Something Happened

Chapter 16

"Do you want to talk about it?" Damon asks me. After I bled my truth out onto this very table, everything got silent. No one really knew how to talk to the girl whose body had been ripped from her without consent.

"I do not. I'm sure you want me to though. I'm sure that you'd all like to know about how he undressed me and how my body moved against the sheets. I'm sure you would like to know that he folded my clothes before he left and how he told me that he's sorry. He is, you know. Sorry. He told me. Before he left-when I was left naked and frozen. Isn't the damnest thing-he folded my clothes but he didn't even cover me up with a blanket before he left-"

"-Stop. Just stop," Damon's harsh voice cuts me off. I hadn't even realized that I was doing it again. Ranting without my own consent. It wouldn't be the first time-something happening without my consent. I look at the guys completely mortified. I wish I could take it back.

Benny looks like he's going to cry, Damon still looks pissed, Jamie looks like he's lost in thought and Ethan looks like he doesn't know what to think. I don't know what to think either. I don't know what's wrong with me.

"I can't believe you never told me," Benny tells me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know how. I didn't want it to get out. Jared's been helping me a lot, but he left to go back to the army earlier. He told me that I should tell you guys," I tell him. He nods and everyone takes it all in.

"I don't know what to say. Uhm, are you okay?" Ethan asks. He's totally out of character. His bouncy and happy self has turned into a tensed but concerned form.

"That's kind of a complicated question," I tell him in return, not really knowing the answer myself. Am I okay?

"Do you want some wine?" Jamie asks me.

***

"Okay, I think we should get you home," Benny's words swirl around my head. I frown.

"Party pooper," my words come slurred and I giggle. Words are funny.

"You heard the girl, don't be a party pooper, Benny!" Ethan yells with a bottle of Fireball hanging from his hand. After I polished off a bottle of wine we brought out some fireball and Jack Daniel's.

Benny gets up from the couch where everyone had been lounging with drinks in their hand. My legs were sprawled over Damon's lap and my back was pressed up against Ethan's side. Jamie was sitting next to Ethan and next to where Benny had previously been.

"I am serious, Estelle you should go home and get some rest," Benny tells me sternly. I look at Damon.

"Damon! Save me from the sudden death I will certainly die from because of boredom." Damon looks at me confusedly, most likely not understanding my drunken mess of words.

"Come on, we can walk you home. It will be a nice little walk," Damon says, pulling all of us off of the couch. I stumble when my feet hit the ground and Damon has to stabilize me.

"Jamie, a little help would be nice," Damon says as he puts his arm around my waist and holds me up. Jamie grabs ahold of the other drunken mess and we all clump together and walk outside.

Benny leads the way to my house as Ethan and I stumble along. Damon does his best to hold me upward and Jamie does his best to hold Ethan upward.

"Y'all are a pain in my ass," Benny says as he trudges up the small hill. We decided to take the trails that go behind my house because Damon claimed that is was safer or something. This made it harder for all of us to get up it. My feet don't listen and I tumble forwards. Damon catches me just in time.

"I'm so over this," Damon huffs out and suddenly his hands are around my waist and I am being thrown over his shoulder.

"Damon!" I yell in surprise. My head falls upsidedown uncomfortably. "Damon all of my blood is going to rush to my head, put me down!"

Damon grunts in a reply but we resituate so that he is giving me a piggy-back ride. I feel slightly uncomfortable but the alcohol in my veins doesn't allow me to walk on my own so I don't protest. Plus at this rate, we would never get home.

"I don't know why y'all had to go off and get drunk," Jamie says, pulling Ethan's arm over his shoulder to walk more comfortable while simultaneously helping Ethan walk.

"Shut up, I was raped, I am allowed to drink every once in a while," I yell at him. Everyone takes a sharp inhale of breath.

"Estelle! Shhh! Don't keep saying those things. We should talk about this for sure but now is not the time. Anyone could be on these trails," Benny says as Damon's hands stiffen on my thighs. I hadn't even realized they were there before. In my hazy state, I throw my hands on Damon's face, squishing his cheeks.

Jamie laughs at us but his laughter is cut short when Ethan suddenly dubbles over and pukes.

"Goddamnit! Couldn't you hold it in!" Jamie shouts. Ethan jumps up and shrugs.

"Not really, but I feel a lot better now," Jamie grunts and pulls him forward.

"If any of you puke anywhere near me again I swear to god I will leave you here," Jamie grumbles, walking off with a stumbling Ethan rushing to keep up.

***

"Is this yours?" Damon asks me, walking to the front of my house from behind it.

"Yeah," I sigh. "Someone should stay with me," I whisper.

"I'll stay if you want me to. Your mom won't have a heart attack if she sees me there," Benny says, since he's been over before.

"It won't matter anyway, she's never home anymore," I tell him. My words still seem a little slurred and my mind is still hazy. That's probably why I am telling them this. I would never say any of these things if I weren't drunk.

"I don't mind staying," all of the guys chime in. We all look at each other.

"Sleepover?"