The Speech

Chapter 14

Dylan's POV

     Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why is it so fucking bright in here? I can feel the sun shining through my fucking eyelids.
"Thank God, you didn't die in your sleep." I hear the loudest, highest pitched voice say.
"Can you shut the fuck up please." I say to it.
"A thank you for making sure you didn't croak last night would be nice. I didn't have to do it, you know." It keeps talking. Against my better judgment, I pry my eyes open just enough to see who's voice it is.
"May? Why the hell are you here?" I ask her.

"Oh fuck me, you don't even remember do you?" She asks me.
"Remember what?" I ask. She rolls her eyes then closes the bedroom door.
"That you got utterly wasted yesterday and then did coke with me in the bathroom of a steakhouse." Pieces of what she says comes back to me. A Jack Daniels bottle under the chair in my bedroom, May and I in a bathroom stall, and a scotch glass at dinner.
"That explains it." I say, in reference to how over sensitive every one of my senses currently are.
"Since you've made it through the night, and officially woken up, my job here is done." She says, zipping up her boot and grabbing her purse.
"I didn't ask you to come over." At least I don't think I did. She turns around.

"And if you had gotten alcohol poisoning because the coke made you feel like you could handle more? Or if you'd had a heart attack from the two mixing? Who would've known Dylan? You could've been dead on the floor by this morning and no one would've known." She yells at me.
"Yeah cause you're the one to lecture me about drugs." I scoff. She gets in my face, grabbing my chin to force me to look at her.
"You don't mix them with alcohol Dylan. I'm really fucking serious. I don't give a shit if you wanna do coke, so do I. But if you're gonna, don't be stupid about it. I'm not gonna be here to watch over you again, you got it?" She drops my face and walks out the door, slamming it behind her. And I know as I clutch my skull and fall into the pillow, she did it just for me.

Avery's POV

      In thigh high boots and a pleated skirt, I watch as May carries herself down our stairs. What the hell is she doing here? I walk into Dylan's room without so much as a knock.
"I swear if y'all are back together after we helped your drunk ass yesterday Dylan, I will throw you out the window." I yell into his room. Then from his bathroom I hear him puke his guts out. I approach him with more sympathy than I did a few moments ago.

"Dylan?" I ask softly, stepping into the bathroom. He's sat on the floor, head resting on the seat of the toilet. His eyes are bloodshot and the dark circles underneath them are ungodly. I walk over to his sink and get him a cup of water.
"Why was May here?" I ask, handing the cup to him. He takes a long gulp from it.
"I texted her I think. She was worried and came over to make sure I didn't drink myself into a coma. It was a platonic thing though, don't worry. She still doesn't want me." He drinks the rest of the water and then flushes the toilet.
"Fuck why is everything so loud!" He groans, and stands up.
"Maybe I should call the school for you? Act like mom and tell them you're staying home sick." I offer.

"Like they'd buy it. The school doesn't hear from our parents more than twice a year, and that's only ever for the parent teacher days." He responds.
"Guess that's true. You gonna be okay?" I ask.
"No, I'm really fucking not going to be. But I skipped half of yesterday, and if I skip today they're gonna start calling mom and dad, and neither of us wants that. So I'm gonna go." He says.
"Do you wanna ride with me and Jayden? Might not be good to drive in your condition..." I ask. He puts on a pair of sunglasses.
"I'll be fine." I give a nod and exit the room. Whatever, can't say I didn't try to help.

Jackie's POV

     Riding in Jayden's backseat makes me feel like I'm their child. As we pull up to school I almost wait to hear one of them say
"Have a good day sweetie. Stay out of trouble!" But instead he parks the car and we all get out. He kisses Avery on the cheek and swiftly leaves to go talk to his coach before the first bell.
"May was over this morning." She drops the news so casually.
"What?" I ask, astonished.
"Apparently Dylan drunk texted her and she came over cause she was 'worried' about him. Not sure if I buy it though. He's gotten drunk countless times, what's to be worried about this time?" She rambles, but what if she's right? The bell rings, breaking out conversation and she darts off to history.

