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Before: The Bachelor Party


Ashley

Chris was a buzz about his bachelor party Thursday evening. It was all he would talk about. I was personally not having a huge party - I didn't have enough friends to really fill a party, other than Nick, who was going with Chris on his outing - so I had spent the day at a spa treating myself to all kinds of facials and massages. I came home relaxed and planning to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's and eat a box of chocolate covered strawberries, which I'd stopped and spent a grotesque amount of money on at the Godiva store on my way home from the spa. I'd been craving them all week.

"So where are you boys going again?" I asked, laying my favorite fuzzy blanket across the couch and putting my strawberries and a bottle of sparkling grape juice on the coffee table.

"To a fight," Chris replied. He grinned. "There's gonna be some ass kicking tonight."

I rolled my eyes, "What is it in boys that make them all so blood thirsty?"

Chris laughed.

I sat myself down on the couch and pulled my blanket around me. "When are you gonna be home?" I asked.

"I dunno, we're going to the bar, we're going to the fight, then we'll probably get some food or something."

"No strip clubs?" I asked.

"No strip clubs." Chris kissed my forehead.

The buzzer rang and Chris let some of his friends up and a few minutes later, more of them arrived, and soon the dining room behind me was buzzing with testosterone. I stayed out of sight, out of mind in the living room, until I heard Nick's voice.

"Where's Ashley at?" he asked.

I got up and wandered out. Nick was flanked by Howie and AJ. AJ was wearing a leather jacket and his shades and a durag. Howie had on a tank top so his biceps showed. The two of them looked like biker dudes. I raised an eyebrow. "What's with the get up?" I asked, waving at the two stooges.

AJ smacked his fist into his palm.

"Get up?" Howie looked down at himself, then over at AJ. "No get up."

"They're being ridiculous," Nick said, crossing the room. He pulled me into a hug.

I patted his back. "I hope you all have fun. And you--" I pointed at Nick, "Don't be late tomorrow to the vineyard, we've got a lot of last minute stuff to do. I know I've let you shirk off your maid of honor responsibilities lately but you're a big strong man and I'm a weakling so I need your help."

"I'll be there with bells on," he answered.

Chris grinned, "Okay fellas, let's get a move on." He swooped over, practically shoved Nick out of the way, and wrapped his arms around me, pressing his mouth onto mine and dipping me backwards into the kiss.

Nick walked away.

Chris rightened me, "I love you so much," he said. "To me... you are the world."

I felt my face flush.

"See you later, babe," he said, and he ushered the guys out of the apartment. Nick lingered by the door until he was the last one to go out before Chris, his eyes locked on me. I smiled at him, and he nodded, stepped outside, and Chris blew me a kiss. I waved.

Once the door was closed behind them, I went and started my movie and ate every last one of my strawberries.

By this point, I'd completely forgotten about the Walgreens bag in my suitcase.




Nick

I moved with the herd of guys down the hallway to the stairs. Out in the lot, Chris directed us all down the street to the bar. We headed in the doors and I felt AJ and Howie flank me again as we went inside.

"There's a lot of guys here," Howie commented.

"Don't pussyfoot on us now, Howard," AJ said. He cracked his knuckles.

"What is with you guys and these outfits?" I asked, "You both look ridiculous. And you look ridiculous and cold," I said, nodding at Howie's bare arms.

"Ain't you never seen The Outsiders?" AJ asked, "This is what you wear to a rumble!"

"It's not confirmed it's a rumble yet, asshole," I said.

The bar was warm inside and the game was on and Chris ordered drinks up all around. We gathered around a table and Chris made a point of sitting next to me at it, forcing Howie to sit a few seats away. "Let's get some hair on our chest," Chris shouted. He looked at me, "Are you up for it?" he asked.

No, I thought.

"Bring it, bitch," I said.

Chris grinned, "I was hoping you'd say that." He turned to the waitress that was at his elbow, "Bring me and this guy a tray of Four Horsemen."

AJ's eyes widened.

The waitress laughed, "You boys up for that challenge?"

Chris slapped me on the back, "We can take it, huh Carter?"

