I'll Wait

Introduction

Toyah’s P.O.V.

They say alcohol doesn’t solve anything. Well, I say, who are “they”? And how would “they” know? Have they tried all the alcohol? I don’t think so. Besides, it’s working pretty damn well for me right now. It’s helping me forget. Forget the hurt, forget the images of what I saw, forget him and, possibly, my own name. Scratch that last part. I can hear someone calling my name. “Toyah. Toyah, come play with us.”

I look in the direction of the voice to see some guy from my school waving me over. I don’t know his name, but he’s in a few of my classes. Don’t judge me. I’ve got a small group of friends and I rarely branch out. I’m selective, not a bitch. I walk, or stagger, not really sure, towards Blurry. That’s how he looks, so that’s what I’ll call him. I sit down. “What we playing?”

“Spin the bottle. You know the rules, right?”

Who does he think he’s talking to? I look around at the other players. There’s about thirty people sat in a circle. Maybe less, I might be seeing double. They are all looking at me expectantly. Why are they looking at me like that? Oh yeah, Blurry asked me a question. “Who doesn’t?”

“True. I’ll start.”

Blurry spins the bottle on the floor in front of him. I watch the bottle until I get dizzy. It stopped spinning and was pointing at a girl across from him. They lean forward to meet in the middle of the circle, and kiss. With tongue. What the hell? Maybe I don’t know the rules. I thought you had to tell a secret or do something stupid? I don’t go to parties much. Sue me. Why are they laughing? Did I faze out? I look at the bottle and it’s pointing at some guy shaking his head. He’s yelling. Focus, Toyah. What’s he saying? “No. Fuck no. I’m not kissing a dude.”

Can he just refuse? “Either do it, or you both do a dare.”

Thank you, Blurry, for answering my question. “Dare away. I’m not kissing a dude.”

“I dare you both to streak around the house.”

“You’re on.” The guy starts taking his shirt off when another guy kisses him. The topless guy pushes him away and wipes his mouth. “What the fuck, Al?”
The Al guy shrugs. “I’d rather kiss you than see you naked.”

I laugh at that. Luckily, so was everyone else. “Toyah, it’s your spin. I need a drink. Excuse me, peeps.”

Blurry gets up and leaves. I put my hand on the bottle ready to spin when I hear a voice. His voice. I look up to see him staring at me. Why is he here? And why is she with him? “Toyah playing spin the bottle? Good luck with that. You’d have better luck with a nun.”

The skank hanging off him starts laughing, and he smirks. No, he doesn’t get to do that. I’ll get rid of that smirk. I pick up the bottle and throw it with every ounce of strength I have. Unfortunately, my aim is shit and I miss him. There’s a thud and a cry of pain from behind him. I hit someone. Oops. Everyone turns to where threw. I follow their gazes and am suddenly staring into a glistening pair of sky-blue eyes. Wow, they are gorgeous. “Who threw that?”

I swallow. Hard. Blurry points at me. “Toyah. She was aiming at Nate.”

Thanks, Blurry. “Good arm.”

Seriously? Blue eyes gets hit with a flying bottle and that’s all they say? I’d have gone nuts. Find your voice, Toyah. Say something back. “Thanks.”
I’m an idiot.

“Guess you’ve got to spend seven minutes in heaven with me now.”
Is Nate for real? What’s seven minutes got to do with anything? And being near him is far from my idea of heaven. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”