Gwen sat on her living room floor with a bottle of whiskey in front of her. She stared through the dark brown liquid for a good five minutes before deciding she didn't want to drink alone. It was a Friday night; what the hell was she doing? She certainly didn't want to mope around any longer about what Blake did to her. If I'm angry, he wins, she thought. She stood up and grabbed her phone from the kitchen countertop.
"Best nightclubs in Toronto," Gwen mumbled as she typed those words into the search bar. The first result was The Night Owl. "Of course, how could I forget?" She slid her phone into her back pocket before grabbing her purse and leather jacket.
It took a fifteen-minute drive before Gwen's truck pulled into a parking space. She stepped out of the car and locked the door. Who knows what kind of weirdos are out here this time of night?
Gwen didn't plan on drinking much—maybe two drinks, and then she would go after a couple of hours. What she really needed was company, and she got good at recognizing that instead of entirely relying on alcohol.
Gwen opened the door, and loud music filled her ears. She had to squint to see where she was walking due to all the smoke from the vape and the smoke machine in the far left corner. She looked up and saw multicolored lights on the ceiling. That's exactly what this place smells like, she thought with an inward snicker.
Gwen eventually found her way to the bar and nearly stumbled over one of the stools. "Why are these things so low to the ground?" She muttered, staring at the floor.
"We're working on buying new barstools," A voice answered. "And by the way, those lemon vapes are the worst. They're really taking up the air tonight. I prefer watermelon."
Gwen furrowed her eyebrows and looked up. "—Geoff? Is that you?"
Geoff glanced at her, then beamed. "Whoa! Gwen?! Dudette, it's great to see you again!"
"I can't believe you...you work here?" She asked, taking a seat.
"Yeah. Been here for two years now. I earned the title of assistant manager." Geoff proudly showed off his silver name tag. "The rest of the employees get sticker name tags only, so it's a pretty sweet upgrade."
Gwen laughed. "Sounds like quite the upgrade."
"You here to get drinks?" He asked.
"Yeah," she nodded. "But only a couple. I'm not trying to get sick tonight."
"Oh, I totally get you," Geoff chuckled. "I'm partying after my shift."
"Wow, they let you do that here?"
"Hell yeah, baby!" Geoff whooped. "This place is awesome!"
Gwen shook her head with a smile. Nothing about him had changed besides the evident slight aging. "Hmm, I'll take a Vodka Martini."
"Comin' right up!" Geoff spun around and started on the drink.
She sighed quietly to herself. Ok, Gwen. Remember to control yourself. You're here to have fun and talk to people, not get blackout drunk.
"So, what've you been up to?" Geoff asked her while he mixed the drink.
"Oh, not much," Gwen told him, studying the chipped paint on the table.
Geoff turned back around. "Here is your drink," he said, bowing playfully.
Gwen took the cocktail with a light chuckle. "Thanks."
"Any time." Geoff rested his forearm on the table, scanning the area to see if any customers were coming. "Alright, back on the topic: I think you've been up to way more than you say you have." He needed someone to tell him a story—anything to get his mind off Bridgette. His job worked as a distraction, but it only took his attention away so much. Talking to people was his best bet for now.
"Well," Gwen began, "my life's been uneventful. All I do is paint and break my back trying to sell my artwork."
"Whoa, you paint? What kind of stuff do you paint?" Geoff switched to laying his elbows on the table.
"Just—well, you wouldn't be into it," she stated, fiddling with her hands.
"Try me. I'm into anything."
"Right. I should've remembered that from how you were on the show," Gwen teased. "You practically enjoyed everything no matter what was going on."
"Yep. Life was meant to be lived," Geoff grinned. Gwen saw something through his smile. It didn't quite look genuine.
"Anyway," she continued, "my art is basically a bunch of symbolism for nature's relationship with humankind."
"Ah," Geoff replied. "That sounds smart."
"It's just painting. Nothing special, really."
"It sounds pretty special to you, and that's cool. Live your dream, G."
"Was that the slang word or my name?" Gwen asked, smirking.
"Uh—wow, it could be either! Never thought about it like that," said Geoff. "I'll call you G for your name, not a gangster."
"Sounds fantastic. I'd rather not be called a gangster."
"That's reasonable."
Gwen tilted her head to the side. Geoff had this far-off look in his eyes. It didn't seem natural. "Hey, what's up with you? Besides the job, of course."
"Eh, there's not much to say. I just had a breakup, but it's all good." Geoff wanted to sound as casual as possible because he thought he could trick himself into thinking everything was ok.
"—A breakup?!" Gwen said. "You mean with...?"
"...Bridgette? Yeah," he nodded, hanging his head.
"Oh shit. I'm so sorry, Geoff. Holy fuck, you guys were together for a long time."
"No need to rub it in," Geoff frowned.
"Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that! What I meant was—I understand why you're so upset. That's a long time to be with someone. I can't imagine how hard this is for you."
