THE OLD ME BACK

Chapter 51

With a cloth-made turban worth one hundred twenty pesos, I'm still wearing it even after our shopping in the mall. Denzel bought things there that we could use in the apartment such as frying pan, rice cooker and anything that's related to cooking. I guess he will be cook someday, won't be he?

"Where are we now going?" I ask while I'm holding one plastic bag and his is three plastic bags all in all.

"Going to the park, do you want to?"

"But it's already seven. What will we do there?"

"We're gonna eat street foods. I think you will like those," he says while keeping the three plastic bags on his hands. I know those are heavy because he gave to me what I can carry and not that so burden.

"I don't like eating that kind of food. Rather, I wanted to drink."

He stops and looks at me with curiosity. "What flavor of juice do you want then?"

"No, not juice."

"What? Don't tell me..."

"Just consider it now, please. I wanted to drink beer."

"Do you want to drink beer?!"

"Do you really need to repeat it?" I heave a sigh afterwards. "Yes, you heard it right. I want to drink beer, Denzel. Right now."

"But why?"

"Because...wait. Do I really need to explain why?"

"I thought you're going to avoid from it already. You wanted to help fixing yourself."

"That's why consider it now, Denzel. My tongue longs for its taste. Can you still refuse of my favor?"

He looks at me straight while he's still having the second thought based on the reaction of his face.

"Please?"

He deeply sighs and gulps. "Fine. Just now, Alesha. I'll accompany you until you get finished drinking tonight. Okay?"

"Thank you Denzel!" I abruptly hug him after dropping on the floor the plastic bag I'm holding.

"Just this now, Alesha. Let's go." He emphasizes.

Hurriedly, I pick the plastic bag I have left on the floor and he grabs my hand to the nearest bar. Upon entering the bar we choose to get in, he quickly calls for a waiter to serve us with drinks.

The bar we enter just now has just few people drinking liquors on their tables, no one is dancing on the stage floor and the music is just so calm that you can hear their conversations of you listen closely. When I roam my eyes around, some of them lay their glances already on us, maybe they were just shocked that Denzel is here, with an awkward-looking girl.

This thought that plays on my mind makes me fix the way how I wear my eyeglasses before we finally got our seat.

"Are you going to drink, too?" I ask while we're already sitting near each other on a long couch.

"Yes."

"Do you drink?" Asking him again, I'm already touched by what he is doing right now for me.

"No. But I can drink because I want to accompany you."

That makes me smile because of what he reasons out. I look at him in his eyes while we're waiting for beers. Inside of me is telling that I really want this type of guy, who can avoid me from my addiction but he just considers me right now. I want this guy who can accompany me in my addiction even if he's not into it just for me.

"Here's your order, ma'am and sir. Enjoy your drinks!"

Quickly, I take one beer from a bucket and give it to him. I also take mine and we both drink. After dropping the beer on the table, I could see the reaction of his face that tasted its bitterness.

"How's the taste?"

He looks at me with a plain smile. "Somehow good for the first time. It's a bitter taste."

"Do you want to drink again?" Wanting to know answer from him, for a while I hold the bottle of beer and drink it again with a long shot I did.

"Why not? I'll drink as long as you're still drinking it."

"Are you really sure? You will be drunk any moment from now. I can't take you back home."

"We can check in to the nearest hotel if you want to," he still insists that make me smile for a good reason.

"You really want to accompany me huh?"

"Just this moment, Alesha. I don't want you to be alone. If I would leave you here, you might be treated here maliciously."

"If that's so, then I must thank you."

He smiles wider. "No problem, Alesha. It's my duty, remember?"

"If you didn't usually drink, then what you would usually do whenever you're with Boy liver in the Hideout Bar?"

The moment I uttered the boy group's name I should avoid to mention, Hanky suddenly comes in my mind. If he's just fine...if he had already moved on...or if he---no. I should not think of him anymore.

"Come again?" Suddenly I ask after he spoke with my mind preoccupied. In that reason I was not able to listen to him because my mind is thinking of other things. Gosh.

"I said, I'm the youngest of them all. Oftentimes they call me the most immature one. They usually get me rid of liquor because they assumed of me already that I can't handle its alcohol content. That's why I'm only eating sizzling sisig as partner for liquor they're drinking. How poor I am, right?"

I surely keep myself from bursting into laughter because of what he told to me. I want to make serious this time because it's not easy to go with people you wish to get along with them.

"Don't you think they're just protecting you?"

"Perhaps, yes?" He answers with a second thought, then he drinks his first bottle again until it becomes full empty. "You know what Alesha, I can't blame them why they are still mad at me until now because of my decision to transfer in Royale. They treated me in St. Jude like the youngest brother of all siblings but I was the one who is hard-headed who insisted to follow my desire and do whatever they usually do, as if there's no exemption. They prevented me from what I want for my sake, but can't they think if I'm still happy about it?"

"I do understand your point, Denzel," I manage to say even if I'm still thinking if he's on the right track of saying it. The Boylight has been good to me before because I was the one who experienced to be protected from all of my rivals since Hanky and I were together back then. I never noticed Denzel before though I knew he has been there and has been part of the group but all I can say is, I do really appreciate them for what they did. "It's your own choice in the first place."

I'm starting to feel drunk now but even if there's something hurt I still feel, I could give so much appreciation to the Boylight right now for keeping me from alcohol and other things that could be my addiction back then.

Just look at me now, I'm still struggling with it and I don't know when I can totally have abstinence from it.