Anna and the French Kiss: Etienne's POV

15

Anna begins to mop up the mess with a towel when there's a knock on the door. She opens it up with her elbows to keep the vomit from touching her doorknob.

It's a blonde girl, but my vision is blurred. Probably just Meredith. Anna nearly drops her towel. "Oh."

"Anna, I'm so sorry," I moan behind her remembering that I just puked all over her, and the girl rushes to my side.

"Ohmygod, St. Clair! Are you okay?" I recognize the husky voice, but I'm too tired to figure out who it is.

"'Course he's not okay," Josh grumbles from the bed. "He just puked on Anna."

Josh was awake this whole time? I thought he passed out.

The girl smacks his feet, and all I can think about is my Mum. She's going to die. She's going to die and I will have nobody left except my father who doesn't give a shit what I do but still thinks he can push me around. "Get up. Help me move him to his room," the girl says.

"I can get up my bloody self." I try to push myself up, and the girl and Anna read out to steady me. Anna oddly backs up.

"How'd you know he was here?" She asks.

"Meredith called, but I was already on my way. I'd just gotten his message. He called a few hours ago, but I didn't get it, because I was getting ready for this stupid party." The girl gestures at her blurry white costume, upset with herself. "I should have been here." She brushes the hair from my forehead. "It's okay, babe. I'm here now."

Why is Ellen here? I didn't want her to come. I just wanted to talk to Anna. Ellie is dressed exactly how my friends predicted. A slutty nurse. Tiny white button-up dress, red crosses across the nipples. Her boobs falling out of it. I hate when girls wear their clothes in such a away. It's horrid manners, at least that's what Mum says. Mum. Cancer. Mum has cancer. My head spins and I feel like I'm about to pass out. I'm so bloody pissed.

"Ellie?" I'm confused, how could I not know it was her until now? "Anna? Why is Ellen here? She's not supposed to be here."

My girlfriend shoots Anna a hateful look, and she shrugs with embarrassment. "He's really, really drunk," she says.

Ellie thwacks Josh again, he rolls off the bed, "All right, all right!" He stands up and pulls me off the floor. They balance me between their shoulders. "Get the door," Ellie says sharply.

I look back at Anna, her face disgruntled as if she's about to smack Ellie. "Anna. Anna, I'm sorry," I say.

"It's okay. I've already cleaned it up. It's fine, it's not a big deal."

"No. About everything else."

Ellie's head jerks back to her, angry and confused, but I don't care. I feel awful. Why don't they just put me down? But they're already pulling me into the elevator. I stare at Anna sadly as the door shuts.

"She'll be fine! Your moth--" Anna yells, but she's cut off as the doors close.

We get to my floor, and they roughly drag me to my room. I'm thrown on the bed, my head hitting the pillow with a loud smack.

"Get out," Ellie says to Josh.

"Whatever. You know, you've been a real bitch ever since you left SOAP! What happened to you?" Josh yells.

"What does it matter anyways. I've been replaced. It's not like Rashmi has bothered to call me at all this year. I don't understand why everyone is giving me shit about it."

"She called you five times a week for the first month of school. You just didn't bother to answer. What? Are you too busy partying with your college hicks? You don't have any time to call your best friend? No one has replaced you, you left."