By Anistasia Allread Edited by Edeyn “So you didn't like her kissing you?” Tricia nudged Julian. “You're kidding, right?” “Well?” “Of course I liked her kissing me, I'm a guy and she's a pretty girl.” “She is pretty, isn't she,” Tricia nodded. |
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“What the hell are you doing!?” Tricia screamed.
She raced across the room and began pummeling the tall athlete with her fists, shouting, “Leave her alone!”
Julian, after taking the first few blows, released Erika, allowing her to fall back onto the bed, trying to defend himself against the living temper, without hurting her.
“I'm not doing anything!” he shouted back at her. “I was... I was just trying to make her comfortable.”
He reached out and grabbed each of Tricia's wrists and held them as she continued to struggle. “Look, she's wasted, and needs to sleep it off,” he said while still struggling against her flailing arms.
“Tricia... Tricia! She just spent the last five to ten minutes rambling about how much she loves you -- you! -- not me. I'm just putting her to bed to sleep it off.”
Tricia finally stopped struggling and looked at Julian as what he was saying sank in.
“We're in my sister's room, Tricia. This is the last place I'd ever want to do anything with a girl. She wants you. Not me. You.”
“She was kissing you,” Tricia's voice changed from anger to hurt.
“She is drunk.” he stated matter-of-factly, “Which means she probably won't even remember it in the morning.”
“So you weren't trying to take advantage of the situation?” Tricia asked.
“God no,” Julian released Tricia's wrists. “That is just... I would never do anything of the sort. Some bastard did that to my sister last year at college. The bastard deserves to be castrated,” he said with venom. “I'll never do that to a girl. Never.”
Tricia's fists went limp in his hands.
“Will you stop trying to hurt me?” he asked.
Tricia nodded.
“I love you,” Erika muttered with a smile at Tricia, semi-conscious from the bed.
Julian released Tricia's wrists and looked down at the drunk girl with more than a little humor, “She's going to hate life tomorrow.”
“Let's let her sleep here for a bit then take her home,” Samantha suggested from the door.
Two heads turned, both had forgotten that the blonde was there.
“Will she be all right here?” Tricia asked Julian.
“She should be. I don't think she will be wandering off anywhere.”
Tricia slipped Erika's shoes off of her and laid a light blanket over her.
“Stay here and sleep. I'll come up and get you before we leave,” she said to Erika, who muttered something in response and rolled over a bit.
Tricia turned off the light as Julian closed the door.
“I'll check on her in a bit,” Samantha stated as they went down the stairs.
“So you didn't like her kissing you?” Tricia nudged Julian.
“You're kidding, right?”
“Well?”
“Of course I liked her kissing me, I'm a guy and she's a pretty girl.”
“She is pretty, isn't she,” Tricia nodded.
Erika's head felt all fuzzy. The room she was in smelled funny. It was a sweet smell, the smell of a girl's room, but one that she was unfamiliar with. She rolled over on the bed and moaned slightly.
“Where the hell am I?” she asked the darkness.
She felt around, feeling unfamiliar textures of bedspreads and pillows. A small crack of light shining from under the door was the only thing she could see. The eerie glow frightened her, yet beckoned her. She slowly got to her feet in the blackness of the room and inched her way towards the door. She opened it and groaned as the light from the hall was like a physical blow to her face. She flinched back closing her eyes, and then slowly tried opening them just a crack. Loud hip-hop music rattled the house.
“The party,” she muttered, “I'm at the party.”
She stumbled out into the hall managing to place one foot in front of the other as she descended the stairs, her eyes starting to become a little more adjusted.
Damn, I've got to get home, she realized. I need to get home before I get grounded. Oh, my head. She put a hand to her head to try and still the soft pounding.
“Whoah, you look like shit,” a girl sitting on the stair giggled as Erika made her way past.
Erika ignored her and made her way to the first floor.
“You look empty,” Someone handed her a plastic cup.
She didn't realize how thirsty she was until she looked down at clear liquid in the cup. She licked her lips and tried to summon some kind of wetness to her mouth without success. She shrugged to herself and downed the cup. It was a mistake. Her throat burned as her tongue protested the vile tasting stuff.
“Ack! What was that?” Erika's stomach lurched, but kept it's new contents down.
“Everclear. Want some more?”
“No!” Erika wanting nothing more than to get the taste out of her mouth.
She looked around the room she was now standing in and spotted a punchbowl. She dipped a cup into the orangey-red stuff and drank deeply. The cool sweetness tasted wonderful after that Everclear stuff and it didn't seem to burn very much as it slid down her throat. The wet coolness felt good, too. She dipped her cup again, hoping that no one would notice her double dipping and drank heartily again before walking into what must be a formal sitting room.
