Crash and Burn

10. Haunted

Alex's POV

After Demi's departure, I walked back into the house to hear Sorry not Sorry blasting out of Mel's room. This song I knew. It was everything that everyone would talk about. I went to Mel's door and knocked, hoping that she would hear me. "Go away!" I heard Mel shout. Well, at least she heard me. I walked off into my room and jumped in bed, just looking at the ceiling and thinking. When did life become so busy that I didn't know that Demi had a new song out when my little sister literally obsesses over her?  I always knew that name was familiar. I got up and walked over to some boxes piled up by my desk. I opened the lid of the top box and gave the first folder a quick glance through. It was filled with all my assignments that I had insisted I needed to print in the event of losing it in my computer. I slowly slouched into my chair and looked at the nearly 10 boxes piled up in 2 rows. I shook my head, fighting the tears. Deciding against flipping over all the boxes in a blind rage, I placed the folder back in the box and closed the lid. I walked out of my room and passed Mel's, pausing in front of her room. Shaking my head and deciding against barging in and apologizing in my current state, I walked downstairs, grabbed my keys and walked out the door.

I was sat in my car that was parked outside a liquor store, debating within myself if I should just fuck it. Get drunk and skip a day of classes tomorrow. I texted Mel when I arrived, claiming that I was out for a drive. That was an hour ago. I looked back at the liquor store once again, feeling that I was slipping. I closed my eyes and shook my head hard. This isn't you. I chuckled dryly. Who the fuck am I anymore? Without a second thought, I got out of my car and headed inside.

The sun was setting by now and I was deep into my bottle of Scotch, with 6 empty bottles of beer beside me. Mel had gotten a text that our parents was once again going on a business trip and wouldn't be back until Thursday, blah blah blah. All she did was send me a screenshot of the text and nothing else. I was seated in the backyard where a patio was built for 'family bonding time'. For all I know, Mel hasn't even left her room since we got back from lunch. I sighed, taking a long sip from my glass and a long drag from my cigarette. I basked in the quietness in our neighborhood. As I extinguished the amber from what was probably my 7th cigarette in an hour and a half, I heard the sliding door behind me. "Have you had your dinner?" I shouted over to Mel, trying to pretend that everything was okay. My drunken self probably wouldn't deal well with trying to have a much needed serious conversation with Mel.

I heard Mel's footsteps approach the patio as I brought my cup up to take another long sip. "Can I join you out here?" I looked over at her. She was standing just over 4ft away and it was getting dark out. She probably doesn't even realize the booze and cigarettes. "Wait, are you drinking?" Never mind. "You can if you don't judge my life choices tonight. Berate me tomorrow, I don't care." I took out another cigarette and lit it up, taking a long drag. "You're smoking, too? Wait," she sniffed the air. "At least it's tobacco." I looked over at her, a frown etched on my face. "Yeah, we're talking about how you can tell when I'm sobered up." Mel sighed and sat beside me. "Do whatever you want to now. Just don't expect me not to follow suit, since you're supposed to be my role model." She reached over and took a cigarette out, lighting it and taking a drag. "What do you think you're doing? You're 15." I reached over and flicked out the amber, taking the remaining cigarette and placing it back. "Fine, party pooper." She rolled her eyes and reached over, taking my cup and finishing the remaining Scotch I had inside.

We sat there for what seemed like hours, me smoking and the both of us drinking. We were probably about two thirds into the bottle when our stomachs both growled simultaneously. We burst out laughing, both drunk beyond comprehension. "I'm so fucking hungry. Your ex ruined lunch and I didn't get enough pizza." I laughed even harder. "You could've just stuck with the large." She stayed silent and I turned towards her, watching as tears streamed down her face. "What's wrong?" She sniffled and glared at me. "I couldn't and you should know why, of all people." I gave her a confused look and huffed out. "I'm drunk and I can't catch on to whatever you're hinting at." I felt a force on my side and before I knew it, I was on the ground with Mel stood towering over me. "You were so caught up with Jessica that you didn't even realize how uncomfortable Demi looked when we were ordering so much fucking food." Realization hit me like a ton of fucking burning bricks and I groaned out, dropping my head onto the wet grass underneath. "I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't caught up in Jessica. It's just the tension that caught up with everything and it got me thinking. I wouldn't be here otherwise." Mel continued standing there, slowly softening her glare. "Look, I'll make it up to you. We can order Joe's again. It's," I checked the time. "only 8.30? We've been here for just over an hour. I'll call it in." Mel grinned and nodded as I stood up, tackling me in a hug that brought us both down.

When we both got up and brushed off, we made our way inside and set aside the alcohol and cigarettes, deciding that we were done for now. "Don't you have classes tomorrow?" I looked over at Mel and shrugged. "Haven't decided if I was going." I felt overwhelmed after she asked that question. Partly because I was drunk and partly because that topic is a reason why I'm drunk in the first place. Mel could see that I was being distant about the subject and started making her way upstairs, claiming that she had to lay down. "Give me a shout when dinner is here." I nodded and mumbled out a reply, pulling out my parent's tequila, shot glasses, limes and the salt shaker. I lined up 5 glasses while going on my phone and dialing Joe's in a blur.