Chapter 33: Boys Will Be Boys:

David's POV

Sometimes our friends drag us into things we don't want to do. Like coming over to their house at some random hour of the night, even though you want to sleep.
    Knock, knock, knock. I waited for Cris to answer the door, hands in my pockets, wondering what the hell we were going to be "celebrating."
   Ever since Sunday he told me he had some "big news" to tell me, but he kept putting it off until-now. I knew it couldn't be anything serious, because he would've told me by then.
    The door swung open and he flung his arms wide out into the air. "Heeeeey! There's my superstar athlete!"
    "Please... Don't." I cringed, holding my hand up in an awkward manner, looking from side to side.

      He ignored my statement and slung his arm around my shoulder, pulling me through the door. Thud. I was greeted with the awe-struck stares of Tristan and Aaron. I kicked my shoes off by the door.
      "Come on! You got a freaking scholarship yesterday, that's something to celebrate-"
    "Please tell me that's not what we're celebrating! I already told you-"
     "No." He looked around at the other guys in the room. "Excuse us for a moment, we'll be right back... Just go upstairs and put the game in."
     Tristan and Aaron nodded, walking up the stairs as Aaron stayed behind, "Don't forget the bottle man!" He warned.

     As soon as Cris pulled me into the kitchen, he grabbed me by the shoulders. "What the hell is going on with you?!"
     Everyone was worried about me because of Casey, sometimes I wished she didn't get involved with my life all the time. When she was upset about things, I never ran off and talked to her friends. I bet she put him up to this, just so she could find out what was 'wrong' with me.
    "HELLOOOO?! Earth to David!" He shook me around like a drunken rag doll.
     Scowling and pushing him away from me I yelled, "Stop!" Cris was like that annoying younger brother I always wanted, except we were the same age. I looked over to the side, rubbing my neck. "What's that for?" I pointed to the bottle of liquor he had sitting on the counter, it even had a pink bow around it.

"That's for us." He got closer to the counter, admiring the bottle. "Aged Gran Patrón Platinum tequila," he said trying to roll his tongue like a Spanish speaker. He really knew how to be a dork sometimes.
"Oh yeah, that pink bow definitely shows that it's for us." My sarcasm was in full effect.
He rolled his eyes, "Okay, it's my mom's." A smirk formed at the ends of his lips, he looked like such a sly bastard. "Her boyfriend gave it to her as a gift, but she doesn't drink alcohol... So why let it go to waste?"
I shrugged, "I guess." Mumbling only made me sound even more un-enthused. I quickly changed the subject. "So now that I'm here, can you please tell me what the hell we're celebrating?! You've had me waiting long enough."

     "Ohhh yes, I can definitely tell you all about that." He was lowering his eyes and raising his voice in the most cunning way. "Do you remember Emma- Emma Autry?!" He was nearly whispering but I could still hear him loud and clear.
    I paused for a moment, wondering why her name sounded so familiar, and then it clicked. Looking at him like an maniac I asked him, "Didn't she give some guy an STD last year?"
     Cris stiffened all of a sudden, "Yeah, her." It was like he was reluctant to go on. "We've been talking."
    "Talking about what?!" Cris knew he never had to worry about what he said to me, I frowned at him. "Come on man, stop beating around the bush...Say what you need to say, I'm not gonna judge you."
      Immediately, he grinned and then flashed a straight face. "I'm not a virgin anymore."
 

      My ears were nearly bleeding. "WHAT?!"
     He started nodding his head up and down, slowly. "Mhmm. She invited me over, we were watching tv, and then we started kissing and I think you know what happened from there." He gave me a wink.
    "Wow." I hushed, almost wondering if I had heard him clearly.
     "I know right?! I can't believe it! It was so amazing, the way she looked, her body is perfect...You have no idea...And let me tell you, she knew what she was doing." He was stuck in his little world, daydreaming, but I was wondering if he had gone crazy.

             "What about Jessica?" It felt like I was being more compassionate than he was, and he was her boyfriend. I guess he didn't give a shit.