Several people sat in the semi-dark kissing. Erika's eyes wandered over the group and flicked back to two she recognized. Jorge and Krystal were sitting on the floor against the sofa, their lips entangled in a lingering embrace, Krystal's hands holding the male cheerleader in place. Erika shrugged, then remembered that she felt a need to get home. She finished off the punch and tossed it in an over flowing pile and stalked out the door, leaving her shoes and jacket back on the bed upstairs.
The cool nights had yet to turn the cold of true autumn. Erika cursed as bits of gravel bit into the bottoms of her feet as she pad down the street. A warm breeze blew through the tree tops and gently touched her skin raising goosebumps. Her head swam with disconnected thoughts and fragmented memories as she half tip-toed, half staggered down the street.
The night seemed a mess. Flashes of memory of kissing someone other than Tricia mixed with a musky scent. An aroma completely unlike the sweetness of Tricia. Piercing pretty eyes looked down at her through what seemed like a fog. Puking, getting sick all over the bathroom as someone kept bombarding her with questions and making her drink water. Samantha, it had to have been Samantha who had been so insistent.
What a mess I've made, she chastised herself. God, everyone is going to tease me at school on Monday for getting sick. Tricia will probably never want to speak to me again. I can't blame her. I kissed someone else. Who? Who did I kiss? Oh, God, it's all fuzzy.
Erika came to her house and stood outside on the street for a long while just looking at the home, it's lawn, it's trees, and it's flowerbed, still needing weeding.
She pulled up her skirt and knelt down next to the flower bed and began pulling tall weeds out from amongst the flowers.
What was it, her father's Uncle Will had said? Oh yeah, “... a weed is nothing more than an unwanted flower. A tomato plant amongst strawberries could be weed, as can a rose amongst tomatoes.”
Erika tossed the weeds off to the side, then scooted over to the grass nearby and lay back looking up into the stars. Can't people be like weeds too? “Oh, God, I'm a tomato plant amongst roses,” she wailed. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down the sides of her face unheeded into her hair. “I'm a weed among flowers, a nasty weed.”
Her limbs heavy, the grass she lay on was like a pillow-top cushion, giving her something soft to lay on over a firm core. She closed her eyes and squeezed out tears. She opened them to find the sky spinning, the stars seemed to be doing circles above her. She closed her eyes again to still the spinning world and kept them closed, losing herself to the welcoming embrace of darkness.
“Are you okay?” a voice was heard as if through a tunnel.
Erika winced against the blazing sun down upon her face and eyelids. Bright. Too bright.
“Erika, are you okay?” the voice repeated.
Erika shakily rose a hand to shield her eyes. Slowly she cracked her lid and almost screamed at the light glaring.
“What are you doing out here?” the voice asked, “Don't you live here?”
“Pete?” Erika croaked.
“Yeah.”
“What are you doing?”
“My paper route.”
Erika rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow, and squinted up at the audio-video geek, “Your paper route?”
“Not all of us can work cool jobs at Pizza Palace, or have our parents deposit allowances monthly into our accounts.”
“Oh shit, what time is it?” Erika looked towards her house.
“Seven thirty,” Pete shrugged.
“God, I've got to get out of here.”
“Why? I thought this was your house.”
“I'll explain, later, I just need to get out of here.”
Pete assisted Erika to her feet and looked skeptically at her as they began making their way down the sidewalk away from her house.
The sound of the door opening behind them made Erika's heart skip a beat then make up for it as it began to flutter. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her dad with a bag of garbage walk across the driveway and put it in it's receptacle.
“Shit,” Erika mumbled.
She looked for a place to hide, but there wasn't any. The trees were still too young, too small. The cars that were there were parked on the other side of the street. She hunched down and tried to avoid looking back as she walked along side Pete.
“You're hiding from your dad?” Pete asked in a hushed tone.
“He doesn't know about...” she looked from Pete down at her outfit, “About me.”
“Is he looking this way?” she asked.
“No, he's gone back in.”
Pete took a newspaper out of his satchel and tossed it onto a doorstep.
“Your family doesn't know about you doing this?” Pete asked.
“How did you get into school?”
Erika looked away, “We, ah... we changed my documents,” Erika explained.
Pete watched as Erika rubbed her temples, “Hung over?”
Erika nodded.
Pete tossed another news paper, “Where are you going?”
