by Raathi Chota
“Almost three in the morning,” I replied as I looked at the clock on the wall. I let out a deep sigh and pictured myself in the warmth of my bed, but unfortunately, I’m here.
“If he was drunk, how did he get here?”
“Parker doesn’t live too far from here. He must’ve walked.”
“Can I crash here for the rest of the night? I don’t trust him.”
“Sure, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to wake up anytime soon.”
“I’ll wait.”
As Blake continued to observe Benny, I took the time to look at him. His brown hair stood up; I watched his nostrils flare out his nose ring as he exhaled deeply. I glanced down to his sweatpants and noticed the faint outline of a square in his pocket. First, I thought it was his phone, but then it hit me. A smile formed on my face as I looked up, yet he already had his eyes on me.
“Please?” I pouted, then looked at the pack of cigarettes.
“No,” he instantly replied as if he knew I’d ask.
“Oh, come on, just one. We need it now,” I blurted out as I took off my glasses and set them on the table.
“Lana, your mom is upstairs, your dad could walk in any minute, and this guy will freak out if he wakes up,” Blake complained as he pointed to the unconscious Benny.
“Then can we share? It’ll go quicker,” I said, then moved closer to Blake. He immediately got up and stood beside Benny.
“No, you’re not going to do that thing where you touch my tattoos and look at me with those mesmerizing blue eyes of yours. No, not here!”
I pouted as I watched him pick Benny up and cautiously put him on the sofa beside me. He sat down again, but this time, he folded his legs to make a barrier.
“I’ve been craving one for a few days now.”
“I don’t care. It’s not safe to do it here.”
“Says the one who just did it in my room.”
“You took your time. I got bored.”
“Wow, what an excuse,” I said, then playfully rolled my eyes. I got up and strolled to the kitchen. I got an ice pack from the freezer, then walked back. I gave it to Blake, and he muttered out thanks. He pressed the bag against his swollen eye. I bit my lip as I saw a bruise on his forehead. I pushed his hair out the way and observed it. He squirmed from the touch but quickly recovered his forehead with a laugh. His eyes seem to meet mine as I quickly moved my hand away.
“So what excuse did he tell for you to forgive him?” Blake asked as we looked at Benny.
“That’s another story for another day.” I sighed then leaned my temple against his shoulder.
“Okay, sum it up in five words.”
“Okay, err…young, jealous, attention, stress, and alone.” I mumbled the last part as I looked at Benny. He was alone most of elementary school. I felt sorry for him as I watched him get picked last for the team, but now here he was. In my living room drunk, confused, on the team, popular yet unconscious.
“Some very descriptive words.”
“Yeah,” I said then let out a yawn. “How’s your brother?”
Even though I’d only met him once, somehow I felt like I should know him. The first time I saw him, he seemed shocked, then he changed into that Gunner Sibling Smirk and played it cool. It still bothered me that he said I shouldn’t get close.
“He’s okay, just being Axel and shit,” Blake mumbled as he put his arm around my shoulder. I leaned into him. I sat with my eyes closed and my back against his chest. I didn’t even notice that the light was off because of the moonlight that shone through the living room window. My eyes got weaker until they finally closed. The last thing I saw was Blake throwing a blanket over us and kissing my forehead.
***
“What the hell happened here?” a familiar voiced yelled as my eyes fluttered. I sat up and realized I’d fallen asleep on Blake’s lap. His feet were propped up on the coffee table as we stared at my dad.
“Dad, I…” I mumbled as I looked at Blake, who didn’t seem phased by my father’s appearance. “I—we—Blake came over last night, but Uncle Griff allowed him to! Then Uncle Griff left when Mom came back, then Benny came from the party.”
“Yeah, and he was drunk and didn’t want to go home, so we looked after him,” Blake continued, then stood up. He approached my father, who stood there all official in his uniform. Dad observed Blake as he raised a brow.
“And you ditched a party on Halloween to stay with my daughter?”
“I wasn’t in the party mood, sir.”
