Jungkook's P.O.V
Left leg. Right leg. Left leg. Right leg. We were a few streets apart, yet the way to Robert's house was taking close to an entirety. I looked at my cellphone, rereading the message again and again:
'Can we meet up? Maybe at my place?'
I wished for the time to pass faster. No, I craved to take my sweet time walking. I longed to talk to him anew, or did I? After all of the stupid words I'd uttered about him and Erica, nothing else could give me closure. However, after the events of the night before, I felt as though no task was worth completing.
But there I was, knocking on his door. And there we were, sitting on his bed.
We sat and stared, no man speaking, almost able to hear each other blink.
"Kook, I..."
"Robert, I..."
He exhaled, but I did not dare to breathe. "You go first," said Robert.
"What I told you the other day was horrible, and I didn't mean any of it. I'm sorry." My friend gave me a soft smile. "I just missed you, and the truth is... when you'd left me, that party did not go too well," I continued.
His grin faded. "I should have known better..." he said. "I never thought Erica was more important, not even for a second, and I apologize for making you feel I did."
"Apology accepted," I told him, beaming.
Less stiff now, Robert got up and began walking around the room. "Something's fishy," he declared. "Usually, if we sort that shit out, you start complaining about the early hour and how you want to have a gaming session in your room 'cuz mine stinks or something."
"Not today, though, don't get me wrong, it still does."
"Aha!" Robert called. "Spill. It. Out."
"Nothing interesting to spill," I said, "I'm only trying to avoid the old folks..."
"AHA!"
I sighed. "My parents went to a business party and were supposed to be back late at night. I figured I could bring Taehyung to... do stuff..." I began. "The organizer ended up canceling it, they found out once already there, returned home early, and the rest... A mess."
"Oh, fuck..."Rober gasped. "That must have been so embarrassing."
"Don't add insult to injury!" I spoke and glared. "I know it fucking was, especially when my Mom fucking walked in on us!"
"My dude, I can't imagine... Welp. You can stay here. I'm sure you won't get into further trouble if it's with me," he said.
"I'd very much appreciate it... And I'm not scared of trouble, I'm an adult now. It's a matter of respect. Things went down between us, which I wish would have never happened."
"Looks like you need to get your mind off of things." He attempted to sound confident, yet took a deep, unstable breath. "You're right. You are an adult. How about going to a bar this evening?"
When Robert said 'a bar,' he meant alcohol. Robert and I had never tried alcohol.
"Come on! We must grow up!" he cried.
I bit my lip. "I don't know, man. I wouldn't mind giving the visit a shut, but I doubt I should drink."
Robert sat back down and exhaled. "Here's the thing," he said and glanced at me. "Erica would love me to spend a similar evening with her and her group. I'm sure you understand now what kind of people they are."
"Oh yeah."
"It's your decision, Kook, but I need help... If you stay sober, and I get drunk, perhaps you'd be able to watch and tell me how cringy I can get, you know, so I'd have a good idea of it before I try drinking with the others," he told me.
"I suppose that'd be helpful," I said. "Still, that's not the reason why I should keep an eye. Are you sure it'd be fine in the first place? Do you want to?"
Robert scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. Of course. I'll be safe with you..." He paused. "How about we call Taehyung to join us? Let's do it!"
I reached my hand to take out my phone, retrieving the device into my pocket shortly after. Unsafe. It'd be unsafe. I agreed only for Robert's sake.
"I don't need him there with us."
Robert froze. "Yeah. Right. You don't... I get it." He stood up and went to his room's door. "My parents are downstairs, right?"
"Obviously. Your mother let me in," I replied.
"Good, I'll go tell them where I'll be and with whom."
The glowing sign at the nightclub's entrance was blinding me, and while waiting in a line for the selection, I preferred letting my eyes wander around instead of facing directly forward. A horde of younger teens surrounded us, all appearing to be around the age of fifteen.
Finally, the guards were ready to let Robert and me in, and I gazed up at the big letters on the dark sky's background once more.
ENTRY ALLOWED FROM 18 AND ABOVE
"Robs?" I tugged his sleeve. He signaled me to keep quiet when greeting the guards, and soon, we were inside. So were the other youngsters.
The place, like Taylor's party, was loud and crowded. Robert hated such events, and I hated the memories, yet he kept dragging me further in before pointing forward. "Can we buy a drink?"
