Narrator
Allie was drunk, tossing stuff around in her room. All the posters of famous classic bands and naked girls watched as she slowly started to have a breakdown. This wasn't the first time the inanimate objects had witnessed the self-abuse.
Her black bed sheets and pillows were tossed on the right side of the room. Her small flat-screen TV on her large dresser remained untouched and intact. Allie sat in the middle of her bed, trying to make sense of her world. She could barely see straight, but she was aware of her surroundings.
Her hair was up in a messy bun and her plugs were out of her ears. Her lobes were droopy and thick, hanging free. She had on a burgundy tank top and basketball shorts that were black. She flopped back down onto her pillow-less bed trying to focus on not puking. The ceiling started to spin. Thank god she called in sick before she chugged half the bottle of vodka down.
Suddenly, Allie heard what sounded like knocking on her door. She managed to push herself up and scoot off the bed. She couldn't feel her feet anymore so she had a hard time getting to the door. Her right hand traced the hallway walls until she got to the door. The knocks sounded like earthquakes in Allie's ears.
"Who is it!?" she shouted rubbing her temples.
"It's Kendra..." she heard from the other side of the door.
Allie rolled her eyes and let out a small groan. She already wasn't in the greatest mood. She also didn't want to deal with Kendra's guilt trips. She forced herself to unlock the door and open it. Kendra peeked inside as Allie held the door close to her. Kendra already knew what Allie was up to. She knew her long enough to know almost her every move.
Kendra still had her work uniform on, except without the dirty liquor-stained apron. Allie looked her up and down, deciding to stop being stubborn. She pushed opened the door and held it as Kendra stepped inside with her arms folded.
"You're drunk," Kendra said looking down the hallway.
Allie shut the door and locked it. "Sure am."
"I spent the ten dollars for a cab here - do you mind if I stay the night?" Kendra turned to Allie.
"You can have the room. I'll sleep on the couch." Allie said, walking past Kendra.
"You're not gonna ask why I'm here?" Kendra followed her.
"I don't really care." Allie shrugged, wobbling down the hall.
Kendra grabbed Allie by her sides trying to keep her steady. "Don't you have work tomorrow?"
"Sure do," Allie replied. "I called out sick."
"How often do you call out sick? That takes out of your paycheck you know." Kendra said.
"I don't too often actually. I'm not off too often either, I deserve a sick day." Allie said turning the corner into her room.
Kendra sighed, letting Allie go. She looked around her room, not surprised why Allie gave it up so easily.
"Did you have another mosh pit in here?" Kendra asked, closing the room door behind her.
"Nope." Allie sighed, plopping down on her bed.
"Well I've been thinking about your offer... ever since you left the bar," Kendra said quietly.
Allie licked her lips. "Don't force yourself to think about it if you don't want to."
"I'm thinking about it because, for once, you're right. It would be easier on the both of us despite our past..." Kendra admitted.
Allie started to rub her temples again, not really caring about what Kendra had to say at the moment. After all, she was intoxicated and she still felt like puking.
Kendra walked over. "It's also way easier to talk to you when you're drunk."
Allie sighed, tired of her overused excuse of being nervous and angry at her. "I'm not a hard person to talk to Kendra."
Kendra sat down next to Allie, just a few centimeters away. She could smell the vodka roaming out of Allie's pores and breath. She tried her best to not let the smell get to her. Allie leaned back on her elbows and stared off into space. Kendra wasn't used to this type of awkwardness. They were both usually all over each other about to have sex.
"So..." Kendra played with her hands. "How are you?"
"I've had better days," Allie said with a dead tone.
"You know, it's been pretty empty without you. In general, I mean." Kendra looked over at Allie.
"I guess. I'm used to being alone and not missing people." Allie shrugged.
Kendra felt hurt by Allie's careless words. As much as she was used to it, it always hit her tender heart. She loved Allie more than anything else existing in her world, but Allie never really acknowledged it or gave it a chance. The closest she could get to Allie without being hurt was when they used to have their long nights of 'fun'.
Kendra sighed. "Sometimes I don't even know why I try with you. You're the most heartless person I know and I'm not sure why I even fell in love with you in the first place."
"Maybe it was the way I didn't care. Like how I don't now." Allie scratched her head. "Girls seem to like people that don't care."
