The Wanderers

Chapter 13

I received a phone call from Dean sometime around one in the morning. "Ella," Dean slurred. "We have a bit of a problem," he said, hiccupping between words. "We've seemed to have run out of money."

"I'll be there shortly," I said groggily, dragging myself out of bed. I didn't even want to know how it was possible for them to run out of money.

I picked them up outside one of the downtown bars. They were so hammered they were stumbling everywhere. On the way back they kept singing some god awful song so loudly that I couldn't even drown them out with the radio.

Dean and Tristan leaned on each other for balance as they walked into the dorms while Dean still clutched a bottle of whiskey. Where he got it I had no idea. I didn't want to know. Josie had decided at the last minute to spend the night with the guy she was seeing, so I was stuck with drunk and drunker – lucky me.

Dean collapsed on my bed and Tristan sat on Josie's pulling me down with him. He put his arm around me and leaned in real closely and whispered, "C'mon love, let's go back to my room and have some fun. I have the perfect little French maid outfit for you."

I took his arm and threw it off of me. "Tristan, you're drunk," I said annoyed.

"That's when I'm at my best," he replied.

He tried kissing my cheek, but instead, he just ended up slobbering all over it. "Tristan!" I yelled, pushing him away from me.

"Unhand my sister," Dean sang as he fell off the bed laughing. I got up to help him before he hurt himself. I should never have left these two alone. Dean took another swig from the bottle and then handed it to Tristan. I ripped it from his mouth and dumped the remaining liquid out the window. They both yelled at me for wasting good booze.

"I think you two had enough," I growled. Why did I get stuck babysitting these two?

Tristan stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, nestling his chin between my neck and shoulder. "Ella...spend the night with me."

His breath reeked so badly of booze I thought I might get sick. "For the last time, NO!" I said forcefully, pulling his arms off of me.

"Don't waste your time. You'll need the jaws of life to pry her legs open," Dean chuckled. I glared at him. My temper rising, I walked over and kicked him in the shin, hard. "Damn it, Ella," Dean whined, rubbing his leg.

"I forgot she kicks," Dean said to Tristan, still rubbing his leg.

"No worries I got the perfect cure for that," Tristan said to Dean, slapping him on the shoulder. They headed to Tristan's room where he had an endless supply of the best liquors.

I had enough. I wasn't going to spend the night listening to their lewd and rude comments. I grabbed my sweatshirt and left the room.

I wasn't sure where I was going. I just walked aimlessly. I ended up outside in front of the dorms. I stood there for a while, my eyes closed, taking in the cool September weather. "Ella?" George called, shining his flashlight at me.

I shielded my eyes from the bright light. "Oh, hey George."

"What are you doing out here this late?" he asked in his fatherly tone.

"I just needed some air."

"It's not safe for you to be out here by yourself. Why don't you just head on back inside before you catch a cold?" I had to laugh. George was always watching out for us. His kids were all grown up with kids of their own. He told me once he enjoyed his job. I wouldn't doubt for a second that it wasn't true.