Sometimes Our Saints Are Sinners (TVH sequel)

“You know what we haven’t done in a long time?” Jimmy said as he slammed his hand down on the side table. No one turned to him since our attentions were on my TV. Outside the sun was shining and it was beautiful, and here we are, sitting on our asses and playing Halo like we did back at Huntington.
“I don’t, but I have a feeling you’re going to tell us.” Brian sighed as he pressed the Xbox buttons aggressively. Brian, Matt, Zach and I were playing against each other while Johnny and Jimmy waited for one of us to lose.
“You’re right, you piece of shit, I am going to tell you.” Jimmy snapped, kicking Brian playfully in the back of the head. Brian looked back at him just long enough for Matt to shoot him, which officially made him lose the game. Brian groaned in anguish and threw the controller across the room.
“Well now you have my attention.” Brian grumbled as he turned to look at Jimmy.
“We haven’t gone out and gotten drunk.” Jimmy announced with a triumphant grin. Everyone stopped and stared, silence falling over us. Now that I thought back on it, even before I left we hadn’t gone out for the longest time. The only person I went to bars with was Brian or Matt, and those times didn’t really end very well.
“I think you’re right,” I said, sharing looks with my comrades.
“No joke,” Johnny agreed as she slid to the edge of the couch. “I actually think the last time we all went to a bar together was when we met Kid at our concert and Matt had to be the DD.”
“Yeah, great night,” Matt muttered, rolling his eyes playfully. We exchanged a tense glance as the memories lingered through the room.
~
“Well if Kid’s going to be naked I say let’s go to your house.” Zach roared, laughing drunkenly. Matt gripped the steering wheel tightly.
“That’s it. You’re going home.” Matt growled. Everyone in the back moaned, and I frowned. I unbuckled myself and slid myself closer to Matt. He looked at me, pure shock on his face. “Jessica, what the fuck. Get your seatbelt back on.”
“Matt, can they please come over?” I whimpered, wrapping my arms around his neck. He glanced repeatedly between the road and me, and I sniffled. I laid my head on his shoulder and looked at him sadly. “Please Matty-bear?”
“Matty-bear?” He asked, his voice strained. He looked at me sadly and I batted my eyes at him. He sighed loudly, throwing his head back. “Fine.”
“Thank you Matty-bear!” I squealed happily, jumping up. I kissed his cheek excitedly before sitting back in my seat and putting on my seatbelt. He stared at me and I made a heart out of my hands. He smiled and sighed before watching the road. We got home after about ten minutes, and the guys in the back were either screaming or sleeping. Johnny shoved Brian’s head, which woke him up. I opened the door and took a step out. I forgot my ankle was weak and I was shitfaced, so I was falling to my death. Again.
“Jesus it’s like having kids!” Matt moaned as he caught me right before I hit the pavement. He stood me up and threw me onto his back. Zacky and Jimmy and Johnny were crawling out of the back as Matt walked around and opened the trunk. Everyone stumbled into Matt’s house and almost immediately fell to the floor, except for Matt and Johnny. Matt yelled and looked at Johnny. “Can you clean these idiots up and get them water while I take care of Kid?”
“They’re sticky and gross though,” Johnny mumbled, crinkling his face.
~
“I say let’s do it,” Zach announced with a wide grin and his eyes scanned over our faces. It took him a few moments to realize that we all had put our pointer fingers onto our nose, indicating in a childish form that we were not going to be the DD of the night. His smile fell from his face. “Th-that’s not fair!”
“All is fair in love and drinking, my friend,” Jimmy sang and he stood up. We all got to our feet and stretched, our muscles tense from the hours of mindless sitting and video-gaming. The men left my apartment to go get ready and I quickly threw on some jean shorts and a plain black t-shirt before pulling my hair into a pony and quickly splashing on some eyeliner and mascara. One at a time they returned in various forms of sleeveless band shirts and denim jeans. Zach trailed in last, still pouting from not winning the nose-goes.
“Quit being a baby,” I scoffed and slapped him in the shoulder. He scowled but said nothing as we all piled out onto my patio. Aunt Susy waved to us and I cupped my hands over my mouth. “We’re going drinking!”
“Make sure you have a DD!” She screamed back in a light voice. I smiled and pointed to Zach.
