It is two days after Paris Day.
The Schoppenboers have arrived in Barcelona. Maya wakes up in the morning, has her chug of vodka, grabs a can of energy drink, and goes back upstairs. As she watches a YouTube video while eating jelly beans, she receives a WhatsApp notification. It's from Cato. Her message read:
"Hey, Maya, I just arrived in Barcelona! Are you already here too?"
"Oh, hey, Cato!", Maya replied. "Yes, I am here too!"
"Cool!", Cato replied. "I'll be taking some rest for a couple of hours, then we can meet up sometime in the afternoon."
"Alright, just tell me whenever you're ready and where you'll go. Have a nice rest!"
Maya then got down and tugged on Mymy's curtain. She opens it up.
"Hey, Mymy!", Maya said. "Just letting you know that Cato just arrived here in Barcelona and will be ready to meet us up in a couple of hours."
"Yeah, I know, she's telling me about it right now.", Mymy replied.
"Ah, alright then!", Maya replied before going back upstairs.
She then waited. Right before lunchtime, Cato texts her again, saying:
"Hey, I've decided that 2 PM will be the time, just outside the Botanical Garden, near the Lluís Companys Stadium. Will you be available?"
Maya then peeked out of her bunk.
"Mom?", She said. "Will we be busy at 2 PM?"
"No, sweetie, why?", Maya's mom asked.
"Cato wants me and Mymy to hang out with her at that time."
"Oh, it will be no problem!"
Maya then went back on her phone and replied:
"Yup, we won't be busy at that time! Can't wait!"
So, after going through their normal routines, it was finally time for Maya and Mymy to go hang out with Cato. Maya loaded her backpack with her moonshine, vodka and beer along with her mouthwash. As she and Mymy were walking towards the meeting place, an idea suddenly popped up in Maya's head: since she had her beers, what if she, Mymy and Cato had a drinking session together? Great idea!
"Hey, Mymy!", Maya said. "Before we get to Cato, how about we stop at a market nearby? I wanna prepare something really cool for us three!"
"Uhm, okay, then!", Mymy replied.
They found a store closeby and stopped there. It was very empty inside, with a single customer and a middle-aged cashier.
"Hola!", He said upon seeing the sisters enter.
"Hola!", Maya replied. "But, uhm, I'm sorry, but I don't speak Spanish. Or Catalan."
"It's okay, girl, I can speak English too!", He replied in English. "So, do you need help with something?"
"Yes, actually, we're looking for some ice and a small icebox."
"Oh, I have just that for you, come here!"
He then took them to a small shelf with all sorts of containers, including iceboxes.
"Alright, so you said you wanted a small one, right?", The cashier asked. "I have this white one over here, and this blue one that's a bit smaller."
Maya then looked at the two. The white icebox was way more expensive than the blue one, even if it wasn't much larger, which made the latter look like a bargain in comparison.
"I'll pick the blue one then!", Maya replied.
"Good choice!", The cashier said. "Now, onto the ice!"
He then took the sisters to the freezer aisle, where there was a freezer filled with bags of ice.
"Here you go!", He said.
Maya then took a random bag and placed it on top of the box. Then, back at the cash register, Maya paid for her things and walked outside, opening the bag of ice.
"Maya, why did you get these things?", Mymy asked.
"You'll see here in a minute…", Maya said as she dumped the ice into the box.
Then, Maya took off her backpack, opened it up, and placed her three beer cans inside the icebox.
"Wait…", Mymy asked. "Are you suggesting that we and Cato… drink?"
"Yeah, sure!", Maya replied. "After all, what's better than having some beers while having out with friends?"
"Well, first of all, I REFUSE to put a Belgian product in my stomach!", Mymy began. "And second, I do not wish to engage in the vice of drunkenness ever again, so, no, thanks!"
Maya sighed and facepalmed.
