This Night

This Night (Part 9)

*

I ordered an Uber straight away back to our apartment, and after so many drinks, it was finally catching up to us. We were officially drunk now, waiting on the curb of some random street. I would just have to come back and get my car in the morning then.

On the drive back Ava's eyes fluttered open and closed dazedly. Her eyes finally laid shut, as her head fell to the side resting on my shoulder, while her breathing quieted to a soft lull. So, I let her sleep for a little while, my shoulder tilted down at an uncomfortable angle, to keep her head from slipping off and waking up, a cramp started to form in my shoulder, but I ignored it.

I could see the Uber driver's eyes flash back and forth from the road to us through his rearview mirror, he was probably worried one of us was going to throw up back here. I rolled my eyes at his concern, even though he had every right to, we'd done it before, but that's beside the point, we were fine now.

His eyes caught mine in the mirror, "Are you two related? You look like you could be sisters?"

I straightened up, slightly caught off guard, Ava moved closer to have her head still lay on my shoulder not awakening, "No, we're friends," I said simply. It wasn't like Ava and I looked alike, so it was strange that he said that.

I was about to ask him when he then said, "Well your friends wasted, and you don't seem that much better yourself. Don't you think it's a little irresponsible to be drinking that much? Someone could easily take advantage of you two."

I stared back at him in the mirror, my resting bitch face was sure now enveloping my face, except this time it was on purpose, now I was officially annoyed. It was always the same retort I'd heard plenty of times before, 'You need to be modest Elizabeth. Cover yourself up more, if you go out looking like that, men will get the wrong impression.' Of course, if my outfits were revealing I was asking for it, it wasn't because I was finally content with the body I had. If I drank too much, I was just asking to be sexually harassed. It was the same old same old I was tired of hearing, that I needed to change how I lived my life, so men could control themselves around me. "I don't remember asking for your opinion. I can take care of myself well on my own, so why don't you mind your own business and just drive us home," I said curtly.

He frowned, opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then decided against it, looking only straight ahead at the road ahead of him as he hit a pothole, the car jumped as it went over it jostling Ava awake.

Ava opened her eyes looking around the Uber, dazed from her nap and the alcohol still intoxicating her. She straightened up slightly, her gaze adjusting on me, her eyes squinted as she tried to focus, "Liz why did you never tell me what Jayden said tonight about you?"

I sighed looking away as she waited for my reply, "I wanted to leave it in the past, I guess. I don't know I was worried that if you knew how bad it was, that if you got a glimpse of how dark and anxious my mind could get that you'd come to realize that you didn't want to put up with those parts of me, that I'd be too much to handle. I was worried that you wouldn't see me in the same light that you see me now, and push me away like everyone else has," I finished dejectedly.

She nudged me with her shoulder making me look at her, her face all serious except her eyes that were drooping sluggishly, "Liz I would never look at you differently from hearing that." Each word came out slurred and with a pause, "You were going through a lot then mentally, trying to sort out who you wanted to be as a person, you weren't some weird girl, even though I know you think you were. If I had known you in high school I wouldn't have pushed you away, the people that did were shitty for that, fuck them honestly." She hiccupped and continued, "I mean you've grown so much since then Liz, you're smart, funny, and pretty, I mean look at you," she shook my shoulders with emphasis. "Hell, you even put up with me, and I know I can be a lot at times, but what I'm trying to say is you're a great friend Liz and anyone who can't see how amazing you are doesn't deserve you in their life. Why do you think I get so frustrated when I hear about a guy not treating you right? Liz, you deserve so much more than that," she said wholeheartedly.

The knot in my stomach that I had been holding over what she'd think about me now faded, "I know sometimes I just forget, but thank you for reminding me and always sticking with me," I said with a small smile. If I said any more, I was going to start tearing up, which I didn't want to.

She smiled back cheekily, "Of course, that's what I'm here for."