Two Lives, One Friendship, No Regrets - viv. (cont'd)
They are two friends. As much as you'd like to run away when the going gets tough, it's hard to ignore friends in their time of need - even if they don't necessarily ask for it.
Georgia had to turn away from what she just saw. She had her limits to what she could see and absorb. Being witness to the sweet exchange between Phoenix and Fresca made something inside of her chest tighten.
Remembering her resolution that friendship was the safest route, she meant to retreat in the opposite direction but a hand on her shoulder stopped her from moving. Turning her head slightly she met with disgustingly lustful eyes. Inside she cringed, hoping it didn't show on the outside.
"Where do you think you're going, Chickie?"
"Sorry Chuck, I really have to leave now. I've got to get to work at seven in the morning."
"You don't want to stick around? Not even for me? It's only 11 o'clock!"
"Afraid not, Chuck." She smiled sweetly, knowing that if she said anything harshly he'd just pounce on her. It worked.
"Alright. Next time then?"
"Well see, Charlie. We'll see." She walked off with a final greeting of 'Happy Birthday". Relief was the best way to describe the way she felt.
"Hey, lover boy - your girl is leaving," Fresca whispered in Phoenix's ear while he downed a few whiskey shots with James, Scott and Chuck. His head snapped towards the exit only catching the door swinging closed.
Without even saying goodbye? He asked himself then downed another shot.
Georgia had to walk a few blocks to get to the nearest bus station, but as usual the frosty air was there to keep her company. She wasn't scared at all to walk around these parts of the city. They were more serene if anything. Definitely not dangerous. Thank God she could hold her alcohol - not that she had many drinks tonight. A couple martinis was all she had.
Perhaps they were enough to get her imagination going. She could swear now, she heard two pairs of footsteps; one aside from her own. Speeding up she felt the steps keeping pace with her own. Almost at the subway tunnel, she made a dash for it and felt someone's hand grab her elbow to spin her around.
"Georgie!"
"Frenchie?! You scared the living daylights out of me!"
"Sorry," Fresca apologized, shaking her head. "I wanted to call out but I didn't want to attract any weirdoes at this time of night. Even if they say it's the safest neighborhood this side of downtown."
"It's alright. At least it turned out to be you. Why'd you follow me?"
"I can give you a ride home," she offered.
"No need to bother. I can just ride the subway."
"No, really. I'm going to have to drive Phoenix home too. He's kinda smashed by now I'm sure. I'd really appreciate the company."
Georgia hesitated for before agreeing. She didn't want her friend getting into an accident at this time. Especially since she looked pretty worn out or was it weary?
"Are you alright, French?" She couldn't shake the habit of calling Fresca by her nickname, Frenchie - even if Fresca was already a nickname for Francesca.
"Yeah, I am. Just a bit tired, though. I've been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days," She said. Without mentioning a bit rejected, but it was nothing her ego couldn't handle.
"Do you want me to drive, instead? You guys took his car, right?"
Fresca couldn't have been more relieved at Georgia's offer.
Nodding, she replied "If you don't mind. I know you've been awake all day long, but I really can't keep my eyes open for long. You would be doing me a really huge favor. I can't keep playing chauffeur for him much longer."
Georgia frowned at this. How could Phoenix use Fresca this way. Her irritation was getting the best of her that she fully agreed to drop Fresca off first and then she would handle the boy.
"I'm sorry he's been such a jerk," she said as they walked all the way back to the bar. Fresca just nodded silently. Poor girl looks really tired, Georgia thought as they walked back in silence.
"Hey! You're back!" A few of their friends called out to Georgia.
"Yeah, just for a little while. I'm just going to drive these two home. Anyone else need a ride home? I can fit two more."
"I think Chuck might need a ride home," she heard someone say.
Georgia tightened her eyes wishing someone would-
"No, he's riding with Trish and Eric."
Relief washed over her. Really, she didn't mind Chuck most of the time, but at his worst, he was hardly bearable. It was bad enough, she had to figure out how deal with one drunk but two?
She looked over at the table she had occupied earlier. Oh dear, her heart melted at the sight of his shoulders were slumped and his head rested on his folded forearms. By the looks of the shot glasses next to his head, he was heavily in the alcohol.
It's funny how quickly he had already lost himself to the brown liquids; she'd only been gone for a little over half an hour.
"Frenchie," he moaned as Fresca lent him support by wrapping one if his arms around her shoulders.
"Here French, I've got him. Go warm up the car," Georgia moved over to take Fresca's position. She dropped him back into a chair with a thud.
"Hey!" he moaned.
"If you were in your right mind, I'd slap you over the head right now," she chided as she helped him with his jacket. As much as she wanted to kick him, she still cared about his well-being. For now.
"Get up, Nix!" She goaded him.
"French?" You wish, she thought as she lifted his arm around her neck and practically dragged him to the car.
"Get some rest in the back seat Frenchie," Georgia suggested, concern dripping with every word. "Please, I insist." She tried again.
"Don't you want me to help you?"
"It's ok. Just rest. You look worn out," she insisted.
Opening the passenger door, she shoved him in his seat, slammed the door as quietly as she could. Unsuccessful, of course.
Once inside, she adjusted her rear view mirror, noting that Fresca had indeed taken her advice and had her eyes closed.
Georgia leaned over Phoenix to grab the seat belt and buckle him in.
"Mmm," he took a big whiff of her scent.
