“You’re dumb.” She said, rolling her eyes, but laughing all the while. And then he was dumping his shot all over her. “Okay, whoa, Seth.” She said, shaking her head and using the napkin to wipe up what she could, “Yeah, this is it. We’re done. Time to go.”
She used to dress up for these things, but the more they went out, the less she cared (and the more she realized that by the end of the night, she’d probably be wearing more than she ended up actually drinking.) The first night, she’d sported a cute dress and a pair of heels. Tonight she’d just gone out in a pair of jeans, an old t-shirt, and a zip up hoodie. I might be turning into an alcoholic.
From the floor, she tried to stand again and that’s when she realized that her shoe wasn’t broken after all, “Oh, it’s okay,” She said, “But i’m not … “ She fell backwards and now was lying completely on the floor, her gaze following his and she located the fairy lights that hung on the ceiling. “I thought you were hallucinating for second,” She said, “Huh, I never noticed them before. They’re pretty though.”
And that’s when someone came around and yelled for them to get their asses off the floor.
“I’m so disgusting,” She said, realizing that she’d been laying down in spilled alcohol and who knows what else. She nudged him “Okay, let’s go.” They helped each other up and (somehow) managed to find their feet. Becca closed out their bill (Seth had insisted on paying for them both every time at the start, but it was getting expensive and Becca had started paying every other time).
“Mine,” She said, in answer to his question, “I’m not going to work smelling like your axe body wash anymore. Plus we can walk to my house … we just gotta try to uh, not wake my parents.” She checked her watch, “I mean I know it’s only 9:30, but trust me, they will be asleep.”
She felt like an old person, herself, wanting to go home and be in bed before 10. This was what living the wild life had done to her. They’d flown too close to the sun.
The cool sea air helped to sober her up a little. It felt good to get out of the crowded bar and breathe. “Seth … “ She began, “We’re idiots. We’ve done a lot of stupid things, but this has to be the worst. I don’t wanna be the first one to cave, but I don’t think I can do this anymore.”
The truth was, it wasn’t just that she’d gone into work hungover for the past few days (although that was a huge part of it). The biggest thing was this part: when they were still drunk and they’d go back to his place or her’s and things were quiet and familiar and all she wanted to do was kiss him. She almost had, several times, but had stopped just before she did. There was every chance that they might not remember it in the morning … and she could always pretend that she’d been drunk out of her mind, but she was afraid that, even so, it would change things. She knew that he’d just reject her … and they’d try to ignore it, but things would never go back to being like this.
The truth was, she didn’t always trust herself not to do something incredibly stupid when she was sober, let alone drunk.
"I am not.” Seth’s words ran together as he struggled to defend himself. But then Becca joined him on the floor and his train of thought was lost in peals of raucous laughter.
And that’s when the bartender decided it really was time to leave. Seth heaved himself up, grabbing Becca’s waist for support as he started to stumble. When he was sure he would remain upright, his hands moved to her shoulders and he squeezed gently as she settled their tab.
“You’re not disgusting, Bex. I’M DISGUSTING. I think I poured most of those shots in my hair.” As if to prove his point, Seth pulled one hand from her shoulder and ran it through his brown spikes. When his hand came away soaked, he progressed to shaking his head like a dog... and spraying everyone within a two foot range with drops of tequila.
“OH WHOOPS. SORRY. I DIDN’T MEAN-- SORRY.”
That was probably his cue to get out of this bar. And with that, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door. Once they were out in the cool night air (where Seth could finally both think and hear a little more better), he answered her question. “If you don’t want to wake your parents, we could just go to my place? I don’t have parents to wake. And I think Val said I don’t work tomorrow? Tomorrow’s Thursday, right? I don’t work Thursdays.”
He stopped to consider this, even going so far as to count on his fingers, trying to assess the day. When he still couldn’t quite figure it, he simply dropped his hand back to his side. “Anyway, I think you left some shampoo at my place last time? Or maybe Val did? I don’t know. Someone left something lavender in my shower and it’s all yours.”
He turned to grin at her, swinging their linked hands between them as his drunken brain continually reminded him just how much he LIKED this girl. How much they’d been through together and how much he enjoyed being with her. And how appealing her face was, especially on hangover mornings.
But there was that same small voice in the back of his head that said “But Rachel would be better.” And then Seth looked away. And wondered, for possibly the thousandth time, how he could possibly get Rachel to go out with him. She would have fun with him. Bex did. And he would definitely have fun with her. After all, she’s a GODDESS.
Seth was just on the verge of voicing these opinions and asking if he could invite Rachel the next night when Becca dropped a bomb. Seth stopped short, pulling Becca to a stop beside him as he clasped her hand a little tighter. “Bex, are you crazy?? We can’t just give up. What will people say? That we’re quitters! C’mon. We can make this thing! It’s only, what, six more days?” He paused, attempting to do some quick mental math. “Or eight? Something like that?”
With a sigh, he dropped her hand and stared at her sadly, his eyes boring into hers. “We can’t stop now. Don’t you like doing this with me? It’s your present.”
He trailed off, sadly, as he ran a hand through his hair again. It had dried a little in the night air but it was still sticky. He’d definitely need a shower when he got home. If he got home. It wasn’t that he was particuarly attached to their bar hopping pact. Actually, Seth could’ve quit there and then too and probably would’ve been far happier.
But what he was attached to was the principle of the thing. In some weird, twisted way Seth felt like finishing what they’d started would truly make them adults. This was their first truly adult decision. And if they backed out of this one, what would that mean for the rest of their lives?
He needed this. They both needed this.
“Look,” he said with a sigh, moving to grab both her hands. “Tomorrow we’ll go to Uncle John’s place. We’ll have him watch us. Not let us drink so much. We’ll cut back. No more rip-roaring drunk nights like tonight. And no more bathing in our shots. Okay?”
With a small, half smile, he squeezed both her hands before dropping the right. Pulling on the left he started walking again. “C’mon, I believe we’re headed to my place? We might even take a refreshing dunk in the lake before we get there? That’s better than a shower, after all.”
He laughed, lightly, as he slowly nudged her shoulder with his.
“Hey, Bex. Happy twenty-one.”
