It's crazy what you'll do for a friend

Rachel sat on the shabby couch located in the distant, hidden corner of the living room of the apartment while the party kept going, her legs carelessly spread open and a half empty bottle of Bacardi rum still in her hand; she was not having it anymore.

Her eyes were unfocused and her vision blurry, her lipstick all smeared and hair a complete mess.

She felt dizzy, nauseous, a constant feeling of emptiness and void inside her chest.

Her and Sarah didn't know where else to spend their Friday night together, so eventually they ended up agreeing to join an old friend to a cheap party hosted at his house instead. It was weak, to say the least, Rachel didn't even know the dude…or maybe she just couldn't remember him.

Some random football bro from high school? A guy met at the gas station? One of their old adventure mates? Or perhaps an old tinder date of Sarah's?

Point is, the party sucked ass; the company was lame, the food was scarce, the alcohol was cheap and the music was too weak for her hardcore taste too.

She ungracefully spat on the floor before loudly snorting up at the lump in her throat and then wiping her lips with the back of her arm, a casual gesture she always did with a complete lack of charm and composure. Who gave a shit anyways? It's not like this was her house or anything, she was allowed to spit wherever she wanted to!

« Hey there! » a broad guy in basketball shorts confidently smiled as he suddenly approached her and then casually sat next to her on the couch, « Haven't seen you around before, you're a friend of Max? ».

She completely ignored the dude, eyes wandering around the living room to avoid his stare. She started looking for her friend Sarah instead, maybe with the hope of spotting her and finally having an excuse to leave.

« You seem like a girl who likes to party! I'm James by the way, what's your name, luv? » the dude in question went on, slowly scooping closer and closer to her.

« Rachel » she mumbled quick and annoyed while she casually scratched her stomach, sniffing loudly before bringing the bottle back to her lips and gulping down another mouthful of straight rum. The guy wouldn't stop staring at her but that didn't stop her from still minding her own business and drinking unbothered. She then proceeded to burp and wipe her mouth with the back of her arm like usual once she finished, bottle still tight in her grip almost like she was afraid that guy could steal it from her at any second.

The room around her seemed to have slowly begun to spin after that last chug, her eyebrows furrowing and eyes squinting as she tried to adjust her vision to the surroundings. God, her head hurt like a motherfucker, and to top it all off she then realized shortly after that the dude sitting next to her was still talking to her too.

« -Y'know I'm actually a small entrepreneur, my dad owns a big marketing company, that's why I'm currently taking courses online to learn how to turn profit into digital value » he went on rambling into her ear.Rachel growled, she didn't have the right physical and mental stability for that shit, especially not now that she was separated from Sarah.

And speaking of her, the blonde widened her eyes and grunted once she finally spotted her between the crowd, the strobe lights in the living room almost making her glow among all the other guests.

She looked spectacular that night.

She had a pretty pink tight dress on, the same one that she wore at her sister's wedding. She didn't wear that dress often if not for special events, tonight must've probably been the right occasion for her to finally pull some dudes. And judging by the looks around her, she definitely was catching the attention of a few guys, especially a particularly athletic one that was currently talking to her. The man in question was rather tall and sturdy, with a red shirt on and a vaping pen in his hand. 

Rachel silently watched their interaction from afar, Sarah shyly tucking a chunk of hair behind her ear while her smile grew soft for something he said to her; God, how she hated it when she did that.

She always fluttered her eyelashes and made doe-eyes at whoever gave her even the smallest bit of attention, and as a result of that she would always end up sad and heartbroken. Poor naive and innocent Sarah, trusting every single man who would promise her the world and then dump her right the next second.

Rachel kinda wished she was a tougher woman when it came to relationships, more confident…perhaps a girl who really knew her value and actually knew how to earn respect from the people around her.

But then again…Sarah's devoted generosity, kindness and tenderness were the main qualities that always made her so unbelievably attractive and lovable to her. Maybe Sarah was simply meant to stay pure and kind hearted, maybe this was just what made her so interesting and intriguing for all the other men around her too.

