Chapter 7

"I heard you were with the others on Monday. I'm sorry I wasn't there. It's just that I had some urgent things to take care of." Kate said as she sat next to me during English.

"It's ok there's no need to apologise for anything." I had noticed that she had missed four days of class. I eanted to ask her what has happened but decided against it. Didn't want to come off as invasive.

"So..." I looked at her, "we are having swim try outs next Friday. You should sign up."

"I don't know..."

"Don't you know how to swim?"

"I do...but It's been a while and I'm not sure whether that'd be a good idea I'm definitely no pro."

"Just give it a shot. You never know what might happen besides there's only one spot left."

"I'll think about it."

**********

I got out of the last class of the day and found Kate casually leaning against the wall. She beamed immediately she saw me get out of the class.

"Are you ready?" She squeaked with excitement.

"For what?"

"You're coming home with me."

"Uh...why...?" I trailed off not sure what she was up to.

"It's a Friday. A friend of mine is having a party."

"I'm still lost." I shook my whist trying to adjust my bag strap over my shoulder.

"We're going to the party." She enunsiated every word with her hands resting in my shoulders, shaking me a little.

"I don't remember ever agreeing to go to any party."

"It'll be fun." She gave me a shake but this time a little too much. "Now come. We have to get going, we don't have time to waste," she dropped her hands from my shoulders and grabbed my hand motioning for us to start off.

"But I have to inform mum about it." I resisted her pull by planting the soles of my feet on the floor.

She looked at me as if trying to make up her mind concerning her plans. Sighing heavily she spoke up, "Fine. We'll go to yours then get ready from my place."

**********

I had a mental check list of everything that goes on at parties.

Alcohol. Check.

People doing crazy things because of alcohol. Check.

Horny teenagers making out in random places. Check.

Loud music. Check.

Smoking. Check.

It was a short list but it pretty much summed up what I'd expected to be at a party. Sometimes I wondered how teens who came from parties drunk managed to hide it from their parents.

"Don't just stand there! Get some alcohol in your system. Loosen up!" Kate shouted over the loud music. "Come on."

She pulled me by the hand into the unoccupied kitchen and stopped next to an island."What do you want to take?"

"Uh...I don't take alcohol."

"Boo! You suck." She said with her left thumb pointing downwards.

"No I don't." I tried not laugh at her antics.

"Yes you do 'cause you're missing out on the good stuff."

"How's that so?" I challenged her crossing my arms over my chest.

"With alcohol, you pretty much do anything. Well except for driving or flying a plane - my point is, alcohol helps you forget. It numbs yours fears and worries and heightens happiness."

"You don't really have to get drunk to forget. There are other healthier things out there that can do that and besides, alcohol only numbs your feelings for a night only to wake up with another problem. A hang over."

"Okay...whatever. Each one for her own." She took a bottle from the fridge and took three large gulps. "Dang! This stuff is bitter," she said with a scrunched up face.

"Another reason why I'm not a big fan."

"Whatever," she said in a sing song voice, "Now come on, let's go and shake it off."

"Shake what off?"

"Your negativity. That's what. Now quit being such a loser and join me." She dragged me to the makeshift dance floor that was in the spacious living room. The mixture of body odor, smoke and alcohol in the air almost made me nauseous. I excused myself to take a breather outside.

Once out of the house, I sat down by the porch and tried to inhale some much needed fresh air. Thoughts of my dad slipped into my mind and I knew I had to get back in before I could drown myself in sorrow.

It didn't take me long to find Kate once back in. She was still dancing but kept on taking bottle after bottle and before I knew it, she was drunk to a point where she couldn't even stand properly.

"You know what?" She slurred.

"What?"

"It's actually a good thing that you don't drink."

"Yeah?" I gave her an amused smile.

"Yep," she said, "This way, you're going to drive me home."

"Mhm."

"Yeah. I know we just met but I'm pretty much sure you wouldn't want me to die. I can bearly stand on my own two feet," She said pointing at her feet. "The last time I got this drunk, I almost died."

"You drove yourself home?"

"What? No. I'm not that crazy." She gave me a look, as if asking if I was the crazy one. "I told someone in a worse condition than me to drive me home and we got arrested in the process." She giggled at this. "I felt like speedy Gonzales."

"What?"

"Yep. If you want you can get someone just as drank so you know what it feels like. The only down side is the police aren't a big fun of speedy Gonzales." She scrunched up her nose, "but then my dad was the one to bail me out."

"Why did you call your dad? Couldn't you have called your friend or maybe some close relative."

"That's what I did. I don't how my dad ended up finding out." She added with a shrug.

"Must have given you a hard time."

"Understatement of the year. He took away my phone, laptop and car keys for a whole month."

"And yet you're here," I stated dryly.

"And yet I'm here," she giggled again.

"Fine. Let's get out of here."

**********

I parked the car in Kate's drive way and walked over to the passenger's door to help an almost passed out Kate. I opened the passenger door and put Kate's hand over my shoulder whilst I wraped my right hand around her waist to stabilise her when walking.

We made it to the door and it automatically opened. I stopped walking and faced the person who'd opened the door.

"Abel?"

"The one and only," he said with a smile on his face and it was only then that I noticed that he had dimples.

I wish I had dimples.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, "What are you doing here?"

"I live here. What are you doing here?"

"Kate," I said as her weight started to take its toll on me.

"Oh." He said as if only noticing Kate. "I'm so sorry. I didn't even see her." He said confirming my suspision.

He took her up in his arms and carried her in and asked me come in. I didn't know what to do so I just stared at some of the pictures on the wall. One was of a little girl smiling at the camera with an almost toothless smile with a teddy bear in her arms and next to her was a boy slightly older than her who too was smiling at the camera.

"You're still standing," I looked over at Abel only to find him standing a few feet away and smiled slightly.

"Yeah. I have to get going."

"Let me drop you off." I opened my mouth to say something but he beat me to it, "I don't mind."

I nodded my head and he smiled in return. "Come on." I followed him outside to his SUV.

"How are you related to Kate?" I asked after he started driving.

"I'm her older brother." I nodded my head not knowing what else to say.

"And I'm guessing Kate is your friend?"

"Well, we are friends...I think." He looked at me with an arched eyebrow, "We've only known each for a week." I clarified.

We had just reached my neighbourhood when I realised that I hadn't told him my address.

"You rememberd where I live?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Should I be creeped out?"

"Maybe." He looked at me and gave me a wink.

Abel pulled up in my drive and I thanked him for the ride and asked him to tell Kate to call me when she would wake up.

"Wait." He said just as I was about to get out of the car. He got out of the car only to open the door for me.

"Really?" I asked with an arched eyebrow.

"What? It doesn't hurt being a gentleman." He reached out his hand to mine and I gave him a questioning look. "Your hand. You're supposed to put your hand in mine."

"I know that," I mumbled and put my hand in his to which he chuckled.

He walked me to my door with my hand still clutched in his. I turned around when we reached the door steps and looked at our hands. He took my hand to his lips and placed a feather like kiss on it.

"Goodnight Milady."

"You're wierd," I said with a smile and a roll of my eyes.

"Is that what I get for being a gentleman?"

I shook my head with a smile still on my face, "Goodnight Abel."

He gave my hand a little squeeze and went off to his car.