AN: I woke up 5 days ago with this story complete in my head. I thought it would take about 10 pages but it wound up being 34 pages. It is complete and I will be adding more chapters as I get them edited. I spilled rootbeer on my keyboard yesterday and now I have sticky backspace and return key. So... If any of you are still waiting for me to update "That Day" I am planning on getting around to it one day. I have been writing and trying to publish a Steampunk story (with little success). So be patient. If there are any readers left out there who want to see more to "That Day" please let me know!
Claudia had reached that part of the drunk that she really liked. That part where the world slows down and the only thing that matters is the wonder she perceived when she would turn her head and the rest of the world had to catch up. It was warm and peaceful there and she didn't care what anyone thought of her. She had reached that point about a half hour ago and then passed it. Like she always did. Like she knew she would.
Alan Gray sat next to her but she barely registered his presents. She could barely register anything now. She was only at Cokie and Mary Anne's party because Alan had insisted they go. Alan was about the only friend that Claudia had left. But she wasn't fooled, Alan only hung around her because she was a drunk. She knew that he was only waiting for her to get so drunk that she would let him take advantage of her. But that would never happen. The drink always took her before he got his chance. Besides, he wasn't her type. Not even close.
But even his patience was wearing thin. The buzz in Claudia's head seemed to get louder than the music around her and the rest of the world started going dim. She took one last big pull on her beer. Maybe half of it, maybe more. Her head began to nod and she couldn't stop it. The bottle slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a dull clunk.
" DAMMIT CLAUDIA"!
Alan was yelling at her again. He always yelled at some point.
"I get it" Slurred Claudia.
The diminutive young woman leaned forward and tried to focus on the empty bottle. Somehow she wound up on her knees as the bottle eluded her grasp. Suddenly it all seemed too much. Just, too much. When her head hit the floor it made a dull clunking sound too. The dark claimed Claudia's senses as she curled into a ball.
The disgust in Alan's eyes was plain as he stood up and towered over the drunk girl. He had been with her during a lot of drunks but this was unreal. He had never seen her drink like this. "Dammit Claudia, get up." But Claudia was beyond the sound of his voice. "God Dammit Claudia. CLAUDIA"!
"ALAN!"
Alan looked to his right. A very sober and very mad Mary Anne Spier was standing next to him.
"Will you shut up and get her out of here"?
"Screw that Mary Anne" Alan got mad at Claudia a lot but now he was really mad. "Fuck her. Fucking drunk leso". Alan stalked away and down the basement steps leaving Mary Anne with a problem".
"Shoot" Mary Anne swore under her breath. Where the heck was Cokie when she needed her.
Mary Anne looked quickly around the room. There were dozens of kids in the main room and kitchen but Cokie was nowhere to be found. But she did spy a rather familiar looking pony tail just inside the hallway. "Shoot" Kristy knew how to get things done but Mary Anne hadn't said more than a dozen words to Kristy in the last two years. The only reason she was at the party was because, well, anybody who was anybody wanted to be at one of Cokie's parties. Mary Anne kneeled over the prostrate Claudia and took one last frantic look around the room. "Shoot".
"KRISTY! HEY, THOMAS"! Mary Anne shouted over the din of the music and loud voices.
Kristy Thomas turned from the person she was talking to, to see who was yelling. When she saw Mary Anne kneeling over a what was obviously a very drunk Claudia she couldn't help but roll her eyes. She pushed herself away from the wall and sauntered over to the pair.
"What, Spier"?
"Could you, please, give me a hand"?
"What do you want me to do? This is your party. She's your drunk".
"Kristy, could you just stop being a bitch for two seconds and help me get her upstairs"?
"Oh I'm the bitch now? Glass houses Spier".
"Kristy! Please! I'm sorry, Okay? Just, help me.
Kristy let out an exaggerated sigh and kneeled on the other side of Claudia. "What are we going to do once we get her upstairs? Aren't all the rooms, you know, busy"?
"Shoot"!
Kristy snickered. "Maybe we can just put her on the front door step as a warning to all the other drunks".
"Kristy! Its freezing outside"!
"Well! What do you want to do, Em? I suppose I could drive her home but I don't want her throwing up in my car. Where the hell is Gray"?
"He kind of left. Look Kristy, I…"
"I'll take her home".
Mary Anne and Kristy looked up at a the sound of a new voice. Stacey McGill knelt down next to Claudia's feet. Kristy regained her tongue first.
"Aren't you afraid she'll get her lesbo germs all over you"?
Stacey gave Kristy a thinned lipped grimace but then shook her head and frowned. "Not now Kristy, Okay? Look, could we just, for a few minutes, put aside our personal bitches and take care of one of our own. For old times sake, please"?
Kristy couldn't hold Stacey's gaze. She looked down as guilt hit her. They had all said thing. Done things. Things they weren't proud of. Stacey knew she had her.
"I'll get my coat and bring my car around to the front door. Mary Anne, can you get a bowl or bucket or something? Get your jackets and get her out to my car. We can take her home and then get back to hating each other".
"I don't hate…" Began Mary Anne.
"I know, I know, Mary Anne. I don't either, I just… Look, lets just do this. Okay"?
"I don't hate anyone either" Kristy muttered. "All right" She continued, louder. "Em, could you get my jacket? I'll stay with the drun… Claudia. When you get back we'll take her out together."
Mary Anne nodded her head and the girls split up. A few minutes later Kristy and Mary Anne were wrestling a clumsy Claudia into Stacey's mustang. They finally got her situated in the back seat and Mary Anne handed a small plastic bowl to Kristy.
"Why me"?
"Because if she throws up and I'm sitting next to her, I'll throw up".
"Would you two please get it"? Stacey all but shouted
Kristy rolled her eyes again. "Fine. Gimme."
Kristy got into the back seat next to Claudia. Mary Anne lowered the seat and climbed into the front. Stacey took a quick look in the rear view mirror to make sure Kristy was settled and pulled out into the street.
"Thanks for doing this" Mary Anne said in a low voice.
"Yeah, well." Stacey glance at the mirror and then turned a small smile to Mary Anne before returning her eyes to the road. "it's the least I could do".
Mary Anne gave her a quizzical look. "What do you mean, 'the least you can do'".
Stacey gave her another quick glance "I just mean." Stacey sighed. "I owe her".
Mary Anne waited several blocks for Stacey to continue. When she remained silent Mary Anne's curiosity got the best of her.
"What do you mean, 'owe her'. Just what happed last Christmas? I never did really believe what Alan said."
"That Gray is such a shit" Stacey hissed as she turned a corner. "Let it go Mary Anne." Stacey gave her another quick glance. "Besides, When did you start to care"?
"I don't hate!" Mary Anne exclaimed.
"I know, you don't hate. Now". Another glance "You sure hated someone two years ago".
Mary Anne turned her head away from Stacey and looked out onto the snow covered streets. "I don't want to talk about it". She said quietly.
The two girls sat in silence. Each one nursing there own separate wounds.