Chapter 36: False Hope

Chapter 36

I quickly got the address from Adrian and wrote it down, stuffing it into my jean pockets along with my keys. I’d changed clothes. What? I’m not going to a teenager’s party with just my pajamas on. I put my phone in my pocket and looked at the address. It was a few blocks away, I can walk. It’s better than waking Aunt Cherry up with my loud car.

I stealthily snuck downstairs, making sure all perimeters were clear. What that means is that I fell down the stairs quietly. I got up and rubbed my back before grumbling and leaving the house.

I raced off of my lawn, in hopes of not setting off the yard lights. I made it and began walking in the direction of the house. I snuggled into my jacket; the air was nipping at my face. It was already mid-November, Thanksgiving was only a few days away.

I heard the music from a block away and I’m surprised the police didn’t arrive before I had. I crossed the street, my feet dragging. I looked around and saw Adrian’s Camaro, the red of the car sticking out among the dull silvers and blacks.

I took the phone out of my pocket and dialed his number, pressing the phone to my ear. “Hello? Fio?”

Adrian’s drunken voice entered the line and I sighed with relief. Good thing he hadn’t passed out in the fifteen minutes it’d taken me to walk here. “Where are you?”

“I’m, uh, near a really, really big fountain.” I sighed and pressed my hand to my head.

“Where is that?” I asked and he laughed loudly.

“Some guy’s peeing in it, walking away from the fountain.” I heard shuffling from the other end of the line. “What was your question?”

“Where are you now?” I asked.

“WHO ARE YOU NOW?” He started singing Sleeping with Sirens and I wanted to smash my head against his Camaro’s window. He’s an idiot.

His slurring wasn’t as bad as it was fifteen minutes ago and I’m guessing he vomited a few times.

“No, no, Adrian, where are you?” I slowly spoke.

“I’m avoiding someone.”

“Who are you avoiding?” I asked, making my way towards the large house. It looked exactly like the houses did in the movies, except this party looked wilder.

“Brielle, she tried jumping on me earlier today but I moved and she fell. She’s really annoying.” He groaned and I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but feel relief. Maybe he didn’t like her.

“Adrian, where are you?” I asked again.

“I’m near the backyard. My feet are in the pool.” He replied, his teeth chattering. “Splishy, splash! Splishy, splash! I’m a fishy! Want to see my a-?”

“Get out of the pool, you’re going to freeze!” I snapped, cutting off his pervert song and he giggled. How manly was that?

“Okay, I’m out, Mom.” He retorted.

“Stay where you are, I’m going there.” I replied and he made a sound of confirmation before I hung up. I quickly walked towards the party, avoiding the front entrance and I went around the side.

“What are you doing?” A guy asked. I turned around to see him standing there with a beer in his hand. I started backing up. “Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you; I just watched you come into the party, well not into the party, but around the party.”

“I’m just here to pick up a friend.” I replied and he nodded, turning to walk away as I slowly walked towards the pool. I saw Adrian lying there.

“Need any help?” The guy asked and I shook my head. I heard Adrian’s retching and from here.

“He’s not too drunk.” I lied and the guy nodded, thankfully leaving. I approached Adrian who turned on his side and looked at me with a goofy smile on his face.

“You’re here.” He smiled. He stood up a bit too quickly and reached out and touched my shoulder, causing my skin to burn. I nodded, moving away from the pool.

“I know, now we need to leave. Give me your keys.” I told him, holding out my hand.

“You’re here!” He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me off of the ground. I let out a laugh. The hug would be more enjoyable if he were sane and knew what he was doing. I can assure you that if he wasn’t drunk, I wouldn’t be here.

“I know, now give me your keys.” I replied once he put me down. I’m surprised he didn’t fall, well, we didn’t fall.

“You’re going to have to find them.” He winked and I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but smile. I can’t believe I actually missed this moron. Well, you like the moron.

“Now isn’t the time to be a pervert, it’s time to give me your keys.” I told him and he shook his head.

“Never.” He started backing up but I shook my head, holding my hand. I grabbed his arm with my other hand.

“I’ll tickle you.” I threatened. Who knows if he’s ticklish?

“I’m not ticklish.” He replied, biting his lip. I reached my hands out onto his stomach and started tickling him. His stomach muscles tightened under my touch and he leant over laughing.

It was a good time to touch his abs but I realized that it was a sick thought and just continued tickling him. “No, stop, stop!” He cried out but I wasn’t going to stop.

“Are you going to give me your keys?” I asked him and he nodded, trying to reach into his pocket. I stopped tickling him and he held his keys between his two hands.

“I trust you with these keys. That car means a lot to me. If you crash my car, I’ll never forgive you.” He stated, staring at me with a goofy smile on his face. He was swaying slightly.

“Okay, let’s go.” I replied and he nodded, giving me the keys. Suddenly, he put his hand over his mouth and ran over to the pool. He emptied his stomach into the water.

“Adrian, you just puked into the guy’s pool!” I whispered as he walked over, he just shrugged.

