Ughh... my head hurts. Actually, my whole body hurts. What happened last night? I can't remember anything... How did I get home? I tried to get up with my eyes still closed. I sat on my bed and slowly opened my eyes. The first thing that I saw was an empty bottle of Scotch lying on the floor of my bed and my clothes that I wore last night at the party. I wiped my face using my hands and looked around. My room is a mess.
Then suddenly I heard my cellphone beeped. I turned to my side table and reached for my phone. Someone texted me.
"Thanks for last night, babe! You were so wild. Wanna hang out later this afternoon?- Janice"
Who the hell is Janice? Oh God! What the fuck happened last night??? I really can't remember. Wait... I remember tequila body shots... I was also laughing and crying at the same time like a lunatic.
I narrowed my eye sight at the clock sitting at my bedside table ... Oh shit!!! It's already pass 10 am! I'm so freakin' late! Carol's gonna kill me! I immediately got up and changed into my uniform. No time for taking a bath!
I quickly ran out from my apartment and called a cab. I know for sure that Carol won't be happy with my tardiness. Gosh... my head really hurts. I must have drank a lot last night and just passed out. Maybe Jessie brought me home or AJ. I can't remember.
When I got to the café everyone just stopped and looked at me. Even the customers stared at me with disgust and shook their heads.
"Kristina, what are you doing here?" asked Carol with her arms crossed. Her face was very serious.
I immediately approached Carol, "I'm so sorry I was late. My phone didn't alarm this morning and-"
Suddenly, someone hugged me from behind. I turned around and it was Jessie.
"What happened to you last night?" she asked while cupping her hands on my face. She looks a bit worried.
"I don't know. I can't recall anything."
"You just disappeared. I looked for you everywhere. I even went to your door step and waited for you to come home. I sat their till 3 in the morning. Where were you?"
I brushed my hair using my hands and tried to remember everything.
"Girl, you were so wasted!" said Ginny coming out from the kitchen. "I've never seen a girl so drunk and still could teach us how to Tango without a partner." she laughed non-stop while mimicking my dance moves from last night.
"What?? I don't know how to Tango!"
"Girl, last night you did!" said Ginny who still laughing while cleaning out a table from my left. Then, that's where I noticed AJ sitting at the table where Ginny was clearing, she was smiling at Ginny's craziness.
Oh God! What else did I do last night?
"You really can't remember anything?" asked Lizzy with her eyebrow raised.
I'm getting worried. I might have said something last night.
"N-no I don't" I whispered.
"Okay, princess, why don't you come sit with me together with AJ and we'll walk you through with your memory, okay?" said Jessie while assisting me to their table.
"Oh! Let me get in on that!" said Ginny scooting over me and Jessie.
"Wait! I have one story to tell as well!", Madison butting in and sat beside AJ.
"I have one too", said Lizzy and sat beside Madison.
"Hey! What are you doing? Go do your job! No flash backs!" yelled Carol.
****
(FLASH BACK OF JESSIE'S POV in ITALIC)
*the non-italic one is still Kristina's pov.
"Let me go first", said Jessie. "It all started when we all got at The Riff..."
"So what are we all doing here again?", I asked while taking a sip out of my cosmo.
Then Ginny said, "I don't know. Kristina said she has something big to tell. Maybe she's now a drug lord like Madison."
"Shut up! I don't do drugs you b*tch", yelled Madison.
"Let's just wait for her. Where is she anyway?" I asked everyone.
Suddenly, a girl with the most beautiful smile and a gorgeous body came in at steel door of the bar. She's wearing an iconic white cocktail dress with accessories on her neck and arms. She came to me and caressed my face and said, "Hey, wanna kiss me?"
And then she-
"Jess, I hate to burst your bubble here mate. But that didn't happen. Just keep your story real and accurate, please" Said AJ who was scratching her head.
"Okay, okay... So back to the story" said Jessie.
Kristina came in the steel door with a white sun dress. Very simple yet elegant looking. Later on my buddy AJ came together with Alastair and Greg.
"Wait. Who's Greg?" I asked.
"Shush, Kristina!" said Ginny.
"Hey, nice to see you again, Alastair! Who's your friend here?" I asked while I shake Alastair's hands.
"Oh, let me introduce Gregorio Fernando Antonio Sanchez Jr."
"Just call me Greg. My name is like a rhyming poem of destruction." Said Greg who was chuckling by Alastair's introduction.
"Are you a Latino?", asked Kristina.
