Innocence, Liezl Bustillos [readera ebook reader .txt] 📗

was talking to him.

I sat between the gals, and Lester made himself comfortable in front of Ichigo.

“I guess, we’re too early?” Chelsea asked.

“The bar clock moves twice as fast from midnight to last call.” Ichigo remarked.

A waiter came flashing a smile, looking at us one face after another. “What can I get for you?”

“What do you like to drink guys?” Lester asked.

“Anything that says we just want to get drunk. Everclear and mountain dew? LIIT?”

Chelsea scrunched her face. “Captain Jack Sparrow will do as an entry point for our new drinker.”

“And Bloody Mary for me, please?” Ichigo added.

I pursed my lips into a thin line, thinking about how much money did I have with me and that drinking should probably be the last thing in my list right now.

“Nice choice.” Lester told Ichigo. “They say the drink you order tells a lot about you.”

“So what does Bloody Mary say about me?” She asked coyly.

“I don’t know, I’m not behind the bar. But I do think a woman with that on her hand is sexy.”

“Really… so how many girls have you seen ‘sexy’?”

“Hmm, I only remember my mother.”

“You think your mother is sexy?”

“She’s in her fifties, and yup I still think she does.”

“So you think I’m old and still sexy?”  Chelsea and I were struggling not to laugh.

Lester burst into a hearty laugh. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Should I order one too?” Chelsea joked. Ichigo glared at her making a funny face.

Tasuki called Lester and so he went to the stools beside him. We couldn’t hear them talking, but Lester and bowtie were smiling and laughing. The man in the bar placed a glass with funny bulbous bottom part on the table and poured a faint clear green liquid, after that he put a spoon with slits on top of the glass. Lester took something from the bowl next to it and placed it on the spoon. A brown cube (Sugar, maybe?). Finally, the man slowly poured water from a dripping cold pitcher over the sugar. The liquid in glass slowly turned cloudy and forming a distinct line between the clouding and a vivid line of clear and intensely green liquid on top. It was fun to watch. Lester stirred it lightly with the spoon and happily pulled the glass to his lips, tasting and feeling it sip by sip.

It felt like I tasted it myself—that I saw green fairies dusting their wonders in front of me.

The order came. Ichigo opened the bottles, placed ices in a glass, and poured the liquids.

“Here. Have a taste.”

I pulled the glass to my mouth like how Lester did. I snorted the sharp aroma that went straight to my brain; I instinctively asked myself, Can I really drink this? Ichigo must’ve heard the unvoiced qualifier and nodded yes. As soon as the cold tangy liquid touched my tongue and reached my gorge, I choked and almost spewed. I was making the same face whenever I eat Sour Patch. “Bah--Oh God! What is that?”

She giggled. “Four to five parts Captain Morgan, Four-five parts of JD and one part coke—as it should be.”

“I’m not drinking that!” I said holding my breath, grabbing a Honey Rum Spicy Chicken Wing and took a huge bite. “God! I forgot that’s spicy! I need water—“

“Shut it! Drink that or I’ll shove that bottle into your throat!” Ichigo threatened.

I looked at Chelsea with the save-me face, but she just laughed and made herself a drink. I have to go now. Akira must be worried sick right now.

The boys came back. Tasuki sat in front of me. He slid an open can to me and stuck a spoon in it.

“That’s caramelized milk, Sammy. It’s good with Captain Jack, go try it.” Chelsea winked. I took the can and offered her, but she shook her head, “I don’t like sweets, neither Ichigo. Do you?” I nodded. “I think Tasuki gave it to you specifically.” She whispered.

I looked at Tasuki to thank him, but he was busy listening to Lester. He was not even turning a hair.

“Do you drink Martini?” Ichigo asked Lester.

“That’s a ‘Bond’ thing, right?” Lester laughed as if the green thing he drank earlier had no effect at all. “No. I’m actually beer-lover.”

“Well… they say, ‘liquor before beer, you're in the clear. Beer before liquor, you'll never be sicker.’”

“It’s not true… but yeah, I do appreciate beer as last.”

“Beer and sake. And spicy chicken.” Chelsea noted. Lester snapped his fingers agreeing. “But, calories!”

Every time they lifted their glasses for a toast, I was forced to drink. I thought it was always a requisite. After my third, no—fourth big gulps, I started feeling buzzed. With every burning sensation lining my gut and strong aftertaste, I reflexively dug the caramel to my mouth. It was helping, but it didn’t stop my throat from tightening with repulsion and my eyes from squinting.

With few more gulps, I didn’t realize the place was full. Music had become louder. Conversations got louder too. My head was throbbing.

Chelsea and Ichigo were dancing and crooning from their chairs. And my several trips to the toilet were annoying me. My movements somehow slowed.

Tasuki stood up and numerous eyes followed him.

“Where are you going?” Ichigo asked keeping up with the loud music and loud jibber jabbers of people. Tasuki pulled out a cigarette and went somewhere. With him and Lester gone, the wolves started asking Chelsea and Ichigo if they could buy them drinks or get their digits. Where is Lester?

“Oh, I think that guy is cute.”

“You’re slurring.” I said.

“You too. A lot.”

“I’m not.” I chided.

“You’re not speaking in English.”