Rachel kept staring as the dude laughed about something he said before slowly getting closer and then proceeding to put a hand on her shoulder. Sarah giggled but her eyes pointed down for a bit, avoiding his stare. Rachel chewed at her lower lip while she watched the following scene unfold: the guy suddenly wrapped an arm around her smaller back now, pulling her closer, Sarah panicked and instantly tried to step back in return. 

But it seemed to be too late for her.

The guy leaned forward for a kiss so Sarah quickly dodged the invite by shyly wincing her face away, tiny hands now timidly coming up to press over his chest to slowly push him away.

But the guy didn't seem to take that rejection well.

Rachel's brows instantly furrowed and her pointy teeth bared into a snarl as soon as she saw the man now bursting with rage and beginning to yell at her best friend among the crowd, Sarah lowering her head and clutching onto her own arms in shame and fear, her body language screaming for help.

That's it. Rachel had enough of that shit show.

The blonde pulled herself off the couch on shaky legs, almost losing her balance before luckily finding a grip on the nearby wall, the bottle of rum never leaving her hand. « Woah, you ok? Need some help? » the oblivious dude that was sitting next to her asked.

« Fuck off » she cut him off quick as she carefully made her way towards the crowd, stumbling across tables and red cups on the floor, barely able to even see where she was going. She didn't care though, she only had one thing in mind right now: protecting Sarah.

« Oi! Oi, you! » she then barked once she finally made it to the couple, stepping right in between Sarah and the guy, using her own body almost as a shield as she instinctively opened her arms and puffed out her chest in front of him, « Get the fuck away from her right this fucking instant, asshole! ».

Sarah looked petrified behind her.

Meanwhile the dude observed her from head to toe in total confusion, his bigger and taller stature almost making Rachel look like a puppy next to him, « Errr…and who the hell are you supposed to be? » he asked perplexed.

« I'm her fucking girlfriend, that's who! » Rachel didn't hesitate to yell back, quickly gulping down the last bit of her rum before suddenly smashing the empty bottle against the nearby wall and then pointing the dangerously sharp broken glass right in his direction, waving it around to get him to back off.

And it seemed to work, because now the dude had both hands in the air, eyes wide and jaw slack, « Woah! Jesus man, get the fuck away from me, you psycho freak! » he exclaimed, fear and shock now palpable in his tone as he slowly stepped backwards. 

« That's right! » Rachel barked back, « Get anywhere near my girlfriend one more time and I'll fucking slice you open, you cunt! » her eyes bloodshot and threatening. But her confidence and satisfaction didn't last long when she suddenly felt a pair of small hands now curling over her shoulders from behind, Sarah's voice so frail and weak in her ear: « Rachel, please! stop it! Just stop it! Let's just leave…».

The blonde immediately turned to the side to give her a quick glance over her shoulder, her brows furrowing once she noticed her terrified expression; « What? W-what's wrong? Wasn't that guy bothering you? » she asked, suddenly insecure.

Sarah opened her mouth to reply but instantly got interrupted when she saw the guy now coming right back towards them, « Rachel look out! ».

But Rachel didn't evenget the time to properly turn around that the dude was already swinging his fist at her, his punch immediately hitting her right in the face. The impact was so strong that the blonde would've almost fell to the ground if it wasn't for Sarah holding her from behind.

« Oh my God! Rachel! » Sarah cried in fear, her nails now literally digging into her skin as she held her.

« That's what you get for fucking threatening me, you whore! » the guy yelled back; « And you! » he went on, now pointing his finger directly at Sarah, « You better fucking leave or you're next, you sissy dyke bitch! ».

Sarah felt her knees almost giving out from terror and panic, she looked down on Rachel and almost burst into tears when she realized her nose was bleeding and she was half-unconscious, her hand no longer even holding the broken glass to defend herself.

« Oh my God, oh fuck…oh God, please…» Sarah pleaded in panic as she looked around in the hopes of spotting any kind of exit door or nearby bathroom, hell, even a kitchen would've been fine! But that apartment was a living hell, the living room they were standing in was so filled with people and noise that she could barely even move or see her surroundings.

