The Feel of Water

Twenty-Three - Help Another Girl Out

Alisha, Becca, and I enjoy the empty kitchen, sitting on the counter and taking drink after drink after drink. Becca shakes her head at us.

"Just drink, Becca," I try to convince her. "We can all walk home together."

"It would take us forever," she says.

Alisha grabs a seltzer and holds it out to her. "Who cares? Come on. You know you wanna."

Becca eyes us then swipes the drink from Alisha's hand. I applaud her and suggest we drink every time someone walks into the kitchen.

After the sixth person comes through, Alisha mutters, "No, I'm definitely-I'm feeling it. I'm like, like woah."

I laugh, nearly falling off the counter. "There's some hard stuff. Look." I point to the dining table, seeing an array of hard liquors.

Becca peers over. "Oh, yeah. That's dangerous. We could literally grab all those bottles while everyone is outside and just leave. We could just leave with all the alcohol."

"I wonder what it's like to blackout," I mumble.

I straighten up as a figure comes into the kitchen, ready to lift my can to my lips. I stop when I see that it's Sean. Becca and Alisha freeze as well, not sure what to do.

"Dani, there you are," he says and comes over to us. I set down my drink and hop off the counter, suddenly feeling more sober than I thought I was. "I've been texting you. I thought maybe you weren't here yet."

"Oh, um, sorry. My phone is on silent," I improvise. "These are my friends Becca and Alisha."

As they say hello, I try to collect myself as if I didn't just polish off a bunch of random beers and other things.

"We got here a little bit ago. Uh, Jalen and Andre said you were talking to, um, to Jen so."

Becca and Alisha stealthily slip away, heading into the backyard. I plead with my eyes for them to stay, but the backdoor is suddenly being pulled closed. Once again Sean and I are alone. He leans against the counter, his arm stretched past me. "We just talked, Dani."

"I know," I say, my chest tight.

He looks directly into my eyes, and I can't help but glance off, feeling as if his body is growing and towering over me. I used to praise his height and stature, but something about it intimidates me now.

"What did they tell you?" He asks, referencing Andre and Jalen, the two drunk fools now dancing around the bonfire, belting lyrics.

I shrug. "They just said you two were outside talking. They said Jen regrets breaking things off with you."

Sean takes a breath. "You're upset."

"I'm not upset. I mean, I said it from the beginning, right? I saw this coming."

His brow furrows. "Saw what coming?"

"You and Jen getting back together, Sean. That's what this is all about, right?"

"We didn't get back together."

"But you're going to," I say, trying to keep my brave face on.

He lets go of the counter.

"Right?"

"I don't know what's going to happen."

A pained smile hits my face, and I nod it off. I avoid his eyes and mutter, "I'm going to find my friends."

I attempt to move past him, but Sean grabs my arm. "Look, Jen just said a lot of things, and I'm still trying to comprehend it all. She wants to get back together, but I don't know if I want the same thing."