COME SAIL AWAY; abed nadir

ABSENCE OF PARENTAL GUIDANCE: AN ESSAY

outfits for this chapter!

It was late on a Friday night. I hadn't been to classes all day. I just sat in the study room and drank all the alcohol I could find. At one point, I even played a few drinking games with Starburns and Magnitude. When the rest of the study group came in for their meeting I hid behind the couch. It was abnormal because it was almost eleven.

I listened in.

"Guys, I'm really worried about Isa. We haven't seen her all day," I heard Annie say.

Once I came to Greendale the whole 'Belle' nickname was dropped. Now it's Isa, for some reason. I kinda like it. Belle made me feel like I was a Disney princess. I hate that feeling.

"I think she just wants some alone time. We should give it to her. She needs to grieve on her own terms," Troy commented. I can always count on T-Bone to have my back.

Jeff scoffed and grabbed one of the many empty beer cans I left lying around, "If she wanted alone time she wouldn't have been hanging out with Starburns."

Abed spoke up, "Starburns? When was she hanging out with Starburns? Who said that?"

Pierce cackled, "Aww, look, Abed's getting all jealous."

"Shut up, Pierce," Britta scolded, "Abed, I thought you said you were going to ask her to go see the 2012 movie with you."

Abed dropped his bag, "Plans change and by that, I mean I don't think it would be sensitive to ask her out right after she found out her mom died."

I jumped up from behind the couch, "So, you already told everyone, huh?"

The group jumped back.

"Oh my God, Isabella, you look terrible," Pierce remarked.

Shirley slapped his arm, "Pierce!"

"What?"

I pulled out my phone and looked at myself in my camera. I had bags under my eyes, my hair was a mess, my mascara was all over my face, and I'm sure I reeked of booze.

Britta stepped forward cautiously, "Isa, I'm sure that Abed didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I think he just wanted to let us know, just in case."

I groaned, "I don't care what you think Abed thinks!"

I grabbed into my pocket and pulled out one of the pills Starburns gave me and downed it with Vodka.

Annie winced, "Isa, I don't know if you should be doing that."

"Well, it's a good thing I didn't ask for your opinion."

Annie gasped and Shirley consoled her.

Pierce spoke up, "I had some of those at the Dia de Los Muertos party. You really shouldn't take them. I almost died."

"You're eighty! Of course, you almost died!"

Jeff ran over to me and tried to peel the rest of the pills from my fist.

"Don't you take them from me, white man!"

"What are you talking about!"

He finally snatched the fills from me and shoved them down his pants pocket.

"Are you wearing a Jacob Black costume?" He asked incredulously.

"Give me back my pills you spikey-haired bitch!"

Jeff restrained me by the arms, "Isa, how many pills have you had today?"

"That was only my second one!" I yelled while still struggling under his grasp.

"Someone help me!" Jeff yelled.

Abed and Troy ran over to take me from Jeff and Shirley ran to take the pills from Jeff.

As she ran down the halls, the lights in the building started to turn off.

The bright lights were replaced by glowing neon writing on the walls and flashing colorful beams coming from all directions.

Troy and Abed let me go.

I began to whimper, "Guys, I think that I'm hallucinating."

Troy responded, "Nah, I can see it too."

"What the hell is going on?" Jeff asked.

That's when the dean came into the room in what looked like a Tron costume.

"What the hell are you guys still doing here?" The dean exclaimed.

Pierce grabbed his things and walked straight out the door.

The dean sighed, "Okay, what are all of you-besides Pierce-doing here?"
"We're trying to keep Isa from turning into a bad guy."

I sputtered, "I'm the bad guy? You're the one with horns!"

"Uh-oh," Abed commented.

"Oh my God, she's hallucinating," Annie squealed.

"Hallucinating?" The dean questioned.

"She took drugs!" Britta shouted.

I gasped, "The drugs!"

I ran from Abed's touch and down the hallway in hopes of catching Shirley. I ran around the entire school in between what looked like a rave until I finally found her running back towards the library. Once I got closer to her she started yelling.

"It's the werewolf!" Shirley screamed.

The dean yelled, "Ms. Diaz, it is obviously true that you are using drugs," you waved his hands around the empty bottles, "and alcohol on campus."

I turned around and ran out of the building.

I ran around the parking lot for a bit while Troy chased me and then they lured me back to Abed's place.

Once Troy made sure that I was okay he left.

I was hunched over the communal bathroom's toilet while Abed held my hair back. And strangely, it was the most comforting experience I might have ever had.

"Thanks for this, Abed," I said after I puked my guts out for the second time.

"It's no problem. I'm just glad that we didn't stay at Acadamania too long. The drugs, alcohol, and being that close to a rave was a dangerous mix."

Tears began to stream down my face, "I'm really sorry, Abed."

"What for?"

"I ignored you all day and then I was mean to everyone when you found me. I even chased Shirley. She still has the drugs, you know."

"I think that's for the better. But you don't have to apologize for anything. You're grieving. I'm not going to tell you how. Actually, I am going to tell you that taking strange pills from Starburns isn't the best idea."

"Pierce was right. You were jealous."

"I know, but you don't have to pay much attention to that if you don't want to."

"What if I want to?"

"Then we can talk about it more once you're okay enough to."

"Abed?"

"Yeah?"

"I really like you."

"I really like you too."

Then, I threw up.