A giggling and swaying Izabella wrapped her arms around a stunned Duncan's waist and slowly began to slump on him. He got hold of her arms and helped her stand up but her high heels were not helping at all. As she began to fall backwards, he pulled her to him and circled her waist with his arms like a lock. He didn't know what to do next so he looked to his friends for help. Unfortunately, his friends from college were either as drunk as her unconscious companion or had already passed out. A couple of them gazed on their tangled limbs and gave Duncan an encouraging thumbs-up, which only frustrated him even more. He had never felt so helpless and burdened before, and it wasn't about Izabella's weight. For your information, she was not as light as a feather but she was definitely not as heavy as an elephant, either. She was an in-between, like the colour hazel, and Duncan liked that colour.
Izabella rested her heavy head on Duncan's shoulder. He shivered as her lips tickled his neck. Her body was shaking, as well, but she was in fact, laughing. She was so close he could smell her, and he didn't like her smell, all alcoholic and smoke. He had always enjoyed hanging out with her because she was the only girl he knew who didn't wear perfumes or put on any makeup. Others might see her as strange but she looked normal in Duncan's eyes and ordinary was the new black.
He liked the old Izabella, who wouldn't drag him to trashy places for a drink. Tonight was kind of like a reunion, college version. Many of them went their separate ways after graduation. Duncan had been a Physics major then, Izabella a History major. The only thing he knew was that she only took Pharmacy with him because her former boyfriend was also in it. Harris was the name and he was a Herbology prodigy.
Rumour had it that Harris had had an affair with a Criminal Psychology student. No wonder that mysterious girl had been okay with the whole thing.
So Izabella was now celibate and worked in a law firm as a secretary. Duncan got the job as a pharmacist in training. Her friends Camille, Chloe and Rillianne all got fantastic jobs. The first one was now a successful dentist, the second one an acclaimed author and Rillianne a World History teacher.
Duncan had always thought Chloe was a weird girl. Whenever he was with Izabella, he would catch that introvert grinning at them and she always had that creepy laugh every time Izabella talked to him. He didn't hate her but he never really liked her company, either.
Worst part was she was also here tonight and it seemed that she still hadn't changed a bit, which was a bad thing. She was the one who put the barely aware Izabella into his arms and left with a bizarre smile on her pale face. He made a mental note to tell Izabella all the things Chloe had done when she eventually rose back to consciousness, and it would definitely take a long time for her to feel things again.
His own friends—Maxwell, Kennedy and Toms—pumped their fists into the air and whooped when he gingerly put Izabella into a cab and got in. He was too embarrassed to look back at them.
A foreign feeling overwhelmed him when he was inside the taxi. Before he could steady her intoxicated girl friend from slumping at the window from the speedy movements of the vehicle on the bumpy road, he realized the thing he was feeling was pure anger.
Duncan was an easygoing lad with a laidback personality. He seldom went off like a bomb. He didn't lash out at Izabella but he felt mad. She had got herself drunk and none of her friends helped her and he ended up being her caretaker.
He didn't want to be a show. He didn't want her to be his responsibility.
The car came to an abrupt stop. She almost slammed her face on the window but Duncan caught her. He was reluctant to pull her to him at first and with the nosy taxi driver giving him the sly misunderstanding stare, he wanted to throw her out of the cab but the thought went outside the window when Izabella buried her face in his neck and put her legs on top of his.
Duncan liked Izabella but tonight she seemed to intend to make him dislike her. Everything he hated, she wore them. Everything he'd never drunk, she drank every glass of wine in the bar. She was wearing a really tight short skirt and it went up so bad her thighs were on full display. He felt stupid for blushing when he gently put away her legs and rested her head on his shoulder.
After a while of unbearable silence, he eventually spoke up, "We gotta get you home." He had already slapped himself twenty times inside his head for blushing like an idiot. "Just tell me where your address is."
He flinched when her head fell onto his lap, right on top of his man part. He got her into a sitting position as heat coursed through his entire body, making his nerves pop with every touch. Duncan hoped she couldn't feel anything.
"I live in Neverland," her lips curled into a wistful grin. He told himself to look away from her dimple on her left cheek. Damn it. "With Peter Pan and the sexy Lost Boys."
Great, Duncan thought. Now she's talking about freaking Peter Pan.
As if on cue, her phone rang and before he could realize, he found himself answering for her by blurting out "Is this effing Peter Pan? Pick up Izabella for fuck's sake."
He bit his bottom lip. He had never felt so stupid before in his entire life.
A second of silence was followed up with hysterical laughter. He only noticed a moment later that the caller was Chloe the creepy weirdo. He was about to hang up but stopped when her voice came blasting on the phone, "Izabella's parents are on vacation and she's left her keys at home."
How freaking old is Izabella? He yelled internally. Goddamn Twelve?
"Well, tell me where her spare key is, then," Duncan closed his eyes for a second. He couldn't handle any more surprises.
"I don't know exactly. You'll have to find out yourself."
"Thanks and good night. I'm sick of your bullsh—"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Chloe pleaded. "Please don't hang up! I am one hundred percent honest that I don't know where her spare key is."
"Wow," He sighed in utter frustration and irritation. "So much for being her close friend."
Was his ear deceiving him but did he hear Chloe panic and sob?
"Just, just take her home," said a stuttering and anxious Chloe. "And be safe. Her spare key is probably under the door mat or somewhere obvious."
He thanked her. Before he ended the call for real, Chloe's high-pitched voice rang his ear, "And please stay with her for the night, please."
"What?" Duncan almost dropped Izabella's phone. "When have I become you two's servant?"
"I mean it," he had never heard Chloe sound so serious and demanding before. It kind of startled him and he shut up. "You can do whatever you want, to her. Cover her house with piss, wreck her washroom, graffiti her parent's bedroom, etc. But don't leave her on her own.
"I am deeply sorry and I think it is time I came clean." Duncan raised his eyebrows and wriggled his ear to listen. Chloe gulped, "I put some pills in Izabella's drink and I am sorry."
He hung up without listening to Chloe's final ramble. His mouth was pulled into a tight line and his hands were curled into fists. This time her friend had certainly gone too far and he felt the need to get her to her house, to safety. It was like an instinct, to protect someone. What surprised him was his wanting to protect Izabella overcame his embarrassment and anger he felt for her.
As if Izabelle had realized the need to be conscious, she revealed her address to Duncan before falling back to unconsciousness again. That was all he needed. The cab driver overheard and drove to their destination without exchanging a single word with the sober one of the duo.
"Good luck with the lady, mate," helping Izabella get out of the cab, the old man in the front seat said to him. Duncan thanked the taxi driver with sincerity and paid him handsomely. The driver's eyes shone with amusement and before driving off, he called out to Duncan, who was busy helping Izabella to her feet, and winked, "Tonight's your lucky night! Show her anything you got in your sleeve!"
Everything just happened so quickly Duncan only had time to gulp. The cab drove off and they were at last left alone. He wasn't sure it was a good thing, though.
He took one look at her house and with a thud, Izabella slipped from his grasp and fell to the pavement. Her dark hair came loose from her pony tail and stretched from her head like the kind of rays kids drew stretching away from the Sun. He reminded himself that he still drew the Sun like that.
"Crap," with a huff and a puff, Duncan gathered a baby-like Izabella into his arms and limbed to the front door.