Memory After Memory

Chapter 3

Viney nodded. "You can stay behind and figure out what you want to do with your room. Me and Julian can go out to the garage and look around to see if we can make your dream room." She smiled.

I laughed a little bit. "Yeah." I looked at Julian. "You in?"

Julian nodded, reluctant of this. He got up off the bed and left with Viney.

I had no idea why he was being like this suddenly. They both are acting weird. Much more weird than I remember, even when they are sober. The night I remember, they were weird only because we had been drinking. Today, they had no reason to be weird. At least, to my knowledge. If there's a reason for it, I'm being left out of the loop. I think I'm okay with that.

I looked around my room and started thinking about what I wanted. First of all, I wanted paint and some brushes. I didn't want a solid color. I wanted to paint my own walls, remembering my love of art. Then I wanted a bookshelf in the far corner, filled with books so I'm not bored when I don't know what to paint on my walls. I wanted a rug in the middle of the room for something to sit on other than the carpet. I wanted curtains for the window so I can control how much light to let in. With a few other thoughts in my head, I went to the garage. However, before I could get halfway to the door, Julian came out with clouds coming out of the sides of his head. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. 

"Is everything okay, Julian?" I asked.

He nodded, as if he had made a hard decision. "I was just about to get you. Viney found something you might like."

I nodded and followed. This day just keeps getting more and more weird. I looked at a little trinket Viney wanted to show me and I approved, then told them how I wanted my room. 

                             ~ * * * ~

3 a.m. We were all still up, telling dumb stories of when we were kids and reminiscing old memories, smiling at the best, getting sad at the saddest, laughing at the funniest, and even getting embarrassed at the most embarrassing moments. We laughed at each others embarrassment and eventually, the mistrust we had all felt before slipped away and we were a trio again. 

Despite Viney not wanting to drink earlier, we all held a glass up in the air. She made an exception for my first day, and night, in 4 years. Julian did the speaking. 

"Tonight, we celebrate Amy Irvine's first day and her first night in 4 years. I think it's only fair we make it the best." Julian smiled. We all said our cheers and drank to the toast.

I had a strange feeling, like this had happened before, but for a different reason. 

I was sitting by the fire in Viney's parent's back yard. It looked like we were celebrating, but I have no idea what it was. In an instant, I remember Viney stepping in front of me, almost knocking me off my seat as we laughed at myself. I remember talking about something, but not what it was. The words were to vague for me to understand. Tears were running down my face while she tried to provide comfort. The smell of the fire was the only thing keeping me grounded. Julian was there too, watching us from a distance. He was standing with another girl there. The jealousy I felt watching her be all touchy on him like they were together made me wanna throw up the alcohol and food in my system. Viney turned my head to face her again to get my mind off of it. 

"You're making it obvious Amy." She gave me a bottle of water.

"Good. Maybe she'll back off." I took a grumpy sip of water. "Then maybe I might have a chance?"

"You've always had a chance, but we're not talking about that. Drink your water." 

I continued to drink the bottled water until it was empty, then discarded the bottle into the trashcan. "You're right. I don't wanna talk about them anyway. Hey, do we have a driver?"

Viney nodded. "Julian. He hasn't had anything tonight, so he's driving."

I nodded. "Okay." The pit in my stomach dropped at the thought of going home. "Oh shit! Home..."

"What about it?"

I raised my arms. "Look at me." 

Viney looked me up and down and shrugged. "And? You look like a normal teenager to me."

I sighed and dropped my arms. "I look like a wh-"

"If you're about to call yourself a whore you better not. We both know that's me."

Both of us busted out laughing. I couldn't help it. While it was probably true, it was so random, I almost choked on my own saliva from laughing. "Girl I can't with you."

Viney placed her hand on my shoulder. "Yes you can. That's why I'm your number 1."

I looked at her and smiled, placing my hand on hers. "Ride or die bestie."

Viney nodded. "Sure, you're a mess. But who isn't a mess these days? I promise you'll be alright."

I looked back over at Julian, who looked at me at the same moment and I felt so warm inside. I tried to hide it but the shit-eating grin on his face made it clear that I failed miserably. Damn it. 

Viney nudged me. "If you keep giving him the 'Im gonna devour you' look, he might take you up on that."

I laughed. "Stop it. I gotta get home though." I looked at my phone for the time. I almost couldn't read what time it is. "It's almost 1 in the morning." The panic set in. "Oh no...It's almost 1 AM. I'm so dead."

Unamused, Viney threw a small amount of her drink in my face. "You'll be fine. You're still gonna get home in one piece. That's all that matters."

I nodded. "Right. One piece."

She interlocked her arm with mine and started walking toward Julian. "We're gonna be fine."

I hadn't realized that my name was being said until I had come back from whatever had struck me. 

"Amy, are you alright?"

I looked to see Julian's hand on mine and Viney on the other side of me, both looking like I had just killed someone. I looked back and forth, then around to make sure I knew where I was, then looked at the table in the middle of the living room. "Yeah...I'm alright." Maybe I was physically, but mentally, where was I?

Viney didn't look totally convinced. "Are you sure? You like, spaced out and didn't respond for a good 5 minutes."

I nodded. "Yeah, no I'm okay. I just...I'm good."

"Amy, if you want to go back to the hospital, we can-"

"No." Suddenly, I was the one to cut Julian off. "I don't like hospitals."

Julian nodded. He wasn't weary of my sudden behavior change or about me cutting him off, like he expected me to do it. He patted my shoulder, then raised his glass a little bit, as an offer. 

I looked at my own glass, realizing that I, too, had one. I raised mine up the same, followed by Viney, and took a drink. Then I set my glass down, giving them both a smile.

Whatever just happened would have to be figured out another time.