Placebo Feelings

Chapter 2 No matter what I do, you're my navy blue

 "Kim, I think it's time to slow down. I can't even understand what you're saying," Nate laughed and grabbed the brown bottle from her hands and took a swig, wincing as the liquid burned down his throat.

"Aw, you're no fun, Natty! You said you wanted to get drunk. Well, here we are, DRUNK, and you're not even having fun!" Kim flailed her arms in the air, stumbling towards Nate. "Dance with me, Natty!"

"You can't even stand straight!" Nate chuckled, letting her pull him up off of the floor.

"But I can still dance!" Kim insisted, moving her arms wildly and dragging him into her impromptu dance routine. He followed her lead, mirroring her overstated moves, secretly amused by her energy and enthusiasm. She was a whirlwind of excitement and happiness, a welcome contrast to the evening's earlier events. After all that had happened, she deserved this moment of carefree joy and ignorance.

Kim moved on to another activity and Nate sank back onto the floor. But his reprieve was short-lived; her eyes were on him again, an intense gaze that made him wildly self-conscious.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You have the creepiest brown eyes," she playfully flicked his nose. Nate winced, it was still tender from earlier.

"Ouch, that hurt. And I do not!" He defends.

Kim shrugs.

Nate rolls his eyes and flops onto his back on the hardwood floor, disregarding the discomfort. The weight of the evening settled on him, tugging at his thoughts like an anchor.

"What's bothering you, Natty? I thought you were having fun," Kim's voice sounded genuinely concerned as she settled beside him.

"I thought I would be having fun," Nate admitted with a sigh.

"Why the uncertainty?" Kim propped her head up on her hand, studying him curiously.

"Guess I didn't expect tonight to turn out like this. The party, me sharing one of my darkest memories with you... It's just a lot," he confessed.

Kim leaned closer, her expression empathetic. "I appreciate you opening up to me, even though I forced it out of you. So, I'm sorry about that."

Nate hugged his arms around himself, feeling a bit vulnerable. "It's fine. You asked about her name earlier." She had asked more about the girl he had been talking about in the car when they had started drinking. He chose not to answer her.

"Yeah, but you didn't tell me."

"Because I'd rather not say."

"Alright, your call. I have to pee!" Kim suddenly stood up and darted into her bathroom, leaving Nate alone with his thoughts. He pondered his past, relationships, and whether Rachel was right for him.

Looking around the room, he noticed a photograph face down on her desk. His curiosity piqued, and he reached out to flip it over, but Kim returned from the bathroom before fully seeing it.

"Nature calls," she sang, prancing around before flopping onto her bed like a starfish.

"Am I crashing here tonight?" Nate inquired.

"Duh! You can't drive home like this," Being alone was the last thing he wanted right now.

"Floor or bed?" he asked.

"The choice is yours," she emphasized each word.

"I'll take the floor," Nate decided.

"Such a gentleman," Kim quipped, walking over to her closet and retrieving the bedding.