"When did I ever imply that I'm getting anyone drunk?", Maya began. "Do you think I want Cato to find out how much I drink on a daily basis? Of course she wouldn't understand it and would immediately call an intervention on me or some shit of the sort, which is the thing I want the least at this point of my life. Also, in what world is social drinking degenerate? I thought you were the Dutch culture nerd here, hello? Everyone back home engages in occasional social drinking!"
Mymy then just started at Maya dead in the eyes and said:
"Alright, fine! But don't even suggest offering more than a single can of beer!"
Maya then shrugged, wore the icebox on her shoulder, and, along with Mymy, continued her walk. When they arrived at the place of meeting, they looked around for a bit, and there she was!
"Hey, Cato!", Maya said.
"Hey, Maya!", Cato said as she hugged Maya and then Mymy. "Hey, Mymy!"
"Hey, Cato!", Mymy replied. "How's it going?"
"I'm doing great, how about you two?"
"We're doing great, too, thanks!"
"Nice! Anyway, Maya, what's with the icebox? Did you prepare something for us?"
"Yeah, actually!", Maya replied. "But, since we're next to the Botanical Garden here, we should do that first before getting into this!"
"Good idea, actually.", Cato said. "Let's go!"
The three then went in. The place was absolutely gorgeous, filled with trees, flowers and cacti from places with Mediterranean climates. Maya, even with a cloudy mind due to her drinking, felt at peace there, like being there alone was enough to calm her mind down and forget about her life's problems.
After the visit, they then went to a public park nearby and sat down in a circle on the floor.
"So, what did you guys think of the Botanical Garden?", Mymy asked. "I admittedly liked it a lot."
"Same.", Maya replied. "It's very peaceful there, not to mention very interesting!"
"Indeed!", Cato said. "It was very much worth the visit!"
Cato then pointed at Maya's icebox.
"Anyways, Maya, wanna show us what's in that box?", She asked her.
"Sure thing!", Maya replied.
Maya then opened it up, revealing what's inside.
"Beer?", Cato asked in surprise. "I mean, hell yeah, but isn't it a bit, you know, illegal to drink in public, especially as minors? Also, how did you get this?"
"Eh, I mean, even back home nobody cares if you do it.", Maya replied. "Plus, 17-year olds look almost the same as 18-year olds, so we'll be fine regardless. And, as to how I got this… let's just say that, with enough cash, you can convince literally anyone to buy you some drinks!"
"If you say so, then!", Cato replied. "May I have one?"
"It'd be a pleasure!", Maya replied.
She then passed a can to Cato and another to Mymy, and then opened her own can.
"Cheers!", Maya said as she raised her can.
"Cheers!", Mymy and Cato replied as they toasted.
They all then started drinking their beers.
"Ahh! Good stuff!", Cato said.
"Indeed, indeed!", Maya said, really enjoying the brand new taste she just experienced. It didn't even taste like alcohol!
Mymy, however, made a funny face after a single sip.
"Uh, Mymy?", Maya asked.
"What is this?!", Mymy asked, audibly overwhelmed. "You people actually like this taste?"
"Yeah, why?", Cato asked.
"This is so… bitter!", Mymy replied. "I expected it to be sweet, like stroopwafels or something!"
"Ah, cmon!", Maya said as she tapped Mymy with her elbow. "You're just not used to it yet! Have enough of these and you'll be drinking whole kegs in no time, am I right?"
"Haha, yeah!", Cato said. "I didn't like beer at first, but I eventually learned to like it! It's an acquired taste, you know?"
"If you two say so…", Mymy replied. "Not drinking this anymore, though! Anyone want it?"
"Yeeeeeeeeeeah!", Maya said as she excitedly took Mymy's can. "One plus for me!"
The three then laughed and Maya and Cato kept on drinking.
"So, how's your trip been so far?", Cato asked.
"It's been amazing!", Maya replied, her words starting to slur. "We've been visiting a whole lot of different places!"