There was an awkward silence as I watched the two, staring at each other. I glanced at Benny, who was still asleep. I hoped that he wouldn’t vomit when he woke up. I looked at the window and noticed it was morning, since the sun glistened through the window. The silence broke when loud footsteps emerged from the stairs. I sighed in relief as my mother walked into the room.
“Harry, you’re home, dear.” She smiled.
“Yes. Angie, did you know about this?” Dad asked as he pointed to Blake, then Benny.
“Yes, I did, and I told them they could stay since it was so late.”
“Okay, but next time I want you to tell me this. Wake him up.” Dad pointed to Benny. I nodded as I watched my parents go upstairs.
“Benny.”
“Mm.”
“Wake up!” I yelled, then gave him a slight push.
“Did they find the body?” His eyes snapped open as he fell off the sofa. My eyes widened as I watched Benny. I heard Blake chuckle.
“Not funny,” I scolded, then helped Benny. Once he was on his feet, his eyes narrowed at me.
“Lana, I thought you weren’t coming to the party?”
“You’re at my place.”
“How did I get here?” Benny asked as he looked around the room. His eyes landed on Blake, and they suddenly widened. “Did we?” he asked as he pointed to the three of us.
“What the fuck? No!” Blake finally spoke as he stood next to Benny. “Gross, dude.”
“Then what the hell are we doin—” Benny cut himself off as he covered his mouth. My eyes widened as I pointed toward the stairs. He sprinted out of the room, and I sighed as we heard his loud footsteps.
“Weirdo,” Blake commented as we heard Benny puke.
“He’s not a weirdo. He’s just confused,” I pointed out as I put my glasses on. My parents came downstairs with Mom still in a gown, while Dad wore a sweater and jeans.
“Lana, go help Benny clean up,” my mother said. I nodded. I walked upstairs and into my room. I got a hoodie that Levi forgot here for Benny and clothing for me, then walked into the bathroom. I sat on the edge of the bathtub as I watched him lower his head in the toilet.
“Why is he here?” Benny asked after he flushed the toilet.
“Just came to talk,” I mumbled, then gave him a paper towel. “There’s a spare toothbrush in the cabinet.”
“How did I get here?” he asked as he took out the toothbrush. Benny spun around and leaned against the sink as he applied the toothpaste. I noticed his eye was bruised and his lip was cut.
“I don’t know. I assumed, since my house is the closest to Parker’s, you decided to come here,” I said as he brushed his teeth.
“Probably made a wrong impression on your mom.” He groaned.
“Oh yeah.” I laughed, then looked down at his costume. “Err, do you want to change? There are a few vomit stains on your costume.”
“Yeah, thankfully I’m wearing clothes underneath.” He chuckled as he washed his mouth. Once he was done, he took off his costume. I watched as he pulled it over his head and got a peek of his muscles. He stood in a black tee and jeans. I tossed him the hoodie. “I assume you want to shower now?” Benny asked as he looked at the rest of the clothing in my hands. I nodded and he walked out. “I’ll be waiting downstairs then.”
I quickly took a shower, then put on black jeans, red flannel, and white Converse, brushed my hair as fast as possible, then walked down to the kitchen. Eventually, Benny wou
ld remember what happened last night, and I didn’t want to take the chance of Blake and Benny in the same room. We sat around the table and had breakfast. For once I was glad that we had a rectangular table rather than a square. Benny sat next to my dad; in front of him was Blake, and my mom sat next to him. I sat on the end as I watched my food, pancakes with all the toppings in the center of the table. It reminded me of the morning at Blake’s house. He made perfect smooth pancakes with many toppings. It’s weird because I recovered from a hangover, but now Benny was.
“Lana, dear, are you going to eat?” My mother snapped me out of my thoughts, and I realized all eyes were on me.
“Yeah.”
“How was patrol?” Mom asked as she looked at dad, who read the newspaper. I glanced at Blake and Benny, who were in front of me. They glared at each other, and I rolled my eyes at their behavior.
“Same as every year, drunk idiots running through the streets naked wanting to get arrested.”
“Err…sorry for entering your home drunk, Mr. and Mrs. Willson,” Benny mumbled as he avoided eye contact.