“I don’t like him, anyway.” He shrugged, standing up and spitting into the grass. He stopped swaying and now his words weren’t as slurred. I took a bottle of water out of my pocket and gave it to him. He smiled. “You know me so well, Fio.” He gulped half of the bottle.

I took out a piece of gum from my pocket and handed it to him. “Adrian?”

I turned to look at the guy who voiced Adrian’s name. “What?” Adrian was too occupied with the gum that he was chewing to even look at the boy.

“Are you okay? I mean, I heard you talking to yourself.” The voice asked and he came into the yard light. He saw me standing beside Adrian and made an ‘o’ with his mouth. Chase. “Hi.”

“Hello.” I replied with a wave as Adrian stood beside me blowing bubbles with his gum.

“Fio, look!” At least I think that’s what Adrian tried to say. I smiled at him but popped the bubble with my finger. It popped, spewing blue bubble gum all over his mouth. He glared at me before biting the gum off with his teeth, refusing to use his hands.

“You’re taking him home?” Chase asked me. I remember the time when he got upset that I took the front seat. After that, I didn’t hear much from or about him.

“Yeah.” I nodded, watching as Adrian made another bubble. This time he took a step away from me. I smiled.

“Thanks for that. And I’m sorry about what happened before. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad about it.” He apologized and I waved a hand around.

“It’s no problem.” I shrugged. He smiled at me, baring his white teeth.

“So are we on good terms?” He asked and I nodded. “Do you need help bringing him to the car?”

“Nah, I think I got it. Thank you though.” I replied. Even though I would most likely need help; I didn’t want any. This might be the last time Adrian and I talk and I wanted to spend every minute of it with him, as cheesy as it may seem.

He nodded and waved before walking off. I turned to see Adrian who smiled at me. “You’re beautiful.”

“You’re drunk.” Although his words were kind and made my stomach erupt with butterflies, I can’t look too much into his words, he’s drunk.

“Drunk on you.” He replied with a smile. I rolled my eyes. His eyes weren’t glazed over but he might vomit again. We arrived at the car safely and he tried to open the driver’s side door but I opened the passenger’s door for him.

We drove in silence for a few moments. My mind was clouded and I couldn’t think straight. The car was smooth and I had to keep my eyes on the road. The stops were a bit more abrupt but Adrian didn’t say anything. He just stared at me. “You’re beautiful.” He told me again.

“You’re going to regret saying any of this tomorrow.” I told him as I turned the corner of our street. I felt his eyes on me the whole entire time I was driving but I didn’t bother looking at him.

“I won’t but I’m not sure about you. I’m saying what I mean and you’re just going to think ‘he’s drunk’ but I’ll say it even when I’m not drunk. You just won’t talk to me so I can’t tell you.” I stared at him for a minute before pulling into his driveway.

“I don’t think you will, though. You’re still drunk, you’re not aware of what you’re saying.” I told him and he shook his head.

“I know we got into a fight, I know that you’re probably angry at me and I’m angry at me too, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.” He explained, trying to stop me from getting out of the car by putting his hand on my own. I turned to look at him, sighing.

“You don’t mean this, Adrian.” I replied, staring through the windshield.

“Listen! I do mean this but you don’t want me to, do you?” He asked, turning my head gently to look at him. His eyes flickered from mine and he pursed his lips. “You don’t want me to mean this, do you?”

I stared at him for a moment before shaking my head. “You don’t understand. You really, really don’t. You see it differently than I do. We have different perspectives on this.” I told him, shaking my head.

“Then explain to me how you see this.” He told me, taking my hand in his own and clasping his fingers around them.

“No because if I tell you, it’ll ruin whatever chance we have at becoming friends again.” I blinked back tears that were threatening to fall.

“I hardly doubt it will.” He stared at me.

“No, you’re not going to look at me the same. You’re going to look at me like you look at those girls at school, just another one who likes you. I tried and I tried hard to stop, to not like you but I couldn’t. I can’t and I hate myself for it.” I snapped, running my hand through my hair. The tears that threatened to fall did, they fell and I hate myself for that too. I quickly wiped them away with the back of my hand.

“No, you’re not like the girls at school. You’re different and that’s what I love about you. I-.” He started to say but I couldn’t stop, I had to tell him.

“And all this that you’re saying is making me like you more and I can’t do that. So stop, stop telling me what you love about me and how you think I’m beautiful because you’re drunk. You don’t mean this and tomorrow you’re going to wake up and you’re going to regret saying it. So I’ll make it easier. I’ll pretend it never happened, okay? I’ll just pretend that you were too drunk to even realize what you were doing, what you were saying. It’s just false hope and I don’t want that. I’m sorry but I have to go.” I got out of the car and walked to my house, unlocking the door and walking in.

I locked the door and went upstairs to the guest room. I cried into the pillow, not even bothering to take off my jacket. I’m sick of the false hope. I’m sick of liking him. But I can’t stop.