Lonely, Drunk and Beautiful
Chapter 7
“So you punched him.”
I groan, letting my head roll back and hit the wall behind me.
Ariel and I are sat in the ER waiting room, for an unnecessary X-ray to confirm that my broken hand is broken.
“Pushed him, Ariel. I didn’t actually punch him.” I mutter.
She snorts.
“Oh yeah sure, that’s much better. Makes all the difference.” she says drily, making me scowl.
“I wouldn’t actually punch him.” I snap, and she snorts again.
“Yeah yeah Jack, either way, tomorrow he’s going to walk in with a black eye. Seriously, where is your logic? You beat up a guy in front of the entire school for hurting him, and two days later you punch, sorry, push him hard enough to blacken his eye, because, what? A couple of his friends saw you two about to kiss? Seriously, Jack! What is your problem?” she demands.
I slink down in my seat, having the decency to look at least slightly ashamed.
“Bloody Neanderthal.” she finishes, shoving my shoulder.
“Don’t push me.” I pout, and she raises an eyebrow.
“Because you’re hurt? It’s your own friggin’ fault anyway, Jack. The only reason you went off on one is because you felt guilty about hurting Alex and you wanted to punish yourself.”
“Jack Barakat?”
“That would be you.” Ariel murmurs, pushing me up.
“Unnecessary.” I mutter, holding my hand to my chest as I walk towards the nurse.
“I’ll be waiting!” she calls out in a mockingly sweet tone, and I roll my eyes, smirking a little bit.
“That your girlfriend?” the nurse asks, smiling as he holds the door open.
I snort with laughter.
“Who, her? God no, man.” I respond.
He whistles.
“You must have something fine on the side to pass up that, man. I’m telling you, do not let that go, whatever you do. She looks like she could comfort a guy pretty well after a breakup.” he leers, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Well, when she has a sex change operation, maybe I’ll give her a try.” I say back bluntly. “Because I’m gay, you see.” I add unnecessarily.
He blushes a little bit.
“But hey, kudos on successfully objectifying another female. How well is that working for you?”
He falls silent, and I smirk as he gestures to a door and hurries away.
___________________________
“Well, it’s broken.”
Ariel jerks up from her slumped position in her chair, taking in my appearance.
My cheeks are flushed from pain, one hand splinted, tape attaching my ring finger to my little finger and itching like fuck, a bottle of tylenol clutched in my left hand.
She bites back a laugh, instead shaking her head in mock sympathy and prising the pills from my hand.
“Need a ride home?” she asks carefully, and I scowl deeply.
“Well, I’m not gonna be driving anytime soon.” I bite back, and she bursts out laughing.
“I’m sorry.” she stammers, after a few minutes filled with hysterical laughter. “Just-c’mon, let me take you home.”
I shake my head, walking ahead of her, mostly so she doesn’t catch onto the smirk playing around my lips.
She grabs my left arm, wrapping hers around it and staggering a little, because my legs are much longer than hers.
“Aw, Jacky, I am sorry.” she pouts, and I shake my head again.
“Bitch.” I murmur, with no real venom in my voice, and she grins, dragging me to the parking lot.
“So, I can score some real pain relief…if you’re interested.” she says slyly.
I let a rare grin pull up the corner of my mouth.
“I’ll drive you back and nip back out to get it. Give me an hour?”
“Sure thing.” I murmur, climbing into the passenger seat of her car.
___________________________
She comes back after an hour, letting herself in through the unlocked door and tossing me an orange bottle.
I pop the cap and tip out…a jelly bean?
“Are you kidding, princess.” I groan, throwing the bottle at her head, and she starts laughing.
“I’m just kidding, Jacky bear. You should see your face right now though.” she grins, yanking out a new bottle.
It makes a satisfying rattle when I catch it, and I prise off the lid expectantly, tipping out a couple of white pills.
“Vicodin?” I say, impressed, and she smirks, perching on the edge of the couch arm and tucking a strand of coral coloured hair behind her ear.
I toss three back with a can of Red Bull she helpfully supplies, and Ariel does the same.
___________________________
We end up zonked out on my mattress, watery sunlight trickling through the window.
The rays are lingering on Ariel’s blown-up pupils, and I start laughing despite myself.
She turns, grinning deliriously and pulling at a chunk of my hair that’s currently stuck up, and we both laugh harder.
My eyes drift across the swaying walls, the hum of The Seed (2.0) making them throb in time to the beat.
I raise one arm above my head, for no reason other than it just feels like the right thing to do in that moment, and Ariel reaches out and grabs my hand.
We begin to sway our arms in sync, watching the blurs that trail after the limbs, making the surroundings murky, like rubbing a wet hand across an oil painting.
Ariel releases my fingers, and my arm drops with a heavy thud onto the mattress next to us.
“Did your insurance cover the cost of that splint?” Ariel asks randomly, her words a little slurred.
I let out a dry chuckle.
“Thankfully.”
A silence blankets us, and Ariel snuggles into my side. I wrap an arm around her shoulders, swallowing past the inflated, exaggerated flare of anxiety that’s burning up my gut at the contact.
“So how is Joyce.” she says, a little too casually, and I snort.
“I have no idea, baby girl. She left the day I turned eighteen and I haven’t heard from her since.”
Ariel sighs softly, puffing air into my chest, and heat radiates from the spot her lips are pressed into.
I smile, hugging her awkwardly with one arm, and shift her off.
“I need to piss.” I say bluntly, and hurry into the bathroom.
She half-murmurs in response, and I slam the door, sliding down against the door. The cool tile feels good against my flushed skin, and I close my eyes.