"Si, mi vida." Answered Greg and shook Kristina's hand.
Kristina was so fond of Greg and they began talking in Spanish. I don't really understand a thing. They went to the bar and ordered drinks for themselves.
"Oh, look at that. Greg, found a new friend." Said Alastair. "Who's that marvelous looking young lady he's talking with?
"Her name is Kristina." Answered AJ who was already sitting at the table near the stage. Our usual place to hangout.
"So she's the girl everyone's been talking about, a classy young lady... yes... So, anyway, what are we all doing here?" said Alastair who was looking around.
AJ stood up and went to fetch Kristina. She escorted her on the stage and gave her a microphone.
What the hell is happening? AJ and Kristina seems to be arguing about something. I can barely hear their whispers from the speakers.
Suddenly, AJ faced the crowd and yelled, "Welcome, gays and lesbians. My friend, Kristina here has something very important to say and she feels that this is the appropriate place to announce it."
We all looked at each other with confusion and intrigued.
"She must be pregnant." Whispered Ginny. "Or a convicted drug lord." She continued.
I looked at Ginny and frowned.
"Just sayin'..."
I scrunched my eye brows and crossed my arms.
"Amm, hi everyone..." Kristina finally spoke... "I don't know where to start, but... here it goes... Some days ago, I went out with a guy I just met. I called him up and we went on a date. Well, the date went fine at first but at the end he was just being douchy. We went to his hotel where he was staying and we both knew what was gonna happen next. I felt I couldn't go through with it."
Kristina paused and looked at AJ for a bit who was at the left side of the stage. My buddy just nodded signaling her to continue.
"Amm... I... I realized that I don't feel that I am attracted to a guy the same way I did before."
Oh God! Is she...
"So... without further ado... I would like to announce that I am GAY!"
"What???", exclaimed Ginny.
Holy sh... Oh yeah! This is so exciting! I can't believe it! I gotta keep it cool.
"Jessie, why are you wiggling?" asked Ginny.
"This is freaking awesome! Yeah, baby! Whoo!!!" I yelled and danced like I've never danced before. Everyone was clapping their hands and Kristina's friends went to the stage and hugged her like they were really proud.
"Now I know what this is all about." said Alastair. "It's her coming out party. You go girl"
"LET'S PARTY!!! KRISTINA IS NOW GAY!!!!!" shouted Madison.
The music blasted from the speakers and everyone started dancing. Kristina went to our usual table together with AJ. I immediately went up to her and hugged her.
"That was a surprise." I said.
Then she looked deep into my eyes while she puts her arms around my neck. Her lips were getting closer and closer-
"JESSIE!! Honestly..." yelled Lizzy.
"Well... I dreamt it would happen."
"Will someone take that customer's order?!" Carol commanded.
We all just looked at Carol then went back with our conversation.
"Then, what happened next?" I asked.
We all sat around our table and drank whatever Alastair would order. Kristina was a bit tipsy but still could drink up a good batch of beers. We would laugh and sing on what music was on. We were having a blast. Everybody from the cafe was there, even The Riff dancers were there as well together with the regular customers of the bar. We were all celebrating with Kristina.
"Until..."
Jessie looked at AJ with a bored look on her face.
AJ covered her face using her hands as if she was ashamed of something she did last night.
"Don't say it, Jess." Warned AJ.
My buddy AJ here, cannot handle her liquor that well due to her lack of social life. She slumped herself on the table then she slipped and splatted onto the ground. She didn't even react. She was out cold.
"Bloody hell! AJ!" yelled Alastair.
He stood and helped AJ get up. "I can't really carry her. Why would you drink so much you prick?! If Aunt Carol sees you like this she would blame me. Get up!"
I offered to take AJ home and Kristina insisted to come along.
"Oh did she?" asked Lizzy who was narrowing her eyes at me as if she was not pleased with what I did.
"W-what happened next?" I asked with my voice cracking.
"Let's see... When we got at AJ's apartment, we laid her on her sofa and then I went to the kitchen to get AJ a cold glass of water. I was in there for a good couple of minutes or so, 'cause I can't find any clean glass to put water in it. When I was about to head back to the living room, Kristina stood infront of me with a sad look on her face. She seems upset with something, she then hugged me and said, 'Let's go back at The Riff.' I even asked her if she was okay but she didn't say anything. So we went back."
"Really now?" asked Lizzy eyeing me with the sharpest look on her face.
"And that's where things get messy." Said Ginny butting in.