"It happened a week and a half ago. She ditched me for some dude she's only known for, like, five months. And she didn't even tell me she knew him until she dumped me for him."
"That's really shitty," Gwen grimaced. "I can't believe she did that."
"Yep. Pretty sure she cheated on me," Geoff sighed.
"Come on. You don't know that. She could've...well...it's possible that she didn't," Gwen cringed. "There's always a possibility that she was friends with him first?"
"It's alright. You don't need to make me feel better. She would've told me about him if he had been her friend. We always told each other about friends."
Gwen bit her lip. "I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry again. I hope you can move on someday."
"Me too. That's why I'm trying to talk to as many people as possible," Geoff said. "The more I hang with others, the further away she is from my mind."
"In that case, we should change the subject." Gwen took a drink of her martini. "I can tell you about how broke I am if that makes you feel like less of a failure," she laughed.
"Your paintings aren't selling?"
"They are, but the thing is, people don't want to pay much for art unless it's in a museum."
"Huh, that's weird. You're one of the most well-known names from Total Drama. People should be flocking to you," Geoff said.
"Oh, they did, but hardly anyone wants my paintings because they're, and I quote, too dark," Gwen replied. "They'd rather have some stupid signature on a piece of paper than a whole painting."
"Yeah, that checks out," he nodded. "Have you tried painting more popular stuff?"
"No way. I'm not into that. People need to be aware of how much we're destroying our planet and fucking with nature. No one ever cares."
"Hm. Maybe you could add something to it to grab their attention," Geoff suggested, standing up to stretch.
"I don't know. I don't have any ideas anymore," Gwen groaned. "At this point, getting a second job will keep me going."
"Well, that's an easy solution. You free on most nights of the week?"
"Yeah?" She said.
"You can work here! We're looking for another barista because the last one moved away," Geoff told her.
"Really? Gwen perked up. "That would be great! Seriously, that would be amazing!"
"I can put in a good word for you with my manager, and she'll call you when she's ready to interview you."
"Oh my gosh, thank you so much. You have no idea how bad I was about to have it. Thank you."
"Of course. Anything to help out a friend," Geoff grinned. He saw that Gwen was nearly finished with her glass. "Would you like another drink?"
"Yes! Yes, definitely. I'm super pumped now," Gwen smiled.
"Heck yeah. This job is the most chill of all things chill. No stress whatsoever." Geoff made her a second martini.
"Could you make me two of those? I'll just put my card on the tap."
"You sure?" Geoff raised an eyebrow. "You said you only wanted a couple."
"Who the fuck cares anymore?" Gwen laughed. "It's party time!"
"That's the spirit!" Geoff handed her two more martinis.
"I'll be getting at least two more after that!" Gwen started downing her drinks.
"Why not just make them shots? It'll be much easier to get hammered that way."
"You have a point. I'll take four shots, then."
Geoff gave her the shots before he had to serve more customers. "I'll be right back. Gotta get some more party people wired!"
Gwen finished her third martini, then finished the four shot glasses within seconds. "Woo hoo!" She threw her fist in the air. She giggled as she remembered Geoff teaching her how to do the "party call" back on the show. Gwen would never forget that day because she felt free and confident—like she could be herself without anyone else's negative input. She would give anything to feel that way again.
After a few minutes, Geoff came back to check on Gwen, who was up and dancing with a bunch of people. He smiled, happy she was having fun. That'll be me in just an hour, he thought.
"Hey, so sorry to bother you, but can I have an autograph?" Geoff heard someone ask at the entrance. He saw a woman standing with a napkin held up in front of...Heather? He blinked, taken aback.
"Yeah, if you can find me something stable to write on," Heather retorted, not even trying to hide her annoyance. Don't get her wrong, she loved the attention, but she hated talking to people one-on-one.
The girl eagerly led her to the end of the bar table and handed her a pen. Heather quickly signed her name. "There. Now, leave me alone, and don't tell your friends I'm here."
"Ok!" She snapped a quick picture of Alejandro standing next to Heather. "That's better than an autograph," she blushed. She then pulled Courtney, who stood on the other side of Heather, next to her and took a picture. Courtney looked perplexed for a moment until the girl walked away.
"What was that?" Courtney said. "She was so rude for doing that to me!"
Geoff gulped when he remembered that Duncan was supposed to be here soon. Shit. This can't be good. He opened his mouth to call Gwen over so he could freak out to her but stopped himself when he realized that she was also his ex. Double shit.
Heather held on tightly to her purse. "I don't trust anyone here. They're all a bunch of crazy lunatics. How do I know someone will not steal my purse when I'm just walking past them?"
"They should have little cubbies in the back," said Courtney. Heather nodded, and she and Alejandro followed their friend.
After they secured their things in the cubbies, they walked back out into the crowd of dancing people. Alejandro grabbed onto Heather's hand. "The air smells like it could kill us, mi amor!" He yelled over the music.
