Chapter 27: The Hero

One night Sara suggested we meet a few friends from high school at a local bar called Pitcher Place for some drinks. Pitcher Place was the local dive bar/sports bar. They were known for their cheap pitchers of beer, ping pong and pool tables, and a popular resident DJ.

I invited John Ripley, and Sara had invited Mandy, and they were hitting it off. They were both alcoholics, so they had that in common. I was excited at the prospects of us potentially double dating in the future. I shared a pitcher of bud light with John while Sara drank Cactus Cooler shots with a few girls. We were all sat out on an outdoor patio that overlooked the parking lot.

At one point I had to pee, so I went inside to use the bathroom. There was a line and I had to wait several minutes. Afterwards as I walked out on the patio, I overheard Sara and her friend's conversation.

"Is this the same guy you were making out with on the bar last weekend?"

"No that was Kyle!" Sara responded.

"Whose Kyle?" I asked as I walked up.

Sara was surprised to see me. Her friend sort of made an awkward face and then walked off to another group of our friends and joined their conversation.

"I'm going to be honest with you Jordan, Kyle is a guy I met at the bar last weekend. I had a little too much to drink and ended up going home with him. It meant nothing, overall, it was bad sex. I told you I didn't want a serious relationship."

I just nodded my head and changed the subject. The night went on and we all went home an hour before closing time.

For the first few days after hearing about Kyle, I was a bit angry and avoided Sara. I felt like she had been playing games with me. Flirting and acting interested just to get free weed. I started making less effort to send her texts or make plans. She started hanging out with Jack and Jenny again.

A week after the night at Pitcher Place, Sara was at a party at Jack’s house and was offered a plateful of cookies and baked goods she assumed were infused with weed. Sara ate quite a few of them. Then Jack started to flirt with Sara and get handsy.

When Sara reacted negatively Jack started being rude and aggressive.

"What are you doing right now?" Sara text me.

"I am over at John Ripley's house, what are you up to?" I replied.

"I am over at Jack and Jenny's house. They made a bunch of edibles and are having an edible party. Jack's being a jerk and I want to leave. Is it cool if I come over to John's house?" Sara replied.

I asked John:

"Do you mind if she comes over?"

"Not at all." John said.

"John said it's fine." I texted Sara back.

Sara shoved a handful of edibles in her purse and drove over to John's house.

Sara had been over at the house for 45 minutes and the edibles kicked in really strong. She told me she felt dizzy and sleepy and she ended up so intoxicated she could not handle herself.

"It's really hot in here do you mind if we sit outside?" Sara asked me.

I was starting to become a little concerned.

"Of course, let's go outside." I told her.

We went and sat outside and after a few minutes Sara decided she wanted to lay on the floor. She was laying on the sidewalk outside John's house with the side of her cheek pressed to the ground claiming to be too dizzy to walk or stand. Anytime I tried to talk to her she just mumbled.

"What's wrong with Sara?" John asked me as he came outside.

"I have never seen anyone act like this off weed. I think they gave her cookies that had magic mushrooms in them or some kind of date rape drug." I told John.

"Dude if someone sees her laying on the floor like this outside, they are going to call the cops!" John told me.

Sara was living in a studio behind her conservative grandparent’s house and showing up in this condition was not an option. After all the shit I had put my parents through bringing home a drugged woman wasn't really a good choice either.

A few weeks prior I had met Sara's Godmother. She lived about ten minutes away from John's house. I knew she was cool with Sara smoking weed and her house was the best place to take Sara.

"I am going to take her to her Godmother's house." I told John.

"How do you plan to do that?" John asked.

"I am going to drive her car over there." I replied.

"With no driver's license?" John added.

I took care of her. I took Sara's car keys and went and grabbed her car down the street. I pulled up in front of John's house. I loaded Sara into the passenger seat.

"Wish me luck!" I told John as I drove off.

I drove her over to her Godmother's house in her car despite the fact I had no license. I showed up around 10pm ringing the doorbell while Sara sat in the car.

Her Godmother had only met me a few weeks earlier and did not initially want to open the door when she saw me through the peep hole so late at night unannounced.

"Hey remember me? It's Jordan, Tara's...friend."

"It's too late. Sara isn't here. Please leave!" Sara's Godmother told me sounding half asleep.

"Actually, she is!" I replied.

"What do you mean?" she replied with a sudden interest.

I led Sara's Godmother out to the car, and I started to explain the situation.

She helped me support Sara as we brought her inside. She prepared a few blankets and a pillow for Sara in her living room. I sat with Sara for hours constantly checking if she was ok. She eventually fell asleep and looked to be in stable condition, so I decided to leave. I walked home around one in the morning so she would have her car to drive home when she had sobered up.

The next morning Sara woke up confused not remembering how she had got to her Godmother's house.

"The last thing I remember, I had a bunch of edibles at Jack and Jenny's house. I started feeling sick and John was trying to fuck me again."

"Your knight in shining armor brought you here last night banging on the door at ten. I thought he was trying to rob me. He told me you got drugged by Jack. He drove you over here in your car. He carried you inside the house in his arms. Stayed by your side until he knew you were safe and then walked off in the moonlight."

"Jordan?" Sara asked.

"Yeah!" Sara's Godmother said with a smile.

Sara showed up at my house a few hours later. She sent me a text:

"Are you home?"

"Yes, how are you feeling? Are you ok now?" I asked.

"I am outside do you mind if I come in?" Sara replied.

I told her yes and went downstairs to let her inside the house. I met her at the front door, and we went upstairs to my room. Sara sat on my bed and gave me a serious look.

"What's up?" I asked her.

"I know I told you I didn't want a serious relationship, but I changed my mind. I want to be with you!" Sara blurted out.

I paused for a moment. I was not expecting her to say that and did not know what to say in response at first.

"I want to be with you too." I told her.

"You make me feel safe." Sara told me.

"As long as you are with me you will never have to deal with shady people like Jack again. I was always handle getting your weed." I replied.

Sara and I entered an official relationship on Oct. 9th.

Chapter 27: The Quiggles