Ah, this is such a sweet chapter, I hope you all like it despite its serious lack of Edward. Once again, I own nothing Twilight, but I do have some amazing readers. =) You guys rock! \m/ Enjoy and please review!
Chapter 9
Walk Beside Me
"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."~ Albert Camus
BPOV
One-step, two-step, whoops…curb. I snort out a laugh as I slip on the cement edge and stumble out into the street. Luckily, it's still relatively early in the afternoon so there aren't that many cars on the road.
"Let's try and stay out of the street, drunkie," Alice says, latching her tiny hand on my arm and walking me back onto the sidewalk. My stomach knots uncomfortably at the contact and I try to keep the bile from rising in my throat as I yank my arm away.
"No touchy," I say sternly before giggling at the sound of the word 'touchy' and repeating it several times, my drunken laughter filling the air.
I can't help it; it's just so funny. In fact, everything is funny, every word I say, every wobbly step I take, and every thought that runs through my head is hysterical. I know it has to be the alcohol in my system making me act so strange, but it's as if I have no control over it. Charlie used to call this a stage 2 drunk. When we first had the 'say no to drugs and alcohol' talk, he used the stages to explain the effect alcohol has on people. Stage 1 is when someone starts to feel a bit tipsy, but is mostly in control, as I felt at the art show. Stage 2, the level I'm at now, is when someone knows what they're doing, but they can't seem to stop themselves from doing it. Stage 3 is when the danger starts to set in; the individual doesn't realize what they're doing anymore. Finally, stage 4 is the point where someone blacks out, and an ambulance needs to be called. It's a thin line between fun and tragedy. Up until this point, I never ventured pass Stage 1.
"How many glasses of champagne did you have?" Alice asks, when I nearly run into my fifth tree. My legs are so wobbly that it's like walking in one of those wacky fun houses with the moving floors.
I try to remember, looking down at my fingers and counting the glasses off as I recall them. One…twelve…four…nine…
"Eleventy," I reply triumphantly, holding up five fingers as Alice shakes her head at me.
Okay, so drunk me is not the best at doing basic math. Hell, it's not even really math, it's counting, two year olds can count, the Count on Sesame Street can count, but get a couple drinks in me, and it's suddenly a superhero ability like firing laser beams from my eyes. I wonder if that would burn.
"Well, I don't know about the laser beams thing, but I never liked the Count on Sesame Street, vampires give me the creeps," Alice declares with a laugh. Holy crap, can she read my mind? Alice? Can you hear me? "Of course I can hear you, stupid, you're talking out loud."
"Oh, well I suppose that makes more sense," I giggle, dodging a collision with a traffic pole at the last second before a flood of useless information escapes me, my words slurring together a little. "Cookie Monster was always my favorite. Now a days, they have him trying to teach kids that cookies are only a sometimes snack though, which is a bunch of bullshit. Cookie Monster loves cookies not vegetables."
"Damn right! When we were younger Cookie Monster actually lived up to his name," she says, and then stops abruptly, looking at me incredulously. "Wait a minute! You're only two years older than I am, and I just turned 18 a few months ago. You're not old enough to drink!"
A blush flushes my skin as I realize she's figured me out. At least it was her and not the people with the trays of booze. She smirks at my heated face and I shrug my shoulders. Well, I try to shrug my shoulders, I'm not quite sure if I succeed because my body sways to the side and I have to counter the movement by swaying to the other side.
"Oh, once you sober up a bit, you're so going to spill about that, missy."
Alice leads the way into the park and I groan in protest, stumbling behind her. One-step, two-step, branch!
My head jolts forward as I grasp the sides of the toilet and vomit for what seems to be the hundredth time. I feel like my body is turning itself inside out at this point, but the world has finally stopped spinning, which is good. Apparently, stage 2 is too much for my lightweight body. The moment we walked in the door, I had to race to the bathroom. Thankfully, Alice caught and held my hair just before I had the opportunity to puke all over it. She was nice enough to put it into a ponytail and then, she disappeared, the grotesque sight was too much for her to handle.
