10. Mine

Cy and I tallied drinks by keeping each used glass in a stack, and Odie brought down the alcohol and other supplies, setting it on the island so we could all see the drinks being made fairly. I didn't really care, but if this was going to be a real challenge, it made the most sense.

I wasn't a big drinker, but I was competitive, and spite was a hell of a motivator. Even if I lost, at least the punishment wasn't that bad.

"Remember, you puke, you clean. I'm not touching that." Odie sat shot number three in front of each of us. Since I was the picky one, everything was rum based to keep it even once again.

"Throw me outside. I'll be fine." Cy took her shot easily.

Leave a pillow and a blanket in my bathroom for me. Thanks. I took mine and added the glass to my stack. Are you sure we won't run out of glasses?

We both had three shot glasses and two cocktail glasses lined up so far.

"I highly doubt we will drink over ten shots each, Mine." Cy set her elbow on the counter and placed her head in her hand. "Feeling anything yet?"

I flipped her off. We both knew I was feeling it and really wanted toast.

"I'll accept your defeat at any time."

Sliding off my stool, I walked around Odie and stood in front of Cy. Not a chance. I flicked her nose and turned to Odie who was frozen in shock at what I had done and that Cy had allowed it to happen without much ado.

Next drink, please.

"Alrighty then." Odie shook pineapple juice, rum, and triple sec together, doling out our equal shares before topping everything off with 7-Up and handing them to us. "Drink up."

"This is a lot less fun when you can't drink," Ellie whined from behind us on the couch.

"Only four more years," Odie said without turning around. She was mixing her own drink, another gin and tonic. Disgusting.

"I can't even have a little taste? Don't you want me to know what I like before then so that no douchebag can impress me with his booze skills?"

"Ellery," Odie said in half shock as she turned around. "You know what? Fine. Taste this." Odie picked up her glass and held it out to Ellie who practically fell over the back of the couch to get to us.

"What is it?" She gripped the glass in her hands and stared down at it.

"Gin and tonic. It's a classic drink."

Ellie smiled with glee before taking a sip. The smile was quickly wiped off her face as she sputtered and coughed, making a spectacle of how gross it was.

"What the fu—fudge is that shit?" Odie sighed and ran a hand down her face but accepted that Ellie at least tried to not cuss.

Cy and I shared a glance as we laughed at her.

"Gin. Tonic. What do you think?" Odie took her drink back and sipped it.

"It's so gross. Why would anyone drink that?" Ellie's face was scrunched up in disgust as she grabbed what was left of our 7-Up and downed it.

"It's an acquired taste. It's odd and reminds me of being out in nature, so I like it."

I agree with Ellie. It's nasty.

"Same. I've never understood why Odie liked those things."

Oh, so that doesn't count as something tasty?

"Definitely not. I did find a blood orange gin once that worked well in some drinks but didn't work in a regular gin and tonic fashion." I could see something like that working in a mixed drink, but why bother when rum was an option?

"Can I try something not terrible? Please?" Ellie drew out please in the annoying fashion teenagers did when they wanted something.

"Sure. Try this."

"Cy!" Odie admonished, but it was too late.

Ellie sipped the concoction, and her nose wrinkled. "That's a lot better, but I still don't like it."

She sounded disappointed. "What else you got?"

"Ellie, no."

"Odie, yes! I'm not going to get drunk, and a few sips isn't going to kill me. I want to be included."

Odie glared down at her with her hazel eyes before running a hand through her hair. "I don't know what else I would even make you. These are the two sides of the cocktail spectrum."

I shook my head in exasperation. This is still booze heavy. Let me give it a try. Can I look at what else there is?

Cy nodded. "Have at it. You can't miss the cabinet upstairs."

I ran up there and got to work. By ran, I meant walked and hoped the alcohol didn't hit me right then. I grabbed a few things and made my way downstairs again.

I mixed together peach schnapps, white rum, orange juice, and cranberry juice in a shaker before pouring it over ice and handing it over. I went a little heavier on the peach schnapps versus the rum this time.

