My Worst Distraction

Twelve

Esai's Point of View
Joel gave me the stink eye as I handed Savannah a beer. I had remembered a past conversation between us both.
Me: Are you and he a thing?
S: No, why do you ask?
Me: He seems to be awfully close to you.
S: Someone is jealous... Lol.
Me: Maybe.
S: Well, no. We aren't together. He's just the type to love giving hugs and stuff like that.\
So I ignored his glare and sat next to Savannah.
"How have you been?" I asked.
"Grood." She replied, and then we both began laughing.
"Grood?" I asked.
"I was going to say great but the word good wanted to come out as well, so I combined the words." She chuckled.
"Well, grood then." I smiled.
Her eyes glistened but suddenly she stopped smiling and look away, drinking her beer.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, concerned.
She shook her head and continued drinking. I stared at her, and then looked away to stare at the fire.
1:25 a.m.
"Mandy, truth or dare?" Sharon asked.
Mandy inhaled and then replied, "Truth."
"How's your relationship with Jessie going?" She asked.
"He's an amazing guy, it's going great." Mandy smiled.
"You better say that." Jessie joked. Mandy punched him on the shoulder and we all laughed.
"Jorge." Mandy began. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare." He grinned.
"I dare you to kiss the girl you think is the prettiest."
We all teased him and he turned red.
"Truth." He blurted.
"No, you can't back down." Savannah laughed.
"C'mon you guys. What if she doesn't want to?" He asked.
"Well, it can't be Sharon and Mandy, which leave only Crystal and Savannah." Chris began. "I'm positive we all know who you think is the prettiest."
"Hey, what are you trying to say about me?" Savannah asked, giggling.
"Nothing!" Chris replied. "Every girl here is beautiful-"
"You're checking out the other girls here?" Sharon questioned.
"No, why do girls always twist our words?" Chris complained. "Jorge, kiss Crystal."
We all stared, and Crystal just sat staring at the ground. Jorge cleared his throat and Crystal turned to face him. Everybody leaned in to see.
"Can you guys not look?" Crystal asked.
"Oh, just do it already." Mandy rushed.
Crystal looked at Jorge again a they leaned in, then kissed.
"Wow." We all laughed and clapped. After a minute, Crystal pulled away and drank from her beer.
"Rikko." Jorge called. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth." Rikko answered.
"Is it true you have a girl waiting for you up in H-town?" He asked.
"Not just a girl... The girl." He retorted.
I glanced at Rikko, wondering why he was lying. He had a girl, and he did think she was the one, but turned out she was only using him.
"Chris." Rikko named. "Truth or dare?"
"You know me, man. Dare!" Chris roared.
"I dare you to... Jump into the pool."
"The water is freezing cold, he might get sick." Sharon noted.
"Babe, it's okay. If I do get sick, you can take care of me." Chris winked.
We all stood up to watch Chris jump into the pool.
"You're being stupid, baby." Sharon laughed.
"This is more of a double-dog dare." Savannah commented.
Chris took off his shirt and pants.
"One, two, three!" We all chanted.
Chris jumped in on three and yelled as resurfaced, "It's so damn cold."
He got out of the pool and Mandy handed him a towel. We sat back at the fire and while for a little as we waited for Chris to stop his teeth chattering.
"More beer, anyone?" Rikko asked, grabbing one for himself.
"I'll take two." Savannah answered.
Rikko handed her two and she passed one to Joel, who sat on her left.
"Savannah." Chris began. "Truth or dare?"
She sat up straight. "Truth."
"Tough... I was sure you were going to choose dare." He replied.
I laughed, thinking to when she and I had played. She would always choose dare.
"Is it true..." Chris began. "That you and Joel are a thing?"
I almost choked on my own saliva, and my eyes widened. There was no answer for a while, and part of me thought for sure she was going to say they were just friends. She looked at me from her peripheral vision and then cleared her throat.
"Hard to say..." She chuckled awkwardly, with everyone listening.
"Mhmm." Chris nodded. "Please explain."
