PSYCHO - JOHN MURPHY

12. Unity Day.

  

                    U N I T Y D A Y

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"COME JOIN THE CELEBRATION," Bellamy says once he enters Ainsley's tent. He smiles at her easily, despite the way the two left things off.

Ainsley had been sitting as still as a statue, running her fingers over the sleeping back in order to find a loose piece of string, or something, when Bellamy interrupted her. She freezes, looking over at him like a deer caught in the headlights. Celebration? What is there possibly to - Oh. Right. Chancellor Jaha has unexplainably pardoned Bellamy for his crime, and has welcomed all of the delinquents to celebrate and watch their Unity Day virtually. The only thing that sounds even remotely fun about the whole thing is Monty's moonshine. 

"Why should I?" Ainsley mutters harsher than she had intended. She grimaces. "I- I just mean.. nobody wants to celebrate with a murderer. Don't.." She stifles a chuckle. "Don't roll your eyes at me, you know it's the truth. They avoid me like I'm the black death." 

"However true that may be," Bellamy says, his lip curling upwards in an amused smile. "You need a drink and I need help babysitting these idiots. Who knows, maybe you'll find common ground when you drink. It is Unity Day, after all." 

Ainsley gives him a look, but even she can't hide her own amusement at his words. It's kinda funny, actually; how someone can sound so smart yet so idiotic at the same time. She sighs and stands up from her cot, giving him a small nod of her consent. It won't do anybody any good to just sit around in a tent by themselves, after all, she supposes. She gives a slightly exaggerated sigh and shakes her head in a 'why did I let him talk me into this' gesture, before she leads him out of the tent. Her first stop, of course, is Monty's still. Ainsley fills her cup all the way to the top and gestures for Bellamy to do the same. He goes to shake his head no, but Ainsley isn't having any of his excuses. 

She raises her cup in the form of a toast, smiling a little as Bellamy does the same. The cup barely touches her lip when she takes a huge swig from it, almost instantly regretting it. Ainsley coughs from the burn in her throat. The frothy liquid is definitely disgusting, but Ainsley shrugs and takes another smaller sip, and another just be thorough. It's actually not half bad once you get over the horrible after-taste. Soon enough, she's chugging it without listening to Bellamy's protest. 

After all, she came here to drink, and so drink she shall. 

It doesn't take Ainsley long at all to feel light headed from how much alcohol she's consuming, but for once, she doesn't care. She doesn't care about who she is or how she got here. For once, the only thing crossing her mind is the sudden need to laugh about nothing at all, and to throw caution to the wind. Ainsley grins and gives into the temptation. She laughs louder and harder than she ever has in her life, and for once, she ignores the looks from the others and their stupid little whispers. Her gaze lands on Bellamy standing in front of her. She doesn't care that he hasn't even touched his cup to his lips. In fact? She only cares that he's here. Like a sibling she never had or wanted, but he's here.