(6)

The next morning Jenice woke up earlier than ever.
“My, Jenice, you are early today.”, Alice said, “You’re even earlier than mom.”
“Have you checked the mailbox, already?”
“No, I haven’t. I am not that long downstairs yet.”
Jenice rushed to the mailbox before her sister even could finish her sentence. She took out a letter and hid it in the back of her bra.
Then she went inside and said excitedly: “We have a letter from Bright. Don’t read it without me! I am going to wash myself.”
Jenice ran upstairs and opened the secret letter. Her excitement died with every sentence she read, as John had turned her down. She went to the bathroom and put on the shower. She undressed and stepped in under the showerhead. The warm water on her skin was delightful, but she was depressed due to the news in the letter and cried under the stream of water so no one could hear her and see her cry.

“Let’s read John’s letter.”
“Yeah!”, said Jenice cheery, though she didn’t feel like that at all.
Together they read the letter and with each word the pain weighed more on Jenice. After they read the letter, Jenice grabbed a bag and told everyone that she was going out. Alice and her mother were worried as she didn’t even ate breakfast yet. In the meanwhile she began to walk faster and faster, until she was running, running to nowhere. She only stopped when she was out of breath, dead tired she sat down on the pavement. She breathed heavily and took out a bottle of water. First she drank from it, and then she poured a bit over herself.
“Jenice?”
She turned her head. It was John.
“I am sorry that I was so harsh on you yesterday.”
“Yesterday doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Is there something wrong?”
“You know what is wrong!”
“Are you talking about the reply?”
“Yes! The reply!”
“I can’t say yes when it is no, Jenice.”
“Do you already have a girlfriend?”
“Even more, I have a fiancé.”
“Who is she?”
“I’ll tell you when the time has come. In the meanwhile don’t cry too much over me. I am not worthy of you.”, he turned around and walked away to leave her be.
“Jerk!”, she yelled.
“So he has turned you down.”, said a familiar voice after John had left.
She looked up, it was Al. He had heard her yell and was in the neighbourhood, but waited to come out and talk or even comfort her if needed.
“Yep, he did.”
“You aren’t his type anyway.”
“How so?”
“You’re a tomboy. Your sister would be more his taste though.”
“Don’t make me paranoid.”
“You can only survive when you are paranoid.”
“Whatever.”
“Hey, you still got me.”, he put his arm around her, “I am your best friend and now we both suffer of a broken heart. He took out a bottle of alcohol. Let’s drink on the singleship!”
“That’s not even an existing word.”
“Singlehood?”
“Better.”
He opened the bottle and drank out of it. Then he passed it to Jenice. Both kept drinking like this passing the bottle to one another. After they emptied the bottle, they went to a store and bought more alcohol, a lot more. Then they went to a squat. There was a blue worn out couch, white-grey walls severely aged of being desolate, some lamps dangling from the ceiling and there was another lamp placed on a little cabinet. There were even a little more pieces of small furniture. As if the squat had been used as a hide-out before. They began to spray graffiti on the walls after placing a plastic blanket over the little furniture in the abandoned room, they knew it was probably someone's den from time to time, but still they continued. Then they sat down to open bottle after bottle. They sang as loud as they could or began to spray graffiti randomly instead of creating pictures. They spilled their drinks on each other and laughed with quite everything.
“Man… This was … a good idea!”, she exclaimed.
“Thanks!”
Al started to kiss Jenice.
“What … are you doing!”, she pushed him back.
“It’s just a kiss right?”
“Right.”, she lowered her arm and let Al kiss her, she even kissed him back, their breath smelly of the huge amount of alcohol they had drank. Eventually they got entangled in a passionate kiss. Their tongues intertwining while they began to fiddle with each other’s clothes and undressed the other. The alcohol gushing through their veins had made them shameless about touching. Al began to kiss her neck and she let him. He began to suck her neck while she just caressed his limbs. He began to kiss the tops of her breasts and took off her underwear in the meanwhile. Jenice liked this feeling so much, but she didn't comprehend why, she never felt such a rush before. He licked her nipples gently, while she just continued caressing him with hands and feet. She already had been blushing because of the alcohol but it felt like a colour was shooting into her cheeks as they tingled. He chuckled at her inexperienced reactions which were cute in his opinion. He slipped his hand between her legs and began to rub her in that spot. He then slipped a finger in between her labia and grinned. Jenice didn’t object, but just lay there enjoying what was over coming her, not really knowing how to answer his touches by touching back. He pulled his hand back licked his finger then he kissed her long while he slipped his penis into her. He began to make love to her, the sounds that escaped her lips turned him on even more, but he was gentle with her, knowing that she probably was still a virgin. She scratched his back and he had difficulty retracting his penis out of her before he would cum, but it would be bad to make his friend pregnant after taking her virginity.

