My Best Friend

The art of lying is not about body language or which words you use. It’s about believing. To be a good liar one has to repeat the lie over and over until it becomes a fact. So when Katherine wrapped her arms around my neck and confessed that she was very glad about me finally accepting her as a friend, I just hugged her back. I am her friend. 

“I have to tell you something,” Katherine said taking a step back and looking straight into my eyes. “I’ve always admired you. You are the coolest and most amazing girl in our class. I wish I could be more like you.”

“That’s so nice of you to say.” I ran my fingers through her golden hair, caressing her locks. “I should have talked to you before.”

Truth is I didn’t even know why I didn’t like her. I just knew I didn’t. So there’s no problem with these events. A young mind does what it wants and sees no consequences ahead of it. 

I held the door for her to enter the mediocre beach house that belonged to Zac’s uncle and was lent to us on the first warm weekend of the year. We should all be thankful after all there aren’t many places broke college students can go for a fun trip. And we were very thankful. Even though there was only one dirty bathroom and heavy dust everywhere. 

Katherine joyfully greeted Zac, who was at 1 PM already falling of drunkenness, and Matt, who had found a quiet corner of the living room sofa to sit, spending a long while pretending to watch the old television.

“Let’s do shots.” Zac raised his arms in an attempt to cheer his best friend. “Matt, dude, you need a drink.”

“Yes,” Katherine agreed with a soft smile. “Let’s do shots.”

“I’ll get them,” I said already making my way into the kitchen. 

The four square meters ambient was calescent and, at that time of the day, bright enough for me to need a minute to allow my eyes to adjust to the clarity. I carefully took a bottle of vodka and poured two shots of the drink, putting the bottle back in its place among the other alcoholic drinks and slowly opening the faucet to fill the other two shot glasses. It’s two shots of vodka and two of water. 

I entered the living room and instantly placed the vodka shots in Katherine’s and Zac’s hands, saving the ones with water for me and Matt, who gave me a subtle look, asking if he should swallow the contents of the glass. I gave a singles nod.

“Cheers!” Zac raised his glass and drank.

“Cheers!” We all chanted together. 

The water slid down my throat and I thought how it could be a little bit more to help with the heat, but, as Zac stood up and called for another round, I realized that there was still a lot of water to drink.

At a certain moment, my eyes were drawn to the window and I realized that night had arrived without me even noticing it, which explained the difficulty I was having to see my friend’s faces. I rose and turned on the lights, allowing the initiation of the electrical noise that came from the lonely yellow light bulb on the ceiling and was impossible to go unnoticed. I came to the conclusion that this was not a nice and warm house.

“Gert us more drinks, Letha.” Zac showed me his empty cup and faked some puppies’ eyes. “Please.”

“Can you come with me, Katie?” I turned to Katherine.

“Of course.” She quickly rose, being prevented from hitting the floor by Zac. “Oh my God! Thanks.”

I turned on the kitchen lights and rapidly poured the water in the same two cups before Katherine could enter the kitchen. Judging by the amount of alcohol consumed by her in the last eight hours, I knew I could be lazy, but, as I took another bottle of vodka, I realized there was no reason to be. Even though she was drunk and wouldn’t notice, I still placed my cup next to the mouth of the bottle as if the minute she walked through the door was the moment I finished to pour myself a drink.

“I am so drunk,” she slurped as she hugged me from behind, allowing me to smell the vodka in her breath. “How are you still walking? You drank as much as me.”

“I am strong for booze.” I finished pouring the drinks and turned around, looking straight into her blue eyes. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” she exclaimed. “Anything you want.”

“What do you think about Zac?” I raised my left brow.

“He is cool.” Katherine looks at the floor and places a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “He is really cute.”

“I noticed the way he was looking at you.” I lick my lips. “He is definitely into you.”

“No.” She bowed her head so down I almost couldn’t notice the redness in her cheeks. “He is not interested in me, he was probably just looking at you.”

“I know for a fact he wants you. He told me himself.”

“Really?”

Katherine turned to the kitchen door and froze. Mixed expressions ran through her face as she dealt with this new information. I wondered if there was a dreadful sensation anywhere inside her that told her not to believe me. I guess this whole sixth sense story is nothing but another thing people just believe in.

“Go talk to him,” I said handing her the two cups with alcohol.

“Ok.” Katherine takes the cups and runs to the door. “Wish me luck.” 

I turned around and placed my hands on the kitchen sink, focusing on the sensation of the cold wet metal on my skin. The nightfall brought relief from the hotness, at this hour the ambient was slightly pleasant. I showed a small smile. Everything was going as planned.

I heard draggy footsteps and looked to my side to find Matt leaning on the fridge. His normally calm semblance was contorted, drawing attention to his darting eyes and the drops of sweat running down his forehead. 

“Do you think it’s working?” Matt’s chest moved up and down hastily.

“Yes.”

He bit his lower lip.

“Do you think⏤”

“No.”

“But what if she⏤”

“That’s not going to happen.” I looked him in the eyes and placed my right hand on his chest. “Don’t worry, I will take care of everything.”

I took a few steps and stood next to the kitchen door, looking inside the living room and attracting the attention of Zac and Katherine, who were close to making out on the couch.

“Sorry,” I said biting my lip. “Katie, can I talk to you real fast?”

She came to me quickly, even though, on her expression, I could notice the eagerness to kiss Zac.

“Zac and I are going to take a walk on the beach.” I held her hand and showed her some kind eyes. “Please, don’t drink anymore. I’m only asking for your own good.”

Katherine elevated her eyebrows, her eyes becoming widen for a while. “Oh, yes, of course.” A delicate smile appeared on her mouth. “I promise I won’t drink anymore.”

I turned around and Katherine went back to the living room. Once I saw she was gone, I opened the cabinet under the kitchen sink and pulled out the tiny plastic bag I had previously put there, pouring the white powder inside the last alcohol bottle we had in the house. Whiskey. I put the bottle back in its place and left the house with Matt by my side.

We silently walked on the beach for hours until we finally stopped and sat on the sand to smoke a quick cigarette. On the way back to the house, the dark road was filled with glowing blue lights. Matt and I looked at each other, dread running through our eyes. Things had just gotten serious. 

We ran the last few meters to reach a house brimming with ambulance and police officers that, as we quickly found out, were there to take Zac’s body way. 

“Alcohol poison,” the police officer told me once I asked what had happened. “At least that is the diagnosis the doctors gave. There will be an autopsy at the hospital morgue.”

“Oh my God! I can believe this is happening,” I said trying to hold my tears. My throat became dry and I moved my mouth in hopes of creating saliva. “I shouldn’t have let him drink so much.”

“Letha.” Katherine’s voice penetrated the mess as she ran to my side, hugging me tightly while her tears wet my new blouse. “This is all my fault. When I stopped drinking I should have told him to stop too, but I just thought that he would like me better drunk. He is dead because of me.”

“It’s not your fault, Katie.” Tears fell from my eyes and my body shook. “This was his choice.”

Katherine took a step back and looked straight into my eyes. “You are my best friend.”

I showed a smile and caressed her arms, comforting her. “You are my best friend too.”