    "Yeah. What about her?" The flash of his white teeth covered his pink fleshy skin as he bit his lips, he was angry. "Nothing matters between me and her anymore. I know what you're thinking but, this wasn't something that happened over night." He sighed, "It's been a buildup, a buildup of disrespect, a buildup of lies, and a buildup of tension! I've had blue balls for 3 years now, it was getting old really fast. Jess had her chance to make things right but look at her, she's running off with that Colon guy." The look on his face when he mentioned Collin, was priceless.
As much as I tried to hold it in, I laughed my ass off. "That Colon guy." I mocked him, "You really think she wants him?"
"What do you mean do I really think she wants him- HAVE YOU SEEN HER LATELY?!" His eyes were all wide and gleamy. "Colon this, Colon that- oh yeah I can't hang out with you today, I'm gonna be busy with Colon." He grit his teeth. "Fuck him, and fuck her. She's a bitch and I don't deserve to get led on like that. Besides, let's see how long he waits to get laid."

Without thinking I said, "Who said he was going to have to wait?" I had never seen Cris so jealous over another guy, it was hilarious.
He gave me the evilest glare imaginable. "Ha. Ha. Ha." We were both on a roll as far as sarcasm went. "Even if she does decide to sleep with him, I'm pretty sure he won't be impressed."
"And you think Emma was impressed with you?! No offense, but we both know she gets around."
"Okay, stop talking shit. Like I said before, we've been talking and she's not like that anymore, either way I'm just playing the field right now." He crossed his arms. "I thought you would be happy for me."

"I am," I shrugged my arms in a nonchalant manner. "I guess I was just expecting something different, but congrats man."
"Yeah? Well, I was expecting more from you lately, I thought you would be different after yesterday, but I guess not." He mumbled.
"What do you mean you thought I would be different?" I asked.
He pointed at me, frowning. A quick tug on my shoulders made me tense up. "THAT. That's exactly what I mean. You're living in a daydream man- Wake the fuck up! Why have you been acting so God damn strange? You got a scholarship yesterday and you walked around like nothing even happened."
   "I'm sorry? I just didn't feel the need to broadcast it, I really didn't want it to be honest."  I didn't want to go to college on a sports scholarship, I wanted to pursue music. It wasn't like I really needed the money anyways, it was a waste. "Look, I'm gonna have to sit around with my prick of a cousin for 2 weeks straight during break, I'm not enthused about anything right now."
    "Bullshit." He laughed, "Come on, I know your cousin is an ass but you've gotta come up with a better lie than that, I'm almost insulted that you would try and lie to me."

     "I'm not lying, sure there may be some other things that are on my mind, but they don't matter." I really was the worst liar in the world, especially when I lied to my friends.
    "They do matter if you're acting like this." He backed up, still eyeing me with strategic intent. "Is it Casey?"
    "Kind of sort of." I weaseled around the problem, trying to give subtle hints, but not too many hints.
    "What's wrong with her?" He was listening, and I was almost afraid to say my next words.
     "I think I might just end it with her soon." It was almost hard to say that, almost.

     "What?!?!" Now he was the one looking at me like I was a fool. "Dude! She's pretty, she has things going for herself, and she gives it up. What more could you want?!"
    "And? There's other pretty girls out there with plenty of things going on for themselves, and any girl will give it up, you just have to give them a reason to." I shrugged, there really wasn't any reason to be with her anymore.
    "Why? Why now?" His face fell flat and he asked me, "Who's the other girl?"
     "There's no other girl, I'm just bored. Everything is the same with Casey. It's going to be a new year, and we break up all the time. It feels like a cycle."
    "Don't you think you've told me enough lies in one day?"
     "Alright, there's this girl but it doesn't matter what her name is, or who she is." Thinking about Melody made me nervous, I sighed. "She's complicated, but I like the challenge. Not everything is a 'yes' or 'no' with her."

      He looked all sly when he asked me, "Is she pretty? Short? Tall? Curly hair? Straight hair? What size bra does she wear?" He knew that last comment would annoy me, which is why he laughed.
     As much as I trusted him, I never felt like it was his business to know things like that. The thought of someone else knowing what my girlfriend looked like downstairs or even below the neck was kind of unpleasant,  which is why I never told him or anyone anything about Casey. What happened between us, stayed between us, even if I wasn't happy with her anymore. "That's irrelevant," I muttered.
"Not really. I mean what if you guys have sex? Don't you want something to grab on to?" His face was all red, it looked like he was losing his breath from all his constant laughter.
"There's always hair," I quickly dismissed his counterargument, chuckling a little bit too. I regained my composure, "But honestly, if she has a pretty face, that's all that matters to me."

