We all rushed out of the car to help Sabiha. She had puked in the flower pot beside which she was sitting. She was surrounded by a stench of her own puke. I got nauseated at the sight but helped her into the car. I tried to squeeze a lemon in her mouth but she felt the need to puke again. We gave her a bag but it was a false call. It was 12:03 am and I was positive that the city hospital would be open. I asked Sam to drive us as soon as possible. Sabiha wasn't in her senses but she mumbled to take her home instead of a hospital. We all were confused but Stephanie asked Sam to take us home. "Stef, she puked her guts out. She must have had food poisoning. Don't you think taking her to the hospital would be a better option than taking her home?" "I know her for quite a long time now. I know why she is puking.” she said as he held Sabiha's head in her lap caressing her. I was shocked. 'Was this a normal occurrence?’ I thought. I held all the questions till we reached our apartment.
We settled Sabiha in her room as we all gathered in the living room for a "meeting". Such meetings were more fun later when we were close to each other.
Stephanie came out of Sabiha's room after giving her a sedative. Sabiha needed a sedative every night because of her drug addiction. "Well she is fine now. She had alcohol with one of her friends at work and then while she was coming back home, she smoked some grass. This is her routine to get drunk and then do drugs. Sam and I have always be pushing her to quit drugs but seems like it is impossible now.", she said as she sat on the bean bag next to Samantha. Sam was sitting on the couch which faced the television set. And I was standing near the window wondering why a girl like Sabiha would take drugs in the first place. I turned around to the rest of the group and said, "We can stop her from taking drugs. All we need to do is not let her feel that she is lonely. We all have to shower her with love and affection." I turned to Steffani and said, "Do you remember Imran? He was an addict too but his friends helped him get over his habits."
Imran was one of our school friends who had taken drinking after his girlfriend dumped him. But his friends were very supportive and they killed his drinking habits.
"Seems like, you don't know the whole story", she said. "What is the whole story?", I was confused. "Later they set him up with another girl and when she dumped him he started with drugs. Chemical drugs, to be more specific. These days he is in a rehab in UK." I was stoned to hear it. Imran was kind of my close friend in school but after school we just met at the reunion party. At that time he sounded quite normal so I didn't asked him about his past.
"So, what? That was not my point. I meant to bring up the point that love and affection can bring our friend back to normal life." I saw Sam laughing. "Don't dare to think that I'm a fool." He suddenly stopped laughing and got serious. "What do you think Sammy? Am I wrong? Don't you think that love is what we all need to forget that the life around us is bullshit!” I asked my baby sister. I knew she was a sensible human, I can always trust when the world turned against me. She nodded and said, "Bro, it's possible that she is longing for love but are you 100% sure that it is possible for us to change her?" "Of course, Sammy.” I smiled as I knew I was taking over the group with my ideas. "I'm sorry to think you as a fool", said Sam as he wrapped his hand on my shoulder, getting up from his spot. "I will support you and is ready to do anything for Sabiha." We all turned to him. Was he really gay or was he turning bisexual? I looked at Steffani and then at Samantha. Samantha shrugged her shoulders and twisted her hands dramatically suggesting that she had no idea what was going with Sam. We usually had telepathic conversation when we wanted to talk to each other regarding a third person in his/her presence. I thought it was because we shared the same womb.
"What?", said Sam, "can't a friend care for another friend? You guys are pathetic.", and he went to his room. Stephanie got up from the bean bag which now had her butt prints. "Okay peeps, I'm off to bed. Sammy would you like to join me in bed?" "Of course", said Samantha and hugged Stephanie with a smile. I cleared my throat, "Seems like the homosexual fever is spreading across the apartment like wild fire." Even if I said it; I was okay with Samantha being in a physical relationship with my best friend, which was in this case, a girl. Stephanie turned to me dramatically and posed beside me, putting her elbow on my shoulder, "Oh honey, I would like to eat you raw, right here right now and make wild sex with you but as you brought up the topic of homosexuality in the apartment, I'd like to tell you that you will be sharing bed with Sam." Then she ran her index finger on my neck going down on my chest. I got chills as she did it. Samantha pulled her away from me and took her to her room and bolted the door behind them.
