Left Behind

2.

Eva doesn't exactly understand how she's ended up in this situation. Or maybe she does, though. She needs to get back home and it really sucks that the only option she has is to join the cab with Penetrator guy that lives in her neighborhood (she believes his name is Neil) and some girl he picked up at the party. Eva just knows the short ride will be unbearable.

And just when the cab driver is about to pull off, there's Chris stumbling out of the building.

Just her luck.

Because Neel stops the driver and shouts for Chris to get in. And remembering their weird encounter that night, Eva gets a little bit nervous. The door shut after Chris squeezes into the seat next to her right. She's forced to move next to the other girl who looks thrilled by the new development.

"Man, you look like shit," Neil laughs from the passenger seat.

And when Chris mumbles a sharp 'fuck off' and Neil laughs some more, Eva really looks at him.

He's a little disheveled, half of his shirt is out of his trousers and he keeps fighting with the hood of his hoodie. His hair stands in three different ways and his cheeks are almost too pink and contrast horribly with his pale lips. But he still looks good somehow.

He fidgets to much for Eva's liking and after the third time he elbows her in the ribs she sighs dramatically.

"Give it to me and stay still," she commands grabbing his hood, flattening it on his back. He has a hint of a smirk now and Eva hopes this version of Chris is easier to deal with. It's a familiar territory.

"If it isn't my favourite stalker," Chris laughs at her.

"From what I remember you're the one always approaching me, so..."

Neil snorts but Chris simply shrugs, "Yeah, you're probably right."

They're silent since then. There's some tune from the 80s quietly playing in the radio with the driver humming subtly along the melody. Neil and the girl eyefuck each other the whole time and Eva doesn't know how it's even possible with their sitting configuration but it's extremely awkward to watch. And Chris sits silently, a little bit stiff and his head sways constantly from the window to her right shoulder. Eva just want this ride to end.

They're two crossroads away from her house and she can't wait to get out.

When Eva notices her house she almost jumps up to shout at the driver to stop. And when she nudges Chris to let her out, he winces a little but gets up eitherway. She takes her purse and gets out of the car and when she gets to Neil's door to give him her share of  money the unthinkable happens. Chris leans against a tree and pukes his stomach out. It's not even two seconds later, when the driver warns them that 'that boy is not getting back into his car'.

Eva stiffens but Neil only laughs and shrugs, "Can you take care of him, Eva?"

She's speechless for a second but then she widens her eyes with realisation, "Are you kidding me?"

"You guys know each other. Besides he's in no shape to cause problems today," Eva doesn't think she believes that. "I would take him with me but, you know..." he smirks at her "And don't worry about the money, I've got it covered."

Eva's on the verge of breaking his neck. "Wow, you're such a great fucking friend," she shouts when they drive away. Neil just laughs back.

She turns around to find Chris sitting on the curb only a couple of metres from where he made a mess. He's swaying and mumbling and Eva really doesn't have much of a choice. She closes her eyes in frustration before taking a deep breath and heading his way.

"Fucking hell, Chris," Eva gets a hold of his arms and helps him stand up. He's definitely heavier than he looks, so it takes them some time to get a hold of each other and walk to Eva's front door. "You owe me, big time honestly." He only mumbles something in response.

When they are finally inside she lays him down on the couch on his side, runs to the bathroom for a bowl in case his stomach isn't empty yet and hands him a glass of water he shakily drinks down. He seems to be a little bit less drunk now since there's barely any alcohol in his system but he falls asleep the moment she covers him with a blanket.

Eva almost laughs at it.

She considers going back to her bed in the basement but one look at Chris and she knows she's going to spend this night on the sofa in case he starts choking.

She goes to her bathroom, swipes off her make up and takes a super quick shower. Eva wisks a pair of black leggins from her closet and an oversized, long sleeved shirt, combs and braids her strawberry blonde hair and catches two pillows and another blanket from her bed. She's barely awake when she gets upstairs. She takes Chris's head in his hands as gently as she can not to wake him up and slides a pillow under his head. She turns off the lights and goes to sleep on the opposite side of her couch. She can worry about dealing with him in the morning.

***

It's almost noon when Eva wakes up to the sound of rain. She growls slightly preparing herself for another day of cloudy and rainy weather and rubs her eyes trying to untangle her legs from Chris' ones. She gets up after a moment sighing slightly at the sights of him being still dead-asleep. She needs coffee, now.

Only after emptying a cup of sweet, milky caffeinated drink, she starts to prepare herself some scrambled eggs and her favourite grapefruit tea.

It's then that Eva hears steps behind her back, so she takes a deep breath and turns around. Chris stands in front of her with completely crumpled clothes, face pale as hell and wide surprised eyes.

"Fucking hell, Eva, don't tell me we've finally slept together and I was too drunk to remember."

Of course those are his first words when he wakes up. Eva doesn't know if she should laugh or yell, so she stops in the middle and scoffs.

"You wouldn't be able to do anything in the state you were in last night." she deadpans turning back to the pan with her eggs to shake them a little. "And believe me, if we had had sex last night, you would remember it."

Chris only laughs at that and she's glad he doesn't make a big of a deal out of it. "No, but honestly... what am I even doing here? Last thing I remember is drinking beer with you."

"You got inside the same cab I was in. Neil and some girl were there with us but when I got out you started puking so they decided to leave you right then and there."

Chris scoffs, "Fuckers."

"Yup."

"You must've been thrilled."

Eva laughs, it's too easy talking to him, she thinks but she likes it. "Every girl's dream," she teases.

Chris snorts quietly muttering something close to "you'd be surprised".

Eva doesn't know if she should be happy or sorry for him, that's why she decides to change the subject while she puts her eggs on the plate. "If you want anything to eat, just take whatever you want from the fridge. Coffee is over there." She points at the coffee machine.

Chris only shakes his head, "Thanks, but I should get going. I stayed too long anyway." When Eva smiles he adds "Could you, um, show me to the door?"

They cross the living room pretty fast and when Chris opens the door, he hesitates a little. "Thank you for taking care of me, Eva, not many people would've done that." He smiles at her shyly, and Eva thinks it's the first time she's ever seen that.

"It's nothing, really. This is what friends are for." She smiles.

"So we're friends now." Chris says with a crooked smile. Eva nods also smiling, "I could use some friends right now, actually." His tone wavers a little but he quickly covers it with a smirk.

And when they hug goodbye and Eva tells him which way he needs to go to the closest metro station and he closes her door behind himself, she thinks she'd really like to have him as a friend.

That's why it hurts so much when Eva doesn't hear from him for several weeks.