Alice was worried about her sister. She hadn’t come back before dinner, which was rarely the case. “Maybe she was caught by the serial killer everyone was talking about?”, was her thought. Alice was dreadfully worried. Her mom wasn’t home, because she was working late again. She went outside and waited for John to come by. She was anxious. Eventually John came and she ran on the pavement.
“John! John!”
He rushed to her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Jenice hasn’t come home before dinner! She isn’t home now either! I am so worried, John, I don’t know what to do!”
“Don’t worry. She’s probably just sulking about her being turned down. She’s probably with Al now.”
“But what if the serial killer got her?”
“He won’t. I am sure of it.”
“I am still so worried.”
“I’ll stay here with you.”
Both waited outside the door for Jenice. After two hours of long waiting, they heard someone singing. They got up and tried to see who it was. Then they saw it was Jenice, who was drunk and wasn’t wearing her clothes properly as she should wear them. Jenice was waddling and staggering while she just kept on singing her tune, almost stumbling and tripping over her own feet.
“Why, Jenice, what have you been doing?!”, Alice exclaimed thunderstruck.
 John ran to Jenice and began to support her before she actually fell.
“I have been drinking with Al.”, she said with difficulty but proud.
Not much later she fell fast asleep and John had to pick her up.
“What on earth! How much did she have to drink?!”, said Alice in a panicked voice.
“Quite a lot, I don’t think she walked all the way. Someone must have brought her some distance with a car.”
Then Alice’s attention was drawn to something she very much disliked.
“She has blood on her pants!”, she panicked even more.
“Don’t worry. It’s maybe just her period.”, he answered casually.
“Ah, yes maybe. I’ll wash her up.”
“You do that.”
John put Jenice on the bathroom floor, shook his head and left them alone.
“What have you done to yourself?”, Alice asked, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. She prepared the bathtub, checked if the water was warm enough, undressed her sister and tried to put her in. She shouted for John’s help. And John lifted Jenice to put her in the bathtub. Alice began to wash her. She cried in the meantime because her sister was still unconscious. She finished and asked John to get her sister out of the tub. John picked her up and Alice took out a towel.
“Can you fetch some clothes for her?”
John nodded and left. When John was back with some clothes, she was ready to get dressed. Alice dressed her sister and John helped putting her in bed. They closed the door and left Jenice to sleep.
John placed himself almost immediately on the couch when they were downstairs and Alice went to sit beside him.
“What on earth has your sister done to herself?!”
“I wouldn’t know.”, she said calmly.
“Besides her having her period she could also have lost her virginity!”
“What?!”
“If she got raped, I’ll kill the bastard!”
“But what if she isn’t raped?”, Alice asked while her heart cringed.
“Then she needs a good talk! For doing something so stupid, just because I turned her down!”
Alice put her head in her hands and he swung his arm around her to pull her close. He kissed her head and stroked her hair, while she softly began to cry over the faith of her sister.

