vexatious (infuriating sequel)

chapter seventy-seven

"hey!" i greet julia, and try to ignore the fact that jake is hovering a few feet behind me. this is way too awkward already.

"hi, how are you?" she asks, keeping her eyes glued on me. i smile at her in my most reassuring way. sure, let's just pretend your boyfriend whom you're not on speaking terms with isn't behind me.

"hi jake," she finally acknowledges him and i let out a deep breath of relief. when both of their eyes land on me, i stand awkwardly and shift my weight back and forth between my feet. well, this is fun isn't it? i'm having a blast.

"i'm stealing her now," i grin at jake before grabbing julia's wrist gently and pulling her towards the stairs to my room. she giggles uncontrollably as we race down the stairs in unison, and finally reach the bottom. i'm glad i didn't take the time to look back at the poor boy before running away with my friend. that would've been a weird interaction, even weirder than it already was.

"i'm sorry, but that was so awkward!" i laugh with the girl. "no, i should be thanking you!" she gushes out and finds a seat on my bed. i follow behind her and watch as she takes a few small bottles out of her purse. she holds them up so i can inspect them, and the only knowledge i gain is that they are shots of vodka.

"why are they in those little bottles?" i ask. i've never seen alcohol in miniature-looking bottles, and i'm curious about who thought of that. who needs shot glasses when you can just drink it straight from a tiny bottle? "i have no idea, but do you want one?" she grins at me, and i grab one of the bottles from her hands and unscrew the cap. it's surprisingly easy, and the bottle is a flimsy kind of plastic. i inspect it for a few seconds before speaking again. "does it taste bad?" i ask, tossing the cap into the small trash can beside my bed. she shrugs and opens one of her own. "i've never tried them, katrina gave them to me the other day." i giggle at our inexperience, and make the impulsive decision to down the liquid as fast as i can. the taste is awful as ever, and i begin regretting my decision until i watch julia drink hers as well. her poker face is a bit more faulty than mine, and her discomfort is evident. i resist my natural instinct to giggle with the easy-going girl as she scrunches her nose up in disgust.

"how was that?" i ask playfully, knowing she didn't enjoy it any more than i did. i feel my stomach turn and she giggles at me. "more?" she asks, handing me two bottles. the way she ignored my question only makes me giggle even more. i feel like such a school girl when i am with her, she brings out a different—more playful—side of me. she takes two out for herself, and quickly drinks them without another word. i watch in awe at how well she's taking the shots, despite how much my throat still burns from the first one.

after a few minutes of stalling, i drink the two she handed to me quickly, and throw my head back in disgust. "why do people drink this stuff!" i complain, my voice broken from the burn growing in my chest. who in their right mind could ever enjoy drinking this bitter fluid? i can practically feel my liver giving up on me. the room is already spinning a little, and i'm enthused by the way my mindset is quickly changing. i am not thinking about my awkward conversation with colby earlier, i'm just thinking about how good i already feel.

soon after julia takes her fourth shot, she brings out the last two and i giggle. "we are doing this so fast! we are going to be so drunk!" she exclaims and i smile in response. i'm not even remotely ready for my fourth shot, let alone the half of the last one that she offers me. i wave my hand in front of my face, dismissing her offer and giving myself a second to breathe and stop attacking my throat with alcohol.

"where should i put these?" she points to the empty bottles bunched up on my comforter. i laugh quietly before picking them up and dumping them in my trash can along with the caps. i accidentally drop a few on the floor, but don't bother picking them up as i turn back to the giggling airhead behind me.