"Ugh! Water, please!" I whimper, flushing the toilet.
Alice walks in, handing me a glass of water and I rinse my mouth out before taking a few sips.
"Thanks, I think I'm done," I groan, carefully pulling myself to my feet and reaching for my toothbrush.
I have control again and I don't think I'm going to vomit anymore, even though I'm nauseous. After brushing my teeth, I walk slowly out of the bathroom and towards my room, my feet shuffling across the floor. I just want to crawl into bed and go to sleep now. Unfortunately, Alice is far too curious to allow that.
"So spill, drunkie, how'd you get away with boozing it up?" She asks, following me into the room as I pull out my pajamas and slip them on. I'm feeling far too crappy to care if she sees my goodies. Besides, we both have the same parts; it's not as if she's going to see something new. "Do you have a fake id or something?"
Her voice is excessively loud and my brain is starting to throb with the threat of a headache.
"Ugh, can you tone it down a notch, Ali?" I ask, grabbing two Tylenol from the bottle on my nightstand and downing them.
A huge smile spreads across her face as she stands motionless across the room and after a few moments, it starts to freak me out.
"What?" I say exasperated, eyeing her like a crazy person because she's truly acting like one.
"You called me Ali," she says, her voice soft and her eyes twinkling with unshed tears. "No one has called me that since Ms. Penny and you never used my nickname before."
Son of a bitch! I can't believe I did something so stupid. Stupid alcohol is fucking with my brain.
"Oh, shit, I'm sorr-"
"No, don't be, I'm glad you did. I missed it," Alice interrupts my apology, wiping at her eyes with the smile still on her face. "Now, quit avoiding the question. How'd you get away with it?"
I let out a sigh and flop down on the bed.
"Confidence," I answer, wrapping myself in the comforter. "These college kids came into work talking about buying liquor one time. One of them was telling the others that all you need to do is act confident about it and they most likely won't even card you. Turns out the kid was pretty smart."
"Oh," Alice's lips press into a line at the not so exciting explanation.
I set my alarm and look at the time. The clock says its 6 o'clock, but it might as well say 12 because I feel like my eyelids are burning.
"Going to sleep now," I grumble, pressing my face into the pillow.
"Hey Bella, do you have any scissors around?"
"Yeah?" I reply in confusion, my reply coming out as more of a question than an answer. Supporting myself with my forearms, I lift my head out of the pillow and raise an eyebrow at her.
"If I wanted to kill myself or murder you in your sleep I would use a knife like a normal psychopath, Bella," Alice announces, rolling her eyes.
"Fair enough," I shrug, relaxing my arms so I fall back onto the bed. "It's in the sewing kit on the top shelf of the closet."
The door closes, my eyes shut, and in two seconds flat, I'm out.
The obnoxious sound of my alarm wakes me the next morning and my head does not appreciate the loud noise. I smack the off button so hard that it actually makes the clock tip sideways on my nightstand.
"Oh god…holy crap…kill me now," I protest at the movement of my aching muscles while I slide off the bed. Everything hurts as if I've been run over by a semi.
I'm lost in my own world of grumbling and complaining while I shower and dress for work, but I'm jolted into reality when I find Alice sitting at the table, eating a bowl of frosted flakes. It's not the fact that she's using the last of the milk that makes my mouth drop open though, it's her hair! She must have put the scissors to good use because it's cut boy short and styled so that it's all spiky, making her look like a very sexy pixie. Damn! Seriously, I don't play for that team, but if I did, I would be on her like white on rice.
"What do you think?" Alice asks nervously, running her fingers across her now bare neck.
"Uh, god, it's-, it's awesome," I stammer, giving her a smile as her cheeks redden. "No joke, you're lucky I like boys."
