Instead of Me

∆13∆

"Do you want to leave? We can leave. I can go with you." Annie was rubbing the back of my neck. "The music here sucks anyway," she said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. It didn't work. "What happened anyway?" She pushed her brain behind her shoulder and laid her head on the edge of the tub.

I shook my head, moving curls into my eyes. "I don't want to talk about it, Annie. It's really just embarrassing." I pursed my lips, thinking of how stupid I was to even step foot into that closet with Riley. What on Earth made me believe it wouldn't escalate to something like that? It always used to. Why would this time have been any different? 

Annie seemed perfectly okay with that response. She knew forcing an answer out of me would get us nowhere. "Do you want to leave?" she asked again. The fact that she was willing to leave Heath to help me out was encouraging. Maybe she really did mean it when she said she wanted to share her time. "We can go, just say the word." I told her I didn't know if I wanted to leave. I didn't want to force her to leave if she didn't want to. "Well, a bunch of people have left and the music has quieted down a bit. The group that is left right now is just playing some stupid games. Do you want to go and join them?" She gave me an encouraging smile. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to stay up here in this bathtub the whole time." 

She was right. As long as Riley was gone, maybe I could go down there and hang out. I could try to forget about the last few hours and not ruin the entire night. I turned my head to look at Annie. It was hard to focus on her. I was very drunk from whatever was in those cups. "What time is it?" 

Annie pulled her phone out of the waistband of her skirt. "It's about half past eleven. We don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"No," I stated, starting to try and stand up. "No, I want to stay. I want to go down for a little while." As soon as I stood up, my balance went haywire and I almost fell, but Annie swiftly got to her feet and caught me on her shoulder. "Sorry," I muttered. "I got a little dizzy." 

Annie pushed up on my chest, trying to help me stand up. "Maybe we should go home." Her voice was strained as she was supporting all of my weight on her little body. She was strong, but as shown before when she couldn't even make me budge while trying to pull me towards her, Annie had a hard time lifting dead weight. "You seem a little out of it." I disagreed, attempting to stand without her help. Eventually, I got it, but only for standing still. As soon as I tried to take a step over the batub wall, I fell on the floor. "Finn!"

I groaned, lifting my head off the ground. "That was not the smoothest thing I've ever done." I held my palm against my throbbing forehead.

Once she realized I was okay and just being my sarcastic self, Annie started laughing uncontrollably. "Are you okay?" she asked, holding her hand up to her mouth and holding herself up on the sink as she cackled.

I rolled over onto my back and glimpsed up at her. There seemed to be three of her and it was if she was zooming in and moving towards me. My eyes widened as my brain tried to make sense of everything, but the scene made me dizzy. I picked myself up enough to crawl over to the toilet and vomit. It was sour, and my throat burned. Annie hurried over and knelt down next to me, pushing my hair out of my face and wiping the sweat from my forehead. It just kept coming and coming, seeming like I was vomiting for seven minutes at least.

"You're sweating like a madman," Annie muttered. I threw up again. She shoved her nose into her arm, completely disgusted. I bet she was just swooning at the sight of me. "Finn, I think we need to get you home." She started pulling my flannel off of me and using it to wipe down my neck and face. I felt much better just from taking off that one layer. "Do you want me to get Heath to drive you home?"

My eyes were closed as I leaned my head against the toilet seat. Man, was I winning her over or what? "No," I argued. "I'm not leaving my car." Annie said she could drive it to my place. I snorted at this suggestion. "You are the worst driver in the world, Annie. I do not trust you with my car." My stomach turned again and I lifted my head up, ready to puke yet again. "Plus, I don't think Heath wants me stinking up his car." And then I hurled.