Soon, a waiter appeared with a tray which had five long glasses of drinks on it with double straws in each drink. The two guys took a glass each, I and the other girl declined while Alesscia took two glasses.
The waiter left after dropping the tray containing the last drink on the table in front of us. Once he was out of sight, Alesscia offered me a glass. I politely declined but she kept insisting.
"It's my birthday so you have to do whatever I want," she whined.
"Okay!" I resigned taking the glass. I raised the glass to my lips but paused before I could take a sip as a thought struck my mind.
"A sip for the birthday girl," I said thrusting the glass forward for her to take. She gave a broad smile, one that was obviously fake.
"Nah, I have a glass already," she said maintaining the smile in a mechanical way.
"I insist. Take it as a gift, you can't decline a gift, can you? Besides, yours looks different from mine," I said realizing that I had no clue what both drinks were.
"Okay," she replied as she took the glass and had a sip. She returned the glass to me and I watched her for a while to know if it had any effect on her before I took my own sip, cautious enough to take the same amount as she took.
"Now for your main gift," I said using the opportunity to drop the glass. I brought out a small box from my purse. I didn't know what she liked exactly so I just got her a diamond ring. Putting thought into a gift wasn't exactly my thing.
"Happy birthday," I said handing it to her. "Awwwn... Thanks," she said and pulled me into a hug.
"I know you don't trust me but it's not necessary to show that to everyone. I wouldn't kill you with a drink," she whispered into my ear while still maintaining the hug.
"Of course you wouldn't," I replied and broke out of the hug. She flashed me another smile before attending to some other girls who approached her.
"These are my friends, Mark and Clinton. This is Natasha, one of my best friends and this is Alya, a very good friend of mine," she introduced all of us to the girls who I assumed were related to her.
I wondered when this dumb charade would end. We both didn't like each other and we were equally aware of that fact yet she just addressed me as a really good friend of hers.
To me, this was just a truce under the tag of 'friendship'.
"And these are my cousins, Amina and Kasie," she introduced the two girls. Looking at the three of them, it was obvious that beauty ran in their gene.
I watched as they exchanged gifts and hugs and man did I feel thirsty. I picked up my glass and took a small gulp. Whatever this drink was, it had a supernatural taste, a blend I couldn't quite explain. It did have a little bitter taste although it blended so perfectly with the sweet taste, it was almost undetectable.
I cast a quick glance at Alesscia who was also downing her drink. I took a few more sips till the glass was empty. I dropped the empty glass and picked the glass the waiter had initially left behind.
I gulped the drink quickly not even making use of the straws. I kept sipping from the glass even when it was completely empty. I finally lowered the empty glass after a few minutes and stared at it feeling the sudden urge to cry.
I darted my eyes in different directions to prevent actual tears from falling although I didn't believe any would actually fall. Then I noticed that the guy who had initially offered me to sit next to him, the guy Alesscia introduced as Clinton, was still sipping his drink.
The drink was barely halfway gone and from the look of it, he definitely didn't like the drink.
"Can I... Can I have that?" I asked suddenly feeling as if my words were mixing up.
"This?" He asked raising the glass for confirmation. I drowsily nodded my head. He thrust the glass slightly forward in an attempt to pass it to me. I hastily attempted to take it as I got on me feet to make the small trip from where I sat to the other end of the couch tripping on my own feet in the process.
"Are you okay?" I heard someone ask. I nodded and then shook my head. "Give me your hand," I heard the same voice repeat and I looked up to see Clinton staring down at me with a helping hand stretched out.
I slowly put my hand in his really afraid that I might cause him to fall. He pulled me off the floor almost effortlessly and led me back to the couch which really seemed to be spinning.
"You can have the drink now," he said handing me the glass. I took the glass from him with a wide smile and started sipping the drink from one of the straws not taking note of the straw he had been using earlier.
I ignored the slightly bitter taste which was more visible in his drink as I downed the whole content of the glass. At that moment my head was feeling really light.
"You really like the drink, don't you?" Clinton asked out of the blue. I nodded feeling a bit too drowsy to use my words.
"Want some more?" He asked. I tapped my chin lightly as if in thought before nodding my head vigorously.
"Then follow me," he said intertwining his fingers with mine and pulling me up from the couch. I staggered before finding my feet as I followed him to wherever he was taking me to.
