Story of Erin

Erin stumbled to the corner of the room and slid down the wall, grimacing as the room twirled around her. She shouldn’t have had that last beer, but she didn’t care. She needed it. Her life had been a convoluted mess and she felt like she had no one to talk to who understood what was going through her mind. She couldn’t stand her boyfriend, Sabre, anymore. It’s not that she didn’t like him, but she found someone unexpectedly that she liked more. Erin was at a loss.

As she gazed around the spinning room, her eyes glossing over as she tried to keep awake, she saw him, her unusual love. He was sitting on the blue couch, his brown hair in his face, hiding his annoyance. “Brian, don’t be angry with me. It was a friend’s birthday party, what was I supposed to do?” she repeatedly asked him. She stared into his green eyes for forgiveness, but found none. Her heart sank. He ignored her question and her pleas. “Brian, come on! Talk to me,” she whined. He wouldn’t.

Erin picked herself up from the floor, wobbled her way to the couch. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he shrugged her off. He couldn’t be this pissed off at her, especially when he had been drinking as well. She could smell the gin on his breath and could see the gloss starting to cover his eyes. Perhaps he’ll stay here with me, she thought as she sat next to him.

Brian had been staring at Erin all night. He loved her and adored her, but he knew that she was on a path of destruction. He couldn’t handle her chaos anymore. He watched as she pleaded on the floor, her beauty diminished by all the beer she had consumed. Her usually gorgeous brown eyes were glossed over as if she had a case of cataracts. Her dark skin looked sickly each moment she sat there. How can I even love a girl like this? He asked himself.

As she sat next to him, he could smell the alcohol on her skin, in her hair, and on her clothes. She reeked. He felt bad for her as she leaned over, her black tangled hair covering her face as she cried. Brian often wondered what goes on in her head that he didn’t know about. He kept getting a feeling that she was hiding something from him and it was tearing him apart. He wanted to help her with what she has fighting, but he knew he couldn’t help her.

Erin looked up at Brian and saw the inquisitive look on his face. She couldn’t tell him about her feelings for him. It wouldn’t work out in the first place. He was graduating and she wasn’t. She was messed up way too many times and doesn’t want to mess him up. He was perfect and she was a failure. “Do you love me?” she slurred. As soon as it escaped her mouth, she realized her mistake. Brian blanched and turned away.

“Do you seriously want me to answer that?” Brian finally asked as he turned back toward her. Her face lifted up to him and tears fell across her cheeks.

“Of course, why’d you think I asked?”

“Erin, you’re drunk. You don’t even know why you asked it. I can see it in your face that you aren’t even coherent enough to know what I’m trying to say. Ask me in the morning, if you remember that is.” Brian went to get up. His body didn’t want to budge. He didn’t have the energy.

“No, Brian. Stay here. Don’t worry, you won’t get into trouble.” Erin reached for his shoulder to put him into place. Don’t leave me. I need you. She didn’t want to voice her mind to him; he might look down at her. He might even hate her.

The door of the apartment suddenly slammed open. Erin’s hopeful ideas broke as she saw a bewildered Sabre come into the living room. His pale face was blushed. His blonde hair made his face look far redder than it should. He reached for her with his long arms in order to break her away from Brian. This can’t be happening. A perfect night with someone whom I feel comfortable with and this brute has to ruin it, she thought as she moved out of his reach. Thankfully he was slow in body as well as wit.

“Stop whoring yourself out, Erin,” he exclaimed as he stumbled over the coffee table to get her. “I know he’s going to sleep with you. I can see it. You are going to fuck his brains out. You’re mine!”

Brian jumped off the couch and stood up. His cheeks warmed as he fought the urge to punch Sabre in his pretty plump face. “Don’t talk to her like that!” he yelled. He clenched his fists as he sucked in air into his lungs. He tried to calm down.

Sabre turned towards Brian. “Shut the fuck up! She ain’t yours to deal with. She’s mine! You talk to me like that again and I’ll have to slug you.” Sabre’s thin lips spread into a maniacal smile at the thought of beating Brian into a pulp. “Or perhaps I should do so now. Make sure you don’t have the opportunity to speak to me.”

“Sabre, I may not like you, but I’m not stupid. You can’t possess someone. She only belongs to herself.” Brian replied, trying to sound as calm as possible.

“Fucker, she’s mine!” Sabre exclaimed as he reached for Erin a second time.

Erin watched as her hero fought verbally with her brute. She needed to face the hard facts and become harsh enough to break Sabre’s primitive heart, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to see his face as she told him that she loved someone else. She didn’t want to feel like a bitch. Sabre wasn’t that bad of a guy. A little slow, but not bad. “Brian, just go home. I’ll deal with Sabre. He’s just intimidated by your presence,” she said as she walked closer to Sabre. Shit, I’ve sobered. This is no good.

Brian stared at her in silence. She didn’t just tell me to leave, did she? How is she going to be able to tame this wild beast? He grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch and walked towards the door. “If you need me for anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me. You got that?”

Erin watched Brian leave. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want this to happen. All because of her inability to leave Sabre, she’s lost to one she loved. She’ll never be able to bring herself to talk to him after tonight. Her life wasn’t worth anything in the first place.

Sabre stared at her as Brian left. Something was up. He reached out to touched her cheek and was surprised that it was wet. Something was definitely up. His girl was crying as the guy he hated walked out the door. She wasn’t crying for him, but for Brian. He growled deep in his throat. Brian’s going to pay.

“Erin, it’s alright. I’m here for you,” he whispered into her ear.

Erin looked up at Sabre in disgust. “Fuck you!”

“What did I do?”

“You embarrassed me in front of my friend. You made him leave. I won’t see him again. I hate you! You must leave! You hear me? I HATE YOU!” she screamed. She raised her hand to strike him in the face. I want him to feel my wrath. My hatred for this uncouth bastard. I hate him! She screamed over and over in her head. She smacked him and ran up the stairs into her room.

Sabre sat on the couch forlorn. Did she just break up with him? He couldn’t tell. His mind raced as he tried to find a way for her to take it back. He searched for the words to convince her that he’s not all that bad. Besides, Brian is too good for her. Even he can see that. He stared at the wall opposing him. There had to be something he could do to make everything better. “Erin! I love you!” he called, but received no answer. Tears began to stream down his face. It was over. He knew it. He readied himself for the confirming blow.

Erin heard him from below and she wept. She’ll never be happy anymore. Her heart broke as she lowered herself on her bed and covered her face with her pillow. There was no one here for her anymore; perhaps she should just drop out of school. Slowly, she realized that she was free of the brute. At least she had that going for her. “Go away, Sabre. It’s over!” she called down and she listened as her front door opened and Sabre walked out. It was over. No more brutish people and no more love. She was done with it all.