Ugh, this is going to be one hell of a long night, she thought to herself.
After plugging in Fresca's address into her phone, memorizing the directions, and taking one glance at her drunken friend, she revved up the engine and zoomed out of the parking lot.
Remembering her resolution that friendship was the safest route, she meant to retreat in the opposite direction but a hand on her shoulder stopped her from moving. Turning her head slightly she met with disgustingly lustful eyes. Inside she cringed, hoping it didn't show on the outside.
"Where do you think you're going, Chickie?"
"Sorry Chuck, I really have to leave now. I've got to get to work at seven in the morning."
"You don't want to stick around? Not even for me? It's only 11 o'clock!"
"Afraid not, Chuck." She smiled sweetly, knowing that if she said anything harshly he'd just pounce on her. It worked.
"Alright. Next time then?"
"Well see, Charlie. We'll see." She walked off with a final greeting of 'Happy Birthday". Relief was the best way to describe the way she felt.
"Hey, lover boy - your girl is leaving," Fresca whispered in Phoenix's ear while he downed a few whiskey shots with James, Scott and Chuck. His head snapped towards the exit only catching the door swinging closed.
Without even saying goodbye? He asked himself then downed another shot.
Georgia had to walk a few blocks to get to the nearest bus station, but as usual the frosty air was there to keep her company. She wasn't scared at all to walk around these parts of the city. They were more serene if anything. Definitely not dangerous. Thank God she could hold her alcohol - not that she had many drinks tonight. A couple martinis was all she had.
Perhaps they were enough to get her imagination going. She could swear now, she heard two pairs of footsteps; one aside from her own. Speeding up she felt the steps keeping pace with her own. Almost at the subway tunnel, she made a dash for it and felt someone's hand grab her elbow to spin her around.
"Georgie!"
"Frenchie?! You scared the living daylights out of me!"
"Sorry," Fresca apologized, shaking her head. "I wanted to call out but I didn't want to attract any weirdoes at this time of night. Even if they say it's the safest neighborhood this side of downtown."
"It's alright. At least it turned out to be you. Why'd you follow me?"
"I can give you a ride home," she offered.
"No need to bother. I can just ride the subway."
"No, really. I'm going to have to drive Phoenix home too. He's kinda smashed by now I'm sure. I'd really appreciate the company."
Georgia hesitated for before agreeing. She didn't want her friend getting into an accident at this time. Especially since she looked pretty worn out or was it weary?
"Are you alright, French?" She couldn't shake the habit of calling Fresca by her nickname, Frenchie - even if Fresca was already a nickname for Francesca.
"Yeah, I am. Just a bit tired, though. I've been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days," She said. Without mentioning a bit rejected, but it was nothing her ego couldn't handle.
"Do you want me to drive, instead? You guys took his car, right?"
Fresca couldn't have been more relieved at Georgia's offer.
Nodding, she replied "If you don't mind. I know you've been awake all day long, but I really can't keep my eyes open for long. You would be doing me a really huge favor. I can't keep playing chauffeur for him much longer."
Georgia frowned at this. How could Phoenix use Fresca this way. Her irritation was getting the best of her that she fully agreed to drop Fresca off first and then she would handle the boy.
"I'm sorry he's been such a jerk," she said as they walked all the way back to the bar. Fresca just nodded silently. Poor girl looks really tired, Georgia thought as they walked back in silence.
"Hey! You're back!" A few of their friends called out to Georgia.
"Yeah, just for a little while. I'm just going to drive these two home. Anyone else need a ride home? I can fit two more."
"I think Chuck might need a ride home," she heard someone say.
Georgia tightened her eyes wishing someone would-
"No, he's riding with Trish and Eric."
Relief washed over her. Really, she didn't mind Chuck most of the time, but at his worst, he was hardly bearable. It was bad enough, she had to figure out how deal with one drunk but two?
She looked over at the table she had occupied earlier. Oh dear, her heart melted at the sight of his shoulders were slumped and his head rested on his folded forearms. By the looks of the shot glasses next to his head, he was heavily in the alcohol.
It's funny how quickly he had already lost himself to the brown liquids; she'd only been gone for a little over half an hour.
"Frenchie," he moaned as Fresca lent him support by wrapping one if his arms around her shoulders.
"Here French, I've got him. Go warm up the car," Georgia moved over to take Fresca's position. She dropped him back into a chair with a thud.
"Hey!" he moaned.
"If you were in your right mind, I'd slap you over the head right now," she chided as she helped him with his jacket. As much as she wanted to kick him, she still cared about his well-being. For now.
"Get up, Nix!" She goaded him.
"French?" You wish, she thought as she lifted his arm around her neck and practically dragged him to the car.
"Get some rest in the back seat Frenchie," Georgia suggested, concern dripping with every word. "Please, I insist." She tried again.
"Don't you want me to help you?"
"It's ok. Just rest. You look worn out," she insisted.
Opening the passenger door, she shoved him in his seat, slammed the door as quietly as she could. Unsuccessful, of course.
Once inside, she adjusted her rear view mirror, noting that Fresca had indeed taken her advice and had her eyes closed.
Georgia leaned over Phoenix to grab the seat belt and buckle him in.
"Mmm," he took a big whiff of her scent.
Ugh, this is going to be one hell of a long night, she thought to herself.
After plugging in Fresca's address into her phone, memorizing the directions, and taking one glance at her drunken friend, she revved up the engine and zoomed out of the parking lot.
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