metulji - jan peteh

Immature, but home

I hadn't noticed that, but when I turned to look at Jan, he was already meeting my gaze. I moved my stare around the room, pretending that I was intently searching for something, before rounding back to Kris. 'I have no idea.' I shrugged.

Nace was the next to speak. 'He might love you more than he loves me, and we have chemistry.' He laughed.

'Your man's safe with me. We can share.' I offered. 'Split him down the middle, or something.'

'Good plan. Although, I'm not sure if he wants to be shared.'

'Well, I want to share him. How can I deal with that much Jan all the time?' I pretended to shudder. 'Jesus, I don't even want to think about that.'

'Seriously, though, what have you done to him? He's never like this.' Bojan interjected, leaning across the table towards me.

'What can I say? I'm just crazy attractive.'

Nobody had time to say anything else before Jure came back into the room, jumping over the back of the couch Nace and Bojan were sat on and landing perfectly in the middle, the shock making the cushions vibrate. I could have sworn that I heard something in the chair crack, but I said nothing.

'Beer, Jurček.' Kris took the can from before and threw it to him, which landed perfectly in his lap. Picking it up, he pulled back the tab and held it up to his lips, breaking the seal and attempting to take a sip.

Then it exploded.

It happened within a split second - anyone who blinked would have missed it. The yellow liquid quickly hit the ceiling, bubbles fizzing over the side of the can and all over his clothes, which were now stained a very unflattering colour.

'Krščen Matiček! Pojdi se solit!' he shouted, cursing heavily in Slovenian. His words could barely be heard over the laughs of the rest of the group, Nace's by far the loudest. Bojan imitated Jure's reaction, exaggerating his pure fear, as Jan practically keeled over the back of the chair, cackling hard.

'Fuck the deposit.' Jure announced, spilling what was left of the beer over Bojan's head, who immediately shook his hair, an action that sprayed fluid over the walls, and all over Jure once more.

'Šmentana muha! I washed that this morning!' Bojan screamed, rubbing his wet head into Jure's neck.

Sure, they weren't the most mature people I've met, but they were home.

~o~

'Okay, so how exactly does this work?' I asked, looking from boy to boy, hoping one of them would explain the game to me. I'd already shotted half my bottle of Sourz, which looked strangely distorted. We were all in a similar state; laughing at absolutely nothing and stumbling across the room.

'It's easy.' Bojan slurred. Kris took over, being the closest to sober, despite holding my bottle of prosecco in both hands and taking regular swigs.

'Two of us sit back to back and someone asks a question. If you think the answer is you, then raise your glass. If you think it's the other person, then keep it on the floor. If your answers don't match, you both take a shot.'

Had I been coherent, I was sure that would've made perfect sense. I decided to just nod and get on with it, knowing that no matter how many times it was repeated, I still wouldn't grasp it.

'Jure and Jan first. Nace, you ask the question.'

They both sat on the floor, pushing their backs into each other and laughing hysterically.

'Most likely to get drunk on pre-drinks.'

Jan thought about it, but his glass remained flat on the floor. Jure, practically passed out, took a few seconds to take in the question, his eyes wide and empty. Not a single thought rendered in his brain. 'Again, please.' he requested confusedly. When Nace repeated the question, he had another few seconds of thought, before raising his drink in the air.

'Turn around.' Nace said, the pair now swivelling to face each other.

'Fuck yeah!' Jure shouted as he clinked his shot glass with Jan's, despite them both having the same answer.

'Jure, you're not meant to drink. You both answered the same.' Nace stated. Before he had finished, the shot was already down Jure's neck.

'Do you really think he should be playing this?' I whispered to Bojan, who shrugged.

'It's his own fault if he gets shit faced.'

'Bojan and Lilia next. I'll ask the question.' Kris informed us, and we shifted to the floor where Jan and Jure had been sat, now back to back.

'Most likely to take the mic at a karaoke.'

If there was one thing I loved, it was getting drunk and doing karaoke. I held my glass in the air immediately. Until we were told to look at each other, I was unaware that Bojan had done the same thing.

'Karaoke without me is not karaoke.' I crossed my arms, ready to defend myself.

'I'm the lead singer in a band, Lilia. Come on.' He argued drunkenly.

'I bet I'm still better at karaoke.' I edged closer to his face, practically spitting my words at him.

'I doubt that.'

'Shot!' Jure shouted, joining us on the floor with another full glass. I decided not to question his presence, and just prepare myself to down the amber whiskey. We all put our glasses together, and drank the lot down. If there was one thing I knew about Jack Daniels after that, it was that I did not want it anywhere near my mouth again.

'Okay, now me and Nace. Who wants to ask the question?' Kris declared, looking around the group. 'Bojan, go on. Stop being pressed about the karaoke.'

'Most likely to sleep with their ex.' he blurted out, a statement that was met with radio silence. Kris did not move an inch. Nace gave Bojan a 'what the fuck?' sort of look before raising his glass into the air.

'Not saying I would, but we both know who wouldn't.' he said to Bojan, who only then realised how badly he'd fucked up.

'Shit. Well, surprise, your answers match!' he laughed nervously, before giving me an alarmed look and downing whatever was left of my Sourz straight from the bottle.