Chapter 21: Terminal Illnesses and Stupid Shit

Lizzie: Ruby's House, Sacramento: 9:29pm: 15 June

After dancing for a bit in Ruby's living room, I headed for her kitchen and grabbed a Smirnoff from her refrigerator, then sat with it on the couch next to Twitty. I handed it to him to open, then he handed it back. I was developing a system. A system to forget all about Kate, forever. The girl wanted nothing to do with me, and I didn't care anymore. She was over sitting with Tawny at the bottom of the stairs. I thought Tawny knew I liked her. Apparently not. Maybe she did know, and she just wanted her. That bitch.

Miranda plopped down next to me, and took my bottle, drank some, then handed it back, "Louis is so hot."

"Yeah." I mumbled, ignoring an odd little pain that had appeared in my stomach.

"I'm gonna go get a beer." Twitty said, standing up.

"Get me something." Said Miranda said as he passed, "Not beer though."

"Aight…"

Louis stumbled over, and squeezed between Miranda and the arm of the couch, then put his arm around her. He had a beer in one hand.

I sat quietly and drank my Smirnoff. Tawny and Kate were still sitting on the stairs, just talking. Tawny screwed me over.

Just then Claire walked up to Miranda and I, "Hey, I didn't know you two were here."

"Well…we are. What are you drinking?" My friend was very mellow now. No yelling or anything.

"Wine."

"Oh…all sophisticated…high class shit. What kind?"

Claire looked down into the coffee cup she was carrying around with her, "Strawberry."

"How is it?"

"Good." She handed her the cup. She was obviously very drunk.

Miranda took a sip, and I just observed, then she handed it back, "That is good. Why is it we hate each other?"

The girl standing shrugged, and stumbled to the side a little, then laughed, "I've had a bit too much to drink, methinks."

"Claire…" I said.

"Yes'm, Lizzie?"

"Nevermind."

"See you around? Where'd Larry go?"

"Saw him go into the kitchen…" Louis told her.

"Ah." She pointed toward the kitchen, then walked, very deliberately there.

"Lizzie, you're drinking…" Matt seemed shocked, as he stood in front of me.

"Don't tell mom and dad." I said forcefully, "It's only one drink, and there's nothing else to drink here."

"I won't tell if you let me drink."

"I wasn't stopping you, Matt. Have at it. I don't care."

"Sweet!"

"Loser." I grumbled, trying to shift my position to possibly make the little stabbing sensation in my stomach stop, and he ran off, not noticing my comment, or discomfort.

Ruby had joined Tawny and Kate at the stairs. She wasn't sitting though. She was standing, and leaning on the rail next to Tawny, who was looking a little concerned about something. Kate then said something, and then got up and walked into the kitchen. Twitty returned, handing Miranda a bottle of Smirnoff, then he sat down by me. I winced. The movement of the couch made my odd little pain in my stomach slightly worse.

"Dude…this is awesome…" He said to no one in particular.

"I know, man…" Louis responded.

I drank the last of the liquid from the bottle, and got up. I wasn't even tipsy, no buzz, no nothing. What a rip off. I sat the bottle on a side table as I passed it, then went to get another. So much for the whole not thinking about Kate thing. She was sitting at Ruby's kitchen table with some boy. I opened the refrigerator and attempted to get a closer look.

"Gordo?!" I shouted, taking out another bottle.

He looked up, "Ren ditched me, and I've been hiding in here because I can't find Monique."

I walked over, and couldn't open my bottle. Where was Twitty when I needed him? On the couch where I left him most likely. He didn't seem very inclined to move. I handed it to Gordo instead, who looked at for a second, then looked at me, rolled his eyes, and opened it.

"Lizzie?" Kate said to me cautiously.

"Yes?"

"Sorry about earlier."

"No big deal," I muttered, not looking at her, "You're a bitch almost all the time, I'm used to it."

"I'm sorry, seriously."

"Whatever." I groaned, and walked away.