“I need to get to Tricia's house. I need to talk to her, apologize to her.”
“What for?”
“I... I did something last night,” Erika shook her head and instantly regretted it, ”Ouch. . . It's all fuzzy, but I think I kissed a guy.”
“At the party last night?”
Erika slowly nodded.
“So...” Pete asked, sensing an opportunity to satisfy curiosity, “I have to ask. Who are you, now? Eric? Or Erika? Are you a boy? A girl? Or something else?”
Silence fell between the two of them. Only the sounds of Sunday morning encroaching.
“I don't know,” Erika admitted at last, “I really don't know.”
“Are you seeing a counselor?”
“My mom has me seeing a shrink. Dr. Barts.”
“I thought your parents didn't know.”
Erika sighed, “My mom knows that I spent my Summer as a girl,” she held up a hand to stop his automatic question and he held it in, so she continued, “and she believes that I only occasionally dress like this when I'm with my friends. She doesn't know that I go to school as Erika.”
“So who all knows?”
“Samantha, Tricia, Krystal, Victoria, Dr. Barts and, well, you,” Erika listed. “Tricia's parents and sister, Leeza, know, but don't know that my parents don't know. My mom knows about last Summer and suspects when I go to Samantha's or Tricia's, but my dad doesn't know anything.”
“Damn!” Pete swore, “That must get confusing.”
“Sometimes,” Erika admitted.
“Are you going to tell your parents? They've got to know sooner or later.”
“I need to, but I just don't know how,” Erika sighed. “Dr. Barts told me that I have to really think this out and how it affects others. Mainly, I'm just really scared of what my dad might say or do.”
“Why? What is he going to do? Throw you out of the house?”
“I don't know. His whole family has something against gays and stuff.”
“Homophobes, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh my God! Where have you been!?” Samantha's voice screamed from a block away.
Erika winced as she looked up. Samantha stood glowering at her with her hands on her hips.
“Tricia is going insane, wondering if you've been dragged off and raped, lying in a ditch somewhere!” Samantha was still screaming.
“Sorry, I think I passed out on my front lawn. If it wasn't for Pete, here, I'd have been found by my dad.”
“You left the party, drunk, without telling anyone.” Samantha hadn't changed position as Erika and Pete neared. She looked tired, haggard and a wreck.
A few steps away from her, Erika was taken aback when she saw Samantha lunge forward and throw her arms around her, squeezing her. “Thank God you're okay. What happened?”
“I don't remember... much,” Erika admitted. She pulled back from Samantha, “Did I really kiss Julian Rock?”
Samantha looked at her friend, “I didn't see it, but I was told that you did.”
“Hi,” Pete greeted.
“Hi, Pete,” Samantha tossed him a smile, “Thanks for walking with her,” she excused him.
“Sure,” Pete shrugged knowing a dismissal when one was thrown in his face.
Erika turned from Samantha and took Pete's hand, “Thank you, Pete, If you hadn't awakened me when you did, I would have been in a very... touchy... situation.”
“Just be careful,” Pete turned and walked down the road to finish off his paper route.
“Come on, I've got to get you back to Tricia's, she is distraught.”
Samantha touched Erika's arm, “When she found you missing last night, she tore out of the party dragging me with her on a search for you. When she got into her house this morning, her mother was pissed that neither of you called her. Tricia's confined to her room going crazy with worry over you. She told her mother that you were sleeping it off at Julian's with Victoria and Krystal.”
“Is she upset?”
“What do you think?” Samantha scoffed, “First you get drunk, then you go make out with Julian, then lets see... you get sick, you pass out in Julian's house, then disappear all together without a word to anyone... oh, and then you pass out on your own front lawn.” Samantha paused, “Why would she be upset?” her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Where have you been, young lady?” Tricia's mother answered the door, “We have been worried sick over your safety.”
“I'm so sorry,” Erika pleaded for forgiveness.
“Your parents left you and your safety in my care. All I asked was that if you were going to drink at the party, that you give me a call to come get you!” She raised her voice.
Erika winced against the volume and the pitch.
“I'm very disappointed in your behavior and the choice you made,” she continued, “I was just about to call your mother. I think I will have you do that for me.”
She turned to Samantha,her voice softened, “Do you want to stay for some breakfast? I have more than enough.”
“That would be nice, thank you,” Samantha nodded.
Tricia's mother turned back to Erika, her voice took on an edge again, “You get up stairs and take a shower. You need to apologize to Tricia while you're at it.”
“Yes, Ma'am.”
Erika shuffled inside and quickly made her way upstairs.
