AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Drew nods, looking understanding. “Fair enough. Say no more. Millie, why don’t you grab us some beer.”
Millie nods, placing a kiss on Drew’s cheek before standing. Drew smacks her ass as she stands and she giggles, rubbing her cheek while sliding by me.
“And some shots!” Drew calls after her before the door closes.
“Hey,” says Jerry, pointing a finger at me. “Don’t I recognize you from somewhere?”
I shrug. “I don’t know.” I walk around the couch and sit on the far corner, ensuring there’s a seat between me and Drew.
“Aren’t you the quarterback or something?”
I smile and nod. “Yes, I play football.”
Jerry smacks his hands together. “I knew it! You’re like, good and stuff.”
I twiddle my fingers together, feeling antsy and wishing I could have something to hold or do with my fingers. My leg bounces up and down and I feel something in the back of my head itch. That gnawing need is clawing at me. I don’t have my pills on me. I only have a few left. I need to save them.
But still, I can’t stop that yearning from taking over. I wring my hands, trying to pay attention to the rhythmic booming of the bass in the background rather than my need for the pills. Drew’s eyes are on me, watching my every move while Jerry plays with one of the sleepers’ hats.
The door opens and Millie reappears with two large bottles in her hands. “Guess who brought vodka?” she calls in a singsong tune before sauntering inside.
She plops herself between me and Drew and hands one bottle to Jerry and the other to Drew. I watch as each takes a long swig, trying to ignore Millie’s hands sliding against my arm. Drew hands me the bottle and I take it urgently, chugging down several long swigs of vodka, enjoying the burn in the back of my throat and the fuzziness drowning out that itch in the back of my head.
“Man, you can drink,” says Drew when I hand the bottle back. “But I bet famous jocks like you get invited to all the cool parties.”
“Oh, Hunter isn’t just a footballer,” says Millie, grabbing the bottle from Jerry and taking a long swig. “He lives in a house with beautiful men. They’re like Gods.”
Drew chuckles. “As Godlike as me, Millie-bean?” he asks while gesturing to himself.
Millie slides her hands off me and leans into Drew. “No, you’re the best, Drew-bear.”
“Well are we going to get this party started or what?” asks Jerry, dangling the bag of white powder up for all eyes to see.
I grab the bottle from Millie and take another swig. “No,” I say between each long swig, the alcohol making words feel funny on my tongue. “I don’t do drugs,” I slur.
Millie giggles while Jerry scoffs.
Drew straightens on the couch and nods at me, once again staring at me with those understanding eyes I have been longing for so long. I wish my dad would look at me like that. I wish he would just recognize how painful it is for me to care for mom, when he should have been there for the both of us.
I wish Rachel would just let me be sad; just hug me and be there for me rather than pressing me for answers I don’t even know if I have and judging me for letting myself go. I wish the bros would at least keep the pity from their eyes when they looked at me. I could read them like an open book. I knew they felt pity for me; knew they whispered about my shoulder and my dead career when my back was turned.
“You know, alcohol is a drug,” says Drew.
I chuckle. “Yeah, yeah, everyone says that, but it’s legal.”
“It still kills, just like drugs. You use it to have fun, just like we use a bit of powder here and there for fun.” Drew shrugs before taking the bag from Jerry’s hands. “Just one is regulated whereas the other isn’t.”
I shake my head and take another long swig. “I’m quite fine with my vodka,” I slur while shaking the bottle, grimacing when I notice it’s nearly empty.
Drew nods. “Totally fine,” he says before sprinkling some powder on his tongue before moving to Millie. “No peer pressure here.”
“I want to go dancing,” says Millie while bounding out of the couch. “Can we go dancing?” She grabs Drew’s hand and drags him out of the couch.
I stand, but waver, my balance completely thrown off. Groaning, I shake my head, yet it only makes my dizziness worse. Everything is coming to me in two’s and I laugh, stumbling backwards and nearly falling into the couch.
Drew takes my hand and steadies me. “Better stay with us until you sober up a bit,” he says while pulling me out of the room and through the halls.
The music seems louder, the bass blasting and making the walls reverberate. I follow them into the living room, feeling like I’m walking through a dream. So many faces stare back at me, some laughing, others crying. Their faces merge together and become a blur, and all I can concentrate on is the beat of the music and the chattering around me.