Damn, I was in middle of the night with my body charged with excitation. I remembered that I had a girlfriend too. And I had forgotten her for the past 48 hours. Thanks to my parents and my new room mates' problems. I thought of calling her but I sent a text to her. 'hey sweetie, m missin u.reply me if u r awake'. I thought she would be awake at that hour as she was a nocturnal animal like me. I got her text reply within a couple of minutes,'I ws worid abt u.r u fine?' I was bored of texting her back. I wanted to hear her voice. So I texted her again for taking permission to call, 'is it 5n 2 cal u nw?' As soon as she replied positively, I was on call with her. "Baby, I missed you much.” I talked in a kiddish voice. "Yech baby, I was miching you too. I was worried about you. Ale you okay?" When one would start something the other piled on. She talked in kiddie tone too. So to change the mood, I started to tell her about the events that happened in the last 48 hours. I was not able to tell her that I was staying with Steffani because of her own "weird" reasons. So I told her that I was staying with Sam, my college friend. And as soon as told her that he was gay, she had an obnoxious feeling for Sam as well. "Baby, stay away from Sam. He might turn you gay as well. You never know when you will be gay." I was dumb stuck by the way she thought. 'If this was possible', I thought 'I should change Sam and make him straight'. I wished I could. At least for Sabiha.
We talked for nearly half an hour about the topics that meant nothing at all. I was getting turned on with her husked voice. She was almost whispering in my ears and I was able to feel her warm breathe on my ear lobe. I started talking nasty to her and she was like, "Don't make me wet at this hour. I’m sleeping beside my mom." I was so turned on by her comment that I started feeling myself. "Don't blame me, if I started feeling myself in front of you.” I was startled as I turned around to see Sam standing right behind me. "How long have you been here?” I asked him as I adjusted my briefs. "Since your maple syrup fantasy." He stormed in his room laughing as I was embarrassed in front of my girl friend. "I think we should sleep now", I husked in the mouth piece. I found her giggling on the other side of the phone. I was so embarrassed that I disconnected the call and switched my phone off.
I was to share my bed with Sam but I was so embarrassed to go to his room. I thought of thousand things he might say to me but the worst was that he might be feeling himself naked. Yukes! The thought made me sick. Without another thought, I switched off the lights and went to Sabiha's room.
I had never been to her room before. It was messy! Her clothes lied on the floor. Her office sheets and laptop were in the pile of clothes which I supposed were going for the laundry. Her lingerie hung all over the place. She was one disorganized kid. I thought of cleaning the mess for a second but it would have taken me at least a week to make it look like a room.
Without hesitation, I went near her and asked her whether I could sleep with her tonight to which she nodded affirmatively and opened her arms for me with her eyes still closed. I was sure that she didn't know it was me. But I was too embarrassed to sleep with Sam for the night. I quickly jumped on her bed and then into her blanket as the AC was chilling the room too much. She hugged me from behind. I didn't mind as it felt good for a change.
I was woken by Samantha at 7 am. "What?” I grunted with sleepy eyes. I heard a soft sobbing. I crossed my finger that the sob shouldn't be my girlfriend's. I opened my eyes to see Sabiha sob on the bed beside me. I stretched out and saw that Sam and Stephanie were in the room too. I opened my eyes wide open. "What's up guys?” I said as I reclined on the bed and closed my eyes unknowingly. "Do you think this is fair on your part Shawn?” Stephanie's voice was like a morning alarm which I was not able to snooze. I opened my eyes and yawned. "What's the matter? I didn't felt like sleeping with Sam last night for some reason." "Because he caught you feeling yourself on the couch?" asked Samantha. Now, I was wide awake. They all knew about it. "So?” I asked. "So", Stephanie continued "you were frustrated at Sam and you came here to spend your night." "Exactly", I said cutting her. "Do you think we are fools?” Samantha asked "This thing should be told to Celina. She trusts you blindly and you stab her behind her back." "Time out, time out, time out guys. I just came here to sleep. I didn't do anything to her.", I turned to Sabiha, "Why don't you tell them, Sabby?" She showed me the sheet with blood stains. I was not able to believe my eyes. "Were you a virgin?” I asked Sabiha as Samantha slapped me. "I'm serious; I didn't do anything to her." Sabiha started crying loudly. I didn't know how to react. I went out of her room and straight to the bathroom. I undressed and started the shower. I was pretty sure I can never cheat on my girl friend and I would never do anything to hurt my friends either. I was done within 15 minutes. As I opened the door, everyone was standing, waiting for me.
