In This Life And The Next ✔️

Chapter 19: Bi-Polar

ARI

I filled a blue solo cup to the brim and drank the strong alcohol which burned my throat. I don't know how alcohol is supposed to taste but that was really, really bad. I fell into a coughing fit, the alcohol almost coming back up. I glanced back at the top of the stairs and watched as Alex flirted with a stupid bitch. She flipped her hair and threw her head back in laughter, gently pushing his shoulder.

Not realizing everyone could hear me, I mocked the girl's laughter, making my voice super high pitched. Both of them looked my way. I scoffed and narrowed my eyes at Alex and took a swig of my cup. I don't care that he's talking with a girl. Pshh. He can talk to a hundred girls for all I care. At least that's what I told myself when I filled my cup up, drank it, and then filled it up again two more times. I shouldn't be surprised right? He did say he had a girlfriend. Is that her?

The sixth time, I was pouring the liquid into my cup but missed and it spilled on the floor making me fall into a laughing fit.

Through my blurred vision, I saw two Alex's staring at me with a concerned face. I pointed at him and chortled. "There's two of you!" I showed him two fingers and then brought them to my face to see if I really held up two fingers. I was holding up three.

"ARI!" Anna called me when I was about to take another sip of my drink. I wobbled and my cup fell to the floor the liquid splashing on my jeans. "Ari! What are you doing!" Anna scolded.

My lower lip quivered when she stomped over to me and picked up my cup from the floor. "I'm sorry." I lowered my head in shame.

"Why are you drinking? I thought you didn't drink?!" She brought back a couple of paper towels and mopped up the liquid.

Tears slid down my cheek because of the overpowered feeling of guilt that I felt. "I-I." I sniffled and wiped my face.

"What's the big deal? So what if she drank, it's not the end of the world."

Everyone, including me, looked over at Alex who stood in front of me, glaring down at Anna.

"What?" Anna asked. She slowly got up from her position and looked at me. I was still wiping at my stupid tears that I couldn't seem to stop.

"I said, leave her alone." His voice dropped an octave and I swear, the drunk me moaned.

I ran to Alex, throwing my arms around him and cried very drunkenly.

Alex who held out his arms to balance himself, stood stiff as a stick, never relaxing his form.

"Alex, she yelled at me!" I cried to him, pointing an accusing finger at Anna.

Alex was still frozen until his lips started to move. "Um, I-" He frowned again.

Jen who was still a little drunk, pulled me off Alex and dragged me to the dance floor.

Being drunk gave me a lot of mixed feelings. I was brave, sad and mad at the same time and apparently a 6 year old kid.

Jen grabbed my arm and twirled me around and around until I felt dizzy and frankly a little sick but I surpassed the feeling and then twirled her around.

For the next two hours, Jen and I were glued to the hip as we danced, drank some more, crashed into furniture and basically falling more times than I could count.

Alex's eyes never left me for the whole party and somewhere in the back of my head, I knew I was supposed to kick his ass because of the warning I gave him which is why every time I looked at him, I gave him a comical glare, stuck out my tongue, pointed to my eyes and then back to his and flipped my hair before turning back to Jen and falling to the floor again.