Sugar Rush

19- Are You Trying To Get Me Drunk?

Her name was April. She sounded so sweet and lovely; looked the part too. Boy as I wrong.

“Oh honey I get it now!” she told me with a glass of red wine in her hand.

We were in the kitchen. I had just finished loading the dishwasher when she walked up. She didn’t look one bit intoxicated to me so I was pretty sure that wasn’t the alcohol talking. It was her pure inner bitch.

“Aren’t men attracted to you or do you just repulse them?” April had said that to me on the first year she attended the get together.

I didn’t take that one to the heart and just let her continue talking. I blocked her out with the help of duct tape, some rope, and bat. Just kidding, it was all the champagne’s work.

The second year however, it got worse. She started spitting words out of her mouth like there was no tomorrow. The joy.

“You have crabs or herpes!” She raised her glass up with her new theory on why I was still single. “Or whatever disease there is! That’s why you’re so determined to keep your legs closed because some guys gave it to you while you were screwing random them.”

I had never wanted to throw a knife to someone before that time. And I wanted to hit bull’s eye. She was lucky I had just loaded all the knives in the dishwasher otherwise she would’ve ran around with a knife plunged in her gut.

She was lucky my mom was busy tending the plants. And April became a very lucky bitch that Reese didn’t hear her too.

She told me that I slept with random men and that I was basically a slut- though that’s not what she said directly, it was clearly implied. I don’t know how April and my mom were related but everyone in the family knew her.

I never told anyone about what she said. I just wanted to leave that place immediately. I love my mother, yes, but every time we go there- it was always held at my parent’s home because that’s where my grandparents grew up too- all I could think of was all of my happy memories erased with memory of my father cheating on my mother.

It was scarring.

“Bethany.” Reese’s voice snapped me out from my thoughts. “Are you still there?”

“What? Oh, right. Yeah I’m still here.”

“Good.” She sighed. “I thought I was talking to no one again.”

I let out a sheepish smile, tucking my phone in between my cheek and shoulder to put on my pants. But, I didn’t bring pants. It was still in my bag outside. Instead of pants, I had grabbed a white sundress I didn’t even know I packed.

“What’s wrong?”

“What?” I asked, catching my phone when I lifted my head up. “What are you talking about?”

“You just grumbled a few seconds ago.”

“I did?”

“Yes.” She was getting impatient. “Now, what is it?”

“It’s nothing.” I rolled my eyes and took off my shirt quickly.

“Spill.”

I sighed and just gave up. Finding out you have to wear a dress instead of pants isn’t really a big of a deal unless I’m at home and haven’t shaved my legs yet. “I’m in the bathroom and I left my pants outside. All I have is my shirt and a white dress.”

“The one I gave you?”

“Yes.”

“Wear that!” she cried- it was more of an ordered bark, like demanding gorilla. “Blake will drool when he’ll look at you and would just want to bed you on the spot.”