Saviour. 》 g.d.

PROLOGUE

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" Everyone chanted in unison. The liquor glided down my throat like a supple waterfall, drowing all my problems and sorrows. And I kept on gulping and gulping and gulping. Until the glass was empty, obviously.

I slammed it on the table, everyone cheering loudly as I put my hands proudly in the air. Though I was still conflicted whether I should be proud of this or not. I mean, in a way it was an achievement, chugging nearly a litre of amber fluid sans spilling or chundering.

"You guys are champions at chugging beer," my new-made, fellow American friend, Claire said. "Oh, stop with the stupid Aussie remarks already, please." I whinged, wiping my mouth. "I'm an American, it's in our blood to make stupid remarks." She laughed, throwing an arm around my shoulder.

"What brought you here anyways? I thought you Australians loathed Americans." Claire said as we walked towards an outdoor sofa in the yard, beside the pool. I felt so dizzy, if someone pushed me over the slightest bit right now, I'd actually fall on the floor. "That's not true," I assured her, feeling a bit lightheaded. Maybe more than a bit.

"Really?" She asked, surprise evident in her voice. "Americans and their prejudices." I joked, sitting back. Maybe chugging a litre of beer wasn't a good idea after all. I didn't even like it, I so preferred vodka.

We sat on the sofa for quite a while, just chatting even though I was pretty much incapable of making correct sentences, when suddenly someone started shouting.

"Cops are here!" I heard. It took me quite a while to react, but luckily Claire was already dragging me towards the fences surrounding the yard.

"Quick, climb over!" She hissed, trying to get me up, but I could barely walk in a straight line, how the bloody hell was I supposed to climb a 6-foot-tall fence? "Shailene!" She hissed again. "I'm fucking maggot, I can't-"

"I don't even know what that means, but you're gonna get us all in trouble!" She shouted at me. I pressed my lips together. "Aight, push me up then!" I said, placing my right foot against the fence. I was surprised I didn't fall right over. Claire bent down and cupped her hands, for me to put my left foot in them. As she pushed me up, I placed my hands on the edges and pushed myself up with as much strength as I could gather in me. I threw one leg over the fence, causing my genital to sit on a 3 cm thin slice of wood. I yelped in pain, jerking to the side and as a result falling off and heading for solid ground, AKA the stone sidewalk.

"Aahggwsldkd," I grumbled, getting up and trying to steadily stand on both legs without tumbling over again. "You need to fucking run unless you really want to get in trouble," someone said in my ear. People were haring away around me, running past me to the nearest and safest place they could get.

I stumbled down the streets too, through the neighbourhood. In the distance I saw a park, and as I saw cops arresting people behind me, I ran as fast as I could. Which wasn't very fast as I kept falling over.

I followed the path that led into the park, but when I turned a corner I smashed into two people, disturbing their peaceful walk as I landed face forward in the grass.

"What the f-" one of them muttered. I groaned as I massaged my bum. "Ah," I scowled, looking up at the two confused boys I just ran over. I furrowed my eyebrows as I studied both their faces.

"Alright, maybe it's the amount of alcohol in my system, or the way I just hit my head, but I think I've officially gone crackers." I said, rubbing my temples. "Crackers?" They both asked me. "Sorry, nuts." I corrected myself, remembering how my vocabulary was anything but American. They extended their hand to help me up, but I could barely stand on both legs properly, so I fell over again. "Woww," they both chuckled, pulling me up again in a second attempt, but I had completely lost my sense of balance. So, unfortunately, it was an attempt in vain.