"Lizzie, wait." She said behind me, but I didn't.

"Lizzie, come back for a second before you go off and get drunk." Gordo called after me.

I didn't respond to him either. I didn't feel like it. I just wanted to go sit in a dark corner somewhere by myself, and drink until I passed out, and then I certainly would not think about Kate, or see her. Problem would be solved, but first I had to know what was going on with Kate and Tawny, then I would have more to forget about when I found my corner. Very good. Brilliant, in fact.

She and Ruby were still at the stairs, but she was standing now, looking panicked.

"Tawny."

She looked at me for a split second and said, "Hang on, Lizzie." Then turned back to Ruby, "She didn't go upstairs. I was sitting here since we got here."

"She told me not to let anyone bother her."

"Ruby, stop fucking around. I'm going to go look for her right now, if you don't tell me where she is."

"I told you, Tawny, she had a drink then went to be with Ethan."

"Tawny, can I talk to you for a second?" I said louder, and trying to seem aggravated. I was aggravated, it was just that the lethargy was overpowering it.

"Not now!" She yelled, and pushed between myself and Ruby.

"What's the matter, Liz?"

Liz? What the fuck? Ruby was quite wasted. I raised an eyebrow at her, then turned to walk away. Who was off with Ethan? I turned back, and she was still standing there, holding herself up on the rail, "Who's with Ethan?"

"Just Ren."

"Ren?"

"Yeah. She said he was hot, and I worked my magic. Him and Kate broke up."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did him and Kate break up?"

She shrugged.

Kate broke up with him for Tawny or something. Shit. "Was it because of Tawny?"

"I don't know…"

"Is Tawny going out with Kate?"

"God no, girl. You've drank too much. Definitely."

I looked back into the kitchen. Kate was still sitting with Gordo, and they were touching. What was this?! Gordo was holding her hand. Almost. Sort of. It was on the table on top of hers. At least that was what it looked like. That bastard, he liked Kate too, that was why he didn't think she was so bad. He wanted her. Everyone's out to screw me over. Take advantage of Lizzie.

"Hey, Lizzie…" Ruby tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention, "What's going on with you?"

"I just…nothing."

"Want me to work my magic, eh?" She raised her eyebrows up and down, trying for some sort of emphasis.

"I don't think your magic will work for this."

"Name the person, and I can work it…I'm a professional." She stumbled forward, and motioned for me to follow, "First, we must go into the kitchen because I need one more drink. Just one more. I know my limits. Indeed I do. You need to learn yours. You are definitely so drunk right now. You can't even stand straight." She laughed awkwardly.

I was standing completely still. It was her that was teetering back and forth. All I had had at this point was a drink and half, which was having no effect on me other than making me very calm, and wanting very much to sit somewhere cozy and go to sleep. Following her into the kitchen, I watched her carefully in case I needed to catch her if she fell over. When we reached the refrigerator, she nabbed a beer, and shook it at me. I wasn't paying her much attention. I was trying to listen to what Kate and Gordo were talking about. They seemed to be having an intense conversation.

"Alrightio, Elizabeth…"

I squinted at Ruby. She needed to sit down, "Should we sit?"

"Oh no. This works best standing. Definitely. So…tell me your person, and I will work it."

"No. You really can't."

"Are they taken?"

"Well…no…I don't think so."

"Are they present in my home at this current time?"

"Yes…"

"I need to sit down."

I grabbed her arm, and held her up, taking her into the living room, and guiding her to a chair. She sat back, and drank some of her beer, then said, "Ya know…I have a boy coming for me…I give up on your Gordo…I think he's asexual…like Ren…who is actually not because she's with Ethan…damn…Tawny was so pissed…" She chuckled to herself, "I really dunno why for…"

"Ok…" I was starting to feel a little nauseous, and pain was worsening.

"You're looking kinda sick…I told you that you drank way too much…"

"But I didn't. I haven't even had two whole drinks."

"You don't lie very well."

