“Shut up,” he says. “It’s complicated.”
“Isn’t it always?” I mumble to myself.
“I have a great idea. Come on.” Aiden jumps up from the floor and runs out of the garage. “We need to go somewhere,” he yells from the kitchen.
I roll over and force myself to a standing position. Looks like I met my goal of getting drunk. I wonder if I’ll remember any of this tomorrow?
* * *
“Good morning, my beautiful ladies!”
Oh, shit! Who’s screaming? And why is it so fucking bright in here?
“Drink this and then get your asses up. We’ve got work to do.”
I try to talk, but all that comes out is a groan
“I don’t have all day, sunshine,” a gruff sounding voice says from somewhere above me. “Get off your ass, drink this drink, and get ready to work the rest of the liquor out of you. Ryder, go get a couple of buckets from the janitor’s closet. I have a feeling these two shitheads are going to need them.”
Ryder’s here? And two shitheads? That must be me and Aiden. The last thing I remember from last night is him having a great idea in his kitchen.
“Can I get some water?” I hear Aiden say from somewhere beside me. “And maybe all of the painkillers? Pretty sure I’m dying.”
“You and me both, man,” I say, still not getting up. The floor is nice and cool and I think I’m just going to lie here for a while. “What did we even do last night? What was your great plan?”
“You drank a LOT of whiskey, and committed some crimes.” Devon laughs. “You didn’t get arrested, though, so you’re good there.”
“So why are we at the gym?” Aiden asks.
I sit up and take the disgusting green slime drink that’s been left for me.
“Well, by the time I got you guys out of there, it was almost morning. So I figured why not get Ryder to come and let us into the gym. You guys could sleep a bit, I could work out, and then we could put you through the paces to get you sobered up,” Devon explains. “So drink up, water and smoothie, and then we’ll get started. Alex’s Pops says he has a special workout for you, guaranteed to make you sweat out all the alcohol.”
“I said puke it out, actually,” Pops yells from the back of the gym. “I guarantee you will puke before we’re through.” He laughs a maniacal old man laugh. “It’s been a while since I’ve made anyone puke. This is going to be fun.”
Pops leads us through a workout that I’m pretty sure was designed by the devil. I puke up everything I’ve ever eaten, plus something that smells like the spill mat behind a bar, just a mess of alcohol and mixers.
By the end of the workout, Aiden and I are drenched in sweat, empty of alcohol, and completely exhausted.
I flop down on the floor and enjoy the cool feeling of the black rubber mat against my overheated skin.
“That was a fucking nightmare,” I say.
“I’m never drinking again,” Aidens promises, like anyone who’s ever had too much to drink.
“Yeah, I’m regretting drinking that much last night too.” I roll onto my stomach. “Oh, that feels nice,” I say, spreading my arms and legs on the floor.
“How’re the hangovers, boys?” Pops asks, leaning over us where we lie. “I got some whiskey in my desk. Who wants a drink?”
“Fuck off, get that shit away from me,” I say at the same time as Aiden says, “No fucking way.”
Pops makes us wash out our own puke buckets before we leave with Devon. He drives us back to Aiden’s place so I can grab my car.
My head is throbbing the whole drive home and I’m beginning the think that drinking a bottle of whiskey was not the right way to go about figuring what’s going on with Becca.
But calling her best friend Alex might be.
As soon as I park my car, I pull out my phone and call Alex.