"Four Horsemen," I agreed.

AJ scrambled to get to my ear, "That shit's gonna lay you out."

"Chris can't hold liquor," I said.

AJ looked uneasy.

A few minutes later the waitress returned with pints all around, a Red Bull for AJ, and six of the Four Horsemen drinks. I'm not entirely positive which four of the Horsemen were in said drink (AJ told me later it was Tequila, Jager, Rumple Minze and Bacardi) but the glass smelled like a urinal in Amsterdam had been doused with kerosine. I picked up the glass.

Chris grinned at me, lifting his glass as well. "You sure you can handle this?" he asked.

"Can you?" I asked.

Chris quickly knocked the drink back.

I closed my eyes and copied him.

It tasted like straight up rubbing alcohol. I had all I could do not to choke to death as it seared its way down my throat. My stomach was probably going to eat its own lining in self defense, assuming this shit didn't burn a hole straight through it. I pictured like in Looney Tunes when the coyote or whatever gets a giant hole in them and the edges are all blackened and smokey. That's what my stomach felt like. Howie was drinking his ale, looking at me with concern. I could feel AJ's eyes on the back of my head.

I was dizzy already. It'd been almost a year since I drank. I mean one or two beers here and there, but nothing hard.

Chris picked up his glass. I reached for my second one, though with less enthusiasm than I'd grabbed the first one.

Chris grinned. "You okay, Carter? Or do ya wanna give up?"

"I'm just fine," I replied.

Chris knocked back the drink. So did I.

It was even worse the second time. It felt like fire. It felt like hell had unleashed itself in my mouth and everything connecting my brain to me was being severed by it. I closed my eyes as the burn hit my stomach. I slammed the glass onto the table, I could feel little tears thinking about coming out my eyes. I opened them. There twere two Chris's.

Fuck this shit was gonna roll me under the table.

I let out a groan.

Chris laughed, "Can't take it Nick? It's okay. Only real men can drink the Horsemen."

AJ nudged me. I turned and both AJs were nodding toward Chris's glass. It was only half empty. "That's still his first one," AJ intoned.

I felt like I was gonna throw up.

"Let's go outside a second," AJ said, jumping up and grabbing my arm.

"Yeah, c'mon Carter, some fresh air would do you some good." Chris stood up, pushing his sleeves up.

Howie rushed ahead and opened the door and I realized the guys were right. We were about to have a rumble. I don't think I ever had a rumble before, other than a couple times when we were kids where me and Ashley got in fights with other kids at school but Ashley had actually been stronger than me in school and I think most of those fights ended with her in detention and me getting atomic wedgies and swirlies.

I grabbed AJ's jacket as I stumbled. "Fuckkkk," I groaned.

AJ looked concerned.

"Man you don't gotta do this shit," Howie said quietly. "He's playing real dirty. He's got like fifteen guys here and you're drunker than a sailor."

"I'm not drunk," I mumbled. But I think I said it backwards. Like I was Yoda. Drunk, I'm not.

AJ whispered, "Dude, you can't fight like this."

"Can fight, I can," I said.

That time my words were just gibberish.

I stood up, letting go of AJ... or Howie... or one of them. I don't remember anymore who I was leaning on. I staggered back towards Chris, who was just emerging from the bar.

"Okay Nick, let's talk," Chris said, coming closer. "You're gonna back the fuck off. And after tomorrow, you aren't gonna see Ashley again. She's mine, I won her fair and square." He stopped a couple feet in front of me, "Do we have an understanding?"

I stared at him, my mind swimming.

"She doesn't love you, you're the consolation prize because she thought she couldn't have me," I slurred the words together, "But the second I tell her that I love her, she's gonna be mine... and I'm gonna take her home... and you're gonna be completely forgotten... like the pile of horse shit that you are."

"Okay," Chris laughed. "I see this needs a little bit more... discussion."

He took two quick steps towards me and I stumbled backward, and I brought my fist around and caught his jaw. He stepped back, then wound up and I only just saw his fist round-housing toward the side of my head before I blacked out.