     All through class I wonder if I'd stayed in his room, would he still have called her? Did they kiss and make up? Did he sleep with her? I shouldn't care really. I don't care, there's nothing to care about. It's just she's crazy and he shouldn't date her, she's bad for him. And he was so messed up over the breakup yesterday... I hope he didn't kiss her, for his sake. He deserves better. Maybe a distraction is what he needs after all. Someone to be with just for a little while until he forgets about May. It could be just what he needs. I could be just what he needs. For now that is.

     The bell brings me out of my thoughts, and I quickly pack up my bag. I doubt Dylan is even coming to school today. I can only imagine what his hangover is looking like after everything he drank yesterday. He's sure to be head deep in a toilet right now.
"Jackie!" I look around and spot Theo calling me over.
"Have you seen Avery anywhere?" He asks.
"Not since this morning. She's probably just getting out of class." I tell him.
"I checked, but I didn't see her. Can you tell her I'm looking for her?" He asks me. I shrug.
"Sure, but I'm sure a text would work too." He misses my sarcasm as he walks away.

     I go to my next class, one that I share with Avery and walk in to see her already there.
"Theo's looking for you." I say, setting my stuff down. She rolls her eyes.
"Tell him to look for Haley instead." She mumbles but I manage to make it out.
"Haley?" I question. She changes her expression, to a smile.
"Our little Theodork had quite the date with her last night. She made him a nice meal at her house and he didn't leave until the wee hours of the morning."
She says it with enthusiasm, and yet two seconds ago she seemed to be mad at him. Before I can ask what she thinks of it, the teacher starts to talk.

Theo's POV

     I've texted her a few times today. I didn't want to come off desperate after all. I've tried to talk to her face to face today, but I keep missing her. I just want to make sure Avery's okay. I'm Searching everywhere for her by lunch, but the closest I get is when I stumble upon her brother.
"Dylan? You actually showed up today?" I say surprised. He's leaned between a wall and a trash can with sunglasses on and his hoodie pulled up. I'm pretty sure if I just nudged him, his entire insides would erupt into that can.
"It was the worst decision of my life." I can't tell if he's talking about all the drinking he did yesterday, or showing up to school.
"Do you like... Need help?" I offer.
"I'm capable on my own thank you." He says, right before groaning in pain as he tries to move.
"Clearly." I retort. He pushes himself off the wall and removes the sunglasses.
"Fuck me man. I gotta go find May." He says and slowly starts to walk away.
"Didn't she dump you?" I ask. He simply holds up his middle finger as a response.

     With one more lap through the halls I finally find Avery hiding out by her locker.
"Where have you been?" I question and she shrugs.
"Around. Why?" She casually responds.
"I just haven't seen you all morning. You doing alright?" I ask her. She closes her locker door, and I see her smile.
"Theo, I'm great. Head to lunch with me?" She asks, and we start walking.
"Do you mind giving Jackie a ride home today? I wanna stay and watch Jayden's practice and I know she likes to get home and get her homework done."
"You wanna stay for his practice?" I ask in disbelief.
"Yeah I know, shocker, but he likes it when I do. And I need to put in the effort to stay and watch. I love him after all." She says and I feel a knife twist in my stomach.
"I was thinking." She starts, already changing the subject.
"You should take Haley out again." She states and I stop walking.
"What?" I question.
"Don't panic or anything now Teddy. I know it's been a while since you've gone out with a girl but you managed to do it last night. And I just think it's worth asking her on another date." She keeps talking and I wait for a twinge in her smile or a hiccup in her voice that tells me she doesn't actually mean what she's saying, but it doesn't come.
"Well Haley isn't exactly looking for second dates right now." I tell her.
"Yeah she told me, but she did say she'd make an exception for you." She squeals.
"You talked to her?" I ask, thrown off. 
"I did... Just to see if she'd be up for doing a double date with me and Jayden." She defends. A double what?
"You want to go on a double date with me and Haley?" I ask shocked. What happened to her being upset last night? Or telling me to not go near her again and calling her a bitch? Suddenly she's fine with it all?
"Yes. And so does Haley. Friday night, write it down. We're going on a date."