****
(FLASH BACK OF GINNY'S POV)
When you and Jessie got back, you suddenly have the urge to drink some more and you really wanted to party hard. I didn't know what has got into you.
"Let's party some more!" said Kristina.
Surely, everybody started shouting and ordering more drinks. Kristina drank and drank and drank. Oh boy! I didn't know she could drink a whole bottle of Scotch. She really meant what she said that she could really handle her drinks...
"I'M GAY B*TCHES!" Kristina shouted.
"What? I yelled that?" I asked in annoyance.
"Quiet." Ginny rebutted. "As I was saying..."
We we're all drunk and we watched and laughed at Kristina while she was prancing around the bar.
"Oh dear, she's walking right into the male's bathroom." Said Greg pointing at Kristina.
He stood up and followed Kristina. Minutes later, the two of them went out the bathroom and Kristina was fighting with a gay man. Greg carried Kristina away and apologized on her behalf.
He sat her beside Jessie, and boy... Jessie was going in for the kill.
"What did you do, Jessie?" I asked.
"Don't you remember?" Jessie grinned and placed her arms over my shoulders. "We were at it for hours."
Wait... I remembered kissing someone. I know I did that... Was it Jessie?
The PDA of the two of them...
"Dance with me, Jessie." Kristina requested grabbing Jessie's hands joining Lizzy and the others to the dance floor.
Wow! That girl can dance. So I joined the group as well. My jam is on.
A girl in a tank top and jeans butted in front of Kristina pushing Jessie aside.
"Hey there. I'm Janice."
"Hi. Let me borrow your cellphone."
Kristina punched in her digits to this girl's phone and returned it to her.
"That was fast." Said Janice.
Kristina was about to kiss Janice when suddenly Jessie grabbed Kristina's waist taking her away from Janice.
"That was close." Said Jessie.
"So you mean to tell me I was that drunk to give away my phone number to a stranger?" I asked in disbelief.
My head is spinning, my behavior last night was unbelievable. What else did I do? Took drugs?
Suddenly, I noticed Madison looking so uneasy.
"Hey Madison, do you have something to share with the group?" I asked.
We all looked at Madison and she was like a guilty puppy who did something really bad.
"Spit it out, Jones!" yelled Lizzy grabbing her uniform's collar. "You did it again didn't you? Didn't you??"
"Woah! Okay, okay... I did it. I did it! Please don't kill me..." cried Madison.
"Did what exactly?" I asked in confusion waiting for her to answer immediately.
****
(FLASH BACK OF MADISON'S POV)
I snuck out of the dance floor and went to the girl's bathroom. Immediately, I smoked my pot and rested my back at the wall of the bathroom. This is the best night ever. Oh wow... my hands are amazing... look at those lines. I bet the universe must have a whirlpool of genes and if we combined them together, we can make a super human. That would be awesome.
"What are you doing?"
I looked down at this girl and placed the end of my pot on her mouth.
"Try it, babe. You'll love it." I said smiling at her.
She responded with smoking my pot again and again... Moments later... she's stoned. She has a bottle beer on her left hand and kept on drinking it.
I narrowed my eyes on this girls face 'cause she looks familiar.
Oh no... Kristina.
And then... it happened.
"You what??? You gave me drugs?" punching Madison at her arms.
"You asshole!" said Jessie smacking Madison at her head.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I didn't recognized her" said Madison who was now cover her face using her arms.
"So that's why she did all those hilarious things." Said Alastair whom we didn't know he was listening the whole time. "I got a story to tell as well."
He got a spare chair and placed it backwards near the edge of the table. He sat on it and placed his arms on the backrest of the chair.
I'm screwed.
****
(FLASHBACK OF ALASTAIR'S POV)
So there she was, staring blankly at the ceiling for a good 15 minutes till my Aunt Carol approached her.
"Sweetie, are you okay?"
She faced my aunt with her eyes wide open.
"What's wrong?"
Then she started bawling her eyes out. She cried like a tiny tot, might I add.
"You're so mean to us. Everytime we're working you just can't stop yelling and yapping. Well, you know what? I quit! I hate this world! Hey, you-" she pointed out a butch lesbian whom she did not know. "Why are you staring at my booty? You like that? Come here and I will show you my power!"
She was about to punch this lesbian but then the lesbian got to her first and BOOM! She got punched at her arm.
I looked at my right arm, and there it was. A big round bruise that's saying 'you're a moron'. It hurts so badly. I will never ever drink again. I swear to myself. This thing will not happen again.
