Cherry Bomb [h.s]

11

"So how much longer until your dad's asleep and we can sneak into the liquor cabinet?" Zayn whispers to me as we sit in the living room.

The TV is playing a rerun of The Office on low volume, but we're not really paying attention.

"It's almost 10:30, he should be asleep within 10 minutes or so" I whisper back. Dad is always asleep by 10:45, no matter what.

"So what's the news on the job?" Zayn asks, his tone becoming more solemn.

I sigh and start fiddling with my necklace as I answer.

"Well, we don't know for sure yet... but we think he got the job."

"Oh." He says after a moment.

"Yeah." I say back.

"So you're going to be moving?"

"I guess so," I shrug, "I guess I have to learn Japanese now, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He chuckles a little, but then his expression falls, "I'm going to miss you, you know that right?"

"I know," I say, "I'm going to miss you too. But you know what'll cheer us up?"

"What?"

"Getting fucking plastered."

He smiles at this, and I grab his hand and drag us off the couch.

We sneak through the kitchen and into the dining room that we never use. On the left wall is the 'liquor cabinet'. In reality it's actually a dish cabinet that has random bottles of alcohol filling it instead of dishes.

I slowly open the cabinet doors, trying to make them squeak as quietly as possible. I start pulling random bottles out, wanting to get to the good stuff in the back.

"Grab some vodka, I want to get drunk the quick and dirty way." Zayn tells me.

"Shhh, lower your voice!" I whisper shout at him.

"Sorry." He whispers this time.

"Okay so we have vodka...and Tennessee whiskey?"

"Sounds good to me."

I shrug and grab both bottles and try to pull them out gently. I accidentally clink them against other bottles, wincing a little every time.

"Okay, bring these up to the roof while I put the others back." I tell Zayn as I hand him the bottles. He nods and takes the bottles, then turns to walk back through the kitchen. 

But then I hear footsteps coming from the hallway. 

"Shit shit shit shit shit" I whisper frantically as I try to put back all the bottles as quickly as possible. "Take the alcohol and hide!" I whisper shout to Zayn. 

He quickly runs out the kitchen, and I hope to god that he hasn't been heard or seen. 

I continue putting the alcohol back but it doesn't look right, and I huff in frustration as I try to adjust all the bottles. 

But I'm too late, because the footsteps are too close now. I freeze in place, my back turned towards the doorway. 'Okay,' I think 'Maybe I can talk my way out of this one'.