On the kitchen table, Nic finds a bottle of tequila, and while tequila and I have never been good friends, I don’t argue. I just want to forget everything Jim said. All of his words hit me right in the heart. I try to remind myself that it’s just the way these guys speak, but it’s hard.
“Come on,” Nic says. She crosses the house, clearly knowing exactly where we’re going. We walk down a long hallway that dead-ends in a room that looks near identical to the living room. There are fewer people back here, but the ones that are appear to be close to passed out. Nic finds us a spot on one of the three couches randomly scattered in the room. Taking a swig of the tequila, she coughs, nearly choking on the vile liquid. She hands the bottle off to me. Tilting my head back, I take a hearty drink as fast as I can, trying not to breathe while doing so. As I suspected, it’s horrible. My throat constricts, and my stomach churns at the taste, but I keep it down. I hand the bottle back to her and focus on regulating my breaths. If I don’t keep myself calm, the tequila is going to come back up.
We sit here in silent as the minutes pass, and I begin to wonder if this is the typical college experience. Every time Adriana would talk about some ”killer” party she’d been to, or a frat house, or a bar that she’s too young to legally be in—I wonder if this is what it was like. If they’re at all similar, I don’t see the appeal. A woman stumbles into the room, her eyes glassy, and her makeup a total disaster. She grips the wall to keep herself upright. To the right of the room, there’s a door that leads outside, into the backyard most likely. It takes her what feels like forever until she finally makes it there. Swinging the door open, she bends at her waist and expels her stomach’s contents into the unknown. Immediately, I cover my mouth, close my eyes, and try to block out the sound of her heaving.
Nic hasn’t slowed down any on the tequila, and I can tell just by looking at her that she’s three sheets to the wind. Her elbows rest on her knees, and her left hand holds the bottle loosely, letting it dangle close to the floor. Her right arm is bent, propping her face up as she sits there, hunched over and swaying slightly. If she drinks any more, she’s going to be like the woman across the room, and that’s not a very pleasant thought. I reach over and grab the bottle from her hand and take a small sip. I didn’t prepare myself for the strength of the liquor. It knocks me back, sending the room spinning for just a moment. When everything stops spinning, I realize that maybe Nic isn’t the only one who shouldn’t be drinking any more, and I set the bottle on the floor.
“You’re drunk,” I say, smiling at her. She gives me a goofy, carefree grin. It’s the first time she’s ever looked so relaxed. The other times I’ve seen her, she’s been so pensive.
“I am, and I don’t care.” Her voice is lighter than normal. She continues to sway lightly while smacking her lips. Her eyelids close for a second before flying open and then fluttering closed. I give her a light shove to keep her coherent. She’s definitely in that blissful place where nothing matters.
Pulling my cell phone out of my back pocket, I realize we’ve been here longer than I thought. No wonder she’s wasted.
“Who did you call earlier?” I ask. Nic isn’t much for sharing when she’s sober, so I’m hoping she’s a little chattier when she’s been drinking.
“My brother,” she says, letting out a sigh. “He’s got to meet with the principal tomorrow morning. I was making sure he knew that.” I try to remember what Ruby had said about Nic’s family, but I’m drawing a blank. There was something in there about taking care of her brother.
“Where are your parents?”
“Dad’s in San Quentin, and mom’s probably out there somewhere sucking dick,” she says, as casual as can be. I can feel the shock register on my face. The more information she gives up, the more I like Nic after she’s had a bit too much to drink. She gives me a sideways glance and blows out a breath. “Well, she probably is.”
Going back to her happy place, Nic lays back into the couch and curls in, trying to get comfortable. My muscles tense as I realize she’s probably trying to take a nap. I really don’t want to be stuck in this shithole all night, and neither of us is in any condition to drive anywhere. Looking at my phone in my hand, I bite the bullet and find Ryan’s name in my contacts list. Thankfully I listened when Ruby insisted I program each of the guy’s numbers into my phone.
HI, I text. It’s lame, but I don’t know what else to say. I just, kind of, want to talk to him. Before I can even focus my attention elsewhere, my phone chimes.
WHERE ARE YOU, the text reads.