Tricia glared at Erika as she walked into the game room then quickly looked away.
“I'm sorry Tricia,” Erika began as she approached.
Tricia turned away from her and stormed into the hallway bathroom, slamming the door.
“I was drunk. I'd never been drunk before. I didn't know what I was doing when I left,” Erika pleaded from outside the door, “I just felt this need to get out of that party. A need to go home.”
“Go away!” Tricia called.
“I'm sorry,” Erika dragged herself into Tricia's room and grabbed her duffel. She closed the bathroom door behind her, stripped out of Erika's clothes and stepped into a shower. “Fuck!” she cried, “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
Comments
swearing
I don't like to use swear words a lot in my writing, but everyonce in a while, it seems that no others show, or share the appropriate feelings. Sorry if the last line offends anyone
A.A.
me neither but...
I have to admit i would have said allmost word for word what Erica said.
she/he is starting to realise how stupid her/his drinking was
another great read thank you Anistasia.
BookWorm
Expletives...
...whether they are "curse" words or evasions of curse words fill an important role in every natural (and most constructed) language. The subjects and groupings of the words vary from language to language, but they are necessary to express and release frustration, awe, anger, joy, and a whole host of other emotions. I learned long ago to not get offended by expletive use itself, but rather by the intent behind it. You are absolutely right that there is little else that would express what Erika would be feeling right there, and right to use it to do so. Thank you. :-)
Also, thank you for another chapter! :-D You always seem to turn the audience expectations on their ears, judging by the comments left on every chapter so far. I'm looking forward, AGAIN!, to the next so I can see where you'll take us. :-)
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
So Tricia's Miffed...
...rather than crazy or vengeful. And Tricia's mother is still supportive. And Eric's dad still doesn't know. Seems to me that despite Erika's current feelings of despair, she's coming out of this a lot easier than she could have, and depending on what happens when the kids at school hear about it, probably a lot better than she has any right to, even if her continuing self-image problems aren't going anywhere. Nobody, after all, is connecting any of this to the Plague.
Good chapter, A.A. Maybe I'm wrong, but given my feel for the characters here, I can't see Tricia breaking things off for any significant length of time.
Eric
You have to apply
... High School 'The Popular Crowd' logic to what her reaction will be at school.
Her popularity stock will only go up as she is cool at partying. She will be more popular with the boys as she is considered a flipper now. Also, she is fair game now to be approached so she will now have A LOT more boy trouble.
She will, however, have even more trouble if the student body finds out about her at 'Train Wreck' due to Track 666 ( where the devil is in the details :). I think in, correct me if I am wrong Anistasia, in five episodes ? EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW you actually KISSED THE PLAGUE ?!!!!!!! BWAAAAAAAA HAAAAAH HAAAAAH HAAAAAAH!!!!
Kim
Tsunami Warning
First off, I loved the chapter, and the swearing at the end didn't bother me at all. Sometimes, no other word will do.
I agree with Eric. I don't see Tricia giving up on Erika. Tricia was far too worried about Erika, and I think that shows that she's smitten.
Now for the tsunami warning. I can see a great wave coming after this earth shaking chapter. It's the giant wave that signals Erika's doom. You're setting it up nicely but it's coming. The tide is ebbing far more than normal. Tsunami's coming. Beware. Eeeeep!
Thanks very much and please keep it comin'. :)
- Terry
'It never rains but it pours'
Hi Ani
It never rains but it pours!!! Poor Erika,poor Tricia...Its one thing to get drunk,But to make it worse by getting caught kissing a boy by your girlfriend... Well that that is asking for trouble...And thats what Erikas got...Big time!!!Perhaps its me being romantic, but can't see this lovers tiff lasting long {at least thats what i hope!)
It can't be long now before Erikas dad discovers the truth about his son/daughter. It nearly happened here but for the timely intervention of Pete. You do get the feeling how ever that Erika's luck might soon run out.
Ani, I love the way this story is going my only gripe is i've got to wait another week before i can read some more.
Hugs Kirri
he/she needs to think
I think erika need to stop and think about wot he/she is doing befor she gets in to big danger or is going get hurt
and can the next part be longer
Well, Erika Will
Have to deal with the outcome of the party now. Talk about up the creek without a paddle!M
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
You wonder sometimes
in stories whether it might occur to some characters in stories how they might have pissed off some author in Story Heaven - the place where authors die, and go to, where there are 5 muses ( one for each of the 5 basic story types ) for every author and they talk to you all day long for eternity, leading to Pulitzers and 20000 votes and reads in Closet - and that is why they are in such a mess.