« Mhhh let me fucking go Seraaah, I'll kill him, I'll rip his fucken balls off! » Rachel begun to mumble in her barely conscious state, weakly trying to escape her solid grip. But Sarah had enough of that shit, her hands only gripping her tighter, she wasn't gonna let her go this time.

« No, Rachel! I'm done! We're fucking leaving! Right now! » she exploded, yelling in exasperation, « And I don't wanna hear another fucking word from you! Understood?! ».

Rachel couldn't even keep her eyes fully open, but something in the way Sarah looked at her at that moment almost made her vision fill with tears.

She was confused, her whole body and face ached, her head was spinning and now Sarah was even yelling at her…what did she do wrong?

Rachel remained silent nonetheless, looking down in shame while Sarah took her big arm over her shoulders and then slowly dragged her away from the crowd, walking straight towards the bathroom near the backyard door.

Once the two finally made it into the small, cramped up room, Sarah helped Rachel lean against the sink, the door closing behind their backs now suddenly making all the sounds and loud music coming from the party come out muffled and distant instead.

« Ughh…I think I'm gonna be fucking sick…» the blonde murmured, her hands now holding the edge of the sink in a white-knuckle grip, her voice echoing in those four compact tile walls.

« Stay right here, I'll go get some ice » Sarah said cold, « And don't you dare go anywhere, I'll be right back. Don't move. » she warned before leaving and slamming the bathroom door on her way out.

Rachel decided to follow her orders for once, she couldn't physically stand up so she sat on the cold floor near the toilet instead; silent as a stone, looking at the void, she patiently waited for Sarah to come back.

She kept thinking about what had just happened back there: all the screaming, the fighting, Sarah yelling and panicking…And that bastard who definitely broke her nose. 

Rachel instinctively put a hand over her nose and when she looked back at her fingers they were all stained with blood, her face instantly going pale, her vision getting blurry and her stomach churning with…fear.

Next thing she knew, the blonde was suddenly scrambling to quickly curve over the toilet before throwing everything up, her body spasming and shaking with chills. Feeling sick and throwing up wasn't new to her, however this time something definitely felt different inside her, something made her shake to the core, something…hurt in her chest.

She coughed a few times before spitting and wiping her lips with the back of her arm; she then closed her eyes and rested her head over the toilet lid, and that's when she suddenly heard the bathroom door slamming open again.

« Fuck, Rachel » she heard Sarah exclaiming behind her, then a soft, gentle hand running over her head.

She had her eyes closed but could still feel her fingers now softly moving her hair off her sweaty face and tucking them behind her ears.

« Are you ok? ».

Rachel couldn't lie, she felt like total shit at the moment…but knowing that Sarah was now finally here again was already making everything feel slightly better already.

« C'mon, sit up, I got you some ice ».

It could've been twenty minutes, it could've been one hour…

Rachel didn't know how much time they spent in there, she had only begun to slowly gain consciousness recently. And thank God, the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes again was Sarah, kneeling right in front of her, pressing a pack of ice over her nose.

They were still in the bathroom, and apparently she was also now sitting on the toilet lid; the room was painfully silent too, the only audible noise distracting her mind was the constant buzzing of the cheap white lamp over their heads.

The blonde weakly looked around the room a few more times before finally pointing her eyes at Sarah, looking directly at her. She stared at her features; her messed up hair, her pale face and shocked eyes, her worried expression…and even then, Sarah still looked like the most beautiful woman Rachel has ever seen in her whole life.

« You hate me…don't you? » Rachel then finally murmured.

Sarah widened her eyes in confusion at those words, her hand now slowly removing the ice pack from her face, « What? What are you talking about? ».

The blonde looked down to avoid her stare, « You were yelling at me before…was it for something I said? » she questioned, her voice now barely even audible; « I know you're still mad at me, Sarah…You can say it, it's 'cause I called you my "girlfriend" before, isn't it? ».

