Yael | Ongoing

Chapter 8: Alcoholics Anonymous

Sam.
9:36 PM

I was still recuperating from what was unarguably the best few minutes of my life when Charlie walked into the living room and asked the DJ to turn the music down a little.

"Let's all settle down," he began, gesturing with his hands, "Hey, Brian, get off the couch, will ya?"

It took a while for the noise to settle.

"Okay, I just want to thank everyone who's here right now for making out time to be here. It's great that we get to do this every other fucking weekend, am I right or am I right?" Charlie asked with glee in his voice as he raised the cup he held in one hand and the crowd went wild with shouts and chants before dying back down again.

"And since we're going to be getting to know each other a lot tonight, I thought it would be quite fun to go around the room with introductions." He said with a patronizing tone.

"Should be fun. All the skeletons in all of your closets are gonna come out tonight," someone said with a sneer.

"Yeah, go for it," the voice was female this time.

"So, we good?" Charlie asked, looking around the room for anyone who might have a conflict of interest. Seeing as there was no such person, he began. "Alright then, who wants to start?"

Everyone seemed to be on board initially but there was suddenly a blanket of reluctance that had fallen over the room. They were all just looking at each other, waiting for who would drop the ball first. For an eager crowd, they weren't very forthcoming.

"Okay, I'll start." A boy said, standing up. "My name's David..." And before he could get anything else out, everyone in the room chorused "Hi David."

"Oh, fuck you," he said as the room burst with laughter. "This isn't an AA meeting. Although it could be."

He raised the cup he held in his hand and those who had cups raised theirs as well, toasting to his possible and probable future addiction.

"I'm David, I'm 6'2", I'm blond and I'm wearing white pants."

More laughter enveloped the room.

Someone else got up. "Hey, I'm Taylor and I'm single." Taylor darted her eyes around and flung her hair over her shoulder as she spoke.

"Amen to that," went a slightly tipsy male voice in the background and the room was filled with laughter once more.

Seems everyone's having fun and getting along, I thought. At least it was always this fun in movies before shit started to hit the fan.

"Hey there." It was Sharon.

"Hiiiii," I stretched with a nervous undertone that was completely obvious even to the most unsuspecting of people.

"Want a glass?" She asked, gesturing to the beer bottle she had in hand.

"Nah," I replied with a wave. "Alcohol and I aren't the best of friends."

"Well, for tonight, you don't have to be best friends," she said, grabbing a glass and spewing some into it. "You just have to tolerate each other."

She smiled and handed the glass to me. I took it and we toasted.

"What exactly are we toasting to?" I asked.

"I have no idea," she replied with a chuckle.

"Well," I started, shifting in my chair. "Maybe, we can toast to a wonderful night. A night that's just begun by the way."

She looked down but I could tell she was smiling. "Yeah, it is wonderful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." Then I took a sip. I moved the glass from my lips, appraising its contents with an approving look. "Hey, this isn't half bad."

"Budweiser." Sharon chimed in.

"What's that?" I asked, appalled.

"The beer," she replied.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I responded.

"Thank God you're pretty," she said, stifling a laugh as she drank.