"Cool!", Cato said. "I've visited a lot of places too, but until now it was only within a single country. Which places have you two been to so far?"
"Let me see…", Maya began. "We had a brief stop at my birth town, Baarle-Nassau, then we stopped at Gent, then we saw Britain from the coast of France, then we visited the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, th-"
"Wait…", Cato suddenly interrupted, looking suspicious. "Am I the only one noticing a weird smell right now?"
"A weird smell?", Maya asked. "What kind of weird smell?"
"It's, uh… kinda like a mix of bad breath and hand sanitizer?", Cato continued while looking around. "I don't know where it's coming from, though…"
"Did you forget to use mouthwash?", Mymy angrily whispered to Maya.
"What?!", Maya whispered back. "I never forget to use mouthwash, you dumbass!"
"Says the girl who's constantly drunk, sometimes to the point of blackout!", Mymy whispered back. "Good fucking job, Maya!"
Cato then turned her head back, prompting Maya and Mymy to immediately start pretending that nothing had just happened between them.
"Are you sure neither of you have anything to do with this?", Cato asked them.
"Nope!", Maya and Mymy replied.
"I know we just drank beer, but this smell is just way too strong for that to be the reason."
Maya and Mymy just stayed silent.
"Anyone?", Cato continued. "Can we not start drama no-"
Mymy's phone then started to ring. She checks who's calling. It's Vera.
"Oh, hey, I need to pick up this call real quick.", Mymy said. "It's very important, I swear!"
"No problem, go ahead.", Cato replied.
Mymy then got up and ran to a more secluded place. Cato then looked at Maya and said:
"Maya, I know it's coming from you, not just because of the smell, but because of the sound of your voice. Are you sure you didn't have something stronger to drink before hanging out with us?"
"Actually…", Maya began. "Yes, I did. I sometimes just like to take shots of vodka, but it's not like I get drunk or anything!"
"Maya…", Cato insisted. "Whatever's going on with you, it's gonna be between you and me. I promise you."
Maya became very tense. She didn't want this conversation to continue any longer, but, at the same time, still felt like Cato was not going to be convinced unless she told the actual truth. After the longest 15 seconds of her life, Maya finally uttered:
"Actually, Cato… I'm an alcoholic."
Cato's eyes widened.
"You heard me right…", Maya continued. "I've been drinking heavily since November of last year. It started with alcopops, but it progressed to now chugging random amounts of vodka and high-strength moonshine several times a day. I'm constantly drunk. Sometimes I even black out."
Maya then sighed for a moment.
"But it's not for no reason, you see? Without my bottles, I'm just a lame, asocial loser with no friends and no close relationships with my family. Without drinking, I'm constantly haunted by insecurities and fears. I can't function without the bottles. I shake without them. I sweat cold. I hallucinate. I'm not… myself, without them…"
"So… this is why you suddenly started opening up to everyone?", Cato said with her mouth covered by her hands in pure shock. "Oh my gods, Maya…"
"You don't need to worry, though, I'm absolutely fine!", Maya continued.
"No, Maya, you're not fine! This is not normal! Alcohol is not medicine! Also, did you just hear what you just said? You HALLUCINATE when you don't have alcohol in your system! Maya, if you don't get help, you WILL die!"
"Cato, there's a simple way around this and it's for me to keep drinking!", Maya angrily shouted. "If I ever feel like I don't need it anymore, I can just slowly wane out of it without any problems whatsoever!"
"That's not how an addiction works, Maya! You will NEVER, EVER feel like you don't need alcohol anymore until you're in a hospital bed or, worse, DEAD! You need to get help as soon as possible!"
"I DON'T NEED IT, AND I DON'T WANT IT!"
Cato then lowered her head and deeply sighed.
"Look, Maya…", She said. "I care very deeply about you. You're a very good friend, and I know you feel the same about me, so I want you to think about this until you get back from your trip. If you accept it, I will help you in finding a rehabilitation program that will not only treat your addiction, but also give you new, healthier ways to deal with your personal problems. I won't tell anyone about it until you accept this offer, IF you do. Is this okay with you?"