Sarah furrowed her brows at those words, a pang of anger now suddenly churning in her stomach; « Seriously? » she hit flat, « Is that why you think I got mad at you before?! »

Rachel still refused to make eye contact with her, but her expression remained the same: hurt and insecure. 

« Was…was it not? ».

Sarah scoffed in disbelief, « Rachel, i- just fucking look at you! » she yelled, « You got hit right in the face! That guy back there broke your nose! You passed out for twenty goddamn minutes and I've been sitting here in this shitty fucking bathroom pressing ice over your bleeding nose the whole fucking time! ».

Rachel couldn't remember the last time she heard Sarah getting so mad, she wasn't used to this kind of temper from her, but one thing was sure: she was too afraid to even dare looking at her right now.

« Do you have any idea of how fucking worried I was?! Uh? How scared and terrified I felt the whole time while you were unconscious?! » Sarah went on, her voice now trembling, « A man out there fucking punched you, left you bleeding and unconscious and now you're telling me that the reason you think I'm mad at you is because you "called me your girlfriend"?! » her voice echoed loud around the bathroom walls, « How insensitive could you possibly be?! ».

A freezing silence followed next.

« Rachel, look at me » Sarah then ordered.

The blonde slowly looked up and their eyes finally locked, Sarah's pupils were blown and shiny: « I need you to stop this…stop with all this violence and aggressiveness, stop threatening and fighting with people every single time we go to a party…» she begged, « I can't fucking take this anymore…».

Her voice sounded pained, like it actually hurt her heart to even say those things, « Please, just stop…».

Rachel almost looked mortified for a second, her expression painted with shame and embarrassment…but then something suddenly hit her right in the chest. A realization that she wished would never arrive.

Sarah was ashamed of her.

« Oh, i get it...» she muttered, « So it's my fault now, uh? ».

Sarah stood still, her brows slowly furrowing, « What? ».

« Sure! A guy almost assaulted you but yeah! Fine! Let's blame the best friend for trying to stand up for you back there instead! » Rachel went on, her voice suddenly growing loud and thunderous now, « God, you're such an ungrateful bitch, Sarah! ».

Sarah's face turned beet red, « I didn't need you to stand up for me, Rachel! » she yelled back, finger pointed directly at her, « I never asked for you to help me and I never asked for you to start a fight with that guy and get hurt! ».

Rachel slowly began to stand up from the toilet lid on shaky legs now, her figure suddenly towering over her with a certain air of tension and authority, « Oh yeah? Well maybe i did want to help you, and maybe I did want to pick a fight with that guy and turn to violence » she said between gritted teeth, « And you know what else? I'm fucking glad that i threatened that dude! I'm glad that i pointed a broken glass at him and I don't give a shit that he broke my nose as long as he didn't hurt you! ».

Sarah widened her eyes in shock and exasperation, « Why do you keep on doing this to yourself, Rachel?! I don't fucking understand! » she shouted.

« Because I fucking love you Sarah! » the blonde finally exploded, her tone just as angry, « I love you, I fucking love you, God fucking damn it! You're so stupid sometimes! ».

The bathroom then suddenly fell under a glacial silence.

Both women stared down at the floor speechless after that, Sarah awkwardly scratching her arm in discomfort while Rachel mentally slapped herself for being yet again too excessive and forward with her feelings. Damn her and her big mouth.

The blonde was just about to apologise and take everything back, but that's when she suddenly felt a pair of cold and small hands now unexpectedly cupping her face, palms almost squishing her cheeks together. She looked up and her eyes immediately locked with Sarah's, pupils bright and wide. « You're crazy » the brunette murmured with a scolding but almost affectionate tone before suddenly pressing her lips against hers, shutting her up before she could even say another word.

Rachel instinctively closed her eyes and desperately wrapped her arms around her waist in return, squeezing her so tightly she could nearly feel her heart pressing against her chest.

They kissed avidly, with a burning need, like they hadn't experienced the loving touch of another person in ages. Like all they've ever craved in their whole lives was just this.

Rachel felt Sarah moving her hands behind the back of her head, caressing her scalp, running her fingers through blonde strands and messing up her hair as they kissed. The blonde instinctively squeezed her hips in return, attempting to bring her impossibly even closer.

