Hazel thought to close her eyes, or turn her head away at the sound of the rushing urine, but her reaction time was slow and her movements were viscous.
“Yup, that’s what three beers will get you!” Eve said from the toilet seat as the gush of water turned into a gentle tinkling sound and her pee came to an end.
“You’re a pretty fun drunk, though, I have to say.”
Hazel couldn’t help smiling.
Eve pulled a big wad of toilet paper from the roll, wiped her crotch, stood up and then pulled her pajamas back up.
“Let’s get you back to bed.”
Eve joined Hazel again in the shower, this time with a towel. She shook it, rubbed it vigorously across Hazel’s wet hair and then wrapped it around her. Eve cupped one hand beneath Hazel’s elbow and then grabbed onto her opposite arm with her other hand.
“All right, up we go, drunky.”
Hazel stood up on wobbly legs again. Her heavy throbbing head fell onto Eve’s shoulder.
“Thank you,” Hazel mustered and stumbled along with Eve.
When they reached the bed, Hazel tumbled over onto it and felt her towel slip off. Too weak to react, Hazel splayed her bare body out across her sheets.
“Hey! I knew you had good tits!” Eve said and gave her underbreast a pinch.
Hazel smiled limply and motioned to swat Eve’s hand away playfully, but Eve had already left the side of the bed and come back with a clean T-shirt and a glass of water. Eve pulled Hazel into a seated position by her arms and then pulled the shirt over her head, and then her arms through the armholes.
“All right, you, drink this whole glass of water and then sleep it off.”
Hazel curled her fingers around the glass and brought it to her lips. Eve left her hands on top of Hazel’s as she did it. Eve slid one, and then the other of Hazel’s legs under the sheets, and then pulled the comforter over her.
Eve returned to her own bed, and said good-night through the darkness and from across the room. Hazel began to drift into sleep with the lingering feeling of Eve’s fingers on her fingers. With the lingering feeling of friendship and sisterhood and happiness. Despite the feeling of her head throbbing and water sloshing around in her empty belly.
23
Hazel woke up still in a fog, got dressed and made her way downstairs to the kitchen and gulped down a cold cup of water. Just as she finished the final drop, Silas burst in the room.
“Hellooo—” he began but stopped abruptly upon seeing Hazel. “You look really terrible.”
Hazel paused for a moment, trying to put words together in a retort.
Silas opened a cabinet, pulled out a bottle, shook out two maroon ibuprofen pills and placed them on the countertop in front of her. “Two pills and two more glasses of water will do the trick.” He smiled at Hazel knowingly, perhaps even paternally, as he watched her swallow the ibuprofen and water down.
“Plus, we’ll head out on the lake today, take the boat out for a drive. Some fresh air will be nice.”
Eve emerged on the staircase, her hair still wet from the shower. “Yes! The boat’s the best! Do I have to wear one of those disgusting life—” Eve also stopped abruptly upon seeing Hazel.
“You look terrible,” she said similarly matter-of-factly, but with a glimmer of enjoyment in her eye.
Hazel felt the cool water running through her empty stomach.
She picked her head up to look over at Eve. “That’s what he tells me, too.”
“Bad morning is a sign of a good night. That’s what I always say!” Silas chimed in, overly chipper.
“That’s what you always say?” Eve asked smugly.
Silas smiled and tucked a piece of dark hair behind his ear.
Before a moment of silence could even briefly hang in the air, Eve reclaimed it. “Okay, but seriously, do I have to wear the life jacket?”
“Yes, you do. You both do! Follow me down toward the shed. Fresh air is going to be really nice for you especially, Hazel!”
Hazel pulled her feet under her again and followed Silas and Eve out the back door. They traversed the backyard and made their way to a path between two trees sloping down toward the lake. As soon as they passed by the two large trees, the full view of the sparkling lake emerged.
Hazel inhaled. She could feel her lingering nausea escaping her body, replaced by the crisp air. She felt a little tickle in her belly as she thought of getting out onto the water. Silas, Eve and Hazel all enjoying the great big lake and the great big sun together.
The ground leveled out into a small sandy beach. Timid waves from the lake washed up gently and rhythmically onto the sand. A long wooden dock stretched out over the lake, a big white boat bouncing on the side.
Eve’s face lit up and she leaped toward the dock swiftly, her long legs beginning a stride.
“Wait a minute, you!” Silas shouted.
Eve stopped in her tracks without even turning around.
Silas made his way to a rickety old shed set into the hill and emerged with two life jackets. They were faded from too many hours in the sun but did not seem like they had been used much. As Silas pulled the two life jackets apart, wisps of cobwebs clung delicately between them. Silas began slapping each jacket on the ground, his tanned and powerful arm in sharp juxtaposition to the dull and lifeless jackets. Flecks of dust formed a transitory opaque cloud around them.
“These look way worse than last time! I’m serious! I’m not putting that on,” Eve shrieked.
Without even lifting his head, Silas tossed one jacket each girl’s way. “Sure you are!” he said breezily, sarcasm dripping from every word.
Eve pinched the edge of the jacket between two fingers and held it away from her body. “It stinks!”
Hazel laughed and slipped hers on each shoulder, zipped it shut and clicked the buckle in place.
“As soon you’re ready, princess,” Silas urged, tapping his sandal into the ground.
Eve, in a dramatic and drawn-out performance, slipped one arm through the armhole and then the other, wincing a bit as each part of the jacket touched her bare skin. She pulled the zipper up, having to tug it with a bit of added force to get it over her breasts. Eve then snapped her legs together, stretched her arms out to the sides and took a bow.
“The princess is now ready,” she declared as she tipped her chin and nose into the sky.
Silas took her into a playful headlock and messed her hair with his palm.
He then released her from his hold. “You’re a pain in my butt. You really are. You know that, right? I know you know that.”