I hardly took note of where we were going to and had little memory of how I ended up on some other couch. The only things I could clearly see around was a funny looking bar and this other guy who wasn't Clinton standing behind it.
Clinton was also there. After a few minutes he returned. And to my dismay, he returned empty-handed. I looked around and behind him to see if he had left the drink somewhere.
"You want the drink right?" He asked again and if I had been in my right senses, I would have gotten irritated by the question. Rather I just nodded desperately. I could barely keep my eyes open.
"Okay. Sure, you'll get your drink. But I want to get something done first. You don't have a problem with that right?" He asked. I don't really remember shaking my head as an indication that I didn't but I did have in mind to do so so maybe I just did anyway.
He leaned in and kissed me devouring my lips hungrily. Really not having much idea what I was doing, I climbed onto his laps causing my high waisted metallic faux leather skirt to raise up higher exposing most parts of my laps as I kissed him back.
Even though I really wasn't in my right sense of mind, I could feel the plainness of the kiss. A sickening feeling of deja vu swept over me as I felt his hands moving up my back underneath my black sleeveless crop top. I felt my bra unclasp as the words replayed in my head.
You can't live without me!
I jerked back successfully falling off Clinton's laps and landing on my butt. The slightly damp grass made me feel uncomfortable as I attempted to get on my feet, my 7 inches heeled shoes not aiding my condition.
"I'll help you," Clinton said stretching his hand for me to take. I shook my head stubbornly as I continued my stupid attempt to get off the floor. Before I knew what was happening, a strong pair of arms had lifted me off the floor.
I was slammed against something but I couldn't tell exactly what it was as my vision was getting a bit blurry. Then I saw Clinton begin to bend over me. I struggled against his hands not putting in as much power as I should have.
I still felt my vision blurring when I put in as much force as I could muster and pushed Clinton off me. I staggered away from the car which he had slammed me against trying to make a run for it before he caught hold of me.
"Let go!" I said childishly hitting my hands against his chest while still struggling in his hands.
"Okay," he said and let go of me so suddenly, I fell. I closed my eyes anticipating the pain that would follow but surprisingly, none came.
'Could I fly?' I thought as I opened an eye to peak. I couldn't see properly as the person who had caught me had these twins who kept popping up and disappearing. When I finally saw properly, I only took note of the dark irises.
"Ifechukwu!" I exclaimed happily. "I am so glad you are here," I slurred.
"What?" Asked the guy confused. "I am Ifeanyi. Are you drunk or something?"
I shook my head. I wondered what he was doing there. It didn't occur to me then that he was also Alesscia's classmate and had reasons to be there. He was one of the popular guys in class after all and should have been invited solely for that reason or it could have also been that he tagged along with a friend who was also invited.
"Thanks for saving her from falling," I heard Clinton say. "She's my girlfriend and she had a little too much to drink. I'll help her up," he said and I realized he was talking to Ifeanyi.
"He's not my... b-o-y-friend. I don't have a boyfriend," I said hiccuping. "He's just a complete douchebag and a real asshole. And his face resembles a gorilla's," I said giggling to myself.
"She doesn't know what she's saying. She just had too much to dri..."
"I am sure she knows what she is saying so please stay away from her. I'll take care of her from here," Ifeanyi said interrupting Clinton.
"Don't even try shit with me. Mind your own fucking business okay. She's going with me," Clinton said attempting to come forward.
"Don't touch her," Ifeanyi said sounding so mean, I found it really amusing. I have a vague recollection of what happened next but I remember Clinton stayed in a place although I am yet to decide if it was because of the threat or something else.
Ifeanyi helped me get off the floor and I grabbed onto his left hand resting my head on his shoulder. I really doubt that he was comfortable with the action but he didn't say anything about it.
After a while of aimless walking, he asked me, "How are you going home tonight?"
"My dryer is gonna pick me. He's probably still waiting, car when I left. Annoying overly protective as if guard you know irritating and all," I slurred incoherent words.
"So am guessing you don't need a ride right?" He asked.
"Your face looks like a monkey. A really cute monkey though," I said grinning. He turned to look at me and I could see he was smiling.
"You really need to get sober."
"Soap opera. Soap operas, I don't watch those, there like blahhhhhh!! But..." I looked at his lips. The drink's actions though but I pressed my lips against his and kissed him while his lips stayed unmoving against mine.