Embodiment of a Mistake

RORA

"How about we play a little game, you and I?"

I can feel the man's hurt ego as he spoke. I still stand by my guess that he's the leader of this fraternity. I quickly looked back at our table and saw Macky mouthed, "Come back in here." No, not yet.

"I'm not here to play."

"Scared, Maryland? Let's just have a little debate. You said entitlement stinks on me, let's see if everyone else in this bar thinks the same. I know you're dying to convince me that your law school's not as inferior as they say."

I opened my mouth to say something. Inferior, huh?

Maryland does not have the higher number of passers when compared to Legal Society but I'm pretty sure our education's beyond par.

"Scared, I guess?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. He likes this, I'm sure. The attention, the tension, the opportunity to show off. Classic trait of an insecure man trying to hide behind fake strength and dominance.

"Of you? No. Actually… I challenge you to a debate."

He raised his right eyebrow.

"Sure you can handle it?"

"Are you scared? Just you and me. One by one. Let the audience decide."

He paused and nodded. In time when my heartbeat tripled. Damn it, did I just challenge someone to a legal debate?

I called Harvey to tell the DJ I have some announcement. With Macky's help, it didn't take us more than ten minutes to tell everyone we'll be having an informal debate. A random stranger from the crowd suggested the topic: Offensive territorial war. I frowned, international laws are not my cup of tea.

After five minutes, Harvey placed a table in the center and the man chose to sit on the right chair. I occupied the one on the opposite end. The frat man smirked at me as I got cheered on by my three friends. As for him, his fraternity brothers kept chanting their fraternity name.

Harvey held the mic and explained the instructions. I don't know who's idea was it that we have to deliver our arguments only after having a shot of tequila.

But here we are, too late to chicken out.

"Let's see your positions. Heads means agree, tails means opposes."

Harvey fished out a coin from his pocket and showed it to everyone.

"Ladies first?" - Harvey motioned to me.

"No problem to me." - the frat man said

I grabbed the coin and gave it a good toss. My heart was beating twice as normal as Harvey caught it and placed the coin on his palm, showing tails.

I got the opposition.

There was silence as the microphone was handed to me. It was followed by a shot of tequila. I see the crowd was really serious about that additional challenge, huh?

I haven't thought of any opening statement yet, damn it. But I'm a member of the Maryland Debate Team since freshman so I guess I can pull this off.

I cleared my throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I know that each person in this room is familiar with the prevailing social issues of territorial dispute among countries…"

I began, squeezing my brain for all backing laws I can use for a strong argument foundation. As soon as I was done, Harvey raised his hand to signal the end of my turn.

"... any historical bases of foreign countries has now been amended. Thus, I stand on my point that the binding international laws are enough to protect each country. War is never an instrument for justice, it should not be used as an proactive measure. No to offensive war."

Harvey raised his hand. My friends gave me an applause.

The man who challenged me rolled up his sleeves up to his elbows. An act of peacocking, I guess. He then looked at me with blank impression. I sure know my points were valid. His frat members even looked impressed.

Harvey gave him a shot, and he emptied it in just one gulp. A drinker, I see.

"Spoken by a girl, no doubt. Miss Maryland, I couldn't disagree more. Offensive war is not an everyday activity. That's why it's called offensive, because of an existence of threat. It is not arbitrary in nature, as what was implied by your argument.Every country has a territorial jurisdiction, it has its own baselines as boundaries. The laws of international statutes recognizes that and sees to it every country treats another with respect when it comes to its territory. With that protection comes the responsibility to keep it away from threats…."

I gulped. I have to admit, he has a point. He's going somewhere with these statements.

I looked back at my friends, and I swear even Diane looked doe-eyed as she listened. Macky crossed his arms, June was taking a video.

"... that's why every leader of each country needs to be proactive. If a threat will not be challenged, a bigger chaos is certain."

He ended his statement with howls and cheers from his fratmen. I covered my ears.

"Do you have a rebut, Miss?" - Harvey asked. But before that, he handed me another shot glass. Good luck to my low alcohol tolerance.

I nodded. I won't let him have the satisfaction he so wanted.

But boy, this tequila's starting to make my vision blurry.

I cleared my throat first before taking the microphone again. This time, I'd like to ask him something from his own argument.

"You said a bigger chaos is certain if threats will not be handled through an offense, is that absolute? Also, don't you think a bigger chaos will occur if the other country resorts to retaliation?"

The man opened his mouth… then decided not to say whatever it is he first decided to share. Did my question threw his game off? Did I catch him unprepared?

"Uh… (he stammers), of course, retaliation is a risk. That's why a country needs to have a trained, skilled and competent army before commencing an offense. If the country cannot take a retaliation, then it failed to prepare in the first place."

I smirked. He's steering away the topic. He didn't even bother to give me a direct answer.

"That's not the point."

"It's collateral. Preparation is a requisite for offensive war."

"So it's a risk?" - I retorted

"Yes, it is! War causes casualties to both sides!"

"You agree with me, then? That war is destructive to the country who did the offense?"

"Ye-"

He caught himself. I smiled: a real, genuine and full smile. Now he's questioning his main point.

"I meant… that's…"

Behind me, I heard my friends cheer. A minute passed and still, he hasn't spoken anything.

"Do you still have something to say, Sir?" - Harvey took a step closer and asked the man.

However, instead of answering, he just took another shot of tequila and slammed the glass on the floor, cursing.

"I take that as a no…" - Harvey said, nervous

"I take that you surrender, then?"

The glare he gave me was terrifying. For a moment I thought he'll throw me a punch. His cheeks were red and flushing, his hands turned into fists, but before he can take a step closer, Macky stood in front of me.

"Try hurting my friend and you'll never set foot in this bar again. The owner is my brother. I'm sure you can see from our resemblance."

The man gave Macky a head-to-foot stare. Everyone in the bar got silent, perhaps enjoying this little show we put up.

The man smirked and then went back to his friends.

I exhaled a sigh of relief.

-

-

I didn't feel like staying after that so Macky asked for the bill. He also insisted that we should let him pay for it himself.

"I'll just check the bathroom. I lost my lip gloss." - Diane said, fumbling through her bag

"I'll come with you." - I offered

"Thanks, Rora. I'm sure I left it somewhere. That's an expensive gloss I can't lose it!"

I followed her to the comfort room at the end of the hall. As she went inside, my phone rang so I stayed outside. It's a call from Sean.

With the tequila spirit clouding my judgment, I pressed IGNORE.

"Boyfriend problem?"

A voice from behind said. I turned, and there he was: the man from before, still pulling his zippers up as he walked out from the male comfort room.

"Not your business." - I said

… and then he smirked… again. He took a step forward and I had to look up because of his height. At the back of my head I'm hoping Diane could go out the bathroom already so we can leave this place.

"You're… you're feisty. You're interesting. Your mind works fast. It's… deadly attractive." - he said as he breathed the last sentence to my ear. From this distance, I could smell the tequila from his mouth.

I opened my lips to tell him to leave me alone, but as I did, he was quick. His lips met mine and I tasted tequila once again.

I should push him, I know. But in his kiss, I felt something…

His hands didn't stay at his side but traveled south to the back of my neck, the other grabbing my hips. His kiss deepened and finally, I closed my eyes. I cannot decide if it was the tequila that's making me like what he's doing… or the chaos in my head after Sean's showing up to my apartment with a wedding gown ready for me.

Whichever it is, I didn't mind at the moment.

"Let's take this party back at my place." - he breathed.

I was too drunk not to say yes.