Oblivion

Oblivion - Part 24

"Drunk? You want to get drunk?" I start to giggle. Before he can respond at all, we hear a lot of commotion just outside the office. "No Phil, you can't stop me!" we hear Jessy yelling. "You can't just barge in Jessy! You don't know half of what's going on!" Phil shouts back arguingly. I look at Jake and roll my eyes "Never mind, we're definitely getting drunk tonight." He laughs, shakes his head slightly in disbelief at what is happening outside the office and hands me the bottle "Yup".

The door flies open as they are still arguing. "She smashed Richy to smithereens and then HE gets arrested? What the hell Phil! I'm going to get a explanation!" she still yells at her brother. "Fine! Go find it out, but don't come whining to me if you don't like the answer." he yells back. She stormed in with Dan behind her, whereupon I take another big gulp from the bottle and hand it back to Jake, he does the same. We are both prepared for Jessy's outburst.

"You two care about explaining what the fuck is going on?" she utters furiously. "What exactly do you want to hear, Jessy?" I ask her without turning around. "That Richy set the fire on purpose? Or that he plotted to make Michael pay for everything? Or that he's guilty of stealing four years of my life?" I take a deep breath and then jump up from my chair, so I can look straight in her eyes "What exactly do you want to know Jessy?". "That's bull shit! Richy would never do such things!" she defends him.

I want to throw some insults at her, only I'm stopped for doing so because Jake steps between us. "Jessica" he starts, but she interrupts him "It's Jessy!!". "I don't give a shit about your name. If you want some answers, real answers instead of the fantasy world you live in, I'd tone it down if I were you." Jake didn't yell, he spoke in such a dominant tone that I almost got myself into line. "Hey! You're talking to my girl here Hackerman, maybe you should tone down yourself!" finally Dan made himself heard.

I see Jake tense up, if Dan says another word I'm afraid the office will look different from what it looks like now. And I don't want to do that to Phil, so I step between them. "Let's cut it out! We're not getting anywhere like this!" I look at all three. "Jessy, stop yelling and demanding. If you want to know everything, shut up and just listen." then I turn to Dan. "I understand you're standing up for her. But her attitude isn't right." Out of frustration, I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose with two fingers. "I need more booze for this." I whisper to myself. As if Phil can read minds, he steps into the office. "The bar is empty, thanks to you guys." he points at Jessy "Care to buy some drinks to pay up for my losses?". "With love!" I mumble a little.

It took us two bottles of whiskey, one bottle of rum, and some glasses of liqueur for Jessy to tell the whole story. Jake's share of the story, he'd told them himself. "They really did that?" Dan looks at me in shock, after we had told them everything. Jessy remained silent, deeply shaken. "Yes. So that's why I lost it, when he walked in here like nothing happened, like he never ruined anyones life." I answer Dan. "Where is he now?" asks Jessy hesitantly. "In an place that shall be unnamed." Jake replies. The way he says it makes it clear that there is no use to ask further.

They finished their glasses and got ready to leave. "I think we need some time to let this sink in" Dan said, helping Jessy off her bar stool. Jessy is wobbly on her legs and does her best to look me straight in the eye "I'm sorry I acted so ugly.". "It's all right. I know he's your best friend." I reassure her. Then they leave. Before we head back to the motel, Jake and I have one more drink and chat with Phil. I felt fine on the bar stool, and I still felt fine as we headed for the door to go outside, only the moment the fresh night air hits my lungs, the booze kicks in like a sledgehammer. In an instant I'm as drunk as I can be. I have to giggle stupidly because Jake is just as drunk as I am, or so it seems. "This is going to be a long walk Jake" I laugh out loud, while I put my arm around his waist to get some grip.