She beams with pride, standing up and placing her bowl in the sink and I grab the last piece of bread, shoving it in my mouth before I suggest experimenting with each other. Whoa! I shake the thought away...Jeez, one day without masturbating and a haircut makes me want to switch teams and jump Alice's bones. What the hell has Edward awakened in me? Just thinking his name makes my thighs quiver, and suddenly, I forget all about Alice. If I have a team, it's definitely Team Edward. An image flashes in my mind of Edward hovering above me. Ugh! I need to stop this! He's affecting me too much, she's getting too close, and it's all just going to end badly when the inevitable happens. I can't continue doing this to myself! She needs to leave.
I won't even look in Alice's direction as we walk to work, taking the new, longer route. My mind races with different scenarios to get Alice out of the apartment as soon as possible. I can't wait for her to have enough money any more because I'll be too attached to her by then. My only good option is to pawn her off on someone else. A strange tightening sensation takes over my stomach, a feeling of guilt, as I consider asking Jacob to take her. I'm such a fucking selfish coward…
By mid-morning, Alice is working the counter at Toffee Coffee with very little issues. She still needs to learn how to make a few things, but Rosalie is right by her side to help her out if a problem arises and teach her things when there are no customers. Unfortunately, Irina shows up for a meeting with Rosalie and the two go into the back office, leaving Jacob running the register and me helping Alice.
"I guess I could show you how to brew the strawberry tea," I tell Alice, reaching for a red box behind the counter since there are no customers waiting. "It's specially made for the shop and Irina's extremely picky about the way we make it."
I'm getting ready to show her how to fill the tea machine when the bell for the front door dings and two familiar faces step in, it's Mr. Brawny and one of our regulars, a tall guy with blonde hair who has a thing for the strawberry tea.
"What can I-," Alice's voice trails off when her eyes connect with the blonde's and he gives her a smirk.
For the first time ever, Alice is speechless. I think about taking her to the side and telling her not to bother because Rosalie's been trying to snag him for a while and he always turns her down, but I'm caught off guard by the strange look Mr. Brawny seems to be giving me. It's like he's in shock or something.
"Can I get you something?" I ask, hoping he'll stop looking at me as if he's seen a ghost.
"Um, uh…yeah, is Rosalie around?" he stumbles over his words.
"Sorry, she's in a meeting with the owner, but I'll tell her you stopped by," I cut my gaze from his and look to the blonde who's having a weird stare off with Alice. "Strawberry tea?"
"Oh, yeah right, tea, yes, please," he responds, tearing his eyes away from Alice to stare at the floor.
What is with everyone today?
I walk back over to the tea machine and Alice follows reluctantly. After a rushed tutorial on making tea, she takes the cup over to the blonde and extends the drink out to him.
"Thanks, darling," he says with a smile, putting on a fake southern accent as he reaches for the cup and that's when all hell breaks loose.
Alice giggles, dropping the cup full of hot, strawberry tea and in a rush to clean up the mess she slips, knocking over the very expensive cappuccino machine and sending it tumbling to the floor with a loud crash.
There's a brief moment of silence before the door to the back office opens and Irina steps out. She takes one look at the scene, her chin length silvery blonde hair a sharp contrast to her red cheeks that are flushed with anger, and narrows her blue-green eyes full of fury on Alice.
"You fucking incompetent little twit!" She yells, closing the space between them in a few short steps. "Do you realize how much that machine fucking costs?"
"I-, I-, I'm sorry, I-"Alice stutters as tears begin to fill her eyes and my heart clenches in my chest.
"You're sorry?" Irina fumes, gesturing towards the broken machine. "Well, I guess that just makes everything okay then. I suppose an apology is just magically going to fix that $3,000 machine."
"Irina, she-" Rosalie tries to speak, but Irina cuts her off.
"I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Rosalie. You're the one who hired this useless piece of slutty, street trash."
Tears stream down Alice's face and I can see the glint in Irina's eyes as she's about to grill into her again. I can't take it, the pain she's causing Alice makes my stomach lurch with unease, and I say my next words without even realizing it.
