All Rubber Duckies Go To Heaven

Chapter Seven

[Swing Life Away-Rise Against]

****EDITED BY LOVEHYMN****

“Have you ever drunk any substance containing alcohol?”

Aerin’s hand loosened. “No.”

“Drugs?”

“Does cough medicine count?”

“No.” Josh shook his head and muttered, “Smart alec….”

“Then no.”

“What about sex?”

“Absolutely…” He paused. “Not,” he finished with a smirk.

“Awesome. Have you ever felt pressured to have sex?”

Aerin stuck his tongue out to one side and bit down on it lightly, contemplating his answer. “Well, yeah. There’s a lot of pressure on guys nowadays. Especially in High School.”

“How’s it for girls, Jan?”

I was leaning against the stage with my thumbs hooked on my belt loops. “Not as drastic but there’s still a lot of pressure. I know guys try to get off easy with that crap so they play with words.”

“So I’m guessing it’s the same with alcohol and drugs?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Kind of.”

“I see. You guys can sit down now.”

“Thank the Lord,” I whispered as I darted back to my seat.

Jayden hadn’t really exercised abstinence. I knew his last girlfriend had given it all to him, and there were other things.

A lot of the time I spent at his house he’d go after his mum’s beer. I don't think she cared one way or the other. This typically resulted in sloppy make out sessions he wanted to evolve. Half the time I was struggling to keep his hands in the right places. The other half I was nervously on guard.

As for drugs, Jayden paid off a kid who faked physiological illness for his prescriptions.

The rest of the youth meeting went by quickly, schooling us with the stereotypical abstinent teen speech. I haven't meant to sound like I didn't care about the subject, but I’ve heard the whole thing since I found out what sex was. It has always been bipolar.

When my dad had to give me “The Talk” he described sex as “an intimate process that is highly enjoyable but may result in larger situations.” At school kids fawn over how glamorous it was, how there’s no feeling like it. Then again, we have pregnant freshman getting ridiculed every day. Some seniors have to throw away their college dreams because they’re starting a family while they’re only seventeen.

Guys were getting tied down too tight, too early. Girls had their lives torn apart by guys who didn’t love them back that way.

In all, I found it a mess which I was not ready to dive into.

Afterward I followed Aerin out. He leaned against the stair railing and I mirrored him. The night had gotten cold and silent, the air was thick and undisturbed. It weighed down on all my words, rendering me unable to talk. I pulled out my iPod.

A few awkward minutes later Aerin sighed and came to stand beside me. I cocked an eyebrow as I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He was studying the screen and smiled before snatching the earphone from me.

“Turn it up,” he whispered. He was so close to my ear. His voice was like silk and as his warm breath ran over my skin it sent chills down my spine. I slid my thumb around the control pad.