“Just be glad I didn’t catch you on the way, son,” Dad said as I scoffed. Blake, on the other hand, found it funny and chuckled.
“What my husband is trying to say is it’s okay. Our home is always open to Lana’s friends.”
“He’s not considered a friend,” Benny muttered as he glared at Blake.
“Neither were you,” Blake hissed.
“I’m tired. See you tonight; hopefully they’re gone by then.” Dad mumbled the last part as he stood up. I glared at Benny and Blake as my father walked out of the room. He was probably annoyed as much as I was.
“I should probably get going,” Blake mumbled as he picked up his plate and put it in the sink. I watched as he stood by the table and smiled at my mother. “Thank you for letting me stay, Mrs. Willson.” He nodded then turned to me. “I’ll see you later.”
“Benny, do you have a ride home?” my mother asked as Blake walked out.
“Err…no, Mrs. Willson, but I’ll call Nic—”
“Oh, Lana can take you. I’m sure Nick is also recovering from a hangover,” my mother joked as we stood in the hallway. My eyes widened as she grabbed her car keys, then held them out to me. I grabbed the car keys then went into the kitchen while Benny trailed behind. I gave him a glass of water along with aspirin before we went to the car. I sat in the driver’s seat and stared at the wheel as I waited for Benny. I usually didn’t drive since Dad had his Jeep and Mom had her Ford. Besides, I always got rides from Benny or Miranda.
“Lana?”
“Huh? Sorry, just daydreaming.” I shrugged, then started the car. The garage opened, and we gently drove out.
“Do you still think of it?” Benny asked. It took me a while to figure out what he meant. The thought of Jack August entered my mind as I sighed.
“Think of it? I have nightmares.” I responded as my grip on the wheel tightened. He was a poor homeless guy who lost his job; he didn’t know he’d get stabbed. The way I ran on foot in a dress that night, not having the intention to kill someone. How I let all my anger out on Jack as I continuously hit him with the heel. “Do you?”
“Yeah. Never thought I’d find a body. I only had a few nightmares. It was mostly when Jack would be in my room covered in dirt. Just lying there on the ground, waiting for me to return him back to his hole,” he mumbled, then looked out the window.
“I’m really sorry, Benny, sorry you have to go through all of this.” I sighed as we pulled up his driveway.
“It’s okay, Lana. We’ll get through this together.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. He took my hand in his, which was soft as his thumb rubbed circles on the back of my hand. I looked into his brown eyes and noticed a hint of pain. All he ever faced was jealousy. He was a great guy, but I knew that nobody took him seriously. “If you ever need something or just wanna talk, I’m here, okay?” I blurted out. I didn’t know why I said that, but something in his eye made me worried.
“Thank you.” He smiled then pointed to his house that looked like a mansion. “Do you wanna come in?”
“Oh, no thanks, you should get some rest.”
“Okay, be safe, and see you tomorrow,” Benny said as he gave my hand one last squeeze, then got out of the car. I glanced down at my phone to see that I received a message from Blake.
Blake: All right, we’re meeting at the diner for lunch. Should I get you?
Lana: Nah, I’m driving today. :)
I started the car and watched Benny walk into his garden. He looked over his shoulder, so I lowered the window.
“And thanks for everything!” he shouted, and I smiled as I drove off. As I drove to Blake’s house, I couldn’t help but wonder that Benny didn’t only mean for last night.
I arrived at the Gunner household. It was the same as last time, but there were cars in the driveway. I parked in front of the house, then approached the front door. I rang the bell twice as I bit the inside of my cheek.
“Can I help you?” a feminine voice asked.
“Err…I’m here for Blake,” I mumbled as I observed the woman. She could be a few years old than me; her long brunette fell to her hips as she stared at me. Before she responded, a tall figure appeared behind her and grinned at me.
“Lana, happy to see you again,” Axel said with a mischievous smile on his face.
“Err, yeah, you too, Axel. Where’s Blake?”
“I didn’t know you wear glasses.”
“Well, now you do.” I awkwardly chuckled as I entered the house.
