"Genny," she hums in a singsong tone.
"Hmm?" I ask impatiently.
She should remember from all the other times: I hate taking care of drunk people. Of course, I'd do it every time for a friend. I don't want her to get hurt because then it'll be on me. When she's in this state, I'm responsible for her. I only hate it because it hurts to see her like this. She doesn't look like she's having fun. Sophie can't have fun when it comes to alcohol. She binges, and she gets sad.
I take each crucial step towards Sophie's white marble-lined pool in silence. She's propped up on the back of some guy, clearly out of her god damn mind.
Once I reach the edge of the marble, I slump down and put my feet in.
"Sophie."
"Hmm?" she hums, looking up at me with glossy eyes.
The guy under her rolls his eyes and places her down. "Who wants to play chicken?" he asks, averting his attention to the other bikini-clad girls in the pool.
After momentarily scowling at the asshole, I turn my attention to my best friend. She starts humming with her head thrown back and her eyes closed.
I hate seeing her like this. Once or twice in the last few years was enough. She got sober, and I haven't had to take care of her at a party since. I love her, but I can't keep cleaning up after her messes.
"Where's your mom?" I ask seriously.
"Mmmmm, so I put my hands up!" she shrieks.
"Fuck, Soph," I hiss.
While she continues screaming "Party in the U.S.A." at the top of her lungs, I dial her mom's number.
"No!"
She seems to have sobered up quickly at the sight of me dialing Ms. Carrolton because she snatches my phone before I can call.
"Sophie, give me my phone."
"You're going to call her," she whines.
"I'm just using my phone... not calling anyone," I lie.
"Stop lying," she crosses her arms, "It's unbecoming of you."
We've been friends for a while, and with that comes the ability to read each other. Because of that, I know she must be at her lowest right now.
I sigh, "You need to sober up."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Suddenly, buff arms wrap around my waist and throw me into the pool.
Someone's going to get strangled once I get out of this water.
"What the fuck."
"Ooh, you better run," Sophie warns my assailant.
While wiping the water out of my eyes, I catch a glimpse of him.
"Aaron, are you fucking kidding me?"
He just laughs like an idiot.
In the scuffle, my phone ends up in the pool as well. Great.
"You need to lighten up," he says nonchalantly.
Lighten--Lighten up?
You want me to...
It takes a hell of a lot of willpower to prevent myself from grabbing this boy by his throat. Choosing to ignore him, I dive down to retrieve my phone.
"Rice isn't going to fix that," Sophie chuckles.
It's time to call for reinforcements because I don't think I can keep my cool for much longer.
"Hey, what's up?" LeAnn asks through the house phone.
"Just get here quick—and bring anyone you can… preferably a battalion," I sputter, wiping chlorine-infused water from my forehead, and glancing once more at the horrific scene before me.
"Wh—Slow down," she says hurriedly. "Where are you?"
"Sophie's house. She's having a fucking party."
After a brief silence, LeAnn musters, "I'll be there soon."
I let the phone go a little too abruptly, scaring myself, and quickly returning it back to the wall.
A couple—or two random strangers—is making out on the couch and drunk heads are bobbing to the music, which includes Sophie, who's swaying from side to side in the arms of some guy.
Again, I have to save her from herself.
"Hey, party's over," I dismiss the guy.
He looks offended. "We're all good over here," he claims, tightening his grip on Sophie.
"Soph," I plead. Her eyes aren't even open. She's soaked from the pool and she's anything but sober right now. What the fuck happened?
"Mm," she hums.
Before I can raise hell, I hear an assertive voice in the distance, tearing up the crowd, and leaving flames in her path.
Shit.
One look from the Carrolton matriarch scares the guy behind Sophie so much, he leaves her body to the effects of gravity in his absence.
"Get your shit up when you leave!" Cas barks. LeAnn follows closely behind her, almost clinging to her in fear.
When I said "battalion," I was joking…
Before long, Cassandra has all of the previously inebriated partygoers sober and cleaning.
I take the task of hauling Sophie up to her room, just in case she needs to throw up. I know the wind-down from this is going to be brutal for her. Why couldn't she stay sober?
I wanted to be a good friend, to be supportive of her through her struggles with alcohol, and to be honest, I felt culpable for her dependency on the substance. It was at my house where she first got wasted—it was my fault.
I tried, though. At this point, she needs to take care of herself. She's a senior, and she's fucking up her life. If I have to be the one to give her a reality check, I will. I'm tired of taking care of her in this state. It hurts too much.
It hurts to know that she's drinking to mask the pain of the reality that her dad is across the country, loving his new family after leaving her and her mother here alone.
Suddenly, she starts hacking up the contents of her stomach, and I have to hold back her braids.
"It's okay," I whisper. Now I feel more guilty for being angry with her.
Sophie's bathroom door creaks slightly, and LeAnn asks, "Is she alright?"
This is nothing she hasn't seen before, but she acts surprised each time. Whether Sophie was downing vodka in her water bottle, throwing back fireballs at a party, or stealing alcohol at a family dinner, LeAnn always gave her the benefit of the doubt. She's sees the good in a lot of shitty things.
"No, she's not alright," I bite back. I don't mean to be a bitch, but LeAnn can be dense sometimes.
She just sighs and exits quietly.
Sophie's pretty much unconscious at this point, so I decide to carry her to her bed. Thanks to rowing practices, my legs were strong enough to haul her onto my back. After gently placing her on her bed and placing her upright, I exit as well.
In the kitchen, I'm met with LeAnn anxiously tapping at the counter, Cas finishing up the cleaning process, and Ms. Carrolton having a drink from the collection of bottles in front of her.
The tension was thick, and with reason, because although we weren't in trouble, it felt like we were.
I clear my throat. "She's in bed now."
It sounds more like a weak whisper because I'm wary of what Sophie's mom is going to do next.
She just takes another swig of her drink and quietly thanks us. Shortly, she retreats upstairs to see Soph.
I turn to LeAnn, undoubtedly where most of the awkwardness is radiating from. "Thanks for getting reinforcements so quick," I say softly.
I feel bad for snapping at her earlier. That was harsh.
She shrugs. I realize I'm going to have to fully apologize.
With a low sigh, I plant myself down next to her at one of the barstools.
"I'm sorry for being bitchy earlier. I was just stressed… some things happened today, and you know the other shit that's been going on…" I trail off.
She's slightly convinced of my sincerity.
"What happened today?" she counters with her arms crossed.
"Uh, I almost hit someone… with my car," I sardonically chuckle.
Her face morphs into an expression of terror. "What?"
"It's fine. I knew him… kind of." That doesn't clarify much, but she accepts it, leaning over and embracing me.
A sharp intake of breath disrupts the silence. "Well, that's it," Cas says as she's tying off the trash bag.
A few more moments of silence pass, then, "So, what the hell set her off this time?"