The night is young

A Brandy Bottle

Jessica didn't know where to go to now. Mike was nowhere to be found, not that she looked too hard for him, and she wasn't finding Sam either, whom she was looking for.

The lodge was a lot bigger than she remembered- or perhaps it just seemed empty now, knowing two of the Washington siblings weren't walking around it anymore. It was a place to get lost, the big wooden doors leading to rooms she had never yet wondered. So silly! Of course, Sam could be in Hannah's room! She took the stairs and nearly tripped over a water bottle that was just left at the top of them.

Jessica felt uneasy about going into that room. What if Sam wasn't there and she would have to face Hannah's absence alone?

The massive mahogany door was unaltered. As she cracked the door open and slipped inside, she was half-expecting to see her there again, a book in her lap, reading as she petted the cat. Only this time she would say a lot of things she hadn't said. Like how sorry she was for having been such a bitch a year ago. She would have told her she had a nice smile; a great heart and Mike was not worth losing any time over.

But there was no Hannah inside to apologize to. There was Sam instead, crying on the floor hugging one of Hannah's black shirts that she used to wear so often. A half-empty little brandy glass bottle in her left hand. She was sobbing loudly enough not to hear Jess entering. She closed the door behind her a little louder than necessary.

"Jessica! I didn't see you there." Sam exclaimed perplexed letting go of the t-shirt and tucking the brandy bottle under her feet, which were placed in the lotus position.

Jessica dropped down and took the bottle, drinking a mouthful.

"It's ok, I think this night requires drinking..." She confided.

"Why are you here?"

"I was looking for you."

"Why?"

"Feeling sorry."

"I don't blame you for picking me, Jess." Sam sighed. She reached out and tapped the girl's knee smiling for a second.

"No Sam, I'm sorry about Hannah."

"Aren't we all?"

Jessica shifted her weight "Sam, I'm sorry you lost her. I'm sorry you loved her. It's hard... to like your best friend". Why would she say that? She probably needed to quit drinking immediately. Instead, she took another gulp of the brandy.

Sam chuckled sadly tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear and then looked at Jessica concerned and wide-eyed as though she had just understood what the girl confessed to.

Jess knew in an instant that if Sam had asked about it, she would have told her the whole story- everything about it. There are moments in one's life when one can't help but be perfectly honest when faced with a pure heart. And that was exactly what Sam was a kind, selfless soul.

Moments passed by and Sam hadn't asked anything. Jessica could feel a pang of dread, what if the moment slipped and she would again be the sole keeper of her truth?

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to..." Sam challenged. And that was enough of a cue for Jessica.

She told the girl all about it.

How, in middle school every girl in her class liked this boy and did everything to get his attention, but the only attention Jessica was thinking about was Emily's. For a long time, she thought that meant just caring about her friend until she got jealous of Emily's boyfriend and wished she got to hold her friend like that, talk to her like that, kiss her like that. Then she told Sam about how she had to stop seeing Em and pulled the most asshole move of them all.

"I mean, Emily's quite the asshole herself." Sam pointed out laughing a bit. They had moved to Hannah's bed by now and were passing the bottle from one another. Jessica was cuddling a pillow and Sam was doing the same with Hannah's big blue teddy bear.

"True- but that doesn't excuse sleeping with and then dating your friend's boyfriend." Jess countered.
"Ex-boyfriend. I suppose I see your point though."

Jessica nodded and then raised her eyebrows "How about you and Hannah, did you ever tell her?"
"As if she wasn't totally in love with Mike."

"She thought she was in love with him! But Hannah didn't actually know him. You know?" Jess pointed out.

Then Sam told her all about what her side of the story had been. She had liked Hannah ever since they were little kids and she had played catch with the Washington sibling in their front garden. But the part that caught Jessica's attention was the one about the night of the tragic event.

On that night, Josh had confessed his feelings to Sam, and she had turned him down. That was why he had gotten black-out drunk and Chris too, being his wingman as usual. The confession was also why Sam hadn't been there in time to warn Hannah about the prank.

"Damn! That's dark" Jess exclaimed left without any other words.

"Whatever. The moment's passed, she's gone now... And I suppose you were right, now I think about how I should have told her. Like all the damn time!" Sam drawled clearly drunk. "I think you should tell Emily!" She added.

"Yeah! Why the f*ck not? What do I have to lose?!" Jessica declared. She got up, almost tripping over, and excused herself leaving the room.

In the corridor, she looked left and right then at her phone 3:30 am, they were probably in their accommodations. She stumbled over towards Emily's room. Her lack of balance was due to alcohol, tiredness, and overexertion.

She had to walk quite a bit, Emily's room being the furthest on the East wing of the lodge. The door was big and uninviting, she felt like turning right back around. What if Matt was there? But Matt never went to Emily's room, she went to his...

Taking a deep breath, she placed her palm on the cool golden lever letting gravity press down on her hand. Then she pushed ever so lightly.

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Do you believe Emily and Jessica are an opposites-attract pairing?

Or are they similar?