It felt hot, desperate…almost primal in a way. But just like all the good things of this world, that kiss eventually had to come to an end as well.

Sarah was the first to slowly pull off, Rachel's lipstick still smeared on her own lips; « Promise me you'll never get yourself in trouble like that ever again » she murmured.

Rachel rolled her eyes, not really interested in that conversation but rather in going back to their heated make out session as soon as possible, « Ughhhh, you know I'm not good with promises, luv » she groaned.

The brunette gave her a pleading and surprisingly soft look, her eyes sparkling like sapphires as she looked at her. 

Rachel felt her chest exploding.

« Ughhh ok ok, fine! Fuck…» she finally responded, face glowing red, « But only because you asked me so nicel- ».

Sarah interrupted her with another kiss, but this time it was sweeter; soft, gentle just like a brush of rose petals. And then she kissed her again, and again and again, turning Rachel into literal jelly. « Thank you » she then murmured against her lips, eyes closed with relief, her hands still holding her face while she pressed their foreheads together to rest now.

The two girls walked out of the bathroom shortly after that, their hands locked tightly together as they finally made their way outside and through the crowd. Rachel still walked on shaky legs, but at least she knew that this time, if she ever fell, Sarah would always be there to catch her. 

Once they finally reached the main door the brunette turned around and gently patted on the blonde's shoulder, « C'mon, I booked us a ride ».

Rachel looked at her with a loving little smile, and then her eyes shot wide, « Fuck, hold on I left my lipstick in the bathroom! » she exclaimed, « Wait for me outside, I'll be out in a minute ».

Sarah looked concerned, « You sure? You could barely walk before, i don't want you to get hurt. I can come with you if you- ».

Rachel interrupted her by kissing the tip of her nose, « I'll be fine I promise, be out in a minute ». 

The brunette suddenly looked more secure and comfortable after that, « Ok then…I'll be outside luv. Be quick » she murmured faithfully before stepping out in the lawn and closing the door on her way out.

Perfect.

You see, that night Rachel made the loyal promise of never picking up fights with dangerous strangers to protect Sarah ever again…but she didn't say anything about setting things on fire.

The blonde once again quickly sneaked through the crowd and made her way to the DJ set where all the music and lightning equipment stood, all the cables perfectly exposed and fully plugged together to one single outlet.

Rachel furtively looked around a few times, chewing on her lower lip before muttering, « Meh whateva', had to rock a piss anyways ».

So she squatted over the mass of cables and casually started urinating on them, looking around like nothing was happening. And luckily it didn't take long for the whole thing to suddenly get electrified, zaps of lightning running through the cables and leaving a trail of black smoke behind.

Next thing she knew the whole thing was on fire, her legs getting out of the way just in time before the flames could even reach her. And it didn't take long for the guests to realize as well.

The blonde heard screaming and yelling while she ran like a crab through the people, bumping and hitting everyone on her way outside the crowd.

"Get a fire extinguisher!" "Somebody call a fucking emergency number!" she heard screaming, but the fire behind her was only growing bigger and wilder, expanding through the house and making everyone in the apartment suddenly run around and scream like a bunch of roaches under a light.

« Hehe, screw you cunts and screw this party too! » she exclaimed once she reached for the main door, showing off a proud middle finger before slamming the door open and running outside to the lawn.

Sarah, who was currently standing next to the uber, turned around and furrowed her brows once she saw Rachel running in her direction at full speed.

« Ah, you made it! Did you find your lipstick?...why are you runni- ».

« No time for chatting get in the fucking roobah let's goooooo! » she yelled while pushing both of them inside.

The roobah immediately took off with the speed of a rocket and Sarah couldn't even process what had just happened or see that the house behind them was completely on fire now.

But it was ok, she didn't need to know; besides, her and Rachel were both completely safe and sound now.

They were closer, their bond grew stronger than ever that night, and Rachel knew that as long as they were together…nothing could ever go wrong from there ever again.