Page 14

blame it on the alcohol

W hy do I let my friends convince me to go to parties with them? I hardly talk to anyone and all I do is smoke outside or stand in a corner, making sure my friends don’t do anything stupid.

Iri and Jamiel were off playing some drinking games and Lin was trying to, in his words, ‘woo’ Eloise. Someone he’s liked since the ninth grade. Even though he didn’t want anything physical, it was an emotional relationship he wanted with her.

It's actually my fault Eloise doesn't like Lin. He, Jamiel, and I were menaces our first two years and she was the 'perfect' student. Naturally, we butted heads. It was only when Iri became a part of our group at the end of tenth grade when we started growing up… Kind of.

I was leaning against a wall watching every interaction, disinterested in it all until Reaper’s presence overtook the room.

She wore a white long-sleeved top and a short pink skirt, covering her legs with thigh high socks, contrasting me in all black, with silver chains and a beanie.

She’s so feminine, you would never expect her to be one of Soulesity’s deadliest killers.

She had come alone, but it didn't take long for someone to approach her with a drink, another hugging her in a greeting.

My gaze followed her as she disappeared to another room with a few others.

A moment later, even more people followed her.

It almost looked like she was trying to get away from them.

Her eyes met mine and held them until she was right in front of me.

A move that successfully got rid of her fans or at least forced them to keep a distance, waiting for her to be finished with me.

Reaper lightly grazed her long coffin nails across my cheek, painted silver with red hearts tonight. An icy chill rippled through me from her gentle touch.

“Did you get in trouble because of me?” she whispered.

“Why would you say that?” I asked in the same volume.

“I’m sorry.”

I quite literally threatened to kill her last night, and she’s the one apologising?

I grabbed her wrist, pushing her hand away from me.

“I don’t think I ever want to hear you apologise to me again,” I muttered, releasing my grip on her.

My gaze went down to the small cut on her neck, just a scab now.

“You don’t drink?” she asked, sipping on hers.

“No.” I’ve never tasted a drop of alcohol. I know what it does to people, and I wasn’t about to lose control over my mind or body.

“The taste?”

“I don’t like what it does to people.” I attempted to end the conversation, not letting her use me to have some sort of solitude. If she doesn't like talking to people, she shouldn't have come. I could say the same for myself.

Her eyes shifted to amusement. “Try some.”

I shook my head. “Don’t force me.”

“A sip isn’t going to do anything.”

“Then why would I try?”

“So you can say you did.”

She wouldn't leave me alone until I did, so I took her cup and drank a bit. Shit. Was there no mixer in it? I coughed at the burn. “Gross, I can’t believe you like this.”

“Cinth! Are you drinking?” Jamiel shouted from the other end of the room .

I handed Reaper her liquid of death back, ignoring Jamiel.

“I like the burn,” she said.

“Why?” I popped a second pill into my mouth. I probably shouldn’t mix the two, but I only had one mouthful.

“I just do.” She walked away, satisfied with getting me to do what she wanted. I think she won again.

“What are you doing talking to goth boys?” Eloise scrunched up her nose, throwing a dirty look in my direction.

Reaper didn't reply.

Eloise wrapped her arm around Reaper, leading her further away from me. “Let me introduce you to boys who are more… suitable.”

I couldn't help the roll of my eyes.

There’s a cosy shed with heaters inside, specifically designed for smoking, so I headed out to the garden and inside the shed. Reaper was there, inhaling whatever drug they were offering her, laughing with them. I was about to step out when one of them called me over. “Hyacinth, take a hit.”

As long as I don’t have to sit next to her, I’ll be fine.

I took a seat in the corner of a sofa and took in a deep breath, my head already beginning to haze.

“That’s bloody strong,” I muttered, glancing at Reaper, seeing if she could actually handle this, but she seemed fine, just tired.

But she always looked tired with her half-lidded eyes, probably because she had to carry those long thick lashes of hers.

“Yeah, it better be for the price I paid.” One of them laughed a bit too hard, intoxicated. "I swear they overcharged me."

"Nah, everything's getting expensive these days. D'you see the price of apples these days?" another exasperated .

A girl giggled, chiming in. "Yeah, my mum was off on another rant about the rise in cost of eggs just last night!"

"They've been putting tiny jars of honey inside these locked plastic cases. You'd think it's bloody jewellery, hey?" someone grouched.

