CRYPTO: Infidelity (Book 1)

CHAPTER 75: DRUNK

We walked up to the bar manager.

"Can you do something about that street preacher?" Rockie asked him.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do," the manager said.

"Then you're losing our business. That guy is unbearable to listen to."

"We've called the cops on him before, but they said he's on a public sidewalk and he has a free-speech right. I understand your frustration. We've lost a lot of customers because of him."

"How often does he come out here?" I asked.

"Every Friday night at midnight."

"Well, his speaker was pretty loud," I said. "I'm a police officer. There's a noise ordinance that I'm pretty sure he's breaking. He could get arrested for that. I would arrest him myself, but I'm not working right now. You should call and ask them to check his decibels."

"I will do that. Thanks," the manager said.

"I don't wanna wait around," Cam said.

"We're gonna go somewhere else," Rockie said. "Maybe we'll come back here a different day."

We got in my car and I drove to a bar we were more familiar with and we sat inside this time.

"Guys like that street preacher really get on my nerves," I said. "I mean, how brain-dead and inconsiderate can you be? He's making that business suffer."

"That's probably his goal," Jordan said. "It sounded like he had a vendetta against alcohol."

"I bet his girlfriend left him for alcohol," Cam said.

"I know I would," Duke said.

"Don't be silly," I said. "There's no way that guy could get a girlfriend in the first place."

"Can I get something for you fellas?" the bartender asked us.

The guys all ordered cocktails and Rockie ordered two. I remembered Birdie telling me about the last time Rockie had come home drunk and hit her.

"Are you sure you should be drinking that much, Rockie?" I asked.

"The second drink is for you," he said.

"But I'm still underaged."

"So? I feel like we all deserve a drink after being put through that torture."

"Well... Okay. Just one drink."

As it turned out, one drink turned into three as we ranted and laughed about the street preacher. To get back at him, we drank more than we would have.

"I need to stop," I said at the fourth drink. "I have work tomorrow."

"Wait. It just hit me," Jordan said. "Who's gonna drive us home?"

"Crypto can still drive," Rockie said. He slapped me on the back. "Right, buddy?"

"Yeah. I can drive," I said.

"Can you even walk in a straight line?" Cam asked me.

"Sure." I stood up and the ground started to sway under me. I put one foot in front of the other but ended up falling over, taking a chair from another table down with me.

The gang laughed.

"Woah. You okay, buddy?" the animal at the table asked me.

I laughed. "Never better!" I stood back up and put the chair back in its place.

"I'll just call a taxi," Rockie said.

"No, it's okay, Rockie," I told him as I stumbled back to our table. "I can drive just as soon as we get off this ship."

"Ship?" Rockie snorted.

The guys laughed.

"Ahoy, matey!" Duke said. "Check out this landlubber! Doesn't even know how to walk on this here ship!"

We all laughed.

Rockie did end up calling a taxi. Duke had shotgun, but the rest of us had to squish in the back. The only reason we fit was because Cam, being a raccoon, was small. The taxi driver was cool and even played Highway to Hell for us and we all sang along loudly and poorly. I had never felt so free in my whole life.

After the driver dropped Jordan, Cam, and Duke off, he stopped in front of my apartment.

"This was great," I told Rockie. "We should do it more often."

"Yeah. Do you need help getting to your apartment?" he asked.

"No. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." I got out of the car and started to go up the stairs, but stumbled, got back up, and tried again.

Rockie ran to me to help.

"I'm fine, Rockie," I told him.

"I just want to make sure you make it up the stairs safely," he said. He stood beside me while I climbed the stairs and kept me from stumbling over.

"Thanks, Rockie. You're a good friend," I told him when we got to my apartment door.

"Anytime," he said. "Just take it easy, okay?"

"Alright." I took out my key and tried a few times to get the key into the hole but wasn't having any luck. "This is so embarrassing."

"I got it," Rockie said.

I gave him the key and he unlocked the door for me.

"Thanks," I said. "Be safe."

"You too," he said.

I went inside and shut the door. Not ten minutes later, I was shivering and puking over the toilet, regretting my decisions.

I woke up on the bathroom floor with my big blanket over me. I didn't remember getting my blanket or falling asleep. I didn't remember a lot of that night. I hoped I didn't say anything stupid that would give me away.

I stood up and was hit with a massive headache. I still felt sick with nausea and stomach pain and my muscles ached. I went to the kitchen and was blinded by the light coming through the window. I squinted as I pulled the blinds closed. I grabbed a glass, filled it to the brim with water, and chugged it down. Apparently, hangovers were just as bad as they say.

I looked at the time and realized it was already almost noon and I was supposed to go to work, but I couldn't go in my condition so I had to call in sick. I felt so stupid for making such a poor decision. I should have known better. If someone from the department had seen me drinking at my age, I could've lost my job... but it was fun... I wasn't going to do it again though.