Ellie eyed it, concerned that it would be as alcohol heavy as the other two, but when she sipped this one, she gasped with delight.

"Oh my god," she squealed before going in for another sip.

Odie let her get that one in, then stole it away. "That's enough of that. Satisfied?"

"Is there a virgin version of that?" Ellie looked at me with hope.

Maybe if there's peach juice? That plus 7-Up.

We both looked at Cy who shook her head. "Not this time. I will look into it when we go grocery shopping. I'm sure there's something we can find."

"This is actually really good, Mine." Odie passed the drink over to Cy who nodded in agreement before handing it to me.

"Super sweet but very tasty. I'd probably add some darker rum and soda if I was going to drink an entire glass."

I tasted it and agreed completely. This was definitely a drink for a seventeen year old who wasn't accustomed to the taste of alcohol. I nailed it and really wanted to try the virgin version. Some days, I didn't want to drink, and that would be an awesome mocktail to add to the list.

With that, Odie got back to business. "Drink up. It's time for shot number four." I grimaced, and Cy laughed maniacally, seeing her win on the horizon. I had no chance.

Hit me. No chance didn't mean I was giving up.

We each downed our drinks and took another shot before getting refills on said drinks. I was dying on the inside and didn't know how long everything would stay on the inside.

Delicious. Another.

At least I think that's what I said, but given the looks they were all giving me, I don't think I quite got it.

Another, I tried again.

"I think it's passing out in the bathroom time. Admit defeat, Mine." Cy stood in front of me, pulling my glass from my hands and setting it on the counter.

Never.

"You're signing gibberish." Her teeth ground together. "Accept defeat before I chuck you into a cold shower and we keep going."

So bossy.

The room spun as the alcohol fully hit, and I realized how much I had actually consumed. I wasn't a lightweight, but that much alcohol in an hour was not very smart on my part.

"Are you just now getting that?" Odie snickered.

"Very funny, Odie." Cy pulled me out of my stool and stood me up. "Admit it. Say ‘I lose,' and you can go to bed with a large glass of water and some toast on your nightstand."

Toast got my attention, and without telling my hands to say anything, they signed, I lose.

"Good girl." Cy scooped me up, and that's the last thing I remember before waking up on the bathroom floor needing to vomit.

Thankfully, the toilet was right there. I spilled so much liquid and stomach acid before resting my head on the seat, remembering why I rarely drank. The darkness behind my eyes spun before I puked again and again. Eventually, I passed back out after drinking some of the water that was left for me.

There wasn't a clock in there, so I didn't know when I woke up the last time or this time, but I felt a little better and really hoped I hadn't made up Cy saying there would be toast. With the blanket wrapped around me, I wobbled into the room, and to my surprise, there was toast on the nightstand.

I stuck a piece in my mouth and chewed slowly. After half a piece, I needed more water, so I went out to the living room to get a fresh glass of ice water before dying in bed for the next couple of hours.

We started drinking early, so it was only two a.m. as I scuffled out of the room and into the kitchen. The ice machine was so loud, but I carried on until it was full of ice and water.

I snuggled up on the couch, then realized there were a handful of bags and boxes piled around the wingback chairs. The boxes had Mine written on them. Setting down the water, I moved seats and opened up the first box, revealing a mishmash of my things all stuffed inside without care.

Something must have spilled in here because it smelled like perfume and stale air. The shirt I picked up was wet and sticky, coating my hand in its stench.

My nightmare came true. I doubted Ellie's things were handled so poorly.

Box after box, very few things remained salvageable. My clothes, my products, my Kindle… None of that really mattered though. I could replace it.

What did matter was the picture at the bottom of the last box. Inside the frame was one of the last pictures my parents and I took together. The glass was cracked and whatever liquid had been in this box soaked through, damaging the image. Their faces blurred and blurred more as tears sprung to my eyes.

How could they be so heartless?

I hugged it to my chest, letting the sobs out. I couldn't stand it. I needed out. I needed to be free in the cold night air.

So I took off, leaving this shitty world behind.