Love Is Stronger Than Gravity

My feet were glued to the floor. It was almost like standing behind a glass wall, witnessing something that I knew I shouldn’t be but yet couldn’t look away no matter how much I willed myself to do so. I wanted to run up to him and shout at him back. He couldn’t blame Jack and Ellie, nor should he. They didn’t know he wasn’t informed, but I couldn’t even get myself mouth to open to say the words on the tip of my tongue. I just stood there.

“Do you think that after what she fucking did I want to see her? I want nothing to do with her, Jack!’’ Alex shouted, his arms flailing like he was trying to take flight. “Nothing!”

“It was a mistake, Alex. Everyone makes them.’’ Ellie tried to defend me. I guess she and Jack had known about what I did. That just made me feel even more guilty, to be honest.

“She cheated on me with my own cousin, Ellie. My own family. I’d be more understanding if it was some random kid since I’d be able to kick the shit out of him but no, she had to go and sleep with someone I’m related to. Someone I have to see every holiday and family barbeque. I don’t want to see her.’’ He finally stopped shouting, his voice wavering and his tone threatening. If I was in Ellie or Jack’s place, I’d have been scared. His words were like knives and his eyes were piercing, moving from Jack to Ellie’s face and back. I dropped my glass and it smashed onto the floor beside me, some of the liquid splashing onto my feet and onto those of a few other people standing around me, though none of them seemed to care with all eyes on Jack, Ellie, and Alex. It seemed to grab their attention and all eyes flashed to me.

Alex spun around to face me, anger filling his face. Ellie stood on one side of him, an apologetic look in her eyes. She stepped forward but I took a step back.

‘‘I knew this wasn’t going to end well. It was a bad idea from the beginning. I-I’m just gonna um, go…’’ I muttered, trying to keep my tears in. I was only hurt because Ellie had told me he wanted to see me in their ‘drunken talks’, at least that’s what I told myself. That was all clearly a lie though – a rouge to get me to come here which unfortunately worked.

I quickly stumbled out of the house, cursing to myself as I could barely walk straight, though the situation at hand was sobering me up pretty quickly. I headed back down the street to my own house. I could hear the music starting to fade out in the background. I reached my house and unlocked my door, struggling to get the damn key in the lock since I was so drunk.

When I got the door opened and stepped inside, I slammed the door closed and locked it again, slumping to the floor, ignoring the ringing of my phone that was in my pocket. It stopped then started again, but I left it. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, but after about the sixth time of it ringing my house phone started to go off.

One of the rules from my parents was to answer the house phone in case it was them. They’d panic if I didn’t, so I stood up and walked slowly to it. Even before I answered it, I knew it wasn’t going to be them. My hand hovered over the ringing device for a few seconds while I debated whether or not to actually pick it up, I knew it was going to be either Ellie or Jack anyway.

I inhaled deeply then picked it up; I could hear faded music then a frantic voice.

‘‘Daisy, why didn’t you pick up your cell phone? I was worried and practically having a conniption on the dance floor! I thought you’d been kidnapped on the way home - don’t do that again!’’ Ellie shouted down the phone at me.

‘‘Sorry Ellie, I just wasn’t in any state to talk to anyone.’’ I told her, slouching against the wall, trying to steady my drunken self.

‘‘It’s okay,” she sighed, taking a deep breath herself. “I forgive you. I have someone here that wants to apologize.’’ My stomach dropped and I had to swallow hard to keep myself from throwing up right here – though that could have been the tons of alcohol I drank on an empty stomach. I wanted it to be Alex, just to hear him be civil with me, but I also wanted it to be Jack or anyone else for that matter, just so I didn’t have to be awkward on the phone with Alex.

I heard rustling, then I heard a faint ‘no’ then a sigh, a ‘fuck you’ then breathing down the phone. It was like that for a few minutes. We didn’t speak to each other, neither of us knowing what to say. I could picture Alex pouting, Ellie probably having to hold the phone to his ear. I wanted to say something but not only was I unsure of what to even say, I was trying to keep myself from emptying my stomach right on my kitchen floor.

It was a futile effort though as all the alcohol in my system slouched around my empty stomach. I threw the phone to the ground and jumped up, running to the bathroom as fast as I could. I threw everything I had drank tonight back up into the porcelain bowl, my stomach heaving with every empty gag. When I had finished, I flushed the contents down the drain and closed the lid, falling to the floor with tired eyes.

Alex hated me but he didn’t know the whole story. There was more to this entire mess, but he never gave me a chance to explain. As all the thoughts swirled in my mind, I wave of dizziness washed over me. I tried to fight off sleep, but it was pointless. I was drunk, sick, and emotionally drained. Before I knew it, my eye lids were closing and I was falling asleep on the bathroom, curled up into a ball.