"Yeah, whatever…", Maya replied in frustration. "I'll think about it, I guess, j-just th- let's just stop talking about this, okay?"
"Alright, we can stop now.", Cato replied.
Seemingly at the same time, Mymy suddenly returned and said:
"I'm back! What did I miss?"
"Nothing, really!", Cato deceivingly replied. "Anyway, shall we hang out some more!"
"Yeah, let's go!", Mymy replied.
The three then kept walking around some more, visiting some more parks, then a marina, and, at the end, had a quick snack at a local restaurant, and, finally, gazed at the sea on a marina. After all of this, they went back to where they met.
"Well, everyone, this was very fun, wasn't it?", Cato asked Maya and Mymy.
"Yeah!", Both of them replied.
"What was your favorite part? For me, it's a tie between the Botanical Garden and the marina?"
"For me it was definitely the parks!", Mymy replied. "Especially all the fountains and statues! How about you, Maya?"
"I agree with Cato, honestly.", Maya replied, pretending very hard to not be disappointed in herself. "Both the Botanical Garden and the marina were my favorites. They were… very relaxing…"
A car then stopped by and honked.
"Oh, that's my ride!", Cato said. "Bye, Mymy! Bye, Maya!"
"Bye!", The sisters replied.
Cato then hopped on the car and then took off. Mymy stopped faking content and squeezed the bridge of her nose.
"Well, Maya…", She began in a very disappointed tone. "I heard what you two were arguing about back there, and… let's just say that I'm extremely disappointed right now…"
"Look, Mymy, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I forgot to use mouthwash before we w-", Maya desperately began.
"That. is. not. important!", Mymy insisted and sighed. "Look, I know very well you will not even think about accepting Cato's offer, so I need us two to have an agreement, okay?"
"Sure…?"
"First of all, just so you know, I will not punish you for doing this, it will be worthless in the end. Instead, I will help you by distracting Cato for as long as possible, and, in exchange, I want you to, 1: Lie to everyone who isn't part of our business about the extent of your drinking, and this means not even telling the truth to your boyfriend, 2: Invent some bullshit story about you waning off and getting clean to Cato whenever I tell you it's the right moment, and, 3: Never, EVER do something as stupid and as utterly brain-dead as what you did today. Do you understand that?"
"Uh…", Maya began. "What do you mean by something as st-"
"ANSWER. MY. QUESTION!", Mymy ordered Maya.
"Yes, yes, I understand that!", Maya replied. "I will lie about my drinking, I will lie to Cato about getting clean, and I will never do something as stupid as what I did, I promise you!"
"Aaaaalright, then!", Mymy replied, seeming to instantly switch her mood from disappointed to lively and content. "Let's go back to the RV!"
The two then quietly walked back to the parking lot their RV was parked in and knocked on the door. Maya's mom answered the door.
"Hey, girls!", She said. "How was your walk?"
"It was very good, mom!", Mymy replied. "We went to many, many cool places!"
"That's amazing!", Mrs. Schoppenboer replied. "Come in! I will make dinner!"
"Actually mom, that'll be of no need!", Maya said, trying her hardest to not seem disappointed. "We already had our dinner during our walk!"
"Oh, good! Still come in, though, it's getting dark outside, plus you two need some well-deserved rest!"
The two then went inside and went back to their beds. Maya, predictably, drank her disappointment away until she passed out.
Mymy, meanwhile, had bigger things to care about. One of Vera's associates invited, with her approval, a Portuguese former gangster living in Portimão to be their first ever Portuguese distributor, and, thus, add Portugal to their list of countries of operation. Mymy, therefore, was assigned with the task of acting as an intermediary between this potential new associate and Vera in order to strike a good deal between the two parties. Thus, before going to sleep, she started to rigorously prepare herself for this important task.