“HELLO, EARTH TO SARAH! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME SHOT?”
Gabby’s annoying voice was unmistakable. I closed my eyes blinded by the sun… Wait, the sun?!
“Oh my God, girl, what time is it?” I blurted.
“NOW YOU’RE WITH ME!” Her tone suggested relief, but she was still screaming, which I guess she realized, because she immediately lowered her voice, “It’s 6:00 a.m., I didn’t mean for you to have that much fun, nasty. C’mon, if we go now, we can get to you cleaned up before you take off.”
I stood up, but the room was spinning, I pushed Gabby out of the way and projectile-vomited out what used to be a door.
“I SAID LETS CLEAN UP NOT BLOW CHUNKS!” She protested.
I flipped her off and continued vomiting; I finally got up, and took a deep breath.
“You’re driving.” I tossed her the keys.
It took me a good 20 minutes to piece together last night. I had so many questions. How did I get so fucked up? When did Jordan leave? Why couldn’t gabby get me up? Where did my purple one hit go? Did I even see Breaking Dawn? The car started and interrupted my thoughts.
“Pour up drank.
Head shot, drank.
Sit down, drank.
Stand up, drank.
Pass out, drank.
Wake up, drank.
Faded, drank.
Faded, drank”
This song was so terrible, that I loved it. Gabby always changed the lyrics, and rapped about us, which made me like it even more. She had the bass all the way up, the whole car shook. She passed me a joint, “Hang-over Helper.” She winked. I passed it back and hit the fifth she had stashed under the passenger seat, and chased it with some Red Bull.
Gabby smiled, but continued looking at the road, “Sarah, why you babysittin’ only 2 or 3 shots, lemme show ya’ how to take it up a notch.” She laughed, and continued singing over the track, I skipped the song looking for something she couldn’t rap but had no such luck…
“Young Nino fucked a bitch in the pea coat.
Carlito, Scarface, Al Pachino.” Gabby knew every word, and continued rapping with one hand on the steering-wheel like she was a thug.
I just gave up, and before the song was over, we had the car booming, both windows down in this small-hick-town, practically screaming the lyrics.
“My nigga, I’m faded, faded, faded. My nigga, I’m faded, faded, faded. My nigga, I’m faded, faded, faded. My nigga, I’m faded, faded, faded, and I don’t give a fuck.”
Once we got to Gabby’s we stayed in the car a little, and continued blaring rap music in our small white-oriented neighborhood at 6 o’ clock in the morning. Once our playlist ended Gabby turned to me and sighed.
“I’m gonna miss your lame-ass.” She smiled. “I can’t believe my best friend is leaving… What am I gonna do here in this boring town without you? I mean, for 3 months, I’m not going to see your ratchet all passed out on my floor.”
I laughed, and got my cigarettes out of the glove box I fidgeted a little in getting them, I wasn’t sure what Gabby’s response would be. I lit it and looked out the window, “I know… And I hate to break it to you, doll. It may be more than three months…”
“What’re you saying?” I could hear her voice about to break, “You’re leaving aren’t you?”
I continued looking out the window, and flicked an ash from my cigarette. I didn’t want to look Gabby in the eyes, because I knew I’d cry too.
“That’s it. We need another 10 minutes,” Gabby started the car, and put my iPod on shuffle, which immediately caught the vibe and started playing Coldplay.
“See, Gabby—”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me… What’s wrong I mean, aren’t you happy?”
“No, Gabby,” I admitted, “I’m not. Just listen okay… Caleb’s been all I had for 2 years, and now it’s gone. This isn’t like the other times, Gabby, he’s gone. I cheated, babe. So did he, but I was able to forgive it, he won’t be, and I don’t expect him to. I just need to get lost, and then get found, okay? I know that doesn’t even make since, but it does in my head. And, my mom and I just will never see eye-to-eye, and maybe it’s best I just love her from afar. You’re the only thing in this town worth a shit, and I love you, Gabby. I do. It’s just not enough for me to star here while my name gets ran through the dirt. I have to…” My voice started breaking, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore, “You’ve been my only friend through my self-harm, and suicide attempts, and you’ll always mean the world to me, Gabby. Always, I just need to do this. I need to get away, and figure things out.”
We were at our favorite spot on the river, now, and Gabby turned to me, “Don’t you ever forget about me, okay?”
“Pinky Promise?”
“Pinky Promise.”
She smiled, and turned up the radio, it was our song. Gabby and I were strange in that, when we spoke to each other on an emotional level in song lyrics, but I suppose, looking back, that’s what made her my best friend.
“I could write a song, a hundred miles long, well, that’s where I belong, and you belong with me. And I could write it down, get lost, and then get found, or Swallowed in the Sea.”