“Oh, where are my manners? This is Tamia. Tamia meet Lana, Lana, Tamia.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said as she gave me a once over.
“Nice to meet you too.”
“Blake’s in the shower, came home pretty late, right, Tamia?” Axel asked as we entered the living room.
“Yeah, and what happened to his face?”
“I…I don’t know,” I lied as I sat on the sofa.
“He looked really pissed, if you ask me. Wouldn’t be surprised if he got into another fight.” Tamia sighed.
“Lana, does he always come to your house with a black eye?” Axel asked.
“N-no.”
“So he did come to your house.” Axel smirked as he looked at Tamia. She wouldn’t stop looking at me to even acknowledge him.
“Quit interrogating her, you guys.” Blake huffed as he came into the room.
“Just concerned about you, brother.”
“Come on, Lana. The guys will be there soon,” Blake demanded as he put his hand out for me. I accepted it as he pulled me up from the sofa. Our hands were still interlocked as Blake pulled me to the front door.
“Oh, come on, bro. We’re just worried about you.”
“Whatever, Axel. You don’t need to worry about me,” Blake scolded as he opened the door. I turned around to see Axel and Tamia behind us.
“Bye.” I waved as Blake pulled me to the car.
They waved back, but I heard Tamia say to Axel, “She looks oddly familiar.” Tamia sighed as they walked back into the house. Axel whispered something in her ear that made her giggle. I got in the driver’s seat as Blake got into the passenger seat. I put the key in the ignition, then drove out of their street.
“I didn’t know you could drive.”
“Err…yeah, but I don’t drive a lot.”
“Sorry about my brother and his friend. They’re just annoying.”
“It’s cool.” I laughed, then turned on the radio. “How’s your eye?”
“Happy to see,” he grumbled, then took a cigarette from his pocket.
“Nuh-uh, this is my mom’s car,” I whined as I tried to get the lighter.
“Oh, come on, you have perfume. Girls carry that shit around, right?”
“No, I don’t even have a bag with me.”
“Eyes on the road, Willson!” he yelled. My head snapped to the road, and I swerved, since we almost drove into
a pole. Once I knew the road was clear, my eyes flickered to Blake.
“You’re not smoking in the car.”
“Not even if I share it with you?”
“No!”
“Ugh, you’re no fun,” Blake replied as he put the cigarette back in the pack.
Minutes later, we arrived at the diner and noticed Ethan’s and Aidan’s cars. Blake and I walked side by side as we entered the little restaurant. It wasn’t full since it was a Sunday. I looked around and saw the guys at a booth. Blake walked ahead as I slowly followed. I hadn’t had much of a conversation with them, so it got awkward.
“’Sup, guys?” Blake greeted as he slid into the booth and sat next to Aidan. I pulled a chair from another table and sat on the end.
“Hi, Lana,” Ethan said as he gave me a warm smile.
“Hello,” I muttered. It was awkward, we saw each other every day at school, but it was the first time in weeks that we’d had a proper conversation.
“I thought you worked here,” I said as I turned to Aidan.
“Oh, err…I got fired.”
“What’d you do?” Carter asked.
“Flirting with the customers and waitresses,” he mumbled, then lowered his head. I laughed and shook my head.
“How was the party?” Blake asked.
“Same as every year, wild and crazy.” Ethan chuckled as he read the menu.
“Liam was so drunk he jumped off the roof and into the pool,” Carter said. I laughed as I thought of Liam Sanchez in his Jack Sparrow costume.
“Where were you guys?” Aidan asked as he looked at Blake and me.
“Wasn’t in the mood,” we said in unison. The guys stared at us because they wanted to know more, but the look Blake had said he wasn’t in the mood for questions.
“Hi, I’m Lindsey, your waitress for today. What would you like to order?” A squeaky voice broke the silence.
“Burgers and milkshakes please—all chocolate, Lindsey.”
“Right away, and no, Aidan, you don’t get a discount because you don’t work here anymore,” she snapped, then walked away. We laughed as we looked at Aidan. He had that smile on his face that I barely saw; it was big and bright as he looked at us.
