(Stein)
I walked out of the house and the cool night air helped me come to my senses. I pace the sidewalk in front of my house and rubbed my face with both my hands as if trying to erase a bad memory. How could I act so childish? I acted like a spoiled brat. Marie worked hard to cook that dinner and I ruined everything. I know she must be devastated right now. I don't like her feeling that way and I regret that I'm the one who caused it. These sleepless night have made me extremely irritable lately. If I could just get one night of undisturbed sleep I could think more clearly.
"Hey," I hear Spirit call while approaching me. "I'm not going to ask what all that was about since it seems like you regret it, judging by your behavior right now." I stop pacing and rest my hands by my side and regain a normal composure. "But in return, you're coming with me," he continued slyly.
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of nose. "Spirit…" I begin exasperatingly, "I've had a long day, I'm tired, I just made a fool of myself and made Marie cry. Can you just let me be?"
"Nope!" he smiles deviously, "There's something bothering you and you need to unwind. I know exactly where to go!" He takes the few steps needed to be able to playful pat me on the back. I know the only place Spirit goes to relax is Chupra Cabra's.
"Being your wingman hardly seems like the ideal way to 'unwind,'" I protest while he still pats me on the back.
"Well, fine. Either that or you march right back in there calm Marie down and clean up the mess you made ," he bluffs while standing behind me and using one hand on my shoulder to turn me towards the house and his other hand to point towards it. He knows I avoid emotional situations whenever possible. I feel bad for Marie but I don't know how to handle a crying woman, and Spirit was giving me an "out." He's assuming I won't call his bluff and will comply. Unfortunately, he's correct.
I sigh loudly so he knows I'm not keen on his idea, but it's the lesser of two evils. "Alright. I'll go. But just for a while. I need some sleep." Who am I kidding? It doesn't matter if I was in the most comfortable bed or the drabbest bar; I wasn't getting any sleep tonight.
(At Chupra Cabra's)
Spirit leads the way to a couch where we'll be sitting tonight. He orders a drink for himself with one of the girls working and then asks me what I'll have.
"Just a beer will do," I reply.
"Oh come on! A beer isn't going to cut it! We need to get you something stronger," he waits for my reply. The girl has already returned with his drink.
I try to brush him off. "Maybe after the beer…" I eye him disapprovingly while watching him chug his drink.
"No, I'm afraid that won't work. 'Beer before liquor, throw up quicker. Liquor before beer, never fear.'"
Damn him for catching that. "I never knew you were so eloquent," I reply sarcastically. "Fine. I'll have a gin and tonic."
"That's a girl's drink." He already seems slightly loopy from whatever drink he ordered. "I changed my mind. You're going to do shots!
"I've never done shots and I never intend to do them," I say flatly.
"Aren't you interested in how it will affect your body?" I know he's trying to appeal to my scientific curiosity. I've had experience with beer, wine, and cheap liquor, but I've never been comfortable with the idea of letting a chemical take over my body and allow myself to lose control.
"I'm quite aware of ethanol's metabolism in the liver and how alcohol dehydrogenase and the enzyme NAD+ work in a two-step process to yield acetate. It's biochem 101." That ought to shut him up.
"Aw, stop with the babbling!" He pats my back while chugging his drink.
"Excuse me. I need to go to the restroom." I get up and calmly leave. Spirit is starting to irritate me and I don't want to cause another scene like earlier tonight. I need a plan. Luckily, the restroom is completely empty. I stare at myself in the mirror and an unfamiliar face looks back at me. I look like I haven't had sleep in weeks, which is practically true. By the time I'm able to get to sleep it's almost time to wake up. Some nights I don't sleep at all. The madness is supposedly gone for the moment but I fear when it will return and who I will end up hurting. Worrying about the madness is only one of the many things that make peaceful rest impossible.
I've forgotten that I need to figure out what to do with Spirit. I'll bargain with him, I decide. I'll agree to one shot. He'll say a larger number and I'll probably end up taking two or three. I should be able to handle that.
I return to see Spirit now has a couple of girls hanging off of his arms. "OK, Spirit. I'll do one shot and stay as long as you like if you promise to leave me alone."
"DEAL!" He shouts and a devious grin spreads across his face before he leaves to request a drink from the bar. I may have underestimated him. It seems he has made a plan of his own.
He returns with a shot glass containing three layered liquids. "Here ya go! A B52."
I reluctantly take the glass and examine it. "Ah, the densities of the three liquids contained within the glass differ to the effect as to neatly separate," I try stalling.
"Shut up and drink it, you nerd," Spirit scowls.
I sigh and hold the drink up. I did agree to this. If I just take it he should leave me alone. I inhale and close my eyes while lifting the shot glass to my mouth and flinging my head back.
"AHH!" I gasp, "I can tell you requested one of the stronger triple secs, you bastard!" I joke with him.
"So you're not that ignorant about alcohol after all," he banters back.
We sit back down on the couch and it's only a few seconds before a stranger approaches with a shot glass in each hand. "You're friend here tells me you're having women problems, huh?" he began.
"Well, I wouldn't really call it that- "
"So am I," he interrupts. "Here's a shot on me. I hope it helps." He extends his hand, offering me a disgustingly yellow liquid.
"No, that's quite alright," I hold my hand up to signal my refusal.
"Hey, pal, it's rude to accept a free drink ya know," he says in a rather serious voice.
Spirit chimes in. "Just take the nice man's offer, OK?" he says slightly nervous. I can tell by his attitude though that he planned this while I was in the restroom. Damn bastard. "One more really won't make much of a difference…" he lies to me.
I'm not one to take orders from strangers or give in to peer pressure, but the effect of the B 52 is already having its influence on me. I quickly take the glass and chug it to shut them both up. Spirit, the stranger, and the girls cheer.
"Ugh! What was that?!" That has to be the foulest thing I ever tasted.
The stranger drank his shot and shouted, "Tequila!" He begins to walk away but calls over his shoulder "Good luck with your woman, friend!"
I'm feeling lightheaded and the girls gather around me and Spirit. The attention I get from them actually makes me slightly happy and the alcohol is making it easier for me to socialize. They're so young and beautiful but they're nothing like Marie. She's a beautiful, caring woman, not an irresponsible girl making money off of her looks. Marie. All the trouble I've caused her. Not just tonight, but in all the time I've known her. She's given so much to help me and I don't understand why. I'm sick of thinking about this and letting it keep me up at night.
I turn to Spirit. "I'm going to need another shot."