I was rocking like a boat. I couldn’t see people’s faces clearly. My eyes were crossing. Chelsea asked the waiter to take the empty bottles and ordered something else. It was then that I discovered my glass had a different liquid in it. It was clear and had leaves and lime in it. It was kinda minty. I lost my taste buds, but the funny aftertaste was still there. How many drinks did I have? The waiter took a number of empty small glasses and a plate with untouched limes. My eyes grew, Just when did they order that?

 

A laugh jolted me back to yet another skittish and erratic consciousness. I just wanted to go somewhere and sleep. 

“Are you okay?” Charles’ face popped out.

“Yeah. Are you?” Wait-- what did I just say? Am I really talking to Charles?

I noticed they shifted seats. Charles was sitting next to me. Chelsea and Kyle seemed like they were fighting. Ichigo and Lester were on a quiet conversation. Is that a rose napkin?! These two just met each other and now they were on that level already?

He laughed. “We came late-”

“Yeah.”

“—Kyle and I had a couple of drinks on the way here. Our seniors are celebrating too. It’s a shame to reject their invitations, and I think our VP is not happy about it--”

“Yeah.” The hell with ‘yeah’, but I thought the alcohol was actually helping boost my confidence. It warded off any embarrassment.

“Hey, are you really okay?” I nodded. “Just how many glasses did you have?”

“I don’t know. Four, five?”

“I doubt that.”

“Negroni on the rocks” Chimed the waiter. Kyle raised his hand and took it. “Whiskey, neat and a can of juice.” Charles thanked and tipped him.

“I’m just drinking whatever’s in front of me. I was drinking half the glass, and then in just a few it’s full again.” I admitted.

“Seriously?” I nodded like a child. “You’re funny!” He tittered and took a heavenly sip on his iceless glass. He leaned closer as I craned my neck to hear what he was saying. “Did I tell you already how beautiful you are tonight?”

Did I hear that correctly? Damn the loud music, I must be hearing things.  “Do I have anything to light?”

“What?” He jounced.

“You said ‘do I have anything to light?’”

He snickered then a serious face. “Okay I’m taking this.”

He took the small cup that was sitting in front of me. I thought I have seen a small cup like that one before—where was it again? He lifted the cup with both hands on the base part and allowed Chelsea to fill it for him. Oh yeah… Uncle Natsume. He called that uh… O… Ochoko? He also took the mug --beer, maybe? Sake and beer, right? I think Chelsea said that before.

“Hey that’s mine.” I rebuked.

“I’m drinking yours.” He wiped the mouth of the can, opened and streamed the pineapple juice into a glass. “Drink this.” He beamed. “I said, you look beautiful tonight. You are.”

“Way to go, Pres!” Chelsea extolled.

I thought I heard it correctly this time. Maybe because I had too much already, that I took his words not so seriously. But it didn’t stop me from smiling like a goon and that I was actually being obvious about it! I hoped he was not drunk.

“Sam, come with me.” Ichigo pulled me up and we zigzagged towards the comfort room. “Why are we gliding?”

 It was crowded with girls retouching their make-ups and lines waiting for an empty cubicle. So I waited on the narrow hallway outside and stared on the spinning floor. Dark light was making it shoddier. I watched the people near their tables bounce their heads and swing their bodies to the loud and lively music. They were like pilchards flapping for water. I closed my eyes swaying back and forth. I opened and two men drew near.

“Hi, are you new here? I’ve never seen you before.” The guy in dark polo said.

“What’s your name?” The other in light polo asked.

“Here,” the guy in dark extended his hand with a glass of liquid. “This is for you.”

I tried to reach it, but another guy swiftly placed himself in the middle. He stretched his arm to the wall, blocking the two men. I struggled to look up and saw two faces of Tasuki right above me.

“Oh your boyfriend?”

“Come on, let’s go.”

Then they were gone. Tasuki took the can of juice, which I completely had no idea was actually in my hand the whole time, and drank it. He handed it back emptied. We were on a stare down and no one was blinking an eye. His chameleon eyes reflected blue-violet. I found myself close enough to touch him. Teary, I shut my eyes and lost the battle. When I opened it, he was gone.

Ichigo finally came out. She scoffed and rubbed lightly the edges of my eyes. “Is the make-up still intact?”

“Yes. You’re still a ‘woman’.” She slurred. We cackled like geese.

When we came back, they were laughing so much. Kyle was the clown.

Kyle stood up and made a funny stunt. “--He was like, ‘what the fuck?’ People were twisting on their seats at my ridiculous oversimplification. He just didn’t get it.” Then he slumped beside Chelsea.

“What about you Sam?” Chelsea wobbly pointed me.

“W-what about me?” I stuttered.

“Why don’t you tell us about yourself? I mean, what’s inside ‘Sammy’s Mystery Bubble’?”

“Anything to talk about? Hmm, like middle school?”

Middle school? God, what about middle school? I thought hard. Nothing.  Maybe because I was intoxicated. Why can’t I remember anything? It was like there was a pass-over between my memories of the orphanage and the present.

I must not put my cards on the table. I was afraid I might say something stupid. If I couldn’t control my actions, what more with my words? These people did not know I was an orphan, and had this stupid amnesia and weird dreams. If these dreams were really my memories, then I should’ve been dead for a long time, but here I was. I don’t even know why I am here. In front of them. And in this world. I should carry on with my false pretences and lead them up a garden path. Gosh, the alcohol was making me too emotional. Make them hear what they want and what is obvious.

“Sam?”

“Right. Uh… uhmm… I’ve always been a loner. I mean, I’m not good at socializing. Just home, school, home. I never really cared about hanging out