Seventeen and Invincible

“Get out of the car,” he instructed standing next to the open passenger side door. I continued to sit and stare at the windshield. “Anika, come on. We have to go inside. If I miss curfew my parents might just kill me.” I continued to stare, as my comprehension was not so great. “Damn it,” he muttered. He leaned into the car and reached over to unbuckle my seat belt, then he lifted me out of my seat, being careful to avoid hitting my head.

“Put me down,” I mumbled. “Let go of me Garrett.”

“Shut up. You’re going to wake someone up and if my mom wakes up and finds you drunk as a skunk she’ll call Molly.” I sighed and relaxed in his arms. “That’s what I thought,” he muttered. “Can you stand?”

“I don’t think so?” I responded. He sighed trying to unlock the door without dropping me. “Sit me on the steps,” I advised. He placed me carefully on the top step of his stoop and unlocked the door. He rushed back over to pick me up before anyone noticed the lapse in time. He carried me up the stairs and past the grey colored walls, quietly tip-toeing past his parents’ room.

“Shh,” he warned placing an index finger up to his lips. I nodded and let my head fall onto his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled slowly when we were safely in his room.

“Don’t be,” he sighed rubbing his temples. “It isn’t your fault you’re upset.” I smiled as he lay down next to me on his bed. “How do you feel now? ‘Cause you’re going to feel like shit in the morning. You’re going to have one nasty hangover.” I shrugged my shoulders and stared at the dark ceiling. He sighed and stood up, throwing a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts at me.

“Thanks,” I mumbled slipping out of the clothes I had on and into the ones he’d just given me. Had I not been drunk, facing the wall might have crossed my mind, but it’s not like Garrett was looking anyway. He was staring out the window at the bright street light.

“Go to sleep,” he whispered turning back around once I was changed. I lay back down on his bed, staring at him as the light from the street below illuminated his features. “Come on,” he hurried me, walking over and covering me with a blanket.

After a few minutes, I had stopped tossing and turning and remained just staring at the ceiling. Garrett took to his side of his own bed and turned his head to the side. He was lying on his back looking out the window. “What the fuck?” he mumbled tiredly as I rolled on top of him. “Anika get off of me. What the fuck is up with you tonight?” I shrugged and remained on top of him, straddling him. “Anika…no.”

“Why?” I sighed. He sat up, pushing me away slowly.

“Because I said so. There’s this thing called personal space and you’re invading mine a little bit.”

“Have sex with me,” I sighed. The look on his face was something between shock, horror and pure amusement.

“No.” I was visibly upset by his answer and only slightly deterred.

“Why not? What, am I not good enough for anyone?”

“You’re drunk. You don’t really want to have sex, it’s just the alcohol.” I shook my head and refused to back down. “I’m not going to have sex with you. Especially not now. You’re completely and totally wasted—I had to carry you up here.” I sighed. I knew what he was thinking—oh great, of course my best friend has to be a fucking horny drunk. Dealing with me, I’m sure, wasn’t pleasant.

“What are you a virgin or something?” I was almost certain he wasn’t.

“It doesn’t matter whether or not I am, but you are. And it isn’t right. So just go back to your side and sleep off the alcohol.” I shook my head resulting in him physically moving me off of him. “Not tonight.” I finally fell asleep, and it was a fitful sleep.

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I woke up the next morning to the bright sunlight streaming through the window, a pounding headache and Garrett standing next to me with a handful of Advil and a bottle of water. “What time is it?” I sighed unscrewing the cap from the bottle of water and popping two of the red-orange pills into my mouth.

“It is nine forty-five. You’re up early considering last night.” I sighed trying to put together the pieces from the night before. “Do you even remember any of it?” I shrugged an ‘I don’t know.’

“Bits and pieces and even those are fuzzy.” I pushed my side bangs out of my face and pulled the ponytail holder tighter in my hair.

“What do you remember?” I sighed and thought.

“I remember getting mad that you ditched me and spent the whole night making out with Nicolette while I got to sit out in the backyard by myself. Then I remember thinking that everyone was socializing, everyone had someone, everyone had their niche except for me. I got to spend the night by myself and be lonely when even the stars weren’t alone. And then it’s all fuzzy.” He sighed and a sad look crossed his face.

“You need to stop being so broken up about the break up with Evan. I promise you, if you don’t, your liver is going to hate you in no time.” I felt the corners of my lips tug slightly upward into a small smile.

“What else happened last night? You seem stressed. Oh God, what did I do? Did I do anything stupid?” He laughed and shook his head. “What was it?”

“It was nothing. If you don’t remember then I’m not going to remind you. It was embarrassing enough the first time around. But,” he added, “I was the only person around, so it’s okay.”

“If I did something stupid, you have to tell me. What did I do?” I sighed.

“You kissed me,” he started and I was about to remark about how that wasn’t so bad, until he continued. “And then you tried to get in my pants. Several times.” I think the look that crossed my face could only be described with two adjectives: disgusted and horrified.

“Sorry,” I mumbled glancing over to where my phone was. “Gottverdammt,” I shrieked, “I never told Molly where I was. She’s going to kill me! I’m such a dummkopf.”

“Don’t worry, I answered when she called you for the seventeenth time,” he laughed. “I told her you fell asleep here last night and that you’d call her when you woke up.”

“Thanks for saving my ass Affe.”

“Affe?”

“Monkey.”