“We got one,” I returned. She laughed happily and returned to her outdoor cooking and I scampered down the wooden stairs, listening to the heavy footsteps behind me. We all piled into James’ car with Zach driving, me up front, Matt, Jimmy and Johnny sitting backseat and Brian in the trunk.
“I’m really excited for this,” Johnny buzzed, bouncing in his seat. There were several murmurs of agreement, even one from Zach.
“I’m still drinking,” Zach pointed out as he shot a look through the rearview mirror. “I’ll just ration.”
“Man, I’m going to get so drunk,” Brian moaned. I smiled a little, although I was a bit nervous. Brian was a different person the last time he was drunk, and I didn’t want it to ruin our moods. Even after camping together, the guys have all been wary of him; he seemed really different. It was my fault, no doubt; I was a homewrecker and incredibly impulsive so I must have really hurt him with my shot towards his sexuality while Kat was here. “Maybe I’ll pick up a chick or two.”
“Bro, is that necessary?” Jimmy asked as irritation bled into his voice. I stiffened a little, sickened by the thought of Brian in bed with another girl. It wasn’t because I necessarily cared that he was getting around, but this was my town; or my part of the country. He could at least have the courtesy to keep it in his pants for the summer.
“What? I can have a little fun,” Brian sneered. The car became quickly filled with tension that not only could someone cut a knife through it, but it was almost suffocating. I actually rolled the window down a little bit to get the discomfort out of the car. “Or a lot.”
“That’s it,” Matt said, not turning around to look at his friend behind him, “You’re the DD tonight. You lost your privileges.”
“What? Fuck that!” Brian roared in outrage. No one argued against the new plan.
“You asked for it, bro,” Johnny responded honestly, glancing back at Brian with puppy dog eyes. “We’re here for a wedding and all you’re worried about it sexing it up. You’ve made some people in the car uncomfortable.”
If this were a cartoon show, Matt and I would have giant red arrows right above our heads. It was no secret that throughout the few weeks everyone’s suspicions of Brian and I have gone up; there had been multiple occasions where Brian and I would escape from the group just to hang out and talk. But of course, a boy and a girl can’t sneak away together without them doing the do, so the air had been a little tight for a while. Even with Matt and I; no one believed us that when we were left alone we simply moved in furniture and then sat and watched movies. Sometimes I felt like people thought I was a whore, since I could tell that every man in my friend group thought I slept with Brian or Matt, or both. Even Sam was a bit wary.
“Oh look, we’re here,” Zach said after a few long moments of silence. We all glanced at a wooden building that had a neon sign that said “bar” in bright pink and blue letters. I was the first to step out, and Zach opened the trunk as the rest congregated at my side in front of the bar.
“Well then, let’s go,” I sighed and I walked towards the bar. I pushed the doors open, the strong scent of booze and cigarettes welcoming as the awkward tension lingered on our shoulders.
*
As the night grew darker our drinks grew larger and soon enough everyone but Brian was shitfaced. Matt and Zach were trying to play pool—and were failing—while Jimmy and Johnny tried their drunken luck at some small casino games in the corner of the bar. I, on the other hand, watched as people sang at karaoke and down as many shots as possible without acquiring alcohol poisoning. The only reason I was chugging it like a longtime alcoholic was that I was left with Brian, who did the Zach method and drank a beer before following it with three glasses of water. There was no doubt in my drunken mind that one of us was a ticking time bomb, and honestly I was hoping it was going to be my blazed ass instead of Brian’s completely sober one.
“Nice bar,” Brian mumbled, obviously fazed by the lasting tension between us. I did something of a nod, even though it ended up with me bobble-heading a little bit since I couldn’t hold my fat fucking head up.
“F-frick yeah it… is,” I slurred as my eyelids began to droop. My thoughts were becoming less coherent and suddenly I fell into the dreaded nostalgic phase of utter drunkenness. My arm fell around Brian’s wide shoulders and I rested my head on his shoulder as I pointed over towards a corner of the bar that had a couple couches sitting there. My arm was so heavy, though. “R-right over there, Bri-bri, was where I made out with my first stranger. It was pretty grant.”
“Uh… congrats?” Brian was taken aback by my sudden change in attitude. For the first few hours I was trying to simply ignore him and focus on my drinking, but now that I was left alone with him I couldn’t keep up my façade.