"It's not her fault, I did it. She's just covering for me,"
Everyone looks at me as I step forward between Alice and Irina, and I suddenly feel brave under the watchful eyes of Jacob, Rosalie, Alice, and the patrons of Toffee Coffee.
Irina stares at me, her eyes cold and menacing. I prepare myself for the words that I know are coming, for her to unleash her anger on me and fire me right here on the spot, but just as she opens her mouth the sound of a ringing phone stops her. Irina reaches into her pocket and glances at the screen of her cell.
"This is your one and only warning, Swan. Go home for the day before I change my mind," she snarls, pressing a button on the phone and walking back into the office.
It's not until she's gone from sight that I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding and the whimpering behind me becomes clear. I turn to find Alice curled up on the floor, her arms wrapped around her knees and tears pouring down her face. The blonde guy has hopped over the counter to try to console her, but not even the kind words of the stranger that astounded her into silence can make her stop crying. I recognize the way she's acting because it's so familiar. The memory of falling apart in the woods outside of my childhood home seems so fresh to me. It's like it just happened yesterday and even though I don't know what's caused this heart breaking reaction in Alice, I know what I have to do.
With a few remnants of adrenaline rushing through my veins, I kneel beside Alice and wrap my arms around her tiny body, helping her to her feet. I expect the knots to fill my stomach, but nothing happens and I know it's because Alice has done what so many have failed to do up until this point, she's wormed her way right into my heart.
"I'm taking Alice home with me," I tell Rosalie, and she just gives me a nod and an apologetic smile before disappearing into the back office.
I shift my weight so she can lean on my shoulder, but she's too limp for me to support.
"Shit, she can't walk home like this," I murmur, locking eyes with Jake. "Did you bring your car today?"
Sometimes he brings his beat up VW Rabbit in when he's running late. He shakes his head; damn him for being on time today.
"We can give you a ride," the blonde says, gesturing for Mr. Brawny to help me with Alice.
I don't know either of them very well, but the look of concern in the blonde's baby blue eyes makes me trust them and so I gently detach Alice from my side. Mr. Brawny picks her up with one arm behind her knees and the other supporting her back so that she curls instinctively into him and we walk out of the coffee shop towards a big black Jeep.
Once Alice is buckled into the back seat, I climb in next to her and give Mr. Brawny directions to the house. While he drives, the boys eye us both and each other, no doubt feeling the awkwardness of sitting in a car with complete strangers. Alice doesn't notice any of it though, she's too busy sobbing into my shoulder and using my sleeve as a tissue. If I weren't so worried about her, I would be thoroughly grossed out.
"Thanks for doing this, I really appreciate it," I announce, when Mr. Brawny parks the Jeep in front of the apartment building. "I'm Bella by the way"
"It's not a problem and I'm Emmett," Mr. Brawny says, lifting his hand in a weird sort of wave before pointing to the blonde. "This is my brother, Jasper."
We all climb out and Emmett takes Alice in his grasp again. When we reach the apartment, I have him place her in my bed and then walk them both back to the door.
"Thanks again," I say uncomfortably, holding the door open for them to leave.
"Can I come by tomorrow to check and make sure she's okay?" Jasper asks, twitching his leg nervously.
"Um…yeah, okay," I reply, unsure of how Alice will react to that, but unable to tell the poor guy no.
They both say goodbye and I shut the door behind them, running back to Alice with a glass of water. She drinks a few sips while sobbing before setting the glass on the nightstand and I climb into bed next to her, allowing her to wrap her arms around me as I stroke her short hair.
"It's alright, Ali, everything's going to be alright," I murmur, trying to sooth her while her body shakes with tears. I can almost feel the story building in her like pressure on a dam. I know that soon she's going to burst, and I plan on being right here with her when she does.
Aw! Bella's a softie and she finally caved to Alice's friendship! She also has some borderline lesbian thoughts apparently. Lol Alice is hot though, so I don't blame her...Perhaps, an out take is in order for that "experimentation" that could have taken place? =D We'll see. So...why aren't you reviewing yet? Go ahead, get to it!