We're Not Crazy

We'll See

By 5pm we'd done nothing all day but sit around and watch television. When we broke out, I expected to have a lot more fun than this.

"Josi..." I called.
"Leyla," he replied.
"Are you still angry with me?"
He looked at me. "When was I angry with you?"
"Earlier. When you called me those names and you yelled at me. Weren't you angry?" I asked softly.
"When I yelled at you?" I watched him think about it. "Are you talking about when I was fingering you?"

Is that what it's called?

I nodded anyway.
"Baby, I wasn't angry with you."
"You weren't?"
"No."
"But...you were really mean..."
He pulled me close to him and pressed a bunch of kisses into my cheek. "I'm sorry. I forgot not everybody is into that kinda thing. I wasn't mad at you, Leyla. It's just...helps some people get off. And I got used to it."
"Get off?"
"Cum. Arrive. Finish. Orgasm. That stuff."
"Oh..." I wondered if it helps him. "You can keep doing it if you want..." I permitted. "It's okay."
"No, it's alright."

We sat in silence.

"Can we go somewhere?" I asked.
"Where do you wanna go?"
"I don't know..." I replied.

I'd spent all of my life cooped up inside, I was tired of constantly being in a bed. I had things I wanted to experience.

"You wanna go somewhere but you don't know where?" he questioned with a cocked brow.
I looked down and fiddled with my fingers.
'Well now I just feel stupid...'

"Let's see, you've been to a diner, a grocery store, a library, several gas stations...any of those?" he asked.
"No. I want to go somewhere different, where I haven't already been. Like umm..." I started to think about places I've read about but have never seen.
I couldn't take from fantasy novels because obviously those places weren't real. Nonfiction novels would require museums or landmarks that I'm sure we're no where near.

I began thinking about the books that were made for people our age.

"A club." I stated.

I heard that deep chuckle Josiah did when I said something funny or ridiculous.

"YOU want to go to a club?" he questioned.
"Yes."
"I don't think you can handle that. Pick somethin' else." he demanded.
"No." I replied. I was adamant on this. I'd always wondered what those kinds of places were like and why people in my books enjoyed them so much. Well 'enjoyed' was a loose term. In the stories they would go and sip alcohol or dance but by the end of the night they usually felt sick or dizzy. That part didn't sound enjoyable.

Josiah looked at the ceiling then closed his eyes and sighed.
"I'm not bringin' you to a club. Do you know how many perverts are walkin' in and out of clubs? I'd get arrested if I brought you there." he explained.
I rolled my eyes and looked away from him.
"How about we go somewhere close but less extreme? Like...a bar?" he offered.
"I don't know what that is..." I stated.
"Don't worry. It'll be fun." he said and got out of the bed.

___________________________________

It was 7:30pm and we'd just arrived to where Jo was bringing us.
There were mostly big trucks in the parking lot, some covered in splattered mud.

When we walked in it was loud and rowdy and there was the same thing playing on about seven different flatscreen tv's. A group of people in bright colors fighting another group of people in darker colors on grass.

"Welcome to hell." Josiah said as we examined our surroundings. "Where the room smells like sweat and rage."

There were some small families on little leather couches by the wall and windows, women walking around with plates all in the same outfits, and large men sat at the counter with glasses of brown liquid and their eyes glued to the screens.

"What're they drinking? It looks like fizzy tea."
"That's beer." he explained as we walked to the same counter the men sat at.
"That's what beer looks like?!" I asked in shock. Again, another thing I'd read about but never actively saw.
Josiah chuckled.
"Wanna try it?" he offered. I figured I should begin to try new things since I was out and about. So, I nodded my head.

He asked the man behind the counter to come to us and then gave the order. After a few seconds we had two tall glasses in our faces.

"Before you try it, what do you think it'll taste like?" Jo asked.
"Umm...Sweet. Like tea." I inferred only because the two looked similar.
"That's cute. Try it." He told me.

I picked up the glass and he picked up his too, then we both took a sip.

I immediately spit the drink back into my glass after swallowing a little.

This was the most disgusting thing I've ever had.
My throat was hot and tight and my mouth felt angry at me. I'm almost certain this was legitimately gasoline he was making me drink. Is this substance legal? Couldn't be. This...This is terrible. They drink this on purpose? Surely not for fun...?

I looked at Josiah and he was laughing.

"That's terrible!" I shouted.
"Shhhh!" he told me mid laugh.
"Is it expired?" I asked him.
"No." He was still laughing.
"That's awful, people drink this on purpose? I feel like I just tried acid!"
He held his stomach as he laughed.

"Can I take your order?" Some woman came and stood in front of Josiah and I but only faced him.
"Uh, Yea." he said trying to regain his composure after taking another large sip of beer.
"Actually, can I just get the chips and spinach dip?" he asked.
"You can have anything you want." she said with a smile then went to write his order on the notepad.

I waited patiently for whenever she would get to me.

"Are you sure that's all you want?" The lady asked Josi.
"For now." he replied.
"Okay then." She finally turned to me.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
I didn't want food. I really just wanted a drink to wash that nasty acidic liquid off of my tastebuds. "Umm...Can I..." I began.
She looked at me as if I'd made her angry.
"Do you...have lemonade?" I asked her.
"No." she answered.
"Oh...well, um...never mind." I said and looked down.
"If you say so. Well, your order will be out soon." she told Jo and then walked away.

"What was that?" he asked.
"What was what?"
"Why'd you shrink?"
"Shrink? What do you mean?"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I mean why did you give up on your order?"
"I don't know, she looked mad at me."
"Are you serious?" he asked. "You're too soft. Didn't you used to argue with some of the nurses?"
"That was only when they interrupted my reading." I explained.
"Hm. Well toughen up." he demanded.
"I am tough."
"Do you believe that?"
"Yes."
"Okay. We'll see."

I sat there quietly staring at my glass of beer.

"Josi..." I called.
"Yea?"
"Can you...ask her for something to drink...?" I begged.
He looked at me.
"...Please?"
"Yea, I'll order it."
I grinned and looked at the tv screen.