Mezcal dreaming (juliantina)

No Hope (Part 2)

*TW su*cide mention

The party was bigger than Val had expected. She was used to the club setting that had enough room for everyone and only cramped on the dance floor. This house barley held thirty people let alone one-hundred but, the new experience was nice. Neither of the girls had to go get dressed up and with Rue's experience with house party rules, her nerves were at a low hum.

The party made their way through the door and weaved through the countless people through the kitchen and into the living room. The only light was from the DJ, people's phones and a black light overhead. The music alone was enough to make the house have a light continuous vibration however, with the amount of people squeezed into it, the house felt as if it were alive and moving on it's own. Sergio found a free couch and the four of them waited for Rue's girlfriend to arrive to start having fun. Ten minutes of Sergio introducing everyone go by before Rue's phone buzzes

"I'm here...Where are you?"

"The living room."

"Ok."

Rue looks around and sure enough, a blonde girl in a crop top and denim skirt comes through the kitchen entrance looking inside. She's waved over to the couch and Juls immediately hugs her.

"Hey! These are my friends Valentina, Sergio, and Lucho, her boyfriend...Everyone this is Juls." Rue proudly introduces her to the group and everyone welcomes her.

"Hey Juls do you drink?" Val pulls out the bottle of mezcal from earlier and hands it to Lucho to open.

"Yea...You got a glass?"

"Yea hold on." She reaches into her purse to reveal a purple ombre colored shot glass and fills it for Juls.

The rest of the night was filled with the group laughing, dancing, and drinking. Val and Rue had taken a couple of the pills she had brought. Sergio decided to stay as sober as possible as he was the only way everyone was getting home.

"Hey Sergioooo!" Val sang as she stumbled towards him. He turns around.

"Why don't have a couple more drinks with us?" her words were so slurred Sergio could barley understand the girl. It always surprised him how she was able to still stand being so intoxicated.

"Vale you know I can't I have to drive you home...It's almost time to go anyway."

"Why can't you just leave the car here and I'll have Alirio come?"

"There's no point in doing that now it's too-" Sergio was cut off by an angry Lucho pushing him back and leering at Val. Sergio knew that anytime Lucho was drinking, there was issues. He went to pull Lucho back and grab the keys but what he said next stopped Sergio in his tracks.

"Are you serious Valentina?!"

"What did I do now?" Valentina got instantly fatigued knowing Lucho was about to fight her on something that wasn't even there.

"You know...You asked him to have a drink so Alirio can come get us. I know you like him." He started to yell.

"Are you kidding me Lucho!" She pushed Lucho away from her.

"Alirio is old enough to be my father!"

"That is exactly why you like him and not me...At least my dad is still alive...Sergio we are going home now." Lucho stomped off to the car waiting for everyone.

Val started to cry as the effects of both the pills and mezcal started to wear off. Rue and Juls held her in support and walked to the car. As if things for Val couldn't get worse. Her own boyfriend embarrasses her in front of strangers at a party who will see her when the week starts.

"Hey i'll be in the car in a minute. I'm just gonna tell my friend goodbye." Sergio jogs back inside and Lucho is sitting silent in the front seat as if no one else was there.

"Well won't you look at that." Rue said as she pulls the empty baggy from her pocket.

"What happened to all those pills? You promised you'd tell me." Val sniffled

"Wait you didn't tel her yet!" Juls questioned.

"No I didn't want to make her worried."

"What's going on?" Val got nervous.

Rue sighed unsure of what her friend's reaction will be but continued anyways.

"I gave them away...I won't be using them anymore." She looks out the window hoping Sergio will be back.

"Why would you do that you'll regret it! I'm so confused."

"Vale look...I've been seeing a therapist for a while and she's really good at her job. When Juls came into the picture I started feeling amazing; like I actually want to wake up in the morning. However, I admit, I have an addiction..." Rue sucks air in through her mouth and starts to rub Val's back. As nervous as she is she keeps going.

"My addiction will kill me if I don't fix it. Since I found a new life I've promised myself and Juls that in order to self actualize I have no choice but to go to rehab...It's a three month program and I won't have access to anyone on the outside for that time. I leave tomorrow."

Val can't comprehend what she is being told. The one person she was able to trust and understand has changed and won't be there for her. She can almost hear her heart shatter. She instantly feels sick and she holds her stomach in response as she lays her head on Rue's shoulder. All that she can muster in the time being as Sergio gets into the car is "I understand".

Rue and Juls both know Val is heartbroken. Her jacket is silently attacked by tears as They pull up into Rue's driveway. Val receives a kiss on the forehead as they both exit and head for the door. Val wipes her face in defeat as the last tear falls. Nothingness ensues.

No one speaks during the ride to Lucho's and he leaves without even saying anything. Sergio looks back at Val with sympathy. He taps her leg to get her to look at him. Her eyes are all red and her face blushed from crying.

"It will be alright." He reassures her.

"I just want to be with papa." She says quietly. It's barely a whisper. Sergio feels weird at the use of her words but shrugs it off. He couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He drops her off and has Chivis bring out a blanket to wrap her in as it was cold and she had no jacket. Both tell him thanks as he drives away. Val breaks down everything that happened to the older redhead.

"We were having fun and he-he thinks I'm in love with alirio an-and he insulted me for not having my dad...On top of that I won't see Rue for a long time because she's gonna be in rehab." Her frustrated tears start to fall once more. She lets herself fall onto Chivis who lets her.

"Oh mi chiquita i'm so sorry...Let me put you to bed hm?" Val agrees and is tucked in. When the light turns off, her thoughts drift to one thing: being with her mother and father again. She smiled as she remembers riding horses and beating Guille at playing soccer or pretending to sword fight. She remembers when she was afraid of the dark and papa would come and hold her. She remembers her mother's cooking as well as the tearful last meal she ever made. She also remembers her father showing her how to tie different knots. Val thinks about the rope used for docking their boat in the basement. Her heart starts to race and her mind becomes giddy. Maybe she does have a way out? She smiles at the thought.

"Good night mama and papa...See you tomorrow night." and with that Val falls asleep with a smile for the first time in years.