Catherine

10. Returning A Favor

2 months later

Catherine and Lucia were taking a walk next to each other, by the school ground. They've been mad at one another for a long time, but Catherine ignored the fact that she had all the rights to be upset at her friend, and decided to shake hands with her, a day ago.

" Lucia... you're still going to my birthday, right? " Catherine asked, a little concerned.

" Yup... " she answered.

Catherine stared at her.

" That didn't sound very convincing you know? " she said.

" What do you mean? I told you I would go already. " Lucia answered.

" I know, but you look moody. "

" Catheri- "

" Are you still mad at me? You know I'm the one who should be, right? " Catherine said.

Lucia brought her palm to her own face, as if trying to find the right words to tell her that everything was alright, then she sighed.

Catherine poked her cheek, attempting to make her smile.

" Catherine, you know that I'm sick and I just wanna go home... why are you even bringing that up right now? " Lucia said.

Catherine giggled " I know, I know. I was just making sure you wouldn't change your mind. It's in five days after all. "

" Five days... wonderful five days they're gonna be... " Lucia said.

" Why do you say that? " Her friend asked.

" Because, like the past years, you're gonna keep asking me if I'll go. You always do that... " Lucia answered. Catherine laughed.

" I just wanna go home! " Lucia grumbled " I'm sick, and it's cold... how great. I'm just gonna get worst. "

" Do you wanna get inside, then? " her friend asked.

" No. " she replied " I wanna get a little bit more sick, so I don't have to come to school. "

" ...But... you're still goi- "

" YES! I'm still going to your birthday party, Cath.! " Lucia shouted and Catherine started laughing.

" Well, I wanna go home too, but we still gotta wait for the bus. " Catherine said.

" I don't really feel like waiting for the bus, and I wished I could just go... but I don't wanna go alone. " Lucia said " And you can't go with me... why can't you go again? " she asked.

" I can't, because the... " Catherine stopped as she stared at someone outside school, walking in a funny way.

" Because? " Lucia continued " Oh, I remember, you missed the school bus and... Yea, I remember now. " Lucia laughed to herself, then looked at her friend " ... What's wrong? " she asked.

" Do you see that girl over there? Is she hurt or something? " Catherine asked.

" I don't know. " Lucia said, also looking outside the gate. She started laughing uncontrollably " She looks drunk hahaha! Look at her! She can't even walk! ".

The girl was trying to get people's attention as she struggled to stand on her feet. She was shaking, barely able to walk, apparently being taken by a drunken girl. She looked desperate.

" Wait... I've seen that girl before! " Catherine said. She realized it was the same girl she met at the coffee, a while ago. " It's Eva! Something's wrong with her! ".

" What?! That's the girl you said that made you cry? " Lucia looked at her in disbelief. " She looks awful! ".

" We should go help her. " Catherine said.

" Help? Are you crazy? She is drunk! She's gonna make you cry again! My father always says to be careful if I ever see drunk people nearby. They're dangerous! " Lucia said.

" But she is my friend! " Catherine said.

She convinced her friend to leave the school. They held hands and crossed the road, then met Eva a few steps away from school. Eva was on her knees, trying to stand up, once again.

" Eva! " Catherine shouted.

Eva looked up as Catherine and Lucia crouched, to help her.

" Ayinn! " Eva couldn't talk.

" What? " Lucia said.

" What happened to you?! " Catherine asked.

" Aywazz... " Eva was trying to talk the best way she could, but she had lost control over her body, slobbering uncontrollably.

" EWWWW!! It got on my arm!! " Lucia yelled as she released Eva's arm, making her fall on one of her knees, with Catherine still holding her other arm. " She is drunk! " she shouted again.

" Lucia, what are you doing?! Help me! " Catherine yelled.

" No! She is drunk! I don't like this, I'm going away! "

" Lucia, she is not drunk! " Catherine managed to get Eva on her feet again. " Come one! Help me! "

They both looked back as they heard a bus horn. Their ride had arrived, and stopped by the school gate, as some of the student started gathering together around the entry.

" She is drunk! I'm not gonna help you! I'm... I'm going away. I don't like this Catherine. You should stop playing around with people you don't know... " Lucia headed back to school.

" Lucia! Lucia come back! " Catherine shouted. Lucia ran, heading back to school without hesitation. " You idiot! " her friend shouted.

" Rrrr... rrred ayinn! " Eva said.

" What happened to you Eva? You need help! Do you have a phone? Let me ca- "

" Oooh! N... nooowwh! " Eva said, shaking her head.

" You don't want me to call an ambulance? " Catherine asked. Eva shook her head as she was forced herself to stop shaking.

" Ayee... neee! Meeee ooooe " Eva tried once again.

" Eva, I can't understand you! What do you want!? What's happening? Let me call for help! " Catherine said.

" Noowh!! " Eva shouted, grabbing her hands tight. " Ayeeme ome! " she said once again. " Ayeeme ome! Eass! "

Catherine stared at her, unable to understand anything. She started getting scared, she didn't know what to do, for one second, she stepped back as she thought of leaving her, and go home. She then thought about the possibility that her friend could have been drugged, and the person who did it, was probably looking for her. She could show up at any second now.

Eva started hitting the ground in despair, repetitively shouting the same thing over and over. It took Catherine a few more seconds, but then, she realized.

" You want me to take you home? " she said.

Eva looked up to her in disbelief, with a joyful expression on her face " Eeess... yyyeeesss! " she said.

Catherine thought about the time Eva took her home, and felt like she was in debt with her, even tho, all of this sounded risky and dangerous. She doesn't know how long it will take, but she does know her parents will get worried, and she doesn't have any resource to call them. Even if she did, she doesn't want them to know about this. Her mother has always been very protective about these kind things. She sure knew what she would have to deal with, if her parents knew about this. But she had no other choice.

" Okay... I'll take you home. " she said as she looked behind, and saw the school bus moving away.