Flicker | ✔️

Chapter 12: Maya

Edited

Ah, the fresh air is so nice! Maybe I should steal this bottle. It's so revolting yet so addicting. I hate it yet I love it. All along I've been dedicated to not drink but now that I've tried it, I have to admit, I've been missing out. I can understand the want to party with this feeling.

My hair is still kind of wet from the pool earlier and it feels refreshingly cool against my skin. I spot the fridge in full delight.

Food! I'm starving! 

The fridge is empty and I remember with a sulk that it's always empty because of her. I check my pocket. 20? That's enough. I head to the gas station. 

Hmmm... How about frozen pizza? I hear it's good but the real ones are better. 

I'm lazy. Chips. Nothing beats chips. You're safe with chips. Fuck the pizza. I pay for that and get out. I feel myself stumbling a bit over something absolutely and ridiculously funny. I giggle to myself at my own unsteadiness.

"Miss?" I hear from behind.

I turn around slowly.

"How may I help you?" I ask making large gestures. It's just a member of staff from the shop.

"Are you okay? You seem a little... Out of it."

"I'm fine, just a little hysterical. Thanks for your grand concern." I reply before turning again and giggling to myself.

I open my bag of chips while walking down the road. I start eating and immediately I feel so happy. My cravings have been officially satisfied. I smile as I chew on my chips. Barbecue flavour! 

Bliss.

A car pulls over next to me. I look at it. Ooh, it's my great friend Cale.

"Heyaaa captain!" I call out to him, smiling fully with my teeth showing.

"You look terrible."

"Thanks," I reply giggling sarcastically afterwards.

"Are you ok?" He asks, looking slightly concerned. Oh, how honoured I feel! He's showing some type of normal emotion towards a girl! Seems like it is paying off.

"I don't know... Am I?" I ask, smiling at him stupidly.

"You don't look okay..." He narrows his eyes at me. " Are you drunk?"

"Meee! Druuuunk? Naaaah!" I reply once again giggling stupidly.

Cale gets out the car, leaving it there to be parked.

"Awww! Cale is a bad bad boy! He's parking where he shouldn't!" I say pouting momentarily before going into another fit of giggles.

He walks beside me putting a hand round my waist and swinging my arm over his shoulder.

"I can walk you know!" I complain, pushing myself off of him and rush away from him. "Why are you even trying to help? You hate women and although you don't hate me, you strongly dislike me so isn't that almost the same thing? If you're just here to show your 2 minutes of sympathy and then ignore me, then you can gladly fuck off!" I yell at him.

"Maya stop!" Cale yells in his turn, irritated by my behaviour.

Whatever.

I spin around and start walking towards him angrily. He doesn't move, doesn't take even one step backwards. Why is this guy so tall and overbearing?!

"Cale. Fuck. Off." I tell him with a sarcastic smile.

I turn back around but this time he holds onto my arm with one hand. I spin back around and hit him with my free hand. His chest is so hard that I'm sure my small fist doesn't even so much as hurt him. I try hitting harder but in vain. Then I slowly give up, once every so often giving him one big hit before slowly bringing my arm up and hitting again. As I let my arm go to hit the same spot on his chest, I feel his hand wrap around my wrist.

"Stop... Calm down, Maya. You're drunk."

Drinking that whiskey felt good and warm and fuzzy at first, but now I feel like utter shit. All the memories of my mother sneaking out during her marriage, of my father doubting I was ever his true daughter, of my dad being hospitalized for drinking and smoking too much... All of it comes rushing back and I feel my eyes start to water.

The night is growing dark and other people on the road are just returning to their calm neighbourhood while I'm there crying as a boy holds both of my fists.

"All of us have been there..." He whispers.

I glare up at him.

"I doubt you've been where I have!" I shout at him.

Who does he think he is to say that? Has he seen the slow deterioration of my dad's health over his last year alive? Has he seen the look of defeat and yet satisfaction on my mother's face when she returned home late at night? Did he feel the stinging sensation that comes after a slap when I know my mother has been drowning herself in alcohol for too long? Does he really know all that? I doubt it. And I doubt he'd understand.

"Maybe I've had it worse, maybe not, but you don't know what I've been through and I don't know what you've been through so I guess that makes us even." He whispers to me.

Although his voice is soft and soothing, his face is still expressionless... Blank. He's thinking. He's not emotionless, he just tries so hard to hide it that it's barely visible from the surface, but once that semi-translucent shell is cracked every single emotion he's been hiding is bound to pour out. I just need to get to that level of trust.

I look away. My tears have stopped. I'm angry. At myself, at him, at my mom, at Darron. Why am I thinking about helping Cale when I can't even help myself? Just look at me! I'm drinking for God's sake! The exact thing I loathe my mother for! How do I know I'm any better than her?

"Must be in my genes..." I mumble to myself.

"I'm taking you home."

"No!" I say quickly.

I may be drunk but my instincts are so natural to me that I can't get this wrong.

He looks through me with a hard expression. It's intimidating.

"Why not? You're drunk, alone and it's dark! What are you planning on doing? Stumbling over to your house? I bet it's not that close too!"

Mother must be home. I rethink. If Cale comes in, Mother can neither yell at me nor hit me. Doesn't seem too bad after all.

"Climb on my back." Cale finally says, letting go of my wrists and squatting on the floor.

I make my way around towards his back. I slowly wrap a leg then another around his waist as Cale grabs hold of them. He props himself up effortlessly. Last time I checked I wasn't that light either. Just light enough for Mother to accept me to be viewed in public.

"Lead the way," Cale says in a monotone voice.

A voice, a tone, that not long ago would have made me feel uncomfortable and uneasy to hear, is now soothing somehow.

"Straight until the end of the street then left," I reply in a raspy voice.

I clear my throat. I don't ever want to sound like Mother when she's drunk ever again.

"Promise me you won't leave me..." I slowly whisper to him before my mind slowly drifts off to sleep.

~~~

Hey guys!

So here I really wanted to show how Maya isn't this perfect being, she attempts drinking alcohol, a thing that she resents for taking her mother away from her, and even becomes drunk. Cale helps her because he feels he has to but, could he start to become soft?