Evermore, Nevermore Forget Me Not

Drunk Off Her Ass

*Elvira: the Oak Ridge Boys-1981, the song is actually about a character known as-Elvira: Mistress of the dark, portrayed by an actress named-Cassandra Peterson*

Setting: December 2002; Georgie's 26th Birthday, Cooper House...

A party is in full swing and everyone in attending is having a good time drinking themselves silly; Mary Cooper is not currently in attendance, but is rather visiting her unconscious daughter in the hospital. The music is turned all the way up, people dancing on tables, and drinking like no tomorrow. Missy being one of those dancing on the dining room table, drunk off her ass with half a bottle of whiskey in her one hand. It has been an out of control, wild for at least a few hours now, and no one is expecting it to end anytime soon. Unfortunately for all in attendance, the music is cut off suddenly and all attention is brought to the annoyed looking Georgie...

"Clear out," he tells them all with a stern glare, "now."

"..." they all remain starring at him

"Cops are on their way," he adds in, "and Melissa Charlene Cooper get her ass off the damn table."

Everyone scrambled to get out of the house, leaving it a complete mess; Georgie's now aggravated, cleaning up his little sister's mess was not how he had wanted to spend his twenty seventh birthday. Missy stumbles as she gets down from the table and turns the radio on as Georgie starts picking up trash from around the rooms. She stops short in his tracks at the sound of the song that comes on. Memories of his childhood in Galveston flash momentarily through his mind, but are gone just as quick as they came. He's quick to turn the music off again, to which he gets a glare from his drunk younger sister...

"I was listening ta that!" She slurs

"..." he doesn't respond, but instead continues to clean up the mess

"Are y'all listening ta me?!" Missy snaps still drunk, "I said I was listening ta that!"

"..." Georgie continues to ignore her

"GEORGIE!" She whines

"What in the-" comes Connie's voice from the front door, "who in the hell threw a party and didn't invite me?"

"Missy," Georgie states plainly as he continues cleaning up, "and she's drunk off 'er ass."

"Where's Erika?" Connie asks as she puts her purse down and starts helping with the clean up, "have another fight?"

"No," Georgie states flatly, "her sister in law went into labor unexpectedly and she had to hurry over last minute ta watch 'er nephew."

"And y'all didn't go with 'er?" Connie asks him

"I was already on my way over 'ere; she was on 'er way home from work," he sighs out, "we weren't even in the same car MeeMaw, she called and told me when I was about half way 'ere anyways."

"Don't y'all go gettin snappy with me now George Jacob Cooper Jr," She warns him sternly

"Yes Ma'am," He sighs tiredly as they clean, "this ain't how I expected ta be spending my birthday..."

"And how exactly did ya expect ta be spending it?" She asks him

"I figured there'd be a party," he explains, "just thought I'd be part of it, not cleaning it up."

"I know what ya mean," Connie sighs heavily, "I came 'ere ta get 'er sister and go visit Bay."

"Good luck with that," he says gesturing to the couch where Missy is now passed out, "but y'all go a head MeeMaw, I've got things covered 'ere."

"I ain't leaving ya ta clean up yer sister's mess by yer self," Connie tells him flatly, "oh," she says remembering something, "I found these in the mailbox when I was grabbing it before I came in."

Georgie stops cleaning and looks to his grandmother before taking the pieces of mail from her outstretched hand, he finds a birthday card from his uncle Stumpy, one from his aunt Anna Marie and uncle Lawrence. The thing that strikes him as the most odd though, is the small package with the return address as the apartment he shares with Erika. He opens it as he wonders why she would send it to his mother's house, rather than just give it to him in person when she came back from her brothers. The moment he sees the contents of the package, he grows annoyed and throws the box across the room, not even bothering to take the contents out. The small package hits a wall and lands on the floor with a slight thud as he he goes back to cleaning up the trashed house...

"Mind explaining that?" Connie asks him flatly

"That woman don't know how ta let nothin go," he snaps as he throws trash's into a garbage bag he's carrying with him with great force

"Ya mean Erika?" Connie asks with a heavy sigh

"Who else?" He mutters

"What was it that she sent ya?" Connie asks him

"The Oak Ridge Boys' Fancy Free Album," he tells her bitterly

"So," Connie starts, not understanding, "yer annoyed cause she sent ya a CD?"

"No," he grumbles, "I'm annoyed cause we've been married fur goin on three years now and I've been nothing but a good, faithful husband; but that don't seem ta matter ta 'er, cause all she can focus on is the one time-ONE TIME I called 'er: Elvira instead of Erika."

"And this has ta do with that CD how?" Connie asks still clueless

"The first song on the CD is called: Elvira," he mutters still bitter

"Oh," she replies starting to understand, "and mind explainin ta me why yer lettin this take up space in yer head and so much of yer energy?"

"..." he stops working again and looks at her

"Just cause she can't let it go don't make it yer problem," Connie tells him, "so stop letting her take up unnecessary space in yer head."

"..." he remains quiet as he looks to the trash covered floor

"Maybe it's time y'all start tryin fur some kids," Connie suggests with a sigh

"What in lands sake?!" Comes Mary's shocked voice from the front door

"It would seem yer daughter through a party of 'er own," Connie tells her while continuing to clean

"MELISSA CHARLENE-" Mary starts to yell

"She's passed out on the couch," Georgie cuts her off

"That girl is trying my patience," Mary grumbles as she starts to clean up as well, "how drunk was she this time?"

"I believe Georgie here described it as 'off 'er ass' she was already passed out by the time I got 'ere," Connie tells her

"Any change in Bay?" Georgie asks hopeful that his mother's praying and birthday candle wishes from over the years finally came to pass

"None whatsoever," Mary replies slightly bitter about it herself

*this chapter was originally going to be solely based around Missy, but then when I went to write it, I couldn't think of anything & decided to go with what you all read instead.*