Eenie Meenie Minie Mo

Chapter Eleven

  “But it’s fun!” He raised his voice and everyone cheered him on.

  “Yeah, until you wake up in your own vomit.” I shook my arm off. “Forget it, dude.”

  Even though I was walking away, Leander kept following me. “You know somethin’, Hollywood? You’re pretty cute.”

  I snorted a laugh, rolling my eyes. “Gee, thanks. Why’re following me, exactly?”

  He grinned sloppily, but he looked a little bit adorable when he did so. “I’m gonna follow you all night ‘till you finish this drink!”

  “Oh my God! What is with you? I’m not gonna drink it, okay?” I snapped. “Let it go already.”

  “Oh, Hollywood. You know me better than that. I never let anything go.”

  Wasn’t that the truth. I stopped and turned around, holding out my hand. “Okay. Let me see the cup.”

  Leander looked me over skeptically. “Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re just gonna chuck it.”

  I smiled cheekily. “Why, Leander! I thought you wanted me to chug it?”

  “I ain’t that drunk, sweet pea.”

  I actually debated the drink. Would it really be that bad to let myself go for just one night? I wanted inspiration. What got better than getting drunk, even if it was just a little bit?

  Dark thoughts filled my head. Memories of parties with my California friends. They really knew how to throw a party. Memories….horrible memories. They mostly revolved around my dad. How he got when he’d had too much and how those “too much” nights escalated to where I hardly recognized him as the man who’d raised me and loved me.

  Without thinking, I grabbed the cup out of Leander’s hand and chugged the bitter liquid. I would not be thinking about my dad! No way. And since I had been fighting those thoughts for so long, I just needed to get away from them.

 Leander whistled. “Damn, girl!”

  But I wasn’t happy and I certainly wasn’t silly. I tossed the cup over my shoulder, furious with myself for breaking that promise. I was already in now; might as well join Leander’s silliness.

  “You know,” I said a half hour later with a few beers in me. “I came here to get inspired. I’m a writer. Did you know that?”

  Leander laughed. “Me, too!”

  I slapped his arm. “I’m serious, dumbass.” But I was laughing too hard to come off as serious. I frowned, scanning the room we were currently in. “Where the hell are we, anyway?”

  Leander, sitting on the floor beside me, leaned against the bed. “My room.”

  I laughed harder. “Dude, there isn’t enough alcohol in the world for me to stay in here with you.” But when I stood up, the floor moved beneath me. I swayed, trying in vain to get my balance.

  Leander stood up, laughing, and helped me back down. “Back at ya, Hollywood. The door’s open for a reason, you know.”

  I looked up in his blue eyes. “You repulse me, you know?”

  He raised his brows, one side of his mouth pulled up in a smirk. “Careful, Hollywood. You’re gonna hurt my feelings.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh, what feelings?”

  “You know somethin’? We are pretty much the same, you and I.”

  “Oh, we are, are we?” I laughed for a whole minute at that.