I took one more hit before handing it back, then tilted my head back on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling and listening to the conversation, but not necessarily contributing to it. The topic constantly shifted with the drug giving them the attention span of a squirrel, I didn’t bother to keep up.

The girl, who acted as a barrier between Reaper and I, got up and swapped spots with her.

“Why?” I groaned.

“Because I wanted to sit next to you.” Reaper lightly smiled, taking another hit of the drug.

“Have you ever heard of personal space?”

She leaned closer, her shoulder touching mine. “No, what’s that?” After passing the blunt, Reaper took my hand in hers and began playing with my rings, spinning one around my finger. The origin of this familiar feeling flashed in my mind for a brief second.

***

A younger version of Celestine had her head on my chest, playing with the rings on my hand while I used my other hand to play with her hair.

***

She stopped spinning the rings around my finger and placed her necklace with my ring in the palm of my hand, closing my fingers over it.

“After all this time, now you don’t want it anymore?” I asked.

“No, that’s okay.”

“I told you, you could keep it. ”

“You don’t remember giving it to me, it feels wrong to have it now.” Her voice sounded distant as she took her time releasing my hand.

I waited for her to change her mind, but she didn’t, so I slipped it into my pocket. A thought itched at the edge of my tongue. I saw her drink at least four cups of alcohol and take a few hits of that strong drug, so why does she look so sober? “Do you have a high tolerance to alcohol and drugs?”.

“Yes, unfortunately.”

Her body is so small, I assumed she’d be a lightweight. “How?”

She shifted her eyes to mine. “You ask a lot of questions.”

I'm a curious boy and she's a curious girl.

“I’ve been doing it since I was twelve,” she finally answered in a bored tone.

“Why would you do that to yourself at such a young age?” Octavius probably gave her alcohol and drugs so it was easier for him to take advantage of her. That sick bastard.

She shrugged.

I took out a cigarette, beginning to light the end of it. Just as I lit the flame, Reaper grabbed the cigarette out of my mouth and snapped it between her fingers.

“Cel,” someone gasped. Everyone in the room turned and stared with wide eyes.

It took a moment for me to realise what happened. “What the bloody hell is your problem?” I glared at her.

“Don't smoke cigarettes.” Her voice nearly pleaded with me.

“Don't tell me what to do,” I snapped back, pulling out another one, but she grabbed it just the same.

“Are you bloody serious?” I pushed her to the side, not taking into account her small size, and her body fell onto the sofa, knocking into the girl at the other end of it, who let out a small yelp. I cursed at her.

She's so bloody sensitive about cigarettes, but not drugs? Where is the logic?

Reaper kicked my hand, and the pack fell out of my grip.

Oh, you've bloody done it now. I turned to her with dark eyes, but before I could do anything, someone quickly pulled her off the sofa and away from my wrath.

They took her outside of the shed and I don't know what happened out there, but it was smart to get her away from me.

“Woah, what is her problem?” one of them asked.

I don't know and I don't care. I picked my pack off the floor, taking another cigarette, having lost two already. These are expensive in this city. I lit it up and enjoyed my smoke, not feeling any shame at all after manhandling a girl.

After a bit, I grew bored of the shed and decided to find one of my friends.

Lin was sitting on one of the many sofas, laughing with a few people and I didn't want to be in the conversation, but I needed to sit down.

“You and Cel got into a fight,” one of them said.

“And it got physical,” another said, joining in, taking a seat next to me.

“Yeah, whatever.” I rolled my eyes.

“What's she got against smoking?” one asked.

“Probably nothing.” Lin had a teasing smirk on his face. “Just doesn't like Cinth doing it.”

The others snickered and made mocking noises.

“Shut up,” I grouched. “If you think she cares about my health, you're so wrong.” I'm sure if Silias told her to, she wouldn't hesitate to kill me and make it as slow as possible.

“It might be her way of showing it.” Lin took a long sip of his drink.

“You disgust me,” I spat at him.

“Oh, look, there she is.” One of them pointed.

I turned to look, but I didn't see her.

The group burst into laughter. “You look like a puppy finding their owner.”

Oh, bloody hell .

I stood up, glaring down at all of them, and cursed a few words their way, but it only made them laugh harder.

I hate this. I hate Reaper. I hate her so much.

I headed over to Iri and Jamiel in the kitchen, needing to find some sort of solitude. “What are you guys playing?”

“Spin the bottle,” Iri said. “Someone get Cel in here!”