Kevin O'Brien - One Last Scream

She headed into the kitchen and started hunting through the cupboards. “Don’t remind me. They just dropped me off. I told them I needed to get my allergy medication.”

“Allergy medication?” Collin repeated.

“Yeah. Good one, huh? Anyway, they’re coming back to pick me up in a half hour.” She started checking the lower cabinets. “Where the fuck are they hiding the booze nowadays?”

“To the left of the sink, where they’ve always kept it,” Collin replied, squinting at her. “Why are you acting so weird?”

She pulled a bottle of bourbon out of the cabinet. “Well, I’m not drunk, if that’s what you mean, little brother.” She took two highball glasses from the upper cupboard. “At least, I’m not drunk, yet. ”

Collin stared at her as she filled both glasses about halfway. He didn’t think his sister was drunk. She just wasn’t acting much like herself. Since when did she ever refer to him as little brother? He’d never seen Amelia wearing so much makeup in the middle of the day. She was acting like she did that time a few weeks back when she’d unexpectedly shown up at his school. He wondered if it was being away at college that had changed her. “What’s going on?” he asked. “What’s with the hotshot act?”

She handed him a glass. “You’re the hotshot, all alone for the weekend. If you plan to get shitfaced, I want to see it.” She clinked her glass against his. “C’mon, chug it.”

“Are you nuts? I’m not getting drunk with you.”

“Oh, c’mon, don’t be such a pussy. Have some fun.”

Collin shook his head and put down the half-full glass. “I’m not sure this is such a great idea, Amelia. You know you shouldn’t…”

She frowned at him. “You know, you can be a real asshole sometimes.”

He looked at her, incredulous. “What?”

“You heard me,” she muttered, plopping down at the breakfast table. “When’s the last time we saw each other?”

“Three weeks ago, when you came home for the weekend,” he replied, folding his arms. “And before that it was the time you dropped by my school in the middle of the day. Of course, later, you didn’t remember that, so maybe it doesn’t count.”

Apparently, it had been one of her episodes with lost time . He wondered if later she’d have any memory of this afternoon. She sure was acting bizarre.

“Three weeks we haven’t seen each other,” she said. “I come by to say hello, and what do I get?” She made a face and dropped her voice an octave to sound like a surly Neanderthal. “‘What are you doing here?’ Real sweet, Collin. Thanks a lot. How do you think that makes me feel?”

Collin sighed. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It’s bad enough everyone considers me the family fuckup, and you-you pee perfume. Of course, I’m not even really part of this family, being adopted and all.”

“Oh, c’mon, Amelia,” he said, sitting down at the table with her. “That’s bullshit. Why do you even say stuff like that?”

“You’re always so disgustingly good,” she sneered. “With Mom and Dad gone for the weekend, I figured you’d finally let loose a little, maybe get drunk or high or something. And I just wanted to be here to see it. Plus to be perfectly honest, I could really use a drink. Sorry if that offends you. But you’re making me feel like shit. Are you too fucking good to have a couple of shots with me?”

“All right, okay, fine. I’ll have a drink. Jeesh!” He got up from the table and retrieved the highball glass. He quickly tipped it back and took a swallow. It burned. Unlike most of his friends, he really wasn’t much of a drinker. Since his sister had a problem with alcohol, he’d purposely avoided it.

She broke into applause. “Way to go! Finish it!”

His throat was still on fire, but Collin forced down the rest of the glass. He gasped for air. The strong, medicine-like taste was still in his mouth. “Okay?” he asked. “God, Amelia, I don’t know how you can stand to drink this stuff.”

“I’m so proud of you,” she said, laughing. “You’re gonna feel fantastic in a few minutes.”

Collin numbly stared at her. When she laughed, she didn’t sound like herself. Or maybe he was drunk already? It couldn’t happen that fast, could it?

“I’ll make a deal with you.” With a sly grin, she nodded at her glass. “I won’t have this if you drink it for me.”

“No way!” he protested. “Give me a break.”

“Why not? C’mon, it’ll be fun. You can be the drunken screwup for a change, and I’ll be the perfect child and stay on the wagon. It’s role reversal. You’re not driving anyplace. Go for it. You’ll be doing us both some good.”

Collin was shaking his head.

“What can happen? At the very worst, you’ll get hammered. You were gonna do that later tonight, anyway. Right?”

“Okay, okay,” he said, feeling a little funny as he walked to the breakfast table. Collin picked up her glass, and guzzled down the bourbon in two gulps. He coughed and his eyes watered up.

She applauded again. “That’s just like you-rescuing me from myself. You took a bullet for me, little brother.”

He sank down on the chair beside her and caught his breath. There she went again with that little brother bit. Maybe it was something she’d picked up at school. Why was it so important that she see him get drunk?

He started to laugh. “You’re acting so completely weird today,” he said, grinning wildly. “I swear to God, it’s like I don’t even know you, big sister . I mean, you’ve always been weird, and I’ve always loved you for it, Amelia. But this-today-is a whole different type of weird. Ha! Or maybe it’s me. Am I shitfaced already?” He snickered again, and realized he must indeed be drunk, because he couldn’t stop babbling.

Collin reminisced out loud about the times Amelia had raised hell growing up, all the trouble she’d gotten into. He talked about how she’d driven their parents crazy, and he imitated their dad when he went ballistic over something she’d done: “‘Ye Gods, what’s wrong with her?’ Ha! When Dad starts in with the Ye Gods, then watch out, we’re all in trouble!” Collin couldn’t stop laughing.

But then he took a moment to look at her, and Collin realized she hadn’t laughed once. She just sat there with a cryptic smile on her face.

“I’m sorry, Amelia,” he muttered. “You-you know I love you. I do. It’s just that, Ye Gods , I think I’m drunk!” He chuckled again.

“We need to get you some fresh air.” She stood, and then helped him to his feet. “This might not have been such a terrific idea. I don’t want you sick. C’mon, little brother….”

Collin felt a bit woozy, but he could certainly walk on his own. He didn’t need her helping him. As they moved into the den, he stole a look at the sofa, where, for the moment, the throw pillow covered up those porn DVDs.

She went to the sliding glass door, and opened the curtain. She struggled to move the door until she finally seemed to notice the stubby, thick beam of wood braced on the floor, tracking for extra insurance against break-ins. Funny, she seemed to have completely forgotten it was there. She moved the beam aside, then slid open the door. “There now,” she said. “Why don’t we sit down on the couch, watch some TV-”

“No, no, no,” he protested, shaking his head. All Collin could think about was his sister switching on the TV and discovering Whore of the Worlds there. “Let’s go outside, down to the dock. You’re right, I need some air. C’mon…”

Leading the way, Collin staggered down the slight slope in their backyard toward the dock, and he realized he was truly drunk.