6TH NOVEMBER.
MAINLAND TOWN:
UNKNOWN STREET.

"IT'S TAKING SO long!" Aphrodite complained. "Where's the bar?" Her legs bounced and Yumi held her breath when Aphrodite's leg brushed against Yumi. West, who had called shotgun, looked up from the screen of his phone. 

"That bar is almost on the outskirts of town. It will take a few more minutes." He turned his head Lex. "Take the next left. It's a shortcut, I think." Lex nodded and smoothly turned the steering wheel.

Karan extended his hand and pressed Yumi's shoulders behind. He hunched down to look at Aphrodite. "You said it wouldn't take long. I called Baz to meet me in an hour." He sighed in defeat and leaned back to pull his phone out.

"Wait, so you guys are finally going on a date. Why didn't you tell us?" West asked.

"I was but now I am texting him that I won't be able to make it." Before he could switch his phone on, Aphrodite bent to snatch the phone from his hands. "Hey! Give it back!" Karan bent to take his phone back but Aphrodite held it behind her back. 

"You're not texting him with that," she said with a smile. He pushed Yumi at the front and leaned to reach Aphrodite. Yumi was crushed between the two quarrelsome friends. She was pushed against Aphrodite's legs as Karan tried to take his phone back. Aphrodite squirmed and turned to the window so that Karan couldn't reach her. She switched the phone on while constantly ignoring Karan's warnings in both the languages he was fluent at. Yumi peeped to see Aphrodite open Baz's chat and text him Excited for tonight. 

Aphrodite smirked and threw it back to him. Aphrodite sat comfortably and so did Yumi since Karan wasn't crushing her anymore. Karan frantically went through his text and shot her a glare. "Arey yaar. You're crazy. Why would you do that?" 

He definitely wasn't happy with her antics. 

"Um, hello?" Aphrodite chuckled. "Did you mean thank you?" 

"No, no. I'm not thanking you. At all. He will think I'm being clingy. You're the worst, Aphy," he huffed. "Oh...oh my God. He is texting. Shit. Shit. Shit." Karan switched his phone off and pressed his phone between his hands. He rested his head back on the seat and closed his eyes. 

"Trust me, Karan. I've dated enough guys to know that when they like you, they want you to be clingy." 

"The thing is, you have dated straight guys," Karan commented. "And both Baz and I are nowhere close to that." 

"That is not true," She muttered.

Everyone except Lex turned their heads to her with widened eyes. "What?" Aphrodite shrugged and glanced out the window. "I fake dated a friend because he wasn't out yet and his parents wouldn't approve of him so, yeah. I know how gay minds work." 

"Woah," West marvelled and went back to staring at the busy road. 

Karan's phone buzzed. He fumbled as he opened Baz's text. He sighed in relief as a smile flustered on his face. "I, um. He said that he is excited too." His face coloured. "Thanks, Aphy." 

"I'm sorry, what?" Aphrodite mocked. "I can't hear you." 

Karan snickered. "I'm not gonna repeat myself."

"We're here," Lex said as he parked outside the said bar. It was the first thing he had said in the last two hours. 

They jumped out of the car and made their way inside. Yumi's lungs filled with the strong smell of alcohol and sweat. The music was too loud for her taste but watching drunk dancers invited a fresh set of memories that were hiding in the dungeon of her brains.

Do not touch the alcohol. She reminded herself as she followed her friends near the less occupied area. 

"So," West said loudly over the music as he pulled his phone out. "My Tinder account is ready. I'm setting the distance of 1 kilometre." 

"Are you sure this will work?" Yumi questioned, still not sure if his plan was worth a try. She didn't know if people who were committed in a relationship change their relationship status on Tinder or still use Tinder. 

"We have a plan B too so relax," he responded.

Plan B was to play seductor or seductress.

He sat on a couch as the others surrounded him. He began looking through the profiles of men and women to see if anyone was dating and were there in this bar with someone else. It was a long shot but Aphrodite was tired of playing seductress and the guys refused to do the same. 

"Okay, so this guy is dating." West clicked on the profile of a boyish looking man. "Is he here?" Yumi took a good look at the picture of him and his boyfriend and turned around to scan the bar. 

"I don't think so," Karan said. 

"Okay, okay. What about this guy?" West showed them a picture of a man with a beard and long blond hair tied in a man-bun. She went back to scanning the bar. Her eyes landed on a short girl with short black hair. 

"Hold on, hold on." She took West's phone and went through the profile of that man-bun guy. She met Aphrodite's eyes. "He may not be cheating but his girlfriend sure is." She pointed at a girl who was dancing with another girl with blonde hair. And from the look of it and Yumi's experience, she was sure that the two of them weren't just friends.

"You think she's cheating with a girl?" Karan asked.

"She could be bicurious, like me." West mumbled. "Too bad, she is going to be exposed though." 

"Okay, great!" Karan smiled and got up from the couch. "Now we just have to wait until they kiss. Then we can take a picture, send it to that man through an anonymous account and inform TBH. Phew, I will be able to make it!" He cheered for the last part. 

Everyone nodded in agreement. 

•••

"Why aren't they making out?" Karan complained as he stared at the two girls along with the others. "Baz will be here at any moment." 

"You don't have to wait, ya know," Yumi said. "There's nothing else for you to do so you could carry on with your date. We'll text you when it's done." 

"Yeah, Yums is correct. If Baz comes, don't wait for the task to be completed." Aphrodite grinned.