I groan, letting my head roll back and hit the wall behind me.
Ariel and I are sat in the ER waiting room, for an unnecessary X-ray to confirm that my broken hand is broken.
“Pushed him, Ariel. I didn’t actually punch him.” I mutter.
She snorts.
“Oh yeah sure, that’s much better. Makes all the difference.” she says drily, making me scowl.
“I wouldn’t actually punch him.” I snap, and she snorts again.
“Yeah yeah Jack, either way, tomorrow he’s going to walk in with a black eye. Seriously, where is your logic? You beat up a guy in front of the entire school for hurting him, and two days later you punch, sorry, push him hard enough to blacken his eye, because, what? A couple of his friends saw you two about to kiss? Seriously, Jack! What is your problem?” she demands.
I slink down in my seat, having the decency to look at least slightly ashamed.
“Bloody Neanderthal.” she finishes, shoving my shoulder.
“Don’t push me.” I pout, and she raises an eyebrow.
“Because you’re hurt? It’s your own friggin’ fault anyway, Jack. The only reason you went off on one is because you felt guilty about hurting Alex and you wanted to punish yourself.”
“Jack Barakat?”
“That would be you.” Ariel murmurs, pushing me up.
“Unnecessary.” I mutter, holding my hand to my chest as I walk towards the nurse.
“I’ll be waiting!” she calls out in a mockingly sweet tone, and I roll my eyes, smirking a little bit.
“That your girlfriend?” the nurse asks, smiling as he holds the door open.
I snort with laughter.
“Who, her? God no, man.” I respond.
He whistles.
“You must have something fine on the side to pass up that, man. I’m telling you, do not let that go, whatever you do. She looks like she could comfort a guy pretty well after a breakup.” he leers, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Well, when she has a sex change operation, maybe I’ll give her a try.” I say back bluntly. “Because I’m gay, you see.” I add unnecessarily.
He blushes a little bit.
“But hey, kudos on successfully objectifying another female. How well is that working for you?”
He falls silent, and I smirk as he gestures to a door and hurries away.
___________________________
“Well, it’s broken.”
Ariel jerks up from her slumped position in her chair, taking in my appearance.
My cheeks are flushed from pain, one hand splinted, tape attaching my ring finger to my little finger and itching like fuck, a bottle of tylenol clutched in my left hand.
She bites back a laugh, instead shaking her head in mock sympathy and prising the pills from my hand.
“Need a ride home?” she asks carefully, and I scowl deeply.
“Well, I’m not gonna be driving anytime soon.” I bite back, and she bursts out laughing.
“I’m sorry.” she stammers, after a few minutes filled with hysterical laughter. “Just-c’mon, let me take you home.”
I shake my head, walking ahead of her, mostly so she doesn’t catch onto the smirk playing around my lips.
She grabs my left arm, wrapping hers around it and staggering a little, because my legs are much longer than hers.
“Aw, Jacky, I am sorry.” she pouts, and I shake my head again.
“Bitch.” I murmur, with no real venom in my voice, and she grins, dragging me to the parking lot.
“So, I can score some real pain relief…if you’re interested.” she says slyly.
I let a rare grin pull up the corner of my mouth.
“I’ll drive you back and nip back out to get it. Give me an hour?”
“Sure thing.” I murmur, climbing into the passenger seat of her car.
___________________________
She comes back after an hour, letting herself in through the unlocked door and tossing me an orange bottle.
I pop the cap and tip out…a jelly bean?
“Are you kidding, princess.” I groan, throwing the bottle at her head, and she starts laughing.
“I’m just kidding, Jacky bear. You should see your face right now though.” she grins, yanking out a new bottle.
It makes a satisfying rattle when I catch it, and I prise off the lid expectantly, tipping out a couple of white pills.
“Vicodin?” I say, impressed, and she smirks, perching on the edge of the couch arm and tucking a strand of coral coloured hair behind her ear.
I toss three back with a can of Red Bull she helpfully supplies, and Ariel does the same.
___________________________
We end up zonked out on my mattress, watery sunlight trickling through the window.
The rays are lingering on Ariel’s blown-up pupils, and I start laughing despite myself.
She turns, grinning deliriously and pulling at a chunk of my hair that’s currently stuck up, and we both laugh harder.
My eyes drift across the swaying walls, the hum of The Seed (2.0) making them throb in time to the beat.
I raise one arm above my head, for no reason other than it just feels like the right thing to do in that moment, and Ariel reaches out and grabs my hand.
We begin to sway our arms in sync, watching the blurs that trail after the limbs, making the surroundings murky, like rubbing a wet hand across an oil painting.
Ariel releases my fingers, and my arm drops with a heavy thud onto the mattress next to us.
“Did your insurance cover the cost of that splint?” Ariel asks randomly, her words a little slurred.
I let out a dry chuckle.
“Thankfully.”
A silence blankets us, and Ariel snuggles into my side. I wrap an arm around her shoulders, swallowing past the inflated, exaggerated flare of anxiety that’s burning up my gut at the contact.
“So how is Joyce.” she says, a little too casually, and I snort.
“I have no idea, baby girl. She left the day I turned eighteen and I haven’t heard from her since.”
Ariel sighs softly, puffing air into my chest, and heat radiates from the spot her lips are pressed into.
I smile, hugging her awkwardly with one arm, and shift her off.
“I need to piss.” I say bluntly, and hurry into the bathroom.
She half-murmurs in response, and I slam the door, sliding down against the door. The cool tile feels good against my flushed skin, and I close my eyes.