# Don't Ask Me Why: Chapter 21, Part II



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Tanya could barely focus during the concert. The music was interesting, but she couldn't take seeing Ernest and this other lady sitting about seven rows in front of her. She was dying to know who she was. Was she a girlfriend? Even though she had told Marie what she honestly believed, she still wasn't sure, and it was driving her crazy.

What hopes were there for her?

Tanya couldn't even understand her own emotions. Sadness and anger struggled within her until she had splitting headache. At the bottom of her heart, she didn't want to do or say anything to upset Marie tonight.

But a drink or two would do her well.

Continuing to suppress her emotions, Marie and Tanya escaped the concert hall without having to see Ernest or that other girl. They had other plans, and they wanted to get to Marie's apartment as soon as possible. Tanya felt mightily relieved to get out of that situation.

When they arrived at the apartment, Marie and Tanya went upstairs to the 3rd floor where Marie lived.

"Hm, we must be early or something," Marie said, looking uneasily at her watch. "I told my friends to meet here in the hallway, at roughly this time, but there's no one here. I guess we can go in and get ready."

"Might as well," Tanya smiled. There was a twinkle in her eye.

Marie opened her door, and stepped in to turn on the lights.

"Surprise!!" shouted a handful of girls who were standing in the living room. Christy and the other co-workers were there, along with two other friends of Tanya that Marie knew relatively well. They all happened to be older than Tanya, even Christy. Around the room, there were red streamers, and a table in the middle with a large number of alcoholic drinks. There was a rectangle cake as well. Everyone began to sing Happy Birthday to Marie, Tanya herself singing with her operatic, virtuosic voice.

"You guys are so sweet!" Marie held her head, laughing. She was truly touched.

"Happy Birthday, Marie!" Tanya went to a table ledge, and picked up a champagne bottle. "This is my gift to you, you be the first to drink from it! I hope you didn't mind that we broke into your home, I actually had left it unlocked when we left here earlier this evening so the girls could come in and set up."

"Oh, it's no problem at all! You guys are the best!" Marie cried, and she hugged Tanya.

Once everyone got a glass and filled them with champagne, everyone did a toast to Marie.

"To Marie's 21st birthday! Whooo!"

"Now you have to drink from each thing that we have here tonight!" Christy laughed.

"What??" Marie's eyes went wide.

"That's what people do on their 21st birthdays, Marie, they try everything. You wanna do 21 shots?" Tanya laughed.

"No way! I'll get so sick! Oh please don't make me do this!" Marie whined.

"Ok ok! We'll take things slowly!" said another friend. "I totally suggest some spirits though, we have seven to choose from. Take your pick."

Marie was never certain how she would like alcohol, being completely clean up to this point. The champagne was very good, but she found the vodka and brandy way too strong for her, and she almost spit them out. The Heineken beer was also way too bitter.

"Ugh!" Marie coughed while the others laughed, but they weren't trying to be mean.

"Yeah, it takes some getting use to! But hard liquor is the way to go, you'll see what I mean in a while," Tanya grinned, taking her own shot.

"Do you have wine?" Marie asked in a small voice.

"Oh of course, not nearly enough, but try these out!" Tanya handed Marie a Merlot and a Sauvignon blanc bottle. They fit Marie a lot better, and she was able to drink those more easily, although they were strange to drink one after the other.

All this time, Tanya and the others were freely taking one drink after another, and growing more and more relaxed and frivolous, chattering and laughing incessantly.

Marie couldn't help feeling uneasy at the back of her mind. But by now she had about two servings of alcohol on an empty stomach, and slowly everything seemed to sooth out.

Tanya by far had been drinking the most. She did it so quickly and smoothly that barely anyone was able to notice, but slowly her language started to slur, and she began saying very odd things for Marie's taste.

"So Marie, what's really up with you?" Tanya bent over to Marie as they were sitting on a couch together.

"What's really up?"

"Yeah, you and your life as a musician," Tanya squinted her eyes, always smiling.

"Oh, it's typical, only been to lab orchestra twice."

"Has he made advances on you?" Tanya left the name unspoken but implied.

"Not really, just being nice as usual."

"Uh-huh, I see," Tanya grinned. "And what about... the other?"

"Do I have to talk about this?" Marie whispered anxiously.

"Ah, no one is caring!" Tanya suddenly yelled, and put her arm around Marie's shoulder. "Just you and me here," she whispered.

"I... try to talk to Alex," Marie whispered.

"How is he?"

"He's... as usual."

"Well then, that means you have to step up your game, eh?"

"Well... yeah, somehow."

"I think that's obvious... ask him for a drill."

Marie immediately sat up straight in her seat, and stared at Tanya. Tanya only laughed more.

"Don't be so surprised Marie, you know all guys want it."

"Not all, no! Not him! No!" Marie whispered, desperately trying to keep her voice down.

"How do you know?"

Marie hesitated.

"He's too... family-oriented for that."

"What?!" Tanya laughed very hard, although the other girls were too engrossed in their own drinks and conversations to notice. "What on earth do you mean??"

"I... I'm not sure how to explain," Marie felt herself blush. "He's too... pure."

"But how do you know?"

"I just do! I feel it!" Marie said irritably. "And besides, I'm not that kind of girl to do that kind of stuff."

Tanya bent her head to the side, "Sure you aren't," she said sarcastically.

"I am! I really am! I wouldn't dare do something like that ever!"

"Well, what if you were the one confronted with the question from him, eh? What would you do?"

Marie sat back and wondered.

"I don't know..."

"You would crack, you would! It's better to be honest about it and embrace it, Marie," Tanya grinned again.

"Ugh! Stop it!" Marie covered her face with her hands.

"I'm just sayin' Marie, sometimes you have to work for what you want, or else it'll never come. You have to make things happen."

"No! I don't believe in that!" Marie shuddered. "I think you're just talking nonsense because you're drunk, so it's best you go home."

Tanya frowned pathetically, and shrugged, but lit up with a smile again.

"Whatever you like."

Marie got up and announced the time, which was 1AM, and said she would like to end the party for the night, despite the pleas of the others. They each gave their personal well-wishes, and all went out the door to get a cab home.

"Stay classy, Marie," Tanya smiled. "And remember what I said..." she turned her head away.

Tired, dizzy, and slightly disturbed, Marie didn't do any cleaning up and went back to the couch, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.


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