Betcha Erika is feeling that right now.
Anyway ... I wonder where Eric is going to change now ? She might be able to temporize with Samantha for a while but I do not believer her family will be so accommodating ?
Also, like I suspected, Erika was never drunk before but even being drunk it really should not change the kind of person you like to make out with so that IS an issue for her to deal with ( bi-sexual anyone - remember she did not like guys per se but the actual kiss by Josh (?) in Kumoni did not actually gross Erik/a out. )
This has most definitely a VERY different journey.
Kim
To Short
This was just to short sure it was understandable with what you focus on but it really was to short. Also I can't believe that Trica's Mom would ever allow underage drinking. Samantha was being a bit of a pain and it is understandable that she was being sarcastic but she could have easied up a bit. But it gets so tiring to get through a chapter and it ends up being so short. I say it's short because I save each chapter for later reading I can tell by the size of the file only going up 20 kbs.
Worst case
Erika's just lucky no one followed her home.
The last line summed up very
The last line summed up very neatly how "screwed" Erika feels right now. She has gone off into the "deep end of the pool" and isn't even wearing a life belt. It is time for her to come out in the open with both her Mother and Father, as I have no doubt that they both are going to hear about the party from some of the parents of Erika's friends. J-Lynn
How come we are letting Samantha, Tricia and Jullian off easily
RAMI
Samantha, Tricia, and Julian all screwed up again. Why was not one of the three of them looking out for Eric/a? They all knew she was out of it, but her so called friends could not keep her on their radar. With three people, they could have each taken a 10-15 minute shift to watch her! Unless Julian Knew for certain that Erika's stomach was empty and she would not vomit again, this was also dangerous. What were they doing? Drinking some more? Taking another toke? They were self centered! Tricia should be the one appoligizing to Eric, rather then finding fault with him!
Tricia's parent's are dangerous! As soon as Tricia came home drunk without Eric/a, her parent's should have been out looking him. They also should have called and advised Eric's parents of the problem. And maybe, have called the police. Eric could have been laying face down in his own vomit, choking on it, in some alley or street, instead of on his back in front of his own home.
I haven't counted but Eric/a has probably used all the luck he has for his/her life time already.
Eric/a and her gang are really palying with fire.
RAMI
RAMI
The characters and the story line
I like this story. It has all the elements for an engaging read. I do not want to discourage author. My comments are just a view of a reader who is confused by the behaviors of the characters.
The last two installments of the story have issues with the story line and characters. I just can't believe that Tricia "loves" Eric/a yet effectively left her alone at the party. This is same Tricia who was closely guarding Erica at the Football game, to prevent poaching by the males around them. Yet, here at a party, which is far less structured, she feels she can just ignore Erica. Tricia knew that the party would be a new and uncomfortable experience for Erica.
Then there is Julian. He says he would not take advantage of her when drunk? Yet, that is exactly what he did. Something is not right. Julian's party and his action with Erica that Tricia saw are at odds with his words. Yet, the prior story had painted a different image. Tricia and Julian "loving" comment at the end of 17, is just out of place with their actions and the context of the event of the party.
While we don't have a clear view of the all the player, Tricia parents don't seem to be the type of parents who would be sending their kid to a drinking teen party. Perhaps I am wrong, but my experience is parents learn to tighten the reigns a little on the latter kids. Having just moved to a new area, I would have expected they would know that the party was supervised. Of course, they would not know the kids that have the drinking parties (yet). However, it is hard to believe they would have just said, "go have fun" without at least having talked to Julian's parents. If they were as loving and caring as presented prior to these installments, I would have expected them to do more than the minimum checking. I would expect that would be especially true considering Erica issues. The degree the party "flowed" with drink may be just Erica view. However, the description did not match the typical the party where the booze (and drugs) are done on the side.
Parent of 4 teenagers.
I fear the DAD.
I have a bad history with Dad's so maybe I am being pessimistic. Her not being discovered laying on her own front lawn ... Gawd this could have gone bad in so many ways. Someone could have raped/murdered her, Dad could have found her;"Let me count the ways" that this could have gone south.
It is extremely unlikely that the fates will smile on her again. My nails are knawed down to the quick, GASP!!!!!
Gwendolyn
Ignore
Sorry wrong episode.
Kim
Reminds me...
All very real... the misunderstandings, not having any idea how much you can drink, the whole business.
And thanks for Pete. That was nice.
Mom
Mom is going to know now uh oh
hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna
not good
hopefully, Tricia will forgive her,