"It's just vape!" Heather assured.
"Vape?! Terrible for the lungs!"
"You'll be fine for one night!"
Courtney took Heather's other hand. "Let's all sit at the bar for a minute, ok?!"
"Yeah, ok!" Heather nodded.
Heather sat in between Alejandro and Courtney. "The music's a little quieter over here," Courtney said.
"Yeah, thank god," Heather rolled her eyes. "I can't stand loud music when I'm sober. I need some alcohol."
Geoff hesitantly walked over to them, hoping Duncan didn't "conveniently" walk in. "Hey guys, what can I get for you?" He kept his gaze away from Alejandro.
"Geoff?" Courtney said. "No way!"
"Hey Courtney, long time no see!" He was comfortable talking to her.
"Yeah, it's been what? Six years?"
"Something like that."
"Ok, I want my drink," Heather snapped. "You can have your cute little reunion later. Just let me order."
"Heather, stop being rude," Courtney told her.
Alejandro wrapped an arm around Heather. "Courtney, that is like asking the sun not to rise." Heather scowled at her boyfriend.
"Hey, Heather," Geoff greeted blandly.
"Hi. Let's hope you're good at making alcoholic beverages," Heather said. "I want a Tequila Sunrise."
"Are you and your—boyfriend paying together?"
"Yeah. I'm paying for it."
Alejandro gave her a strange look. "Since when?"
"Since now. You paid for dinner last week when we went out. Don't say a word about it," Heather gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Alejandro rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile.
Heather got out her debit card. "I'll keep it on the tap." She slid it over to Geoff.
"Alright, thanks." He took her card. "And what would you like, sir?"
Alejandro stifled a laugh. He can't even call me by my real name after all these years. Pathetic. "I will have a shot of Sunset Rum." Heather looked at him with wide eyes.
"Coming right up." Geoff went to prepare their drinks.
Alejandro looked at Heather. "What's that look for?"
"You're ordering that?"
"Sí, I am. What is the problem with it?"
"You always drink wine," Heather pointed out. "I've never seen you drink anything stronger. And even when you do drink, it's so rare."
"I have decided it's time for me to expand my horizons in the drinking world," Alejandro said. He really just wanted to forget about the job that he felt he was doomed to have for the rest of his life. It was either that or losing his parents' favor to José.
"You're going to end up passed out on the floor after one drink," Courtney told him. "That's what happened to me the first time I tried hard liquor."
"I am not you, Courtney. My body can handle most
Things except for terrible, processed foods," he shuddered.
"I guess we'll see," Heather laughed.
"Are you doubting, mi amor?" Alejandro playfully challenged.
"Maybe. You're ordering a really strong drink, Alejandro. It's, like, 85% alcohol. And since you hardly drink, you'll react to it much quicker. I can handle that stuff with no problem because I drink every other week."
"It's no big deal. My body can take it. I'll show you."
Geoff came back with their drinks. "May I have another three shots of the rum?" Alejandro asked.
"Yeah, sure," Geoff nodded.
"Oh my god," Heather giggled to Courtney.
"Want to make a bet?" Asked Alejandro. "If I can drink at least six of these without throwing up, then you have to drink more since you're such a big talker," he smirked.
"Ok, deal," she shrugged.
"I can't believe you guys still make everything a competition," Courtney commented, facepalming.
"It wouldn't feel natural otherwise," Alejandro replied. He slinked his arm around Heather's waist.
"Yeah. Alejandro loves talking shit, so I have to keep in line," said Heather.
"I think it's the other way around, cariño," Alejandro smirked.
"Not."
"Whatever helps your beautiful self sleep at night." He took three more shots, making a face at the taste.
"Are the drinks too strong for you, Alejandro?" Heather playfully mocked.
"Absolutely not!" He grinned widely. "This is too easy. I will have two more shots, por favor."
Heather raised her eyebrows. "You're gonna feel that in a few minutes, babe."
"I'll be fine. Maybe you should enjoy yourself, mi amor." Alejandro placed a hand on her thigh.
Courtney leaned over to Heather. "What's wrong with him?" She whispered.
"The stress of working finally got to him, I guess," Heather said. Even she sounded concerned.
"What can I get for you?" Geoff asked Courtney.
"I'll just take a tequila sunrise," she smiled politely.
"Alrighty. You want your card on the tap?"
Courtney looked at Alejandro, who was already loosening up a bit. "Sure, why the hell not?"
It was ten minutes before Alejandro stumbled out of his chair. "Heather, let's dance!" He held out his hand. Heather had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. His hand completely missed her as if he were holding it out to the air.
"Ok, sounds fun." Heather got up and took his hand. "Just don't fall."
"I won't. I am a gifted balancer, even when drunk..." His voice drifted away into the crowd.