"Oh God! Kristina!" said Jessie coming after Kristina who was about to get her revenge.
"Your friend is quite amusing." I said to Ginny.
"Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are" Ginny replied.
Jessie along with Kristina approached our booth with her hands on her arms.
"You'll feel that tomorrow." I informed Kristina with a smirk on my face.
"Girl, did you just quit your job at the café?" asked Ginny with her face in awe.
"Give me that drink! Let's have some body shots!!" Kristina quickly took my drink with great force and drank it all up till the last drop.
"What? No, no, no. Believe me, I am not like that at all. I swear. Dios mio" I said while I brush my hair up using hands.
"Here's the best part, Kristina..." Alastair grinned. "You started to speak in Spanish. You were arguing with each and every one of us. Only Greg could understand you. He was laughing the whole time."
"What the hell is she saying?" asked Lizzy.
"Believe me, you don't want to know." Answered Greg who was hysterically laughing at Kristina.
I am so embarrassed. Oh God! What have I done?
"That's when she randomly danced the Tango by herself." Said Ginny who was ready to burst into laughter.
Now, everything is clear... I was really wasted last night. I'm just glad that AJ wasn't there to witness everything. She could just imagine it happening.
"All of you back to work!" yelled Carol. "Except you, Kristina."
Ginny and the rest scrambled and went on to take orders from the customers. I stood up and grabbed Carol's arms. "Carol, I'm so sorry about last night. I didn't know what I was doing. I want my job back... please, please, please."
"Oh pipe down, child! Don't you remember what day it is? Its' your rest day, you idiot!"
Alastair laughed and led Carol to her office.
It's my day off? So that's why my clock did not alarm this morning. But wait a second... How did I managed to get home last night? Jessie said I disappeared at the bar and she waited for me on my doorstep. I sat back where I was sitting a while ago.
I placed my elbows on the table while I clenched my hands together and started hitting my head again and again.
"Well, I have to go at the rehearsal studio. They need me up there. Why don't you keep AJ company till I get back, okay? Then, well go have ice cream later. See yah!" said Jessie grabbing her bag from underneath our table and left.
AJ poured water into an empty glass and slide it infront of me.
"Why don't you drink that and just relax for a bit. You had a rough night." Said AJ in a melancholic voice.
I looked up and stared at AJ. She looks really sad. I reached into her hand and said, "What's wrong?"
She looked back at me and sighed heavily, "Last night, I dreamt of Sam..."
Then in an instant all that has happened last night flashed right into my eyes. I remember everything clearly. Now I know why we went back at The Riff, why I was so upset that I have to drink and drink till I can't feel anything.
I remember it now.
(FLASHBACK OF KRISTINA'S POV)
"Jessie, let's put AJ on her couch.", I was holding AJ's legs placing her gently on her sofa.
"Buddy, I'm gonna get you some water, okay?"
AJ just moaned in an irritable manner.
"Don't move as much. You'll feel dizzier." I sat on the floor next to the couch where AJ was lying and smiled at her. She's so cute when she's asleep. My eyes lingered at her lips as I remembered kissing her at the park. Without a second thought I kissed her again as I caressed her face. As I raised my lips from hers, she smiled and reached for my hand on her face and said in her frail voice, "I miss you, Sam."
I was stunned and ran out to Jessie who was coming out from the kitchen with AJ's glass of water. I hugged her tight as she rubbed my back with her free hand. She still loves her. Lizzy was right... Lizzy was right! I feel so stupid! How could I have thought that she might feel something for me?
"Kristina?" called AJ.
I looked up and I can feel a sting on my eye, I know tears would fill up and eventually drop.
"I have to go." I hurriedly said.
"Kristina, where are you going?"
I ignored AJ and went out the café as I recall why I suddenly disappeared at The Riff. I know I snuck out a bottle of Scotch from the bar.
As I walked towards the vast cold street, I started drinking and cried till there are no more tears left. I walked until I got at the Central Park, I sat on the bench where AJ and I spent our evening together. I can feel another tear wanting to come out of my eyes as I stare blankly into mid-air.
"No mas... No mas..."
I lifted my legs turning into fetal position and just cried hugging myself. Then I passed out
Suddenly, I felt someone was lifting me and carrying me inside a cab.
"Niña, vas a estar bien. Whatever it is you're upset with I am here, you can tell me."
I know it was Greg and I just hugged him in tears then I fell asleep.
TO BE CONTINUED...