"Alright." I heard yelling from the back of the house, and I moved toward it, disregarding my nausea. I was feeling overly hot too. Was it just me, or was it hot in here?

"Shit, Ren! What's your problem?!" It was Tawny.

"What's my problem?! What is my problem?! I'm not the one who randomly hooks up with a different person every week! I wasn't going to have sex with him, and I don't know why you would care if I did!" Ren yelled.

"Girls…chill…" Ethan said.

I crept closer, though the kitchen.

"Lizzie…I need to talk to you…" Kate said, as I passed her.

I ignored her, and tiptoed into the dark hallway. They were in Ruby's parents' bedroom

"Stay out of this!" Tawny screamed, "This isn't you Ren!"

"How do you know it isn't me?! You don't Tawny."

"Ow…" I felt a sudden more forceful jab of pain over to the side of my belly-button, and attempted to muffle my outburst.

"I've known you for years!"

"So what?!"

"Girls…please…nothing happened, little angry girl…chillax…" Ethan tried to intervene again.

"Shut up!" Tawny yelled at him again, then focused back on Ren, "You just…you…" She stuttered.

"What Tawny?! Are you jealous?! Did you want Ethan or something?! Another notch for you fucking belt because you want to try and be with every person that is in, or happens to come to Sacramento?!"

"Ren, no!"

The pain that started out small was worsening rather steadily. It was some sort of cramp. A reaction to the alcohol or some shit. I leaned on the wall, and bit my tongue to stop from saying anything.

"What is it then?! Why'd you come barging in here?!"

"Because I didn't want you to do anything you'd regret!"

"It's my fucking life! You have no room to stop me from harmlessly making out with this boy because you make out with everyone! You kissed Ruby and Monique for God's sake, but never me! Am I not good enough?!"

"Ren…" She hesitated, "You're too good for me…that's what it is…you deserve better than me…" There was a long pause, "I'm leaving. Bye."

She was coming. I grabbed at my side. The pain having moved farther to the right. I winced, and touched it, making it substantially worse, and I think it showed. Tawny looked at me, "What's the matter?"

"Not sure, really…" I said, "I'm feeling sorta sick, very hot, and there's a rather bothersome pain in my side. I think I'm dying."

"You're not dying. Give me that." She took away the remainder of my Smirnoff, and chugged it.

Ethan came out after her, and saw me, "Oh hey, Lizzie!"

"Hey."

"Wanna go sit?" Tawny said, taking my hand.

"What's the need to sit for?" Ethan asked.

"Here. Hold this." She said, handing him my now empty bottle.

He took it, and looked at me through it, "I know someone who likes you, Lizzie." He said in a taunting sort of voice, "They like you a lot."

"Ok. Ethan." I mumbled, and Tawny lead me away from him.

"Hey, Kate!" He said, enthusiastically.

"Ethan, please leave me alone." She said to him.

"Just go someplace else right now." Gordo told him.

"What's bumming you, Kate?" He ignored them.

"Go away." She said more forcefully.

"Nah. Kate, we need to talk. You can't just let her walk away. Go after her. She's moving slow, you can catch her."

Who was he talking about? The pain was getting to the point of being blinding, and I latched onto Tawny harder, and with both arms.

"Go now, Kate. Stop being stupid. You're being stupid." I could hear Ethan talking very loudly and slowly to Kate still. His voice was sort of ringing in my ears, and echoing all around in my head.

"Tawny!" Ren called from somewhere, "Come talk to me!"

"Fuck…" I mumbled the best I could.

"You need to eat something?"

"Definitely…do not…think I want to…eat…right now…" She had sat me down at the base of a wall, and I was doubling over.

She fought with me a little, then lifted up my shirt, exposing my stomach. With one finger she poked gently at my right side, and it sent a shock of pain.

"Don't…do that…" I swatted her hand away.

She stood up, "Is anyone here sober enough to drive?! We need to go to a fucking hospital!"