Rachel's POV
*Four Years Ago*
"Yo Rachel, pass me a beer."
"Here, maybe slow down a bit? We're not even halfway through the night", I say to my best friend's semi-belligerent boyfriend.
"Would you loosen up for once? It's a party, and plus you know I have a high tolerance level", he says as he drunkenly stumbles into my coffee table.
"Sam, I hate to break it to you but it's not a party. We're here to watch the election results."
"But it turned into a party so let's get lit", he replies raising his beer.
I honestly don't know what Olivia sees in him. Not to be judgmental, but he has nothing going for him besides his parents' money and the size of his dick. Yes I know, fucking gross! and that's the same thing I've told Olivia every time she shows me an unsolicited picture of it.
I always forgive her though. Olivia and I have been friends since before we were born, seeing as our parents go way back. Our friendship grew closer when one day on the playground she stood up to a group of girls that were bullying me because of the color of my skin.
Yeah, kids suck but Olivia made my crucial adolescent years somewhat tolerable. From that day on we've been pretty much inseparable. I love her like a sister but trust me when I say she has the worst taste in men. Granted she would say the same about me. Only instead of men, women are my weakness.
She swears I'm only attracted to "fuck girls", or girls that have enough emotional baggage for the both of us. And hey she's not completely wrong, but I like to think I don't have a type.
Speaking of girls, I haven't seen much of my girlfriend tonight. I walk over to the couch where she is chatting with my roommate Vanessa.
"Hey babe, what have I missed? ", I say as I lean in for a kiss.
The beautiful Natalie Davis. Total "fuck girl" on the outside, but her heart is where the true substance lies. We've been dating since our freshman year in college and we're seniors now. It's crazy how fast time passes. In these past few years we've been through more than you can imagine.
"Nothing much. Vanessa has been keeping me company while you go entertain", Natalie says with a hint of annoyance in her tone.
Her response catches me off guard, "Is something wrong?"
"Nope, everything is good. Just chilling like you were with Avery", she snidely remarks.
"Ok, that's my cue to go", Vanessa says as she all but runs away from the couch.
"Nat, are you serious? You know it's not like that between us, we're just friends. I don't know why you have a problem every time we hang out. I'm with you because I love you".
"Yeah well it doesn't seem that way. She's always all over you".
"You should trust me enough to know that I would never ruin what we have. She's my friend, and I have set boundaries with her. She knows nothing is ever going to happen between the two of us", I reply back as I hold her hand for reassurance.
Avery and I met around the same time I met Natalie. We quickly became friends as we bonded over our similar interests in pop culture, politics, and women. After a few months of hanging out, she confessed that she had feelings for me but I had already secretly started dating Natalie. We've remained great friends, and I think she's gotten over that little crush she had, but whatever the case may be my heart wants what it wants and that's Natalie Davis.
"Let's just drop it and talk about it later", Natalie says.
"Ok", I say as I grab the television remote to adjust the volume.
Across the screen displays an electoral map of the country and it's predominantly red. Numbers are close, but Republican candidate Duke Trant is winning most of the major states. Whereas Democratic candidate Heather Clark is winning the coastal states.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't getting nervous. I call over everyone to turn their attention to the TV so they can you know, actually watch what they came over for.
My friend Kennedy gasps.
"What the heck is going on?", Avery says in shock.
"America is going to be great again, that's what's going on!", Sam retorts back.
Oh did I mention that Sam is also a Republican dudebro? Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with being Republican per se, but the thing with Sam is he doesn't have a reasoning behind it besides his parents are Republican and he thinks Trant is a realist. To be honest, I didn't care much for either candidate, but I for sure as hell wasn't going to vote for that man.
The remainder of the votes trickle in and just past 9 p.m. the words "Duke Trant Elected President" flash across the screen.
I find myself in deep thought and I'm only brought back to reality when I hear Avery chewing Sam out for supporting such a human.
"Would you both stop? This isn't a productive conversation. You're just yelling and trying to out-talk each other", I say to alleviate the tension in the room.
Avery frustrated shakes her head and remains silent while Sam has a drunken outburst and storms out.
Olivia gives me a hug and says she'll text me later before quickly following him out the door. The night pretty much quiets down after that spat. That is until Avery decides to join me outside on the patio to talk.
"I think we're the only ones here that realize how screwed up our country is about to become."
"Yeah, but we're also the only ones sober", I say with a smile."They'll realize tomorrow or in a few months when Trant starts his tirade."
"I just don't get it Rach. Trant said he could shoot someone and get away with it, and people still went out and voted for him."
"He shouldn't have even been allowed to run. Besides saying heinous things on the campaign trail, that motherfucker is not qualified."
Avery shakes her head in disbelief.
"Tomorrow should make for an interesting day in student government. I have to figure out how to address the results without stepping on any toes, I'm sure tensions will be high."
I'm the president of my college's student government club and Avery is my trusted vice president. We've been in the club for all four years, and I've finally reached my goal of leading the group. To put it mildly, the buildup to this election has been pretty interesting.
