Yael | Ongoing

Chapter 20: Talk To Me

Charlie
11:04 PM

"You know this is your fault, right?" I asked as we walked downstairs.

"My fault? What did I do?" Sharon asked, walking beside me and letting her hand slide down the handrail. "Look, he's the one who decided to go into a BEER DRINKING competition. All I did was push him a little."

She giggled after she said it and I couldn't help but smile. She was enjoying herself and also giving Sam a good time as well. Neither Sam nor I had imagined this night going this way and as far as party nights go, this one was going great.

As we got downstairs, we found out very quickly how immortal of a game beer pong was. Apparently, there's a ton of beer and when you add a bunch of teenagers who are looking for a "reason" to get drunk, beer pong is an apt solution. People were wasted everywhere. Just as soon as the pool party was about to be introduced, everyone decided it was time to go union and take a break.

"What are going to do about these guys?" Sharon said with arms stretched out to both sides as she stepped over some people on the floor who were half passed out as if they were land mines. "They are everywhere."

I just stood at the foot of the stairs and leaned against the wall with my arms in my pant pockets. "We'll just wait until they get de-zombified and are ready for the next crazy round."

"That may take a while," she replied as she continued stepping over them to get to the fridge. She opened it and her head disappeared behind the door for a few seconds before appearing again with a huge bottle of Orange Juice in her hand. I nodded and she slipped it back in.

"And maybe that is good. Some peace and quiet for an hour or two never killed anybody," I said with a chuckle.

"True but, come on. It's kinda fun when you have over twenty teenagers in your ear screaming 'Chug! Chug! Chug!' when you can barely remember your own name," she said. She had taken the chicken out of the fridge and set the timer on the microwave and stood by it as it hummed gently.

"Parties are always nicer when there are people to attend," I replied.

"Doesn't seem like much of a problem for you."

"Nah, I was never popular," I stated. "Just cause I can get a few people in a room and get them to go beast mode doesn't mean I always could."

She leaned on the island which was already riddled with red cups. She set one upright and ran her finger along the rim in counterclockwise motion.

"Sob story?" she asked sarcastically as she looked at me and smiled.

"Oh, get outta here," I said and we laughed. I shifted my weight to one foot and leaned more into the wall, staring off into space. "Where I come from, I wasn't the best. My brothers were more favored than I was and were more recognized and revered. They had all the responsibilities and all the praise. Everyone knew them and talked about them but it wasn't the same for me. I've never really had a chance to prove that I'm as good as they are. That I can be much more."

"Oh. That deep, huh?" Sharon asked.

"Pretty much," I replied with a chuckle.

"You've never told me where you're from," Sharon said.

"It's not too far from here," I said. 'You may or may not know it."

"Where?" She asked.

"Heaven," I replied.

She looked at me quizzically like I had just said I think that dogs are horrid creatures. Then her face lit up with clarity.

"Swede Heaven, Washington?" She asked.

"Pretty much," I said.

"Oh, really?" She asked, raising an eyebrow with a grin on her face. "A small county purebred."

"Yes, really," I replied, laughing.

"Well, my weapon of warfare is very simple: Not Giving a Fuck. And it works all the time, baby." Sharon said.

"Your parents would be very proud," I retorted, looking smug.

"Oh, they're groveling already," she replied and we both laughed again.

"Hey, have you seen Tinu around by any chance?" I asked, looking around the poorly lit room.

"I bet she's around the heap of bodies over there by the couch," she replied as she worked the microwave, removing the chicken from within it.

"Really?" I asked.

"Only one way to find out," Sharon replied as she looked at me, eyes quickly darting over to the couch and then landing back on me. Then she smiled.

That's how Sharon and I spent over fifteen minutes going over the entire living room carefully moving and shifting people over to check who they were. The entire place was a mess. A beautiful mess, if you could call it that.

"Well, she's not here," Sharon uttered finally as she stood up from one of the bodies and stretched her back.

"I'm really glad you're opening up to me on your several layers of crazy. I really feel like we're bonding now." I said

"Oh, shut up," she retorted and I snickered.

"But if she isn't here, then where is she?" I asked.

"You seem really eager to find out. She owe you money?"

"Of course not."

"Wait, you like her?"

"No?"

"That wasn't even an answer. So you DO like her."

"I didn't say that. You did."

"And you're not correcting me."

"Hey, I am!"

"Well, you're not convincing enough, Mr. Charles. Now, I ask again, do you like her or not?"

I didn't respond because I didn't know what to say. I knew Sharon was trolling me for fun, obviously, but... Did I? Of course not.

"You're spacing out, Mr. Charles," Sharon said giggling and snapping her fingers in my direction. "I can't let you do that."

She was toying with me. And it was working like a charm, for some reason.

"You're really having a lot of fun, aren't you?" I asked, squinting my eyes.

"Time of my life," she replied as she smiled and walked back toward the microwave.