Courtney's jaw dropped. "Heather!" She scoffed. "Great. She left me alone!" She angrily took a small sip of her tequila.
"You're friends with Heather?" Geoff asked.
"Yeah," Courtney rolled her eyes. "We started getting along in college. We bonded over complaining about people."
"Huh," he nodded, looking off in thought.
"I know, it's hard to believe. But it's been seven years," she told him. "Once you get to know her, she's not so bad."
"Uh—dude, she just ditched you to dance with her playboy Spanish boyfriend," Geoff said.
"It's his first time drinking, and he just had six shots of rum. She's just making sure he doesn't kill himself. I can let that slide," Courtney flinched, looking at Alejandro trip over his own feet on the dance floor.
"The man's not gonna last long." He observed Alejandro with Courtney.
"No," she sighed.
"Man, I don't know why I'm still mad at him," Geoff blurted. "I'm not even with Bridgette anymore."
Courtney snapped her head around, slamming her hand on the table. "What?! Not with Bridgette?!"
"No. She left me for another guy." Geoff found that the more people he told, the better he felt. It was good to get it all out instead of cramming it inside.
"That's...awful. After all that time?"
Gwen stumbled over the bar top. "Heyyyy, I'm back for more!" She slurred loudly.
Courtney whipped her head to the side at the familiar voice. She froze in place. Geoff froze as well.
"Um, Geoff, hello? Are you drunk?" Gwen laughed. "You're not supposed to be drunk at work. Oooh, you're gonna be firedddd."
"No, G, I'm not drunk. Courtney's right next to you."
Gwen looked to her right and nearly jumped. "Oh my god!! You're here too?! No way! This is crazy! Hey girl!"
Courtney looked her up and down judgmentally. If she weren't drunk, she wouldn't be acting so friendly. "—Hey," Courtney gave her a tight smile.
"Oh my god, it is so hot in here," Gwen groaned. She slid off her jacket and t-shirt, revealing her flimsy spaghetti-strap black tank top.
Courtney looked with horror. "Gwen! You may want to put that shirt back on. The straps are sliding over your shoulders!"
"Oh, these?" Gwen picked up a strap and pulled it back up. "These are fine. It's just a comfy undershirt."
"But it's really..." Courtney cringed.
"Courtney, the chick wants to party," Geoff smirked. "It's all good. As long as no one's undressed, everything's cool."
"Or you're just being a pervert."
"Courtney," Gwen stated, "you see this shirt? It's not low-cut. It's just a little loose. That's it. Come and have some fun! You're missing out."
Courtney scanned the room. Everyone else was either talking with friends or dancing. I told myself I was going to have fun. Don't be such a prude like you always are. "Ok, fine. Geoff, give me those rum shots you gave Alejandro."
"Ooh, rum? Sign me up!" Gwen cheered.
Meanwhile, Duncan walked through the club entrance. He scoffed at the bouncer when he asked for an ID but showed him anyway. There's no way I look under nineteen, he thought.
"Oh my god, no way! I knew I didn't make a mistake by standing by the entrance tonight!" The same woman who went crazy over Alejandro, Heather, and Courtney was next to him.
Before Duncan could react, she took out her phone. "Can I get a picture with you? You're so iconic!"
"Yeah, sure." Duncan held up his infamous "rock n roll" hand sign as she snapped the photo.
"Thanks! Love you, Duncan!" She scurried off.
Thank god she didn't ask me to sleep with her as some do, he thought. He'd have to turn her down because he didn't find her attractive whatsoever, and it would've been one hell of an awkward conversation. Nevertheless, Duncan was glad that all he had to face now were thirsty women instead of a bunch of trolls on the Internet. Life was peaceful.
That changed when he saw both his exes seated at the bar, talking to Geoff. Holy shit. What are the chances?! He quickly squeezed his way through the sea of people and got as far away from Courtney and Gwen as possible.
As he backed up into a corner, someone bumped into him. "Alejandro, watch out. Oh my god," Heather giggled.
Alejandro turned around. "Lo sien—" he cut himself off. "Duncan?"
Duncan blinked. "Alejandro?"
"Hola, man. Great to see you, Señor," he tried to keep his elegant composure despite his drunkenness.
"What are you doing here?" Heather scowled.
"Just here to talk to Geoff, but I can't right now cause both of my exes are up there," Duncan answered.
"Wait, Gwen is here too?" Heather crossed her arms. "Great. Now, my night is ruined. I thought I wouldn't have to see that goth girl again."
"Mi amor, it doesn't have to be ruined." Alejandro sloppily wrapped his arm around her. "We can always dance more. Or drink more. I feel so weightless!"
Duncan looked at Alejandro as if he were from another planet. "I never thought he'd be the drinking type."
"He's not," Heather clarified. "He made me a stupid bet that if he didn't throw up after six drinks, I'd have to drink more to prove that I won't. I drink way more than he does, so he's really holding his breath with this one."