"Wait, really?" Karan straightened up. Right when West and Aphrodite nodded, his eyes fell on someone past Yumi. She turned around to find a boy walking into the bar, his green eyes travelling throughout. "Shit. He's here. Wish me luck." He blew a breath out and began walking towards Baz as the others wished him luck. 

"He is cute," Aphrodite glanced at Baz for a moment before fixating her gaze back on the targeted girls. "God, I am tired of waiting." 

"How about I get you a drink?" The bartender appeared out of nowhere with a shot glass in his hand. "That might entertain you. I need to see your ID, though." He smiled at Aphrodite. 

Yumi glared at the bartender with the name tag Pete. 

"Hm, you're right, Petey," Aphrodite said and turned to look at the rest of them. "We could use a drink." 

"We're here on a mission," West reminded. She leaned on the countertop and slipped her fake ID to Pete. 

"One drink ain't gonna do no harm." Pete took a look at her ID and smiled before sliding her the drink. She picked it up and chugged the drink down her throat. 

Lex's eyes remained on the two girls as he mumbled to West, "You can have a drink. I'm staying sober since I'm driving." West smiled in response and showed his ID before gulping down his drink as well. Yumi refused to drink despite Aphrodite's constant efforts to convince her otherwise. In fifteen minutes, Aphrodite had already picked up her third shot glass. She chugged it down and shoved it on the counter. 

"Oh, God. These two are hesitating. They neeeed a puuushh," she slurred. "Keep your cameras ready." She hooked her arm in Yumi's and dragged her towards the girl. 

"What are you doing?" Yumi mumbled.

Aphrodite didn't respond. Once they neared the girls, Aphrodite circled her arms around Yumi's neck as Yumi's heart began to pounce loudly. Aphrodite swayed her body to the music as they danced close to the two girls. Aphrodite plastered a smile.

"Hey, you two are cute together. How long have you been a thing?" Aphrodite managed to keep her voice straight despite being wasted. 

The blonde haired girl blushed. "I...we two aren't,  um..." she paused, unable to finish her sentence.

Aphrodite pouted. "Really? That's bad. You two have more chemistry than anyone in this bar." 

"Even more than you two?" The other girl, the one who was supposedly cheating on her boyfriend, said. Even from her voice, Yumi could tell that she's a bitch but Yumi couldn't say a word. Aphrodite was too close to her. It pricked her skin with electricity. 

"I...um," Aphrodite looked into Yumi's eyes. "Oh, no one could beat our chemistry. Right, Yums?" Yumi's throat ran dry. She cracked a yes but it didn't sound very convincing. She was too nervous to be speaking. At this moment, Yumi regretted refusing the drink. She needed one right now.

"I beg to differ," the bitchy girl said. She cupped the other girl's face and leaned in for a kiss. Aphrodite rolled her eyes at them. 

She stared back at Yumi. "Kiss me." 

"What?" 

She leaned closer to Yumi. "I'm not losing a chemistry battle with her. Kiss me," she ordered in a low voice. Yumi swallowed, unable to move a muscle. Aphrodite sighed and pressed her lips to hers. Yumi's eyes were wide open as Aphrodite's soft lips worked wonders against hers. 

Before Yumi could give in, Aphrodite suddenly pulled back. She pushed herself away from Yumi. "Shit," she muttered as she  brushed her hand in her hair. "Shit, Yumi. I'm so...I am so sorry." Aphrodite turned around and walked away. 

Yumi was stunned as she watched Aphrodite grab a bottle of vodka and walk into the bathroom.

•••

As Aphrodite walked in the empty bathroom, she locked the door behind her. She groaned and took a sip from the vodka bottle. She stumbled towards the washbasin and took the help of its rough edges to stand upright. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked fine...and drunk. 

"Why did you do that, Aphy?" She winced. "Why? Argh, why?!" She threw the bottle away and it shattered into a million tiny pieces. She straightened her back, tucked her hair behind her ear and pulled her phone out to dial a number. 

It went to voicemail. "Hi, Riley," she whispered. "I know we promised not to call each other after...everything but... I-I am sorry. I miss you. Can we catch up sometime? I promise I won't bring that up. I want to talk to someone. Someone whom I've known for a lon--" the voicemail service cut her off. She didn't make a point to call again and complete what she wanted to say. She pushed her phone back into her purse. After a debate with herself, she finally walked out of the bathroom. 

Her eyes fell on Yumi who stumbled towards her and she, in no way whatsoever, looked sober. She fell on Aphrodite. Her fingers clutched Aphrodite's arm tightly as she steadied herself. 

"Yums, are you drunk?" She asked. "Oh, God. You're wasted." 

Look who is saying. 

"I wanted to taste it," Yumi mumbled. "It was bad but...felt good. I miss drinking and getting wasted. Feeling numb and no thoughts running across my mind." 

"We both are far from sober. Let's go and find the boys. We need to go back and forget what happened, okay? We didn't kiss. I'm sorry. I shouldn't hav--" 

Yumi cut her off by pulling her lips into hers. Yumi shoved Aphrodite to the wall and kissed her as if it was the end of the world and Aphrodite was her only chance of survival. She tasted a mixture of vodka and sweetness. She bit her lips and before Yumi could cup her face, Aphrodite pulled apart. 

"Oh, my God. Yumi, I--"

header image by Alexander Popov.

translation of Hindi terminology:

Arey yaar: literally means Oh, friend but here, it is used as an expression that means what the hell, man?

did you see the kiss coming? what do you think?

{ don't forget to vote and comment}