"It probably is the way you don't care. The way you carry yourself." Kendra wiped her eyes quickly.
Allie turned her head and looked at Kendra, finally. "Kendra I don't mean to hurt you. That's the last thing I want to do to any girl. I just can't help the fact it's who I am."
"I know you can't help it, but why don't you ever try?" Kendra spat back, trying to keep her emotions at bay.
Allie sighed sadly. She thought she would never encounter these moments again, where she would have to explain to Kendra why love wasn't logical.
"I just don't believe in being stuck to one person. You should be allowed to experiment with different people all the time." Allie shrugged.
"You don't ever get lonely?" Kendra asked hoping to reveal a hidden truth.
"I don't get lonely. I don't ever think about having a 'girlfriend'." Allie air quoted. "I don't want someone up my ass about everything all the time. It's not cool."
"Well damn, I wish I had your heart of steel then." Kendra pushed out a laugh.
"It's no hard feelings gorgeous. You deserve better than me. You know that." Allie said softly, trying to cheer her up.
"I feel like I don't deserve anything, to be honest." Kendra wiped her eyes.
"Kendra, you deserve the world. This isn't just drunk talk right here." Allie burped.
"Excuse you." Kendra chuckled. "God, that burp smells."
Allie laughed and almost lost balance leaning on her own elbows. Her eyes were starting to get heavier. She was close to passing out.
"I just remembered I have community service tomorrow," Allie grumbled.
"You still do that stuff?" Kendra said, taking off her shoes.
Allie moved her elbows forward and smacked down onto her back. "Yeah - it usually helps me clear my mind. I took off of work just to go to another job I don't get paid for."
"I'm sure you can miss a day." Kendra moved up on the bed. "Just don't go."
"I have to. Tomorrow I'm helping out with some volleyball team." Allie sighed. "They're like college freshmen or something."
"I'm guessing it's a team - of girls..." Kendra bit her lip.
Allie laughed and stared up at the ceiling. "A bunch of freshman college girls who are in dire need of sexual attention."
"Nice to know you're only going to be the predator that you are." Kendra cleared her throat.
"I'm going to help and spot some chicks." Allie closed her eyes.
"What a great way to spend your sick day." Kendra looked away.
"Yeah." Allie smiled. "Hey, if you're still here by the time I get back and I have a girl under my arm, don't be all jealous and whatever."
Kendra rolled her eyes. She didn't know whether she should hit Allie for her comment now or later.
"Thank god I work overtime." Kendra sighed.
"I work overtime every day - still don't make enough." Allie burped again.
"You're the only person living here. I don't see why your bills are so high." Kendra brought her knees to her chest.
"Rent is high. I focus on rent and have to go without hot water and electricity often." Allie said.
"Well jeez..." Kendra sighed sadly. "I can try and find a way to help..."
"I don't want to force anything on you. I know how much your apartment means to you." Allie wiped her forehead.
"You can find someone to rent the room out, who has a good job," Kendra suggested.
"Look, I tried finding people. I even asked everyone I associate with. Everyone has a place of their own." Allie mumbled.
It became silent and neither of them spoke a word for a couple of minutes. Kendra looked over at Allie. She passed out with her hands placed on her stomach. She started to snore a little, indicating that was she falling into a deep sleep. Kendra figured out instantly that she would be the one sleeping on the couch tonight, considering the other room beside Allie's was cluttered with unopened boxes.
Kendra left Allie laying the way she was. She was too heavy to move anyways when she was drunk. She left the room and headed towards the living room that was right next to the small kitchen. Allie's couches were big, soft, and black. They actually pulled out into beds, but Kendra preferred the small and confined area. Kendra sunk into a couch just to test how comfortable she would be. She was instantly comforted by the silence in the house.
During nights like these, Allie would usually stay up with her until she had fallen asleep. She was sure Allie would have accompanied her if she wasn't drunk and stressed out. Back then, it wasn't as stressful to make a living. Everything was going well for the both of them until people started getting laid off and other stores were being made, increasing competition amongst every business.
Low-income tattoo shops, much like the one Allie works in, don't make furious amounts of money. Each artist is paid by how many customers they have.
She moved around in her sleep, trying to find a comfortable position to rest in. She usually spent her Sunday's home, in bed, watching TV, not caring about the outside world. Sunday's were the only days she could stop thinking.