"Dude, you're toast," Duncan snickered at Alejandro.
"I am standing up now, aren't I?" Alejandro said.
"Barely," mumbled Heather.
"I think I'll go take another two shots. No harm in that!" Alejandro started clumsily toward the bar.
"Ugh, babe," Heather followed him. "I don't think you should drink anymore."
"I refuse to listen to my competition!" Alejandro yelled over-dramatically. "You are only trying to get me to lose!"
"No, you already had six shots," Heather told him, holding onto his arm so he wouldn't fall. "You won."
"Taking advantage of a drunken man, I see. Who knows if I had six? It could've been five!"
"Oh my—Alejandro, I'm serious."
Alejandro practically fell into his seat at the bar. "I'll take two more of those Sunrise rum shots!"
"It's Sun-set Rum. This just proves that you drank too much," Heather said, standing behind him. Alejandro couldn't even sit up straight on the barstool.
"Being drunk is so much fun, am I right?!" Courtney nudged Alejandro's side.
"Sí! A thousand times, yes! No worries! No regrets!"
"No regrets!" Courtney sighed wistfully. "Let's make it a night full of regrets!"
"Courtney, are you wasted too?" Heather looked at her best friend strangely. She had only ever seen Courtney drunk once, but it wasn't on the "mind packed up and took a vacation" level.
"DRUNK. Just drunk. Not wasted," Courtney caught herself on the table before she hit the floor from leaning forward in her chair.
"Yeah, sure," Heather murmured sarcastically.
"I feel more alive than ever!" Alejandro leaned his head back onto Heather's chest. "Don't you, mi hermosa, encantadora, maravillosa y fantástica novia?"
"That was a lot of compliments," Courtney said as she got out of her seat. "He's a keeper. "I'm going to go find Gweny and dance with her now. Adios!" She waved.
"...What the fuck?" Heather stared blankly ahead, not knowing what to do.
"Geoff! Oh my gosh, finally, man! Had to avoid you for a while there," Duncan laughed awkwardly. He sat a couple of seats away from Alejandro.
"Yeah, I have no idea how all of you are here on the same night! It's wild."
"Are they coming back here anytime soon?" Asked Duncan worriedly.
"I'd give it another fifteen minutes before they're back for more drinks," Geoff told him.
"Alright. I'll start drinking right now, and by the time I'm done, you'll be off the clock so we can party together."
"Awesome. Are you sure you wanna get drunk and try to avoid them at the same time?"
"Please, I'm an expert," Duncan waved his hand in dismissal. "It takes a lot for me to get that fucked up."
"Sweet! How many shots do you want, man?"
"I'll start you off with six lemon drops," he smirked.
"That's my man!" Geoff laughed. "Six lemon drops comin' right up."
Duncan glanced at Alejandro, who now had his arms splayed out across the table. "I refuse to move from the spot!" Alejandro whined to Heather.
"Babe, you had twelve shots. It's time to go," Heather firmly said, tugging his arm, but he wouldn't budge. "I called an Uber five minutes ago. Come on. He's probably almost here now."
Duncan sighed. With the information he was given, he knew if Alejandro took a few more drinks, things could get dangerous. He walked over to him, patting his shoulder. "Hey, Alejandro, you won your competition. By a lot. You're gonna be real sick soon, and no one wants to see your vomit."
"Yeah, dude," Geoff joined in as he set Duncan's drinks down. "I'm not serving you anymore."
"Heyyy, you can't do that!" Alejandro complained.
"Uh, actually, I can. And I'm actually out of alcohol right now. Sorry," Geoff fibbed.
"Ha! How lame is this bar?" Alejandro mocked. "Let's go, Heather!"
"Finally," Heather sighed in relief. "Thanks," she muttered to Geoff as she helped her boyfriend out of his chair.
"Yep," Geoff cringed while he watched them head toward the lockers to grab their things.
"It's gonna be a rough night for him," Duncan shook his head.
"No kidding."
Heather dragged Alejandro out into the brittle night air. She huddled against him for warmth, but he kept stepping away. "I'm already super warm, Heather! I'm sweating!" He panicked.
"No, you're not, Alejandro. You're drunk. Alcohol makes your body feel warm. It's freezing outside right now."
"Funny. I don't feel it. You must be cold-blooded."
"You're drunk. Stop talking," Heather said flatly.
"I can talk if I want! I will talk until your ear falls off!" Alejandro laughed hysterically at himself. "I'm so funny."
"You're not. You're really not."
A plethora of people with cameras suddenly surrounded them. "Heather, can you tell me about what you're wearing tonight?" A woman with a bob cut asked. She stood in a long pencil skirt and a silver coat. Great. Fantastic. Paparazzi was the last thing we needed tonight, Heather thought.
"You have eyes, don't you?" Heather snapped. "I don't need to explain why I have clothes on!"
