Love's Requiem

The next few days I took Niko everywhere that Jesse and I could think of, the Empire State building, Statue of liberty, Ellis Island, both art museums, the museum of natural history, and currently we were driving down to Coney Island.

“You realize how cold its going to be there right?” Jesse asked me while I was driving the three of us, Jesse in the front with me and Niko in the back.

“You realize I still don’t care because I have to go there anywhere to stock up for tomorrow night right?” I replied switching the song on the CD I was playing.

It was currently December 30th, the day before my usual annual New Years Eve costume party, and yes it was a costume party because half the time I’m on the road for Halloween so I usually never really get to dress up. So this party was to make up for it all.

“I forgot about that, did you actually get a costume this time or are you going to pull what you did two years ago when you were Frankie?”

“No I actually have one thank you very much, Niko what about you?”

“Can’t I just put a sheet over myself and say I’m a ghost?” He asked making Jesse and I laugh.

“You could, but where’s the fun in that? I could make you a zombie or something?”

“Sure.” He chuckled as I got off the highway.

“So Cyclone first and then buy the booze?” Jesse asked as I found a parking spot.

“Yeah, let’s go there, then the aquarium after we eat we’ll go to the place.” I explained.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Niko asked looking a little pale as we got in to the seats on the Cyclone.

“I feel safer on this than I do on an airplane.” I told him as the safety bar came down. “Hold on,” I smiled as a few seconds later we started going up.

As soon as we dropped I could hear Jesse screaming from behind me, which made me laugh even more and by the second loop as we gained speed Niko too screamed.

“It never get’s old!” I laughed as we walked out of the exit. “You okay?” I asked Niko who looked a little shaken up.

“That was insane.” He laughed.

After the Aquarium, we headed to eat at Nathan’s where I bet Jesse 50 bucks he couldn’t eat two servings of Frog legs.

“Told you, you couldn’t do it.” I smirked as Jesse paid up as we left.

“Shut up.” Jesse mumbled as we headed back to the car and drove to the liquor store a few minutes away.

“You have your ID on you incase he thinks I’m 16 again?” I asked Jesse as we all exited the car after I parked in the front parking lot.

“Just make sure you’re showing cleavage you’ll be fine.” He joked as we walked in and I unzipped my jacket to be safe, causing Jesse to crack up.

25 minutes later, my trunk and back seat was filled with cases of beer, and bags filled with different bottles of liquor and champagne.

“You think this is enough?” I asked Jesse as I drove back home.

“Well, if you want I can make a stop tomorrow before coming over?”

“Nah if anything I’ll send Frankie to the liquor store on the corner.”

“You realize he’ll bitch?”

“Of course, its why I do it. Niko are you okay back there?” I asked him as all I could see was the top of his head over the three cases in his lap.

“I think you and your friends may have a drinking problem.” He joked.

“We’ve been knowing that, but hey the recycling people love us this time of year.” I smiled.

After we lugged everything in to my apartment, finding a place to put everything was the fun part.

“Well what I’m thinking is this,” I began as I hopped on the kitchen counter. “We just have the cases all up against that wall there.” I said pointing to back wall that was near the stairs that led to the roof.

“But who likes warm beer?” Jesse asked.

“It won’t be warm! I have two huge tubs I’m filling with ice and I’ll have the beers in there we’ll fill them as we go, and that way all the champagne is in the mini fridge in the guest room so that’s fine.”

“You give her planning she does things in a few minutes, give her planning with alcohol and she does planning in a few seconds.” Jesse joked as I hoped down and the three of us moved the boxes to the wall and stacked them.

“So I’ll be over tomorrow around 7 to help set up okay?” Jesse told me as he made his way to the door later on after we ate dinner.

“Sounds good.” I nodded, walking him to the door and giving him a hug.

“So with all this alcohol what about food?”

“Everyone else takes care of that, we usually all bring something. Like tomorrow I’ll probably pick up a few pizza’s, Jesse brings over something everyone brings over either desert or
dinner its one huge mash up of anything and everything.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“Cause it is duh!” I laughed, “And tomorrow morning guess where we’re going!” I smiled.

“Church?” He joked,

“Close, to the banya!”

“Did not see that.” He laughed as he put an arm around me as we went to watch TV.

The next morning, I left with Niko to go to the banya, which more or less was a spa and bathhouse in one building.

“I don’t think I could ever imagine you being this girly.” Niko laughed while he watched me get a manicure and pedicure.

“Yeah, yeah laugh it up my mom and I go every year today.” I told him.

We spent the whole morning there, we both got massages though he went with some special one for his calves, we went in to the steam room, and raced back and forth in the cold pool. After a shower and changing back in to the clothes we wore there, I pulled out my stuff from the locker and checked my phone. I had four missed calls from Jack. As we left, and walked to my car I called him back.

“Sorry about that what’s up?”

“Oh nothing really other than, standing outside your fucking building with Zack, Rian and Kara for the passed 20 minutes with no answer.” Jack said casually.

“What? You’re early we just left the banya.” I exclaimed yanking Niko to run with me.

“The what?”

“I’ll explain I’ll be there in 15 minutes.” I told him as I jumped in the car and drove back to my apartment and surprisingly didn’t get any speeding tickets.

I parked and we ran down the street to my apartment where the four of them were camped out in my lobby because one of my neighbors had buzzed them in so they wouldn’t freeze.

“I could have died of hypothermia!” Jack exclaimed faking a sob as he threw himself on me after I reached the top of the stairs.

“There’s a pizzeria three blocks away and a McDonalds you could have waited there.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yes you did, we go there frequently at your own request.”

“Shut up and let me in!”

“How is everyone other than him?” I smiled as I unlocked my door and let everyone in.

“Driving with Jack for four hours how can anyone complain?” Kara said sarcastically giving Jack a wary look.

“See Jack I’m the only person who doesn’t mind driving with you.” I told him, “Are you guys hungry or anything?” I asked as I took off my coat and headed in the kitchen to make coffee
for everyone.

“Kind of.” Kara said as her and Rian sat at the table.

“Okay, Jack keep your coat on we’ll go get some lunch.” I said grabbing my coat.

“And if you want, you can put all your bags and stuff in my room for now.”

“Where is Jack sleeping?” Jack asked putting his coat back on.

“Jack has a choice of air mattress in living room or couch, you two have the guest room for yourselves.” I told Kara and Rian who looked relieved.

“Thanks Bella.” Rian and Kara told me as I left with Jack.