I opened my mouth to speak but Samantha started crying. I took her in my arms to console but she was inconsolable. I gestured to Stephanie as to what had happened to my baby sis to cry? “I’m sorry, Shawn” said Samantha. “I thought you were being a jerk and had a free pass with Sabiha.” She sobbed for a little longer when she continued to speak, “Sabiha was pulling a prank on all of us with the tomato ketchup.” I heaved a sigh of relief. “There’s nothing to cry about baby”, I patted Samantha.
I was happy to know that I didn’t cheat on my girlfriend but I was furious on Sabiha to pull such a bad prank on me.
Finally after consoling Samantha, I went to Sabiha’s room. It was still messy as it was the night before. She was reading “The Alchemist”. She bookmarked the page she was reading and sat straight on her bed. She gestured me to sit beside her. I sat down hesitantly. I wasn’t angry with her any more because of her cute puppy face and those big brown eyes.
“I’m sorry Shawn. I was a jerk to cross the line. I know you’re hurt and will never forgive me for my prank but I had no intention to hurt you or to make you uncomfortable in front of our friends.” I was staring at her lips rather than listening to what she was talking about. I was highly infatuated to her lips. I wanted to kiss them. I forgot that I had a girlfriend. I leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek. “We’re fine, Sabby.” “I’m so happy that you forgave me.” She hugged me and as she was going to kiss my cheek, I turned and our lips met. She was longing for this. I could feel her hunger from the way her lips reciprocated. I was suddenly brought to my senses with a vibration in my pocket. It was my phone and Celina was calling me. I jumped out of the bed and stormed out of Sabiha’s room. I was ashamed and flustered by my act. I walked out of our apartment and took the call.
“Hey baby. How are you?”, were her words. “Baby, will you be mad if I said you something?” “No baby, what is it?” she asked. “As you know, last night Sam caught me while we were chatting.” She giggled and said, “When you were feeling yourself.” I managed a brief smile, “Yes. And after that thing, I was so embarrassed to sleep next to him that I went to Sabiha’s room to spend the night.” “You went to? WHERE?” She was aghast to learn that I spent a night with a girl next to me in bed. “With Sabiha, baby. Not a big deal though.” “It might not be a big deal to you but it is to me. You never think of me when you do such things. I’m your girlfriend for Pete’s sake. How can you cheat on me?” “I didn’t cheat on you.” Then I remembered the long lingering kiss I just had with Sabiha. Oh hell, I did cheat on you. “You did Shawn. You know what; you will never get a girl like me who is so committed to you that doesn’t even look at boys so that they don’t get a wrong impression of her. But you just sleep around with random bitches.” “We just slept next to each other, baby. We didn’t do anything.” “BABY? Huh, don’t call me that. You don’t deserve me. I’m hurt Shawn. You broke my heart. You showed me that you were and still are a fuckin' Casanova.” “No, I’m not. And if you don’t want to believe me, that’s fine ‘cause god knows that I’m telling you the truth.” “The hell with your truth. Please don’t talk to me until I talk to you.” And she banged the receiver on her telephone unit so hard that the vibration made me deaf.
I was confused as well as angry. If sleeping next to a girl makes such a big deal for my girlfriend, how the hell would she react if I told her that I kissed another girl and the girl is the same with whom I spent the last night in her bed with her spooning me? I stormed out of the house and brought a cigarette and started to take long drags. I was not an occasional smoker but smoked till I choked if I had problems with my life.