"Heather, how's the modeling going? Do you feel more confident than ever on the covers of magazines?" A man asked, shoving a microphone in her face.
Heather knocked the microphone out of his hand without a response. She spotted her Uber driver and trekked toward the black car. Carrying half of Alejandro's body weight was like having an insanely heavy backpack on one shoulder.
"Alejandro," a third reporter began, "are you just completely wasted right now? You look like you can hardly stand," she laughed.
"No, he's not. Leave us alone," Heather kept walking. She covered her boyfriend's face with her hand the best she could.
"Yes! I love alcohol!" Alejandro beamed.
"Heather, do you think your boyfriend's becoming an alcoholic under the pressures of fame?" The fourth reporter asked.
Heather remained silent, only focusing on getting into their Uber. She opened the door and lightly pushed Alejandro in since he wasn't moving. Alejandro dramatically fell into the backseat, lying down across it.
"Jesus Christ," Heather grumbled. "Hey," she got the driver's attention. "Mind if I sit in front?" The driver shook his head, excited that he got to drive Toronto's most famous model and her famous boyfriend. Alejandro was known for many things after Total Drama. For the first two years of college, he had bounced from reality show to reality show—from swimming with sharks and taming lions to cooking for world-famous chefs. He had a relatively good reputation for success and was proud of it because it was one of the few things José didn't have. All he had was their parents' approval, but that somehow felt more valuable than a million people's praise.
Heather slammed the door in the paparazzi's faces. "Step on it!" She told the Uber driver. "If you run over any of them, I'll get you a good lawyer."
"Yes, ma'am," he gazed at her with a dreamy smile before driving off. Heather rolled her eyes and looked out the window. Flashes of camera lights faded into the distance. She turned back around, sighing in relief.
"So, Heather, I'm only eighteen, but if things don't work out with you and Alejandro, do you think—"
"Not a chance. Keep driving, hotshot."
The driver nodded with a slight pout. Heather gave him her address, and he drove them there. "How much?" Heather asked when they got to Heather's luxury apartment complex.
"Don't worry about it," the driver winked. "Call me any time you need a lift. No payment needed. My Instagram account is spiderman101. Just slide into my DMs."
"Um—no thanks." Heather quickly got out and helped Alejandro out.
"Is friends out of the question too?"
"What do you think?" Heather shut the passenger door before he could respond. She took the elevator to the seventh floor.
Alejandro started moaning. "My stomach hurts!"
"Don't you dare throw up in this elevator," Heather said, impatiently tapping her foot as the elevator climbed floors. "Wait until we get in my apartment."
"I will," he nodded. "I'm just warning you."
"Ok, that's fine." She grabbed his hand and started toward the doors as they reached their destination. The elevator opened to Heather's living room, and Alejandro sprinted toward the bathroom.
Heather jutted her lips like a toddler who didn't get her way. She had just cleaned that bathroom yesterday.
While her boyfriend puked his guts out, Heather grabbed two water bottles from her refrigerator and sat them on the coffee table in front of her white couch. She waited a few minutes before knocking on the door. "Handro, are you ok in there?"
"Yeah," he croaked. The sound of the toilet flushing followed his voice. The sink came on.
"Ok. Are you feeling any better?" She asked.
"A lot better. My stomach was killing me." Alejandro washed his mouth repeatedly and washed his hands before stepping out.
Heather gave him a soft smile. "I'm going to watch over you tonight, ok? Let's sit on the couch for a while."
Alejandro nodded. He grabbed Heather's hand for balance, and she led him back to the living room. When he tried to lie down, she stopped him. "Not now. I don't want you throwing up on your back."
"I think I'm done throwing up," he said.
"Let's give it thirty minutes, ok? Just to be sure."
"Fine," Alejandro groaned. "But I'm falling asleep propped up."
"That's fine," Heather replied. "I'm just here to make sure you're safe."
Alejandro shut his eyes. He was silent for ten minutes, so Heather thought he had fallen asleep. She got out her phone and texted Courtney. Hey, I'm so sorry for leaving without notice. Alejandro drank way too much. I'll pay you back for the Uber ride you take home if that helps.
"Do you...?" Alejandro mumbled something incoherent.
Heather lifted an eyebrow to see his eyes open again. "You're still awake?"
"Yes. Too dizzy to fall asleep right now." He stared at the ceiling.
"That's ok. Take your time," Heather told him gently. She put down her phone when Courtney hadn't responded. She'll see it eventually. Right now, I need to make sure Alejandro's ok. "Here, drink some water." Heather opened one of the bottles.
Alejandro took the bottle and lifted his head to take a few sips. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Mhm?"
"Do you still love me?"
Heather was taken aback. She wasn't sure if she heard correctly. "Wh—what did you just ask?"
"Do you still love me? Like the same way you did years ago?" Alejandro added.
