"Before you know it, it's gone and you're dead again"- Helena Beat by Foster the People
*IN SHANE'S EYES*
I drive away after dropping Natalia off, as I parked at the West View bar, before walking in, taking a seat in the bar stool, I tell the man to get me their strongest stuff.
The bartender comes back with what they called a "Suicidal Goose" which was a combination of ace, vodka, and Grey Goose, with some Jack Daniels, and something I couldn't remember the name of.
I chugged the drink down, before slamming the glass onto the table, and demanding more, I repeat this process until I'm too drunk to stand up straight.
Stumbling, I walk out of the bar, and into my friend Matt's car, "I'm fucked up!" I tell him, Matt laughs, "I know you are" Matt pats my arm, "Ewwie! Matt germs!" I screech, wiping the germs off of my sleeve and rubbing them back onto Matt's arms.
Matt takes me back to my house and makes sure I get to my room okay, as I drift to sleep,
I awake the next morning with a stupid hangover, walking into the hallway, I get some Advil, and push it down my throat with cold water.
My phone rings with the 'Listomania' ringtone and I groan, "turn it down" I moan, grabbing my phone , "hello?" I grumble, "Shane? It's Talia" Natalia informs me,
"Oh Natalia! How is the coolest girl in the whole world?" I ask, "I'm good, Susan received news at the banquet last night that Shane Blossomer was at the event last night, and we she saw I wasn't there, she freaked out, it was so funny" Natalia giggled, I almost dropped the phone.
I groan and slap a hand to my forehead, "Shane? Are you okay? Do you want to meet at Corvus Park in ten minutes?" Natalia asks me,
"Yeah sure" I moan, "see you then," I tell her, "oh wait, where are we meeting?" I ask, "hm, does the playground work?" Natalia asks, "yeah! bye Tals" I say hanging up and putting on decent clothes to go to the park.
I go to the playground with sunglasses, an extremely obnoxious hat, and a long jacket, with dark jeans, it was 80 degrees out to, so I was pretty much freezing.
Natalia walks up to me, in all of her tomboy glory, today she wore ripped up cutoff shorts, and a crop top that read "I would prefer not to" in all caps, and some lace up high heeled boots
"You look like you're in disguise" Natalia giggles when she sees me, "you look miserable in those shoes" I shoot back, Natalia laughs, "you have no idea" she informs me, her brown hair flying in the wind.
Natalia and I end up walking around the lake, "so, why did you sound so grumpy on the phone?" Natalia asks me, I shrug, "I was out late taking pretty girls to diners, and then going to West View and getting drunk, part of the routine ya know?" I answer, stating everything as simply as possible.
"So, tell me about your mom" I say, Natalia sighs, "she died when I was fourteen, she was perfectly healthy you know, then one day she died in a freak car accident. The guy who hit her, sued us a week after, and we hired Susan as our lawyer, dad claims for him and Susan it was love at first sight, but I mean, that was bull" Natalia says, wiping a tear.
I hesitantly wrap an arm around her, "so, do you have any siblings?" I ask, "I have one brother, Nathaniel, but he goes by Nate, he's like twelve years older than me" Natalia grumbles,
"So you're how old?" I question, "17, my brother is 29, he has 2 kids, a ten year old named Jemma and a baby girl about 4 months named Celia" Natalia informs me
"You must be close with your niece?" I guess, Natalia laughs, "Celia adores me, but I haven't seen Jemma since like she was 5, her mom, Leda, is a bitch, and broke up with Nate after having Jemma, said he could have Jemma for 5 years and she got her for 5 years, so next year he gets Jemma, but Celia's mom, and Nate's wife, the most loving lady she's 24 now? And we're like besties" Natalia grumbles, "how about you?"
"Oh well, I have a 15 year old sister, and a 26 year old brother, Ansley and Sean, Sean is a dentist, has a 10-year-old, and Ansley goes to a private school" I tell her,
"Do you want subway? I want subway" Natalia suddenly says randomly, I look at her completely serious, grab her by the elbows and say "Natalia May Edwards, never has there been a time I didn't want subway" I inform her.
I grab Natalia's hand as an elderly woman passes by, "what a cute couple" she murmurs, Natalia and I swing around, releasing our hand and wiping it on our pants,
"We're not a couple" Natalia says, the woman glances sadly at the road, "why, I must say young man, you do look familiar?"
I turn and begin walking away, gripping Natalia's hand the whole way to subway
"What was your problem back there?" Nat asks, I shrug, "nothing, I was just hungry" I lie, not wanting to tell her why I actually was angry.
Natalia gives me a look, and nods, "okay" she says, not pressing the matter,
I get Natalia a Subway sandwich, and get into the car, both of us chewing on our side of the footlong, when suddenly, my mouth is greeted by the unmistakable taste of strawberry lipgloss, Natalia lets out a gasp, but I just kiss her harder, as if knowing what she was doing, she kissed me back,
Dear god, she kissed me back.
