Chapter 8 GETTING DRUNK

Paula's POV

I was walking my way to the city library when I suddenly saw a familiar figure of a man walking towards a coffee shop located across the sidewalk I was walking at. I stopped walking and stared at him for a while to confirm my suspicion.

It was Jake.

He was wearing a white t-shirt inside a black denim jacket paired with a black pair of jeans and timberlands. I know how he loves that kind of shoes. It's already been a week since the day that he broke up with me and I didn't get to have any update about him after that. I also heard that he already quit school and focus on his career of being a future superstar.

I crossed the pedestrian to follow him. I want to talk to him; I want to ask him if we still have a chance. Yes, I still love Jake. I love him so much and I still want him back in my life. "Jake!"

I was about to call him again but then I was surprised when a blonde woman wearing a red dress suddenly ran towards him and they hugged each other. I froze in place while watching them put their hands around each other's waist while smiling at each other. They walked outside and Jake found my gaze. They stopped walking in front of me. "Do you know this girl?" the woman asked him while looking at me from head to toe.

"N-No, I don't know her. Let's go now, babe," said Jake as he grabbed the woman's hand and they started walking away from me.

I felt hot tears on my cheeks as I watched them step inside Jake's car.

He doesn't know me?

Only a week passed but he was already able to find another one. Is that how replaceable I am?

***

"What?! He already has a new girlfriend?! How dare him do that to you?! So, the real reason why he broke up with you was because he already found someone else?! That asshole!!" Cindy kept on yelling when I finally told her about what I saw that morning.

It was Sunday afternoon and I just called her to meet me at the coffee shop just so I could have someone to tell what I'm feeling. "Cindy... am I really replaceable? Am I a bad person? Why is this happening to me? Why do people keep on running away from me? Why do they keep on leaving me alone?"

"It's not your fault, okay? If someone left you, that only means that you don't deserve them. That means that you deserve someone way better than them. That fucking Jake doesn't deserve someone like you."

I lowered my head. "I don't even know what to feel anymore."

"Do you want to have some drink? I know a place." Cindy suddenly said.

I looked at her with furrowed brows. "H-Huh?"

"Trust me, Paula. I'm sure you'll be able to forget about that asshole."

"But Cindy-

"Let's go!"

Then the next thing I know, we were already inside a bar full of yelling and dancing people. Some were making out in the middle of the dance floor and some were crying. Maybe they got dumped too. Smoke was wafting through the air and it smelled like beer and something weird. The upbeat music prevented us from hearing what people were saying so we had to whisper in each other's ears just to be able to say what we wanted to say to each other.

Cindy walked towards a bar counter and sat on a stool. "Sit here beside me, Paula."

I sat beside her and looked around us. The bartender was busy juggling the three bottles in his hand and the other ones were making colorful drinks I am not familiar with. "Is this how this place looks every single night? I mean, are they always this loud?" I asked Cindy which made her laugh.

"You really are an innocent woman, Paula. Well, yeah. They are always like this every night. People often go here to forget their problems; they go here to feel happiness even for a small amount of time. Some even go here to meet someone new, just like you, they go here to move on."

"Cindy... Don't you think grandma wouldn't look for me?"

"Of course, she won't and besides, I already made an excuse. I told her that I asked you to sleep over in our house." she winked.

I just shook my head while smiling. "You're really good at things like this."

"Of course, I am the expert! Hahaha!"

We laughed although it was still noisy. People are getting more hyped whenever the DJ is starting a new song.

"One long island iced tea and one zombie please." said Cindy which made my eyes widen.

"Z-Zombie? Did you say zombie?!"

Cindy laughed. "Silly, it's a name of a cocktail. That's actually my favorite."

"O-Oh. That's a weird name though."

"Right, everything's weird here anyway. Paula, tonight, let's forget about all our problems and just enjoy, okay? You can shout and cry, you can curse or talk shit about your stupid ex, no one's going to judge you here because we all went here to express it out." Cindy said with a long face. I've never seen her this serious before.

I nodded with a smile. "I understand, Cindy. Thank you for taking me here."

"Here's your zombie and one Long Island Iced Tea. Please enjoy beautiful young ladies!" said the bartender, as he handed us our drinks.

"Thanks!"

Cindy handed me the other drink that looks exactly like iced tea. "That's for you, Paula."

"Thank You."

Tonight, I will forget about all my problems. I will express my heart out and I'll make sure that tomorrow, I will be ready enough to start a new life without Jake. Jake already has someone. I know I will have no choice but to try to forget about him.