Find Her, Keep Her (CFTM Sequel)

Chapter 14 (Part 3)

*NOTE: Check out the Audiobook version of this chapter voiced by kaelking12 (Kristen Maglonzo)! Featuring music by Smallpools.

Elias

Roxy grits her teeth but then snaps on a smile like nothing's wrong at all. Scary.

"Fine. We're all heading into Westwood . Meet in the hallway sharp. Lateness is not an option. See you then, froshies!"

Roxy glares at Jersey one last time before slithering back out the door. I shut it behind her and turn around to see Jersey caving in on herself in the corner.

"You okay?" I ask, but she doesn't answer.

Her eyes are laser focused on her phone...which probably isn't a good thing.

"Hello? Senorita spider fingers, I'm talking to you."

She snaps her head up and looks at me with a scowl painted across her lips.

"I know, just give me a second I'm texting--"

"Kai?"

"No, Indigo. And whether or not I'm texting Kai shouldn't matter to you. You have Dan."

Really?

"Jersey, Me and Dan aren't--"

The door rattles to life a second time, and I don't hesitate to answer it. If Roxy's back to bother us again, I'll make sure to send her packing this time around.

"What Roxy?!"

"Woah, calm your aura, Elias. It's just me. Are you still holding my roommate hostage?"

Indigo has this weird way of looking at people like she can see straight through them. I let her inside before she can see more than I want her to.

"She's all yours, but I'm gonna have to steal her back later. We're working on this weird Social Night thing. You coming?" I ask.

"If the world worked the way I wanted it to, I'd opt out. But Roxy's gonna make me so, I have no choice."

Indigo struts into the room and the second Alex sees her,she bolts up outta her chair and hugs her like crazy. Hanging out with me solo wasn't that bad...was it?

"I'm so glad you're here! Did you sneak up the stairs like I told you? If Roxy catches you, she'll force you into slave labor too," Jersey says.

Indigo sinks down onto my bed which kinda bothers me since she still smells like that fruit thing she was tossing around earlier.

"Honestly, I'm not too worried about Roxy right now, because I know a way we can all have fun despite her. One minute."

Indigo stands up and wanders out the door only to come back with a giant burlap bag a couple seconds later.

She slides it off her shoulder and starts digging through it like she's looking for hippy gold. As weird as she is, I'm glad Jersey ended up with her as her roommate instead someone like Roxy. At least Indigo has her back in a weird, trippy kinda way.

"Behold. The solution to our woes," Indigo says.

She pulls out an unmarked mason jar with some kinda clear sloshy stuff inside. The coolest part is watching the lights from the ceiling sparkling on the water or whatever it is.

Cool.

Anyway, if the light reflector juice smells anything like that green thing she had earlier, I'm gonna throw it out the window before she has the chance to open it. Real talk.

"What's that?" Jersey asks.

"A journey in a bottle--"

Ha. Like the Christina Aguilera song. Or is that Genie?

"--try it if you dare, room sister."

"Woah there, Woodstock, I'm the man here, lemme test it before she drinks it. Safety first!" I say. 

Indigo's not even halfway through popping the top off the bottle when I step in and snatch it from her. She reaches up to stop me, but I tip the jar to my lips and brace myself for whatever's coming before she can do anything about it.

Mistake #1.

Liquid fire tears through my mouth, burns down the back of my throat, and singes it's way up my nostrils. I screw my eyes shut and try to swallow whatever the hell I poisoned myself with, but my body sends it right back out where it came from. 

I spit Indigo's gasoline cocktail all over the floor and all over myself. Jersey bursts out laughing so hard it brings her to her knees, while all Indigo can manage to do is stare at me like she thinks I'm as dumb as I feel.

"And--that's what you get for trying to chug my dad's moonshine. It's organic so it's like, super powerful. Think before you drink, Elias," Indigo says.

"Hey! You were the one who was trying to offer it to Alex. She can't drink that stuff, she'll go crazy. Alcohol makes her kinda--"

I point to my temple with my forefinger and make little loopy circles just to prove my point. Indigo almost laughs. Sadly, Jersey doesn't share her awesome sense of humor.

She stands up off the floor, muscles her way between me and Indigo, and steals the moonshine like the little gangster she is.

"Excuse me, Elias, but I think can I handle a little bit of moonshimmer."

Yeah, if 'handling' means showing up to Social Night ready to repeat last year's penis-colada karaoke, then sure.

"It's 'moonshine' and no, you can't. Trust me, Alex, I used to drink twenty-four seven and even I didn't mess around with moonshine. Don't go down that road if you know what's good for you," I say, but she's not listening.

She's too busy gulping down mouthfuls of moonshine with tears in her eyes as she swallows. Jersey polishes off a third of the bottle before either me or Indigo can stop her, and then wipes her mouth on her sleeve.

Yep. She's a keeper.

"What was it you were saying about me not being able to hold my liquor, Señor Spit All over the place?" She asks.

"Easy on the ego, Jersey. In a couple hours, you'll see what I'm talking about."

Alex grabs her backpack off the floor and struts towards the front door like a rooster.

"No, I won't. I'll be fine, and you'll eat your words. Come on, Indigo let's leave Elias alone so he can clean up his mess."

She stares down at the wet patches on my shirt and pants and the smirk on her face sends my blood pressure through the roof.

"Say what you want. Just don't come crying to me tomorrow if you do something stupid ."

"Not gonna happen! I'll be sober, and you'll be wrong!"

"You're gonna be wasted in less than thirty minutes, at best."

"Wanna bet?" She asks.

If Dan was here right now, he'd probably tell me not to do what I'm thinking about doing.

He'd tell me to stop chasing a girl I can't have, to stop thinking about all the ways I can get her back, and to stop making bets that get me into trouble.

But the thing is.

I like trouble.

Especially if I'm getting into it with her.

And while a good boy wouldn't spend the night with a girl who has a boyfriend, and a good boy would be smart enough let her go, God knows I've never been one of those.

Sorry, Kai.

The competition's back. 

(Thank you guys for reading! Hope you enjoyed the audiobook! My birthday is on Sunday so I'm not 100% sure if I'll be able to update this weekend or if I'll have to push it to Tuesday/Wednesday of next week but I will try my best!)