"Well, does she have a pretty face?" He raised the tone in his voice, waiting for my answer.
"She's pretty to me and besides, she wouldn't want to have sex with anyone." I admitted, even though that was kind of painful.
"How would you know? You're David, any girl would get down with you. Even this mystery girl you speak of-" He grimaced for a moment, "Is she religious?"
"Please, I'm just another guy like you and every other man in the world. But nah, she's not religious... I guess she's just waiting for the 'right guy.' Ya' know?"

"Oh believe me, I know and I'm not dealing with a girl like that, ever again." He mimicked the motion of a gun being put to his head. "Fuck that shit. I'd shoot myself before I date another 'Virgin Mary.'"
I couldn't stop laughing, "Okay, okay, that's enough." I frowned at him, wondering when he had changed, this wasn't the Cris I knew a few weeks ago. Sure, Cris was an ass but, he never was that rude. "When did you become such a big bad dirt bag?"
"It's been in me, I just never showed it." He pointed towards the bottle of tequila and snickered. "Come on, Aaron and Tristan are waiting for us, we're gonna finish this bottle and I don't want to be last." He cringed, picking it up and gazing at the worm slushing around the bottom of the bottle. "Whoever's last has to eat the worm."

***

   Alcohol was not my best friend, it was my worst enemy, in many ways than one. It was kind of like that old lady down the street who looked so friendly, until you actually go up and try to say hi to her, and then she ends up waving her rusty old cane at you.
"Son of a bitch!" Tristan cursed, moving his index feverishly against the controller. The zombies were crowding around him, "Shit! I gotta reload!"
    I shook my head at him, downing some more tequila. It was so smooth as it went down my throat, compared to all the cheap alcohol most of the other kids scored these days. Pulling the bottle away from myself, I looked at it. Could you buy alcohol online without any questions asked? This shit was pristine...Top notch.

     "DAVID! COVER ME!" Tristan was still waiting for his gun to reload, slowly backing himself into a corner as the zombies blocked his only way out. "David!" He nudged me in my arm.
     "Oww." That was one of my tender spots, yet everyone loved touching me there. Even Melody, but she didn't know that. "I'm trying." I fumbled with my controller, trying to lead the zombies my way.
      Just the thought of her sent my mind wandering, she was gone like the wind, and she took my mind right with her. All my texts were un-viewed and even Jessica said she did the same thing to her. I was slightly worried but I figured she was okay, or at least I was hoping she was.

      "Ahh shit! I'm down!" Tristan grabbed the bottle from the floor, "What the fuck were you doing?!" He said before taking a swig.
    "I'm trying man, I'm trying. Give me some slack here." I said, trying to redeem myself. "We're playing Black Ops half drunk, I'm a little impaired."

     "You're the last man standing, it's only round 5 and you're fucking up my score man!" Cris was throwing his hands around in the air in all kinds of crazy directions, as if that would help me. "Get to the mystery box! What the fuck are you doing?!"
      There was an influx of zombies taking over my corner of the screen, I knew I wasn't going to make it. They seemed to be moving in all kinds of directions, it was hard to aim correctly.
    "Ahhh! Fuck!" Cris got up and snatched the controller from my hand. The dreaded screen of failure came onto the tv 'round 5' ThatxboyxCrisxGotxSkillzx, 3 kills. "You're done, I can't have you destroy my score any further."

      "Fine." I mumbled, pulling the bottle of tequila towards my way, taking one last swig before I stood up on my feet. It felt like I was swinging on a swing, going up as high in the air as I could. I looked over towards his bed, " I wanted to sleep anyways."
      "Then go to bed, all you had to do was say you were tired." Did he forget that he was the one who begged me to come over, without taking no for an answer?
      "Fuck you," I muttered, collapsing onto his bed. My phone glared in my face, making my eyes sore and even more heavy.
     "I love you too." Cris hollered to me, still shooting up zombies on the tv screen. "Yeah baby! Insta-Kill!" He was such a dork sometimes, it was kind of funny.
      I looked like a lost puppy on his bed, laying down looking at my phone. Forever waiting for that text. That text that said she was alive, that text that said she was okay, that text that said she still even wanted to talk to me, but it didn't come.