"Yeah but at least I have faith in one president", Avery says as she grazes her hand over my arm.
Just as she removes it Natalie opens the patio door and locks eyes with me.
"Oh please don't stop because I'm here now, continue."
Ah shit, here we go again! What is this, our second argument of the night? I don't know what's up with her lately. She's been somewhat distant and angry. I can only assume it's because of my friendship with Avery, but every time I try to talk to her about it she says we'll talk about it later. In reality, we never do.
"We're just talking about student government babe," I say reaching for her arm so she can join us.
"Rachel, why can't you see that she uses that as an excuse to get closer to you?" Natalie says visibly annoyed.
"I should get going Rach. See you at school tomorrow?", Avery awkwardly interjects.
"You're so fucking pathetic", Natalie says with an eye roll.
"Nat, you need to calm down."
"No, I don't. I just witnessed her all over you for the second time tonight and for some reason you keep pretending you don't know that she's into you. Everyone else can see it."
I stare in disbelief as I don't know what has gotten into her. "All over me? What are you talking about? She was just trying to be supportive. Something friends are supposed to do."
"Yeah well all your friends aren't trying to fuck you are they?"
"You know what Natalie, I'm not in the mood to do this with you tonight," I say making my way back into the house.
"Yeah because you know I'm fucking right", she spits out.
"No, it's been an emotionally draining day and I'm tired", I say as I see my friend Kennedy and her boyfriend drunkenly sprawled out over my couch. "And it's still not over", I sigh. "Nat, why don't you spend the night and we can talk about it in the morning? I have to take these two home."
"Why can't you just call them an Uber or let them crash on the couch?", she questions.
"You know that I'm not going to ship my best friend off in a Uber, drunk at 2 am. And it was already a lot to ask Vanessa to let me host this here. Can you please just stop questioning me and do what I ask?"
Natalie who is now visibly aggravated agrees and says she'll spend the night.
I give her a hug placing my hands in her back pockets.
She tilts her head down giving me a kiss, "I hate how caring you are sometimes."
I smile, "If you straighten up around here while I'm gone I'll give you all the caring you need later."
She flashes her cocky smile, "Are you tempting me with sex to clean up your apartment?"
"Is it working?"
Sex. Our preferred method of communication or should I say avoidance? Unhealthy I know, but it works for us.
I go to wake up my drunk friends from the couch and lead them to my car.
**********
I'm on my way back home when I get a text from Avery.
I turn my key to enter my front door and I see the place exactly how I left it. Natalie didn't lift a finger. I sigh and throw my keys on the counter.
I make my way to my bedroom. "Nat you could have at least picked up the beer cans-", my sentence is cut short as I don't see Natalie anywhere in sight.
I reach into my pocket and text her to ask where she went, but I notice as her phone vibrates on my dresser.
I decide to walk down the hall to Vanessa's room and I see the door slightly cracked and hear music playing. I knock before pushing it open"Hey V, have you seen Natalie?"
I stand there in shock as I find my girlfriend with her face submerged in my roommate's crotch.
"What the fuck?", is all I manage to get out.
"Shit", Natalie says under her breath.
They both jump to get out of the compromising position that is now embroidered into my brain. "Rach-", Vanessa calls out with a hint of remorse in her voice. I turn around to leave as they both hurry to put on their clothes. Natalie rushes behind me and reaches for my arm.
"Don't you fucking dare. You've been giving me shit about Avery all this time, and you're hooking up with my roommate? My friend?", my brain is going 100mph so whatever I'm saying is incoherent.
I notice Vanessa standing meekly in the corner looking disheveled.
"Vanessa, how could you? I confided in you so much", With anger, tears begin to form. "This has to be a fucking joke", I say wiping my eyes.
"We never meant for this to happen."
"We? So you're a we now?"
"I didn't mean..."
"Save it! I just need to know is this the first time?"
Both of their eyes shift to the ground. Natalie tries to reach for my arm again but I nudge her off to walk back to my room. I grab my bag furiously shoving some clothes, my toothbrush, and my laptop into my bag.
"Rachel I'm so sorry, let me explain.", Vanessa yells out.
I glance at her before I exit the room. If looks could kill she would be buried right now.
Natalie rushes to the front door to block my exit." Move now", I order.
"Rach, you can't leave like this. I'd never forgive myself if something were to happen to you because you're angry with me."
"Oh so now you care about me and my feelings? Fuck off."
If you couldn't tell by now fuck is definitely my favorite word. There's nothing I want to do more right now than cuss her the fuck out but I don't fucking feel like wasting my fucking breath on her.
After a short standoff, she moves in defeat and I get in my car and immediately call Olivia.
"Hello?"
"Liv"
"What's wrong? What time is it?", she says still half asleep,
"Can I please come over? I'll fill you in when I get there."
"Yeah, of course."
I hang up the phone and take one last look at Natalie who has her hand on my car door. I wipe my tears and drive off as fast as I can.
So now I'm sure you can see why I despise election night. A tyrant won the highest office in the land, and I found out that my bitch of a girlfriend was cheating on me.