"It is high time you have to stop turning down guys. Just get your humdrum ass up and start dating those guys who are so into you, Elka!"

Lily yelled at me for what felt like the umpteenth time. She was frustrated with her best friend being single for ages and not showing any sort of interest in love. In fact, I would try to change whenever this topic popped up in between our conversations. I had always been uninterested in this subject and everytime I paid no heed to Lily or asked her to shut up, she just wouldn't back off. 

I was mentally cursing that guy with black jacket and gelled hair pushed backwards for asking me out in the presence of my friends, Lily and Zinnia. I didn't even know that guy even though he said he was from our college. How was I supposed to know everyone? I wasn't a logbook. Or a girl with photographic memory. I was just Elka Alastair. 

We were at a party, which our friend was hosting at his house. The whole house, the backyard and even the outhouse were filled with my college mates. The flashing lights of green and red did no fairness to my eyes along with the blaring sound of music that was deafening as hell. And on top of that, Lily was at me, asking about my single life which I wasn't bothered about. 

Another reason for Lily to be all bossy and pushy, which was so unlike her, was because she got stood up by her beloved boyfriend and that too for the second time this week, that made her tipsy which led her to take out all the pain and anger on me. The sweet, caring and loving Lily would be a whole another person when alcohol went down her throat. 

"Oh God, Lily, I already told you! I'm not in a mood for that. And please stop being mad at me." I literally had to whine just to cool down her boiling blood as I knew that my whining sound and puppy dog eyes were a weakness that melted her heart. 

"I'm not being mad at you, Elka. It's just, how long have you been single? I mean, don't you get bored when you are sitting alone in our house while we go out with our boyfriends?" Lily asked, decibels now lower than before. 

My puppy dog eyes did the magic!

"We? Boyfriends?" asked Zinnia with a cringe plastered on her face.

"Sorry, I meant my boyfriend and your girlfriend," said Lily realizing her mistake, which wasn't new.

"Ok! But still, girlfriend? For me?" Zinnia asked again with the same expression.

I chuckled seeing her grimace face.

"You know that Zinnia doesn't do relationships but only friends with benefits, right?" I asked Lily who was glaring at me.

"Yeah, now flip this whole thing to Zinnia! Elka, we are talking about you and I'm so serious this time!"

God this alcohol is really getting her!

"I get it. But you also have to understand that I'm not at all interested in dating or being in a relationship now. Maybe later but not now. Let that sink in, Lily. And stop drinking, I'm not going to carry you again like last time. I swear!" I said and took a sip of my chilled coke.

I came clean again. I had been doing this for the past seven months, convincing my dear friend that being single wasn't a headache for me.

"Yo, Elka. Trust me. Friends with benefits is a lot better than all these relationships. In friends with benefits, if you are horny, call your friend, fuck! But in a relationship, people often get stood up or worse, get ditched," Zinnia said, looking at me and giggling while her hand went through her silky-smooth sky blue dyed hair.

I knew right away what Zinnia said was an indirect thwack for Lily, who was now shooting death glares at her. After a few seconds of that awkward silence, I bursted out laughing and soon, my friends also joined me. That was Zinnia's magic. She knew how to upturn the dark mode to light in any situation, even if it was by roasting someone to ashes. 

"I'm leaving you alone just because you are my fudging friend. Or else that single joke would have been the death of you," said Lily, brandishing her finger at Zinnia after a few minutes of falling about.

Lily didn't swear much like me and Zinnia, but if she really wanted to curse to let out emotions, 'fudge' was her cuss word.

"Ok, that's it girls. Come on, it's time to go."

I got up and took the car keys from my pocket. 

"Also, you both better be sober enough to guide yourselves to your respective rooms. I ain't gonna carry some leaden shits tonight!"

I got gloss on my lips, a man on my hips
Got me tighter in my Dereon jeans
Acting up, drink in my cup
I can care less what you think