The door unlocking stops me from going any further. I expect my mom, maybe even Sherry, but it’s Reyna. She eyes me. I set the bottle back on the table. She shuts the door softly behind her. She takes a step and her shoe crunches whatever was left of my phone. She looks down at the mess.

Why does she love me? Why would anyone love me?

“What’s going on?” she looks up at me.

“What the hell does it look like, I am having a breakdown, obviously.” I force out a laugh.

She sighs.

“Why did you come back?” I ask.

She steps over the mess and walks over to me. I watch her make a face at the whisky. Then without a word she picks up the bottle and takes two large gulps. Then she offers it to me. I slowly take it from her.

“Well, what the fuck else am I going to do? Right? I mean, I don’t want to give up on us. Not when it’s just getting started. Even if you don’t love me, I still want to love you. I still want to show you a good time. I want to be with you. It’s better than running away to California again or going home. Can we just forget everything earlier ever happened?”

I stare at the bottle. Then I take a shaky breath before I also take two large gulps.

“Okay.” I wince.

She forces a smile.

“You broke your sober streak.” She points out.

“Yep, I guess I did. not that it matters. It wasn’t even my longest streak. I broke a three-year streak a few months ago. Just because I wanted to. So fuck the world am I right?” I take another large drink.

“Hey, you better share.” She pulls up a chair next to me.

I hand her the bottle.

She takes a few sips.

“Let’s take this to the room.” I grab the bottle and walk to my bed.

She follows me.

I kick my shoes off and lay down, holding the bottle over my mouth and letting the amber liquid waterfall down into my throat. She crawls in next to me. I offer the bottle and she takes it.

“What are we drinking to?” Reyna asks.

“To having shit shows for lives,”

“Emm, amen to that.” She takes a big drink.

I pull her into my arms and she sighs into me.

“Before we get to drunk, can I ask you something?”

“Please.”

“Will you run away with me? Like, let’s just fuck everything you know? Like just go where ever the hell we want. Screw everyone else. Drop it all and start all over. Would you do that with me?”

“Like quit my job and just move?”

“Yeah, like we can get one of those mobile homes and just go anywhere and everywhere. Live off the land. When we need money, we can do side jobs, you can do some modeling stuff, I’ll think of something. Just you and me against the world.”

“What about school? Shouldn’t you finish high school first?”

“I’ll drop out, get my G.E.D. Please say yes.” She stares up at me.

I turn my head and look at her fully.

“I’ll think about it. Give me this weekend. Sunday night I’ll have my answer for you. Let’s just enjoy this weekend, after school tomorrow, let’s just go do whatever the fuck we want. Go out and have fun. You’ll take me racing on Saturday. Let’s just fuck it all. Screw homework, or preparing for work on Monday, just do whatever the hell we want. If by Sunday night I’ve decided that being with you is better than being here and having a normal life. I’ll run away with you.”

“Really?”

I nod.

She sets the bottle down on the nightstand and gets on top of me before kissing me. I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer to me. Her tongue darts into my mouth and I let my tongue roll around on her tongue ring.

She starts to grind herself on me. The buzz I have only helps to get me going. I lift her shirt off and toss to the ground before running my hands up and down her back. God, I love her body. So firm and soft at the same time. Fuck she’s so hot. She’s toned, very toned. She must work out or something, yet I never see her. Maybe it’s just her body, some people really get lucky and never have to lift a finger to look good.

I run my hands down her back and then stick them in her pants to give her ass a nice squeeze.

“Mmm.” She moans into my mouth.

“Fuck, I’m so turned on right now.” I pull back.

“Keep touching me.” she moves her lips to my neck.

I flip her over to her back and get on top of her. Then I pull her pants down. I take a moment to admire her naked body. God, she’s so fucking sexy. Toned body, muscles in all the right places. Yet not too muscular to where it detracts from her feminine qualities. Like her perfect full breast, or her nice tight ass. Not to mention her soft face, those cloudy grey eyes. Fuck she’s hot.

I quickly take my own clothes off before moving and getting back on top of her.

“Fuck I’m going to fuck you so good.” I interlock our legs.

“Yes, fuck me.” she moans.

So I do. I grind into her until we reach a mutual climax. Then we finish the first bottle of whiskey and move on to the next. Halfway through that bottle, we have sex again. Then we finish that bottle and pass out on my bed watching old cartoon reruns.

Since my phone was shattered I had no alarm and no way for anyone to get in contact with me.

Which is how my mom wound up in the doorway to my room.

“Scarlet Avery Ashton!” she shouted.

“I’m up!” I fell out of bed. For a second I felt like a teenager again trying to play hooky and got caught. “Ow, fuck.” I groan at my hangover.

“What the hell is this?” Mom picks up an empty bottle from the floor.

“Fucking hell what time is it?” I ask.

“Emm!” Rey complains and pulls the blankets over her head.

“It’s already 9 o’clock, you’ve missed your first class and you are about to miss your second class.”

“Shit.” I rub my eyes and look for something to wear.

“I’ve been calling you all morning!” she shouts.

“My phone got stolen.” I lie.

“Oh yeah, I saw it, on the floor by the door. Whoever stole it didn’t get that far.” She rolls her eyes.

“Shit, can you just… not, right now. Seriously like take it down five notches. I have a hangover.” I complain.

“Whose fault is that!” she shouts.

“Ahh, fuck. Just stop yelling.” I rub my temples.

“And who is this in your bed?” she hits Rey’s leg.

“My girlfriend.” I pull a skirt on.

“Emm,” Rey grumbles a complaint before tucking her legs under the blanket.

“Honestly Scarlet, I am at my wit's end, every time I think we are finally taking a step forward here we are three steps back.” She kicks the empty bottle.

“Lecture later, I’m late.” I button the final button on my shirt before pulling my hair up into a sloppy bun.

Mom watches as I slip my heels on and grab my bag.

“Lock up for me stingray,” I say.

“Fuck off,” Rey grumbles.

“Oh, she’s a real charmer.” Mom eyes me.

“Just don’t. come on.” I grab my mom’s hand and drag her out the door.

It’s a good thing mom didn’t get a good look at Rey because fuck I am pretty sure she’d drive me to the police station herself.

“This better not happen again, and I am coming over later and we are talking about your drinking problem.”

“Just fuck off okay! Damn. I have enough shit to deal with without you breathing down my neck. I’m a grown ass woman if I want to drink my life away then guess what, I will! There isn’t a god damn thing you can do about it!” I snap at her.

Her eyes water over and she shakes her head at me before getting into her car and driving away.

Fuck.

I get into my car and drive to school. I walk in just as the tardy bell rings for the third class. I barge into my class just as Dinah is about to jump into a lecture.

“Sorry, sorry, I know. Insert lame excuse here.” I grab the book from her hands.

She sighs and frowns at me before taking her seat.

The class snickers at me.

Fuck this place. Maybe I will run away.

Honestly, anything would be better than being here in this hell.

I might just take Rey up on her offer.