| 012. Comfortably Numb |

  Brandy giggled. She had a strong suspicion she was drunk. Her family had always been extremely overprotective, so she had very little drinking experience. Usually, her childhood friend would have been more clued into this fact, but Phillip was all grouchy about his self-imposed breakup and hadn’t been paying enough attention when she ordered the drinks. Now he kept saying things to her but she was only drifting in and out of paying attention. She had to really stare at his mouth when he spoke to interpret what he was saying.

  "Drink this water," he said, forcing the cup into her hand. "Seriously, Andy, what were you thinking?"

  She grinned ecstatically.

  “Hey! I thought you went somewhere," she said.

  “To get you water," he said. Possibly repeating himself, she wasn't sure. "You're drunk.” It was one thing to think you’re drunk but quite another to be told that you are in a completely straightforward, no-nonsense tone of voice.

  “I thought you'd be enjoying being single," she said, and poked his face with her finger. "You're no fun.” He sighed and tried to get her to sit down.

  “No, I'mma dance," she said, glaring. He raised his eyebrows.

  “Andy, if you try you're going to fall over." Quite unexpectedly she started laughing.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Sorry,” she giggled, gasping for breath. She was totally unable to calm down. “I just- I thought-” She laughed hysterically again. He waited patiently for her to get a grip back on reality. “I can’t feel my face.” She went from hysteria to exhaustion in a second, sighing and resting her head on the table. Apparently disinclined to explain what she’d found so funny in the first place. “Phil?”

  “What?”

  “Do you think I’m beautiful?” she whispered, propping her head up on her hand. He floundered for a moment. What sort of question was that to suddenly ask your best friend? Then again, she was drunk.

  “Sure,” he said. She giggled. “We need you to sober up, Andy. Before you trip into the pool and die a horrible death.” She stared up at him with impossibly large eyes.

  “You mean you wouldn’t come and rescue me?”

  “Why don't we start with not falling into the pool in the first place,” he said, not unreasonably. She scowled.

  “I’ll remember that the next time I see you choke on a sandwich!”

  "That I didn't want you to fall in the pool?" Phillip shook his head in despair. He actually desperately needed to go for a piss, but couldn't just leave her here in this state. He scouted round through the crowd for a familiar face, and was unbelievably relived to spot Leo. He waved him over, grinning.

  When Leo saw the state Brandy was in, he coughed.

  “A chaperone!” he bellowed and smacked Leo on the back a little too roughly. “You’re just what I needed. I will be right back, just the moment I've emptied my bladder. She’s now your responsibility. Don’t let anyone take advantage of her, and don’t let her instincts get the better of her! You know the drill.”

  “Sure,” Leo muttered, suddenly saddled with her as Phillip all but sprinted to the entrance to the flats. “You make it sound so easy.”

  “Wanna dance?” Brandy asked, grabbing Leo’s hand with a full on grin. Honestly, the answer was no. He could think of a million things he’d rather do. But she obviously wasn't in a state to listen as Brandy tugged him onto the dance floor.