outside."
"I'm hungry too. Let's go."
It was odd that Rüzgar chimed in only now, but his support worked in my favor.
"Where are the puppies? Let's take them with us, we can feed them too."
Oh, the endless love humans had for animals!
"The mother won't let them come close, beautiful. I'll buy them food later. Go on ahead so I can get ready."
"But—"
"I agree with Kerem, daisy. You shouldn't get close. They might bite or something."
"Fine then, let's go. Ece's waiting for me anyway."
After Demir also agreed and they all left the kitchen together, I finally relaxed when I heard cars pulling away outside.
In that same moment, the closet door opened, and when I saw Kerem, my numb legs gave out beneath me. He grabbed my arm, helped me onto a chair, then pulled another chair over and sat down.
"Are you okay?"
"Except for the fact that I can't feel my legs and I inhaled as much dust as a vacuum cleaner, yes, I'm fine."
"You couldn't find anywhere else? What were you doing in that closet?"
"When your friends stormed in, I was standing in the middle of the hallway. In the panic, that was the only place I could dive into."
"Why were you hiding anyway?"
"If they saw me, how exactly were you going to explain it? Without revealing what you're hiding from them and without causing massive misunderstandings?" I frowned slightly, watching him with half-curiosity.
"Also, judging by how freakishly they reacted to the idea of a girl being in your house, I think I did the smartest thing." The moment I finished speaking, he averted his gaze and stood up.
"Alright then. Since you are ready, I'll get dressed and we'll leave." I nodded, and he left the kitchen, heading upstairs to his room.
Honestly, this guy's life had enough secrets to fill at least three seasons of a drama series. And his talent for dodging questions was a whole separate issue.
When I finally felt my legs again, I stood up and poured myself some water. Thinking about the dishes from last night, I couldn't help wondering how Kerem was going to explain all that. Before things got even more tangled, it would be best for everyone if he cleared up whatever mystery he was hiding.
When I put on my jacket and stepped outside, he came downstairs too. We got into the car silently and started driving.
Both of us seemed lost in our own thoughts; neither of us said a word. At least for me, because I didn't even realize we'd arrived until the car stopped in front of my building.
"Thanks for returning me to the home you kidnapped me from at an ungodly hour."
He flashed a crooked smile. "See you, sunshine."
I grumbled irritably.
"Even if I wanted otherwise, it somehow never works out!"