“Are you upset with me?” I whimpered. Brian stared at me with wide, unknowing eyes and I tilted my head back to finish off my beer. I slammed the counter and ordered a large glass of orange juice and jägermeister before returning my attention to Brian. “Y-you haven’t been the same since you sl-slept with Kat. Is that my fault?”
“Kid,” that’s all Brian said. My eyes filled with tears, which were, at this point, probably made of vodka.
“B-Brian,” I cried, putting my head onto his shoulder. I began ugly crying, until my drink was set in front of me, then I began ugly crying whilst guzzling down a beverage that I probably shouldn’t have drank.
“Kid, please stop crying,” Brian whispered, his voice desperate. His face was unreadable, so I couldn’t tell if he actually wanted me to stop or if I was just an embarrassment. It was proven to be the latter. I could tell—or I thought I could tell—that his eyes were emotionless and he merely just didn’t want to look bad in front of these hot Midwestern babes he was going after, so I merely just punched him and stumbled to the other side of the bar with drink in hand. I sat myself down at a seat with a few guys that seemed vaguely familiar but my unworking brain couldn’t put a finger on them.
“Hey there,” I purred in a totally unattractive way. The boys themselves were a bit out of it, but not nearly as out of it as I was.
“Jessica?” One said. He had dark curly hair and glasses and tanned skin. “From Drawing 1 at Brandon Valley High?”
“… Curtis?” The name finally came to me and I momentarily sobered up. “Curtis the Curduck? No way! And… And Dakota!”
“Hey girl,” the other one greeted. I slammed my drink onto the table and hugged both of them, not even aware of how disgusting I probably looked to them. I was so undone.
“H-how’s your guys’ lives been?” I asked, sighing happily as I put my hand on my face.
“Been good, just came back to Brandon to see what’s changed. You?” Curtis asked. I bobble-head nodded again.
“Yupp.” I popped the ‘p’. “Me too. My mom’s gettin’ married to a rockstar’s dad so I’m here for the wedding. Yeaaah..”
“Wow, looks like you’ve got a pretty nice life,” Dakota stated. I shrugged and laid my head on the cold wooden table.
“I guess,” I pouted. “But I’m surrounded by five guys and two of them totally suck. Like you fuck two guys that are friends with each other and everything falls apart.”
“Holy shit this is a soap opera,” Curtis chimed. I smiled and sat up. “Tell us more.”
“Well I was almost raped by this total asshole at a concert, right? And…” I went through the whole story that I remembered, though most of the details were fuzzy due to my intoxication. I explained my friends with benefits problem with Brian and the secret relationship with Matt, and how I had ended up here. “So I fuck Brian in the shower, right? And suddenly he thought that we could just be fuck buddies while we’re here. But, like, we’re here for my mom’s wedding, right?! Like how un-fucking-classy. Yeesh. But he wouldn’t get off my dick, so I try to hook him up with my hot friend Kat. No harm right? Well, apparently, there was harm. Now Brian’s a jerk who’s literally rruuuubbbingg his sexuality all over my face and it’s super awkward because I’m pretty sure Matt is still into me.”
“… That’s it, Dakota, we’re moving to California.” Curtis slapped the table and then rubbed my hand. “I’m sorry sweet cheeks. Maybe you should just move on.”
“I’m trying,” I complained loudly as I threw my head back. Headrush. “But it’s like I’m surrounded by three ex-boyfriends and I can’t just hang out with Sam without Brian and Matt thinking I’m sucking his fucking dick. Probably because they wish it were—” I was pulled from the booth by my arm and I screamed, the room spinning. I looked to my right to see Brian dragging me from the bar and I went limp. “Let me go! I don’t wanna leave!”
“I swear to God, Kid,” Brian breathed as he picked me up and threw me over me shoulders. I whined loudly but didn’t fight back as I was carried out to the car and thrown into the back. All the other boys were already in there laughing at my entrance and at Brian’s anger. Brian slid into the driver’s seat and took off, clearing his throat loudly to quiet us drunken children for a few moments. “Next time, I am not being DD.”

Notes

Schooooool's out. for. Summer. ! Yay, now maybe I can FUCKING WRITE SHIT ON THIS. But don't quote me on that. -Jessi