"What?! The music is too loud. I can't hear you!" I shouted.
"A DRINK! CAN YOU BUY ME A DRINK?!"
I glanced at the bar area: Too many people.
"Please, Kook. I heard they don't give a shit at the entrance, but the bartenders might check IDs," he said.
I had to return the favor. Robert sheltered me in his house that day, and the money we were planning to spend was all his, and thus, I handed him the drink with shaking hands. This is illegal, isn't it? Robert stared at it, his lips trembling as his eyes moved back and forth from it to my direction.
He gulped it whole and made an ugly face. "Another one, please?"
I watched as my friend consumed more and more of the disgusting liquid, Vodka— Taylor's pals had recommended it— growing more intoxicated. A while in, and what was coming out of his mouth was sheer nonsense.
"That girl... That ass..." He hiccuped. "I'll drink to that...!"
"Stop, Robert," I muttered.
As I gave apologetic looks to the ladies behind him, he either didn't notice them or didn't care. "Isn't it sad I'm almost eighteen... and never got to have sex? By the way, are you planning to take Kim's... thing up your ass, or are you the only one allowed to...?" The whole ordeal was a mistake, and the more he talked, the clearer it had become. "Or, like... have you done it already...? It'll be more than okay if you have... Can I get another glass?"
"Gentleman?"
"Are you insane?! That's it. You've had enough!" I shouted. "YOU'RE DRUNK OUT OF YOUR MIND!"
"No... I'm completely sober," he said. "Actually, that girl kinda looks like your mom... Your mom's hot, though."
"Gentleman!" Somebody tabbed lightly on my shoulder. It was the bartender. "The lady over there had bought you a drink."
"Tell her I'm not interested, sir," I replied while calming myself down with deep breaths.
Robert let out another hiccup. "Then give it to... me instead."
"I said, no, Robert! No."
"You can't say no to me... You stayed in my bedroom for hours..." Robert burped. "You know how scary it is staying alone with you...?"
"N-no." I tilted my head. "I don't."
"Well... I don't know what to expect from you anymore... I'm just a guy protecting his nice butt from the spoiled brat who... takes whatever he wants..." He laughed through the hiccups.
"Are you serious?"
"Dude... that was a joke..." Robert laughed again. "You wouldn't fancy my butt."
"Pardon me for not finding it too funny."
There was no way anyone else in that cursed place could stand the guy; his best friend absolutely, at the moment, did not. I wrapped Robert's arm around my shoulders and began dragging him to the exit, helping the dysfunctional guy move. He was beyond offensive. The fool could be in danger. With every step, he was getting sicker.
"Where are you going, baby?" I heard a feminine voice.
I couldn't afford to give her a single glance as the boy was becoming nauseous. "Is this... what being drunk feels like...?" he groaned. "I'm 'gonna vomit..."
I scanned our environment to find a place where he could puke. The grown lady kept creeping behind us. "The night had just begun. Would you not like to stay?" she asked before taking off her jacket.
Nope.
I dragged him to his home while listening to the rumbling. "This was a bad idea... I'm never getting drunk again... I think I'm 'gonna die..." It was hard resisting the urge to give Robert a good punch, yet, abandoning him wasn't an option.
To avoid confrontation, with an already numb arm and shoulder, I sneaked us past his parents and brought him to his bedroom.
Robert snapped out of my grip, dropped to his room's floor, and began throwing up. I could only watch as he rolled next to his own vomit and passed out.
I picked my friend up and put him to bed. Then, I had to creep around the house and find tools that would clean up the mess, finishing when he was half asleep, looking awful. I didn't have it in me to leave the boy alone.
"May I stay here now, Robs?" He gave me a weak nod.
I sat on the tiny sofa near his closet and fell asleep out of exhaustion.
The next morning, a horrible neck pain woke me up. Robert was still snoring on his comfortable mattress.
With nothing else to do, I pulled out my phone and began using what little battery was left to play games.
"Kook? What are you doing here?" a voice asked, sore and low.
I put the device down, confused. "You don't remember last night?"
"Last night? I remember we went to a bar and..." Suddenly, all color had left Robert's face as he sat up and held his head in his hands. "Did we...?"
"Are you an idiot?"
Robert lay back down with a deep sigh. "I'm sorry. I just—"
"Don't know what to expect of me anymore?"
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