Chapter Fifty-Eight – It’s Time to Partyyyy!

Friday rolled around faster than any of us were expecting. Phyllis was chilling in the room with Lara and me as we picked out the best outfit for the night.

I was stuck picking between two options. It was either I wore a black mini-skirt with a tiny slit at the thigh, paired with a white fitted tee and a big Cuban chain or a black mini-dress with the necklace Sly had got me for me 18th birthday two years before. Why I still had that necklace, we will never know.

I decided on the black mini-dress and Sly’s necklace.

“I have no idea why you don’t just throw it away. Don’t you agree, Phyllis” Lara quipped. Phyllis carefully played both sides. “I think maybe it will help you get over him if you stop wearing it, Araba but at the same time you really liked him so it may be too much to do that” she said. Smart girl. My girl.

Lara also wore a black mini-dress to match me and we posed while Phyllis took several pictures of us. Lara posted a few on her Snapchat story. I hoped Sly would see and be curious as to what I was doing. Lara and I had seen that he’d been watching her stories keenly. I suppose it was the same way his friends had told him that I’d been watching their stories.

We pulled up to the event party and the place was teeming with people. I hadn’t realized that Carl was that popular. The entire building was vibrating with music and we could feel the sound of the beat in our hearts. I mean that quite literally.

Carl’s manager was quite the party planner. There was alcohol at every corner and the air was thick with the sweat of people who’d been dancing for too long.

After meandering through the crowd in search of Carl we found him. He beamed from ear to ear, walking over to us with drinks. He handed one over to each of us but Kwame turned his down. Lara screamed over the noise asking where we should leave his gift. He pointed over to a corner table already full of presents.

I downed my drink faster than I normally would. The cocktail bar had less patronage now so I walked over and ordered a martini. I planned to sip on that gently throughout the night but I suppose I was thirsty because that was gone before long.

The alcohol started to work through my system but I wasn’t quite drunk yet. I was just at the edge of being tipsy. As I sat, I spotted a cute light-skinned boy, opposite me. We locked eyes and he smiled. I smiled back.

Mara came to pull me off my seat so we’d hit the dance floor and I reluctantly joined. It would be good to dance off the alcohol I had already taken. I probably shouldn’t drink anymore if I want to maintain some level of decorum.

As we danced, the light skinned guy approached me. We exchanged pleasantries, screaming over the noise. He said his name was Alex and I told him mine. He was about to ask if we could dance when Lara pulled me so we could take a shot with Carl.

The vodka burned all the way down and for two seconds my head was throbbing. We were back to dancing again. Another shot was shared and I didn’t say no.

Okay, so now I was in the danger zone but I didn’t mind. This was a nice danger zone. I don’t know at which point it happened but now Alex and I were dancing together.

One thing I know now is I become a freaky monster when that liquid poison is pumping through my veins. Lara and Mara seemed worried. Twice Boateng came to ask if we could leave and I refused.

I don’t know remember how it happened but soon enough, I was on a table dancing. I lost my balance and as I was falling, Alex caught me. My hero! At this point, Lara had had enough. She grabbed me by the hand and walked me outside.

I tried to pull myself from her grip but she wouldn’t let go. Once we were outside, she released me and I almost fell into the hedges.

“Araba get a hold of yourself. What are you doing?” Lara demanded in disgust. She’d never seen me like this. I had never seen me like this.

I was about to give a rude response but I felt something rising. “I think I’m going to vomit” I said kneeling. My head was spinning. Eventually, the nausea went away. Lara said it was time we left and I hastily agreed.

Boateng came out and helped her put me in the car while we drove. I was suddenly very sleepy. At some point we were back in the hostel. I managed to make it up the stairs, well, Boateng carried me.

He waited outside while Lara helped me to change into my nightgown. As I lay there, she had to leave and so Boateng came to watch me till I fell asleep.

“I have never seen you like that before” he observed grimly.

“I am sorry to disappoint you” I replied without meaning it.

Reader, I am convinced that God was trying to punish my sharp tongue because the moment I said that, whatever was trying to come out before was back. I dashed to the washroom and Boateng followed behind, holding my braids as I puked.

“Don’t you think you did too much today?” he asked as I sat slammed on the washroom floor and he squatted next to me. “You never used to drink and now you’re twerking on strangers, dancing on tables and throwing up. Is this all because of Sly?”

“I never used to understand why you’d spiral after every breakup but I do now. I miss him.”

Boateng helped me stand and walked me to the bed, tucking me in.

“I get that he was your first love and all that but it’s been three months. Araba, you need to move on. This cannot happen again. Do you understand?”.

He was gentle but firm.

We talked a little bit more but I don’t remember the things I said. Then I drifted off to sleep.