She scooted close to him and intertwined their hands. "Of course I do. Actually, no, I love you more than I did four years ago because we have more memories now than we did back then. I'm still learning new things about you. You're something else when you're drunk, Alejandro."
"Are you sure?" He asked. "You're not just lying to make me feel better?"
"Yes, I'm sure." She started running her fingers through his dark hair. "Where did this come from?"
"I don't know," Alejandro shrugged. "Just making sure. I love you, ángel." He squeezed his arm between her and the couch to hold her waist so he could pull her against him.
Heather snuggled against his chest. "I love you too, Alejandro." She told herself that his question was just emotional drunk banter, but she felt uneasy.
After Alejandro fell asleep on the couch, Heather remained in his arms but stayed up for a while, anxious and upset that Alejandro didn't feel secure in their relationship. Am I doing something wrong? She wondered. Have I been ignoring him more recently? Maybe I have. My job gets in the way a lot, but he's busy too. That can't be it, can it? Or am I just not a good girlfriend in general?
*~*~*~*~*
Courtney searched all over the club for Heather. There was nothing more aggravating than trying to find someone while drunk. She already regretted everything and was just ready to go home and sleep. "Heather?" She weakly called out before she stumbled into someone. "Hey! Watch where you're—" she cut herself off.
For a moment, Courtney was sober. First, she saw his cocky smirk. Then she saw his unmistakably teal eyes. She had never seen those eyes anywhere else. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I—I must be really fucked up tonight if I see you."
"...Courtney?" Duncan tensed. He would have run away if he wasn't completely wasted right now.
"Hi, Duncan. Whoa, this is so surreal. Are you real?" She reached out in front of herself. "Can I touch your arms?"
"Yeah, sure," he laughed. "Damn, this feels so weird! I'm gonna have to feel you touch my arms to know that you're real too!"
Courtney touched his arms. She knew it was real because she remembered how his arms felt—muscular and firm. He had held her so many times. "Yep, you're real," she whispered.
"And you are too. You look really nice tonight," Duncan complimented her. "That dress is hot."
"Oh, thanks," Courtney giggled. She was still trying to process what was happening. She felt like she was in another world or possibly a dream. Everything was spinning. "Hey, could you please help me with something?"
"What is it?" Duncan was just as out of it as Courtney.
"I need to find my best friend. She mysteriously disappeared. It's Heather. Remember Heather? The girl who was super mean on Total Drama, and everyone hated her? She's a little taller than me, and she has—"
"I remember Heather," Duncan nodded excitedly. "Hey, my neck feels so light. It's so cool!"
"I know. I feel like I lost one hundred pounds!" Courtney said. "Heather might be in the bathroom. Let's check there."
"Ok." Duncan followed Courtney into the women's bathroom without a second thought.
"Heatherrrrr!" Courtney called out. She started banging on the stall doors.
"Ha, you look funny doing that," Duncan cackled. "I don't think she's in here.
Courtney slumped her shoulders. "I give up! I just wanna go home now."
A woman walked into the bathroom and screamed. "Get out of here, you creep!" She glared at Duncan.
"I'm not doing anything!" Duncan put his hands up.
"Oh shoot, Duncan!" Courtney giggled uncontrollably. "You're in the women's restroom! Fuck, how drunk are you?!"
"Oh yeah! Hahaha!" Duncan nearly fell to the floor laughing.
"I'll just wait 'til I get home..." the woman slowly backed out.
"That's super embarrassing. I hope you're happy with yourself," Courtney laughed.
"I'm so glad there's no paparazzi. They'd call me a pervert!"
"You are one, though," Courtney smirked, walking past him to leave the restroom. She tripped over her heel, falling face first. Duncan caught her but ended up on the ground.
There was a moment of silence before they both broke out in laughter. "You're so clumsy, and you're not even wearing heels," Courtney said as she sat up, straddling his hips.
"You're the one who fell," Duncan snorted.
"You couldn't even catch me!" Courtney looked into his eyes once again. Duncan sat up, making his forehead nearly touch hers. "Whoa, you're super close now," she breathed.
"You smell really good." Duncan couldn't stop himself from stroking her hair. Courtney lunged forward with her eyes closed. She pressed her lips on his. Duncan kissed back, holding onto her waist.
Courtney ran her hands up and down his arms. She eagerly ground her hips against his. "This feels so wonderful," she panted. "I missed your lips."
"I missed yours too." He started passionately kissing down her neck to her collarbone. He blindly felt for her straps and started sliding them off.
"Wait, wait..." Courtney said. "We're on the bathroom floor. We should go somewhere else."
"Wanna go to my house?" Duncan offered.
"Heck, yes!" Courtney beamed. "Thank you so much! I need someone to take me home anyways because I don't want to pay for the Uber ride back. I'm starting to think Heather left. What a bitch," she rambled on and on as they stood up. "This world isn't real right now. I think I'm controlling my dream. I've controlled plenty of my dreams before."
