"You guys won a couple contest to San Francisco?! CONGRATULATIONS!" My mom was bobbing up and down in her seat shrieking in excitement like she had won a contest. And truth be told, I actually wasn't that embarrassed like I usually was. I was either really excited for this trip because for once, I had actually won something, rather than piano contests, spelling bees or singing contests-- or it was my mom's contagious bubbly vibe rubbing off on me.
"We should celebrate! You guys are old enough for beer right?"
Ivan shook his head in disbelief at the fact that my mom was offering us beer.
"What, you kids don't want any?" Maybe my mom was getting a little too far in this, but still, I cracked open the can of beer she offered to us and poured the yellow fluid into the glass goblets she had laid down on the table.
"When are you guys going?" After the crowd had slowly dispersed at the mall, the host and some staff members took us behind the curtains and handed us airplane tickets.
"You kids don't have school on this week so it should work for you guys." The host patted us on our backs and then we left.
"Oh, March 23 and 24? Okay, that works. I'll be there for your departure and your arrival! And maybe your dad would be home on time to also pick you guys up."
"Oh, your dad's still in Egypt?" I nodded. My dad was an archeologist and was always out and about, coming home from a month's stay in Mexico and after a week, hops back onto the plane to Peru for another month. I've been contacting him via e-mail, but lately, he haven't had the time to reply, and it's been two weeks. My mom constantly calls him every night. Sometimes, she would put me on the phone to talk to him but our conversations were always short, and contained questions like, how was school? How's your mom? And a brief promise of doing something with the family that was always broken. Before, I would've been so upset over this, but I've gotten so used to it that it was much of a habit for me. Whenever he arrived from wherever he was the past month, I would treat it as a visit from Grandad and Grandma, who lived a town over from us.
I took a long sip of the beer, letting it dry on my throat. It tasted bitter, and absolutely terrible, and the stench? Unbearable. But after a few sips, I started liking it. The aftertaste still stinged a little but after we were finished about three cans of beer, I laid back on the couch feeling groggy. Was I drunk, I wondered. My mom had stopped drinking after half a can and Ivan was finishing that for her. Ivan's face was bright red after he finished.
"Hey," he burped.
"Hi," I smiled at him. There was a funny feeling in my stomach, but then again, that could've been the alcohol.
Ivan then leaned in forward. He smelled strongly of beer, as I was. After he pressed his lips to mine, I realized that we were drunk. I wanted to cry out, "MOM! You're so immature and irresponsible, letting us drink like this! But then again, I think she had mentioned for us to only drink two cans of beer before she had left to refill her car with gas. I think it was Ivan that had reached for the third or fourth can. Then... everything blurred out faintly.
~~
"Hey there. Are you finished packing yet sweetheart?" It was ten o'clock at night and I was only half-way through packing because truthfully, I couldn't stop thinking about it. About what had happened exactly four nights ago: Ivan had kissed me while we were drunk. I knew that he was drunk and didn't have any control over what was happening but, seriously, how come I only remembered it? I only hoped that I was the only one who remembered it. I mean, Ivan called a few nights ago, already hyped up for the trip. He hadn't mentioned a thing about what happened after we won the competition so I was pretty sure everything had blurred out for him.
When my mom had arrived home that night finding her daughter and her classmate on the couch dead out, she screamed. Literally. I think the house windows could've shattered. I woke up with a hangover, due to the enormous sound waves my mother's lungs made. At this age, I thought she already had coughed up her lungs but the vibrato proved my theory wrong.
And the most dreadful part was the constant apologies.
"Oh my goodness, I cannot detail how sorry I am for leaving you kids home alone with a pack of beer. God, I was such a fool. This is horrendous. Why did I do such a thing? Please don't tell your mother about this. We really need her for the Gardening Club, and if she quits... I don't know what I'll do..."
I probably had gotten up to walk away but the intense stare on Ivan's face made me do otherwise.
The next morning after, I trotted off to school, my mind numbing with the recent events and experiences that had unfolded. Man, I had a headache for two days straight. Unbelievable. And even a break out. My acne medication wasn't doing its job and some Advil and water didn't help my headache. Now it was day four after the incident. I wonder how I was going to fare. Maybe I should speak to him... But what could I say...? 'Hey Ivan. Remember that night when you came over my house and we got drunk? Well, while you were drunk, you kissed me without knowing it, and only I remembered it.' I could already imagine Ivan's face after I say this to him. He'll probably say that I was hallucinating. And---
"Honey, why are you dumping all your underwear into the suitcase? I don't think you'll need thirty pairs on a two night stay in San Francisco."
"Oh... Right, of course." I flashed back to reality. I blushed and started piling back my under garments into the drawer.  
"Darling, are you okay? You've been sort of out of it after the incident on that night... Did something happen? Because I'll take full responsibility--"
"NO! Mom, it's okay," I interrupted.
"All right..." She responded warily. "But if you need to talk to me about something, you know that I'm always here." And then she gave me a kiss on the cheek and left my bedroom, leaving me with some solitude and havoc wrecking upon my mind.

-- It's been a while hasn't it? DX I think this is becoming more of monthly thing. I'll probably finish this story up by summer. Thanks to those who've been keeping up with my story though! --