Free Minds

Chapter 49.

   After downing only two (three, four?!) shot bottles of cheap liquor and gummy bears that tasted really funny, I was on a journey. Destination?

   White Girl Wasted Heaven.

   Or maybe I already was there.

   Or was I?

   Was I... wait where was I?

"So that was how Mr. Shin and I first met," My narration to Rav was a slur of words. "Eight year old me trying to offer him a date with my mother in exchange for my first store bought comic book after I'd tried to shoplift it. In the end, yeah, Mum smacked me, more times than I can probably remember, and he didn't get the date, but... I got the comic booook! Even though that was only after Mum made me volunteer to help out at the store for a month. But the comic book was sold to me eventually so... totally worth it. Try and figure out how many times I said comic book Rav, would ya? Would ya, Rav? Would ya?!"

   As we lay side by side with our backs against the bed's headboard, I nestled my head deeper into Rav's shoulder with a tired sigh.

   Was the room always this flashy and blurry? Wait, what was I just talking about? Oh right... The alcohol and gummies had taken me—and Rav—down memory lane, as I recalled the old memories out loud.

"And there was is other time where I—hey!" I nudged my shoulder against Rav's before leaning away when I realised he was more focused on the bottle in his hand. "Have you even been listening to me?"

"Of course, I am!" Rav gave a droopy nod as he replied. "I'm doing this where with every story you tell, I take a swing."

   My gaze rested on the empty shot bottles that were spread across his lap. I was still deciding whether the number of bottles were real or manipulated by my double vision when my emotions did so for me.

"Shit, Rav!" I reached over to grab the bottles in a panic. "How many did drink you—you drink from? This is like three times the initial number we had!"

"Uh," he scoffed. "Half of which are yours. Did you forget the two you drank while you told me about the time you 'unintentionally' vomited in a popular girl's locker after your first attempt at rope climbing in the Year Seven? Or the three bottles while you narrated having to explain to an escape room staff member why the prop toilet in the escape room was full of your p—"

"Okay, fine, fine!"

   Maybe I had been in denial by believing I only had two bottles. In my defence about the escape room thing though, I could have sworn I escaped and found a place to pee. It wasn't my fault that the realistic toilet carried a clue I had destroyed beyond recognition by ... you know. If eight year old Tali hadn't quickly blamed it on that staff member and kids weren't stupid enough to eat that up, my life in Year Three would've been over.

   Did I mention that last part to him? Please tell me the alcohol had been useful in making him forget. I had to strike back.

"Well, you told me stuff too!" I poked his chest shrieking. "Like your 'adventures' with those two girls at your science-y programme-y thing-y last year. And I suffered through your developmental milestones. Look at me, I'm Rav." I ran my hands down my hair and bit my lip to imitate him. "I've had a top stuff threesome before. I could solve advanced calculus by the age of four even though I was still a religious bedwetter."

   He shot me a hard stare. I glared back in equal force.

   Then we dissolved into fits of laughter.

   Rav and I gripped each other's shoulders, barely managing to steady ourselves as we continued to snicker and cackle until I felt painful digs in my abdominal region. Believe me, I wanted to stop, but the fact that we were laughing our hearts out for no reason whatsoever made it all the more hilarious.