The next morning Alice found herself waking up in John’s arms on the couch. He was still asleep and both were fully dressed. This had put her at ease. She kissed his cheek and stood up. John awoke from the movement she had made.
“Go back to sleep.”, she whispered and kissed his forehead.
She went upstairs and washed herself. She had put on fresh clothes and went downstairs. John was sleeping again, which made her smile. She went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast for everyone. Alice heard her mother coming in. She rushed out of the kitchen and dragged her mother into it. She told her what happened yesterday late at night. After hearing the full story her mother wore a shocked expression and didn’t know what to say or do. Alice began to prepare the breakfast further. Her mom started to set the table. John woke up not long after these events and was waiting for breakfast at the table. In the meanwhile he began to talk with Alice’s mother. Alice went upstairs to wake up Jenice. When Alice entered the room, she saw that her sister was already up. She didn’t look too good. She was very pale and a purple colour surrounded the eyes. She looked sick, no doubt that she had to feel sick after what she did yesterday. She had a bucket next to her in which she had vomited. Jenice had an ache in her stomach too. Alice went downstairs and told her mom, who went upstairs right away to look after Jenice.

John went to a pharmacist and gave Jenice a pill with some water.
Jenice’s mom looked up: “Is that…? You are not giving her that, right?”
“I certainly am. I don’t trust it.”
The mother sighed not fighting John as she knew this could be required.

When noon came someone rang the doorbell. Alice opened the door to find Al in front of it.
“Hey, do you know where Jenice is?”
“She’s laying in her bed.”
“Yeah, I thought so.”
“Why?”
“We had a kind of drinking competition yesterday. I am not too good either, but for Jenice this was a first time I guess. So she probably must feel terrible.”
“Yeah, she does feel terrible.”
“Can I see her?”
“Of course, I’ll let you in.”
Alice led Al up the stairs and into Jenice’s room.
“Jenice there’s a visitor for you.”, she spoke softly.
Al entered the room and rushed at her bed.
“Thank you.”, he said to Alice and she closed the door, leaving them alone.

“Are you alright?”, he asked while stroking Jenice’s cheek.
“I don’t feel so good.”
“I can see that. I am so sorry for yesterday.”
“Don’t be.”
“Do you remember a lot?”
“Not really.”
“Have you forgotten that you … uhm … that you … lost your virginity?”, he stuttered.
“No.”
“Have they given you a certain pill?”
“John has given me one.”
“Good.”, Al went with his hands through her hair, “I am so sorry.”
“Don’t be, really. It was a fun day, although I don’t remember so much. But what I remember was a lot of fun, don’t worry.”
Al kissed her head while she was talking.
“I love you, Jenice. I am really sorry. I used your pain.”
“We both did, didn’t we?”
“I am really sorry.”, he laid his head on her belly, “And I really do love you.”
He began to cry softly. She patted his head and stroked his hair, waiting for him to cry less.
“I love you too.”, she whispered.
She didn’t know if she meant it or if she was just saying it because he told her he loved her, or maybe just saying it because he cried and she wanted to comfort him. She didn’t know and was still confused.

John had eavesdropped on  their conversation, when that seemed to be over he went down stairs. He let himself fall on the couch and put his head in his hands.
“This could not be happening.”, he thought, “Such good kids, but still messed up.”
 Alice took place besides him and pulled his arm away. She kissed his cheek. Alice’s mom entered the room at that time.
“Mother, we have something to say.”, she announced.
“Will I like it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You should take a seat though.”, said John.
“Don’t let it be any more bad news!”, she exclaimed.
“Mother, John and I are engaged for some days now.”
“Why haven’t you told me that you were together?!”
“I wanted to spare Jenice. We three were friends from childhood. I actually thought Jenice was in love with me too. Which she was, she had written me a love letter.”
“I thought it would just do more damage.”, Alice said shamefully.
“That’s why I think, that what she did to herself, was my fault.”, exclaimed John.
“Rubbish. She chose to drink. She chose to have sex! It isn’t your fault, dear. Don’t worry. When are you two getting married?”, her mother pried.
“When Alice is eighteen?”
“Good.”
“We would like to ask you, if you could keep it hidden for Jenice for a while.”, John said.
“She’s still in a shock. No need to add up to that.”, Alice said in worry.
“That’s true. I’ll try my best. But Alice, I thought you were always such an honest child?”
“I never lied, I just didn’t tell you.”
“Secrecy is a form of lying, my dear.”