"Just today," she looked at Joel. "We told each other we liked one another, but neither of us really asked to be boyfriend/girlfriend."
"What are you waiting for, Joel?" Jorge asked.
The others laughed and Joel nodded. "Okay." He turned to Savannah, holding her hands while looking her in the eyes, and asked her to be his. She nodded, yes.
I cleared my throat and looked at Rikko, "I'll take that drink now." Rikko looked a bit confused, but handed me one anyway.
2:05 a.m.
My eyes were heavy and pink, and I stumbled as I walked to Rikko's vehicle. I didn't want to Savannah with that guy, and I felt like lying down. As I got in, my body dropped onto the backseat of his truck, and I was unable to close the door. Footsteps were heard, but my body was too tired to look up and see who was coming.
"Hey." The vice whispered.
"Savannah?" I asked.
"No, Jorge. Wait, do I sound like a girl?" He asked.
I grunted as I sat up. "Nah. What's up, man?"
"Exactly. What's up with you?" He asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You're away from the crowd and drinking a lot."
"Is there a problem with that?" I questioned.
"Yes." He replied. "You don't drink unless something has upset you."
"Well, lets just say it has to deal with a girl." I responded, taking a sip from my drink.
"That's enough." Jorge stated, taking away the drink.
"Give me that back." I demanded.
"No."
"Give me the fucking drink, Jorge." I hissed.
"No."
I stood up to reach for the drink, but ended on the ground.
"You can't even support your own body and you want more alcohol?" He questioned.
"Hey, is everything okay?" Someone asked.
I heart feet stepping on the gravel and I looked up.
"He won't give me my drink." I whined.
"Good." A girl stated.
I looked up again, taking a better view at who it was. "This isn't any of your business." I stood up, mostly leaning my body against the side of the truck.
"Why not? You're my friend and I care for your safety." Savannah answered.
"Friend?" I laughed. "No, honey. We aren't friends anymore."
"Why not?" She asked.
"Jorge, get this bitch out of here." I grunted.
"Excuse me?" She shouted, and walked furiously closer to me until Jorge intervened.
"He first mean it, he's drunk." Jorge whispered.
"I mean it." I blinked, pointing at two blurry visions of them. "You are a dumb slut that I wasted my time on, and that shit-bag over there doesn't deserve you. No one does because you aren't worth a damn."
"Esai. Be quiet." Jorge demanded.
"NO." I shouted.
I heard sniffing coming from Savannah.
"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" I asked.
She walked closer to me, but Jorge didn't stop her. All I could see now was her shoes and the ground. She was a few inches away and lifted my head to look her in the eyes.
"I liked you, but when I told you how I felt, you pushed me away. I wasn't going to sit around and wait for you. Joel is a good guy. Like my father used to say: drunks speaks the truth. You called me horrible names, and I don't know if I can forgive you for that." She whispered, hugging me. "Goodbye, Esai."
I tried to call her but my stomach was in a whirl and all that came out was vomit.
"Rikko!" Jorge called. "Take him home."
4:43 p.m.
I had a massive headache and smelled extremely bad. Glancing around, the place was recognizable. I was at Rikko's mom's house.
"Here." Rikko stated. "Take this."
He handed me a pill for the headache and a glass of water.
"What happened last night?" I asked.
"You said some pretty interesting things last night." He answered.
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah... Very rude things to a certain someone."
I sat up on the couch. "What did I say and to whom?"
He hesitated before replying. "It doesn't matter... She's probably already forgotten about the whole thing." He looked away.
"She?" I asked, and ha a flashback of Savannah crying and hugging me. "What did I tell her?"
"Do you really want to know?"
I nodded.
"Jorge said you called her a dumb slut, a bitch, said she wasn't worth a damn, and that you two weren't friends anymore. Oh, and you called her boyfriend a shit-bag." Rikko sighed.
"I have to call her and apologize." I blinked.
"You can't."
"Why not?"
"You deleted her number and dropped your phone in the toilet as you were vomiting." He informed me.
I looked around. "Then lend me your phone."