‘Damn!’

I didn’t want to stop. She was about to be mine. My excitement had reached uncontrollable levels. But my damn friend Daniel interrupted me calling me unexpectedly. I shouldn’t have let him organize a party in my apartment. He just told me some guy has passed out on the floor and it looks like he’s not breathing.

“Where is the guy!?”  I yell scanning the apartment as soon as I step in. A couple of girls are sobbing, while one is panicking, letting out screams of terror.

“Oh my God, Oooooh my God Noooooo! Please, please Joshua!” One of them screams.

A couple of guys threads their hairs through their fingers.

“Where is he?!” I yell again, louder this time.

Daniel hears my voice and stands from behind the living room sofa in front of the large floor-to-ceiling glass window. 

“Here!”  My friend prompts me waving his hand frantically.

I rush toward the couch. “I told you I didn’t want any fucking drugs!” I groan angrily as I yank a few people away and drop on my knees to the young man’s side. His face is pale and it’s getting blue. I quickly check his pulse and I realize is absent.

“No, no Zac! I swear no drugs here! Only alcohol!” Daniel cries.  

I don’t even reply to him. I’m too focused on giving the guy a CPR alternated with quick rescue breaths. 

“Please! Please! My God!” A girl is panicking and sobbing hysterically right behind me. 

I’m completely concentrated on saving this guy’s life that all the hysterical commotion that surrounds me suddenly fades. 

“One! Two! Three! Four! Five!” I count loudly as I push his chest rhythmically down and up. Then I squeeze the tip of his nose and breathe five steady blows of air into his oral cavity.

“Come on!” I groan as I start pushing again his upper chest with my palms. “One! Two! Three! Four! Five!”

The guy suddenly starts coughing and the girl behind me starts crying for the emotion. I feel her arms wrapping around my shoulders as she keeps sobbing against my ear.  

“Oh my God thank you, thank you Zac!”  Daniel says.

I look at the guy, who’s gulping for air and still coughing. He doesn’t seem to understand what happened, but I can tell he is somewhat thankful. I check his pulse to make sure it is regular and then I stand, letting his girlfriend take care of him.

“What the fuck?” I spread my arms glaring at my friend. 

He swallows.  “I swear Zac if he had drugs with him I didn’t know! It could have been anything though.”

I shake my head slowly. “I can’t believe no fucking one here knows how to save a damn life! Didn’t anybody here take a damn course?”

He cringes apologetically. “I know that’s a shame. Thank you, Zac.”

I exhale and I stroll to the fridge where I grab a bottle of cold beer, downing it in one single gulp.

“Do me a fucking favor,” I tell him.

“Yeah, sure what?”

“I want everybody outta here. Now.”

“Oh, um, yeah sure. Give me a couple of minutes and-”

“I said now.”

“Yeah ok, sure,” he mutters and then turns. “Ok, guys the party’s over.” He says loudly enough for everyone to hear. 

“One more thing,” I groan.

“Yeah, anything Zac.”

“Make sure he gets home safe.”

“Yeah, I’ll drive him home with a cab.”

 

***

Once alone in my apartment, I take off my boots and socks and I lay on the sofa with my ankles crossed on the coffee table. The strong odor of perfumes mixed with the stench of cocktails fills the air. I get up and slide the window completely. The skyline is beautiful, the night breeze is chilling but pleasant, and I realize how lucky I am. I worked hard, and I deserve this, I think. 

For a moment I’m tempted to go back down to her, but I shake my head slowly letting out a sarcastic grin.

‘It’s not going to be the same.’

What happened was sudden and spontaneous, and now it would be just a pathetical attempt to recreate that magic atmosphere. 

“Nah. Not for me.” I mutter strolling back to the sofa.