"Me too. My dream right now is to have your body against mine," Duncan started kissing her again in front of everyone.
"Mmm, let's ride back so we can get to it!" Courtney yelled, not paying any mind to the people around them.
Duncan got out his phone and dialed up an Uber. They made out for the next few minutes before their driver arrived and took them to Duncan's apartment.
"Ooh, I didn't know you lived here," Courtney twirled her hair.
"I didn't know you didn't," Duncan laughed drunkenly.
The moment they were alone together, Courtney had Duncan against the door while he locked it. She wildly made out with him as if she were on a diet and he was junk food on her cheat day.
Duncan swooped her up and carried her to his bed. His plans for hanging with Geoff were the very last things on his mind, as were the reasons he wanted to avoid Courtney when he was sober.
*~*~*~*~*
Geoff clocked out of work with a smile on his face. Tonight had been a good night. He saw more friends than he initially thought, and they all supported him. Now, he was ready to party with Duncan.
He quickly changed into a plain white shirt in the restroom and made his way out. His eyes scanned the foggy room for his friend. He's probably in the middle of it all; he chuckled to himself.
Before Geoff got far from the restrooms, he heard what sounded like someone barfing in the woman's bathroom. He cringed. It sounded painful, so he stayed to ensure that whoever it was came out alright.
Geoff started texting Duncan when the girl came out. "Ugh, I feel like I'm dying," she groaned. He blinked and looked up to see Gwen.
"Oh, Gwen, it's you. You ok, dudette?"
"I guess so. My stomach decided to take revenge. That was horrible." She leaned over, rubbing her belly.
"Do you need any help getting—"
Gwen fell to the floor with a loud thump. Geoff's eyes widened. He frantically got down next to her. "Gwen! You still awake?!" He waved his hand in front of her face.
"Huh?" Gwen opened her eyes, looking confused.
"Are you awake?!" Geoff asked louder this time.
"—Well, yeah. I'm opening my eyes and speaking to you, aren't I?"
"Oh, right. Yeah. Sorry, I got really scared there for a moment. You, like, blacked out on me!"
"It happens when I get super drunk," she told him.
Geoff looked over his shoulder in case Duncan was nearby. Where did he go? "Do you need a ride home?" He asked Gwen.
"Yeah. I was stupid and drove here. But I can call someone. Don't worry about it." She carefully sat up.
"No, it's cool. I can take you back," he smiled. "It'll be easier that way."
Gwen looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Ok. Thanks."
Geoff helped her stand up. "My car is just right behind the building. I'll help you walk there." He helped her gather her things, then led her out the back door behind the bartender area for a shortcut.
"Aw, man, it's freezing out here!" Geoff shivered.
"Why didn't you bring a coat, silly?" Gwen snickered.
"I did; I just forgot it. I'll be at work tomorrow night, so I'll get it then." Geoff held open the passenger door to his white truck for her.
"Oh, cool! We both have trucks," Gwen exclaimed as she got in.
Geoff shut the door and walked around to get on his side. "Sorry for not saying anything a second ago. I was freezing, man. Had to get in before talking anymore." He turned on the heater. "What kind of truck do you have?"
"It's a Ford. I've had it since I was eighteen."
"Nice. Mine's a Chevy." Geoff switched to drive. "So, what's the address?"
"Renton Road," Gwen answered, rubbing her hands together by the heater. "My apartment complex is on that street."
"Oh, I know that place. My brother used to live there."
Gwen leaned against the window. "Thanks for the job offer, Geoff. It's been really hard."
Geoff glanced at her as he turned a corner. "Like, money hard, or life hard?"
"Both," Gwen laughed.
"What's been goin' on?"
"Eh, it's nothing. I just have the worst luck."
Geoff knew she was holding back but didn't push her. It took him a week to talk to anyone about his breakup with Bridgette, so he figured Gwen wasn't ready to share.
When Geoff pulled into the apartment complex, Gwen smiled. "Finally home. I can sleep in my nice, cozy bed."
"Are you sure you'll be alright? No more blacking out?" Geoff checked.
"Oh, yeah, I'll be fine. This happens all the time." Gwen opened the door. "Thanks again. For everything tonight. That was really nice." She couldn't understand why he had done all this and kept an upbeat attitude after everything with Bridgette. Gwen knew that if she was in his place, she'd already be halfway through her third bottle of whiskey on the bathroom floor. Seven years. Wow, you really can't depend on anyone.
"Don't mention it," Geoff said as she stepped out of the car. "I don't know if you'll remember this by morning, but I'll text my boss about you tonight!"
"Haha, ok. Thanks. See you later, Geoff," she waved.
"Adios, amiga," he replied with a goofy grin, then drove away.
Gwen laughed at his terrible white boy pronunciation. I owe him big time. He made my night ten times better in less than two hours. She smiled to herself the whole way to her apartment.