Drunk Again

"Kris, you– you can't keep doing this," he babbled, holding my hair back for me as I emptied my stomach into the toilet. I inhaled, unsure if I was done or not. Yep, I was finished. I slumped against the bath, throwing my head back and closing my eyes as I breathed in and out. "I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to deal with this," I muttered. I was beginning to feel dizzy again. The digital clock on the window sill told us that it was four in the morning. "You should head home to your apartment," I said. "It's getting late– uh, I mean early..." Rob sighed and looked me in the face, his expression serious. "This is the fourth time this week that you've had too much to drink," he told me. "Life in New York is tough, there are bars everywhere, you can get so tempted. Don't give in."
I'd only moved to New York two weeks ago after my parents had kicked me out of our house in LA for getting expelled for the ninth time. I was seventeen and living on my own in The Big Apple. If only Rob wasn't such a gentleman. He waited for me to come back to the apartment building, knowing where I'd been each night I was out. He would stay with me until I had no stomach left and covered me with a blanket when I passed out on my dirty couch. Rob lived next door. He was nineteen.
"I'll try to stop." "Good. Now get some rest, you'll need energy to do your online schooling later." Rob picked me up bridal style in his muscular, sturdy arms and gently placed me on the couch with a blanket. He put a bucket from beneath the kitchen sink near my head, so if I had to throw up again I wouldn't have to rush to the bathroom. The aid smelled of Vodka and alcohol. My breath was vile. I was still dressed in my blue miniskirt, black crop top and black heels. I was sure my hair was a mess, my makeup smudged. Anyone could tell I had just been at the bar. Rob, however, was dressed in a comfortable pair of tracksuit bottoms, a baggy t-shirt and a black pair of converse. His mousy brown hair was ruffled and sticking out all ways, but he made it work.
I conked out as soon as I hit the couch. Rob must have let himself out after that because he was nowhere to be seen in the morning. Not once did I have to throw up, so that was good. The apartment seemed more positive now, with golden sunlight peeking through the curtains. Unlike this morning, when everything was dark and scary. Today was Saturday. The clock read twelve in the afternoon. Shit. I was supposed to have a geography class right now. I grabbed my laptop from the living room table and quickly logged into the online school I was now part of. I made it just in time to listen to the teacher explain different types of rocks and denudation. Half way through the lesson, I threw up in the bucket beside me. I kept the video playing while I brushed my teeth in the bathroom and used mouthwash to fight the taste of last night's beer. Then, I returned to my class.
Just as I was going to begin my homework, an ad for a new bar down the street popped up on the screen. It was very promising, with all Vodkas being twenty percent off! Their grand opening was tonight around ten. I thought back to what I'd promised my new neighbour. No, don't go, Kris. Remember what you told Rob? You can't go back on your word, you know that. I fought with myself for a long time before throwing my hands up in frustration. I'd made my mind up. I was going. Just for tonight, just to see what the new bar was like.
I finished off my homework and began getting ready for the night of partying ahead. I changed my clothes, slipping into a very low cut green crop top, black shorts and the same black heels I had worn the previous night. My makeup was all re-applied and my hair was brushed back into a high, high ponytail. It felt like it took forever for ten to roll around, but eventually it did and I stepped out of my apartment, trying not to make a sound. Next door, through the window, I spied Rob seated on his fancy couch with a cosy blanket, his eyes glued to Netflix. Hopefully he wouldn't hear me leaving. I treaded very carefully. At last, I was at the elevator and made my way to the front door.
The bar was lit, there were lots of young people like me dancing, kissing, drinking. It was almost too sick to look at, but too much fun not to take part in. I danced around with a few boys that were a bit older than me, they could've easily been Rob's older brothers. I decided to get myself one of those Vodkas for twenty percent off. Just as I opened my mouth to speak to the lady behind the counter, a hand sharply grabbed mine and yanked me around. "What are you doing?!" A voice fumed over the music. Some people stopped to start at us, some just continued doing what they thought was "dancing". "I thought you said you'd try to stop drinking so much!" Rob raged. I stammered. There were words up there— I was sure of it— but I just couldn't get them out the right way. His face softened. Then, his lips crushed into mine. His arms snaked around my waist and held me tightly. I felt safe, protected, secure in his embrace. It ended all too soon, though, as he pulled away. "Doesn't matter. No amount of alcohol can compare to you. You're my drug."