Blood Lily

4

Serafina

"Serafina~" Meiko purred out, throwing her arms around me, reeking alcohol.

"Meiko-" I wanted to throw her out of a window.

"I'm sorry Serafina" Ace mumbles. After the stunt he pulled, I was tempted to launch him into space and watch him disintegrate on his reentry to earth

"Just leave, I'll take care of her" I pat his back and smile coldly "I'll deal with your dumbass late"

Ace runs off. I turn back to Meiko, to see her talking to a tree.

"No. I'm not drunk," she slurred, her words slightly slurred as she held a hand up in front of me, as if to defend herself.

I sighed, exasperated. "Meiko, you smell like a distillery," I pointed out, trying to pry her off me gently. "And you're swaying like a tree in a fucking hurricane."

Meiko blinked at me, her eyes wide and innocent. "I just had a couple of drinks, that's all," she insisted, her voice overly cheerful. "Nothing to worry about!"

"No more drinking for you" I grab the drink out of her hand "Otherwise I won't be able to drive you home-" Meiko isn't even listening, looking around the room for her next drink.

I rolled my eyes, knowing better than to argue with her when she was in this state. "You know what fuck it," I relented, giving up on trying to reason with her. "Let's just get you home before you pass out on the floor."

Meiko grinned, her face lighting up with excitement. "Home sounds boring," she declared, her words slurred as she stumbled slightly. "Let's go on an adventure instead!"

I groaned inwardly, knowing that trying to reason with her when she was drunk was like talking to a brick wall. "Meiko, going on an adventure in this state is giving your life to death on a diamond platter," I insisted, trying to steer her towards the exit. "Fucking shit, you can barely stand."

But Meiko was having none of it, her determination shining through despite her drunken state. "Come on, Serafina," she pleaded, grabbing onto my arm with surprising strength. "Live a little! We can go explore the city, or climb a mountain, or-" She paused, her brow furrowing in thought. "Or maybe just get some pizza. Pizza sounds good, right?"

I sighed, feeling torn between amusement and frustration. "Pizza does sound good," I admitted "I'll have some delivered home."

Meiko grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You promise?" she asked, her voice dripping with insincerity.

"Yes, I promise" I sigh as I walk her towards my motorcycle. She was a handful when she was sober, but add alcohol into the mix, and she became downright impossible.

"Are you sure you're okay to ride?" Meiko asked, her words slurring together as she stumbled slightly.

"I didn't drink so I'll be fine" I glanced at her, "I'll manage," I replied, my voice firm. "But you need to hold on tight and try not to fall off."

I helped her onto the back seat, making sure she was securely seated before strapping on her helmet. I quickly called Ace, warning him I was leaving and that he should leave soon

Once she was settled, I climbed onto the bike and started the engine, the roar of the motor drowning out the noise of the city around us.

As we sped through the streets, Meiko's arms wrapped tightly around my waist, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that the night went relatively well, all things considered. Despite her reckless behaviour, she was still my sister, and I would always do whatever it took to keep her safe.

After what felt like an eternity, we finally arrived at my apartment building. I parked the motorcycle and helped Meiko off, guiding her toward the elevator. As we stepped inside, I couldn't help but feel relieved that we had made it back in one piece.

When We finally got inside, I was drained

"Thanks for the ride, Serafina," Meiko slurred, her words barely intelligible as she collapsed onto the couch. "You're the best sister ever."

I pulled on Meiko's hand, "I'm the only sister you have"

I tried to coax her off the couch. "Come on, Meiko," I urged. "Let's get you cleaned up and changed into some comfortable clothes."

Meiko groaned in protest, her limbs feeling heavy as she resisted my efforts. "I don't wanna move," she mumbled, her words slurring together as she buried her face into the cushions.

"Meiko, please," I pleaded, trying to reason with her. "I don't want to have to clean your makeup off the cushions or have you throw up on the ground. Plus, you'll feel better after you've had a shower and some water. Trust me."

Reluctantly, Meiko allowed me to help her up from the couch, her movements sluggish and unsteady as she followed me toward the bathroom. I turned on the water, adjusting the temperature to warm as I helped her out of her clothes.

Dealing with a drunk Meiko was always a challenge, but I knew I couldn't just leave her lying there to her own devices. That would result in an absolute mess

Once she was in the shower and made sure she was steady on her feet, I left to go get her some clean clothes for her to change into.

Back in the bathroom, I handed her a towel, guiding her to dry herself off before helping her into the fresh clothes.

Once she was dressed, I led Meiko to the guest room, settling her onto the bed with a glass of water and some painkillers for her inevitable hangover. She thanked me with a sleepy smile, her eyes drooping with exhaustion as she took the meds.

"Get some rest, Meiko," I murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face and kissing her forehead. "I'll be right here if you need anything."

Meiko nodded, her eyelids fluttering shut as she drifted off to sleep. I watched over her for a moment longer, before walking out and getting ready for bed.

As I changed into a large shirt and shorts, my mind replayed the chaotic events of the evening. From Ace's fucked up tattoo session to then having to deal with a highly intoxicated Meiko certainly took all the patience I had for a few months.

Sometimes I wonder when they will finally grow up and be responsible for themselves. Them, my friends, all of them act like little kids.

As I let myself fall onto my bed, I had to face it: My siblings and Kids always had me to fall back on, and over time, I just worked hard to be able to handle their weight and have the power to push them back up. After all, I never fell.

Or to be more precise, I couldn't afford to fall. Now or ever