Wallflower | Mario Götze

05. Tipsy

"Marco!" Mario exclaimed. "What are you doing and why are you doing it?"

Marco giggled a little. "I'm very tipsyyyyy," he slurred his words a little, and slightly stumbled to Mario. He latched onto him and rested his head on his shoulder, then carried on, "'Mario...you have soft lips...Mario did you know you're my best friend?"

Mario shifted his body so that he could support his perhaps more than just tipsy friend better, whilst Eleanor looked on with an amused expression on her face. "Yes, Marco, I did know that."

Marco simpered up at him and asked, "Am I your best friend?"

"Yes Marco, you are." Mario couldn't help but snicker with laughter at Marco's drunken ways. He got very affectionate after a few drinks. The breath suddenly got knocked out him when Marco's arms tightened around him as a huge huge was bestowed upon him. "Marco...Marco let go a little. Marco, I can't breathe."

At the moment that Marco loosened his grip, Mario was tapped on the shoulder. Forgetting that he currently had Marco heavily leaning on his shoulder, he quickly turned, and catapulted Marco into Eleanor. She staggered backwards a few steps but successfully grabbed hold of Marco and let him rest on her. Mario's grin was wiped off his face once he saw who had tapped him on the shoulder.

"Mario, do you think we could talk?" Ann-Kathrin asked. He cast an eye over his shoulder to see if Eleanor was struggling under the weight of Marco, but she seemed to be supporting him. When she caught his eye, she gave him a thumbs-up. He turned back to Ann-Kathrin, and silently nodded. He followed her to a quieter corner of the room, and looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak.

"Look, Mario, I just wanted to know...are we okay?" seeing his less-than-impressed face, she nervously rocked forwards and backwards, an impressive feat considering the heels she was wearing.

Mario shrugged carelessly. "Couldn't be better." He put his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor, away from her.

She abruptly stopped her rocking to peer at him through her heavily made-up eyes. "Couldn't you be a little more serious about this?"

At this, Mario evenly met her gaze. "What am I supposed to say? Have you forgotten what you did?" She took a step back, and surprise flashed across her face. Mario noticed this, and scoffed. "Don't act all hurt and surprised now, Ann-Kathrin. You are the reason our relationship failed and you know it."

Now she looked at him from under her eyelashes, in the way she always used to to get what she wanted. "It was a mistake..."

He cut her off with a humourless laugh. "Don't. Just don't even go there, we've been through this before. What is the real reason that you wanted to speak to me?" He looked her straight in the eyes, and waited for her response.

"Mario...I don't know how to say this, but...I still," she paused, as if in thought, "I think, I still have feelings for you, and I wondered if maybe you still had feelings for me."

All that could be heard above the dull murmur of the guests behind him was him muttering 'oh Lord, give me strength' as he looked towards the sky. "Tell me you're joking. This is a joke isn't it? Ha-ha, very funny."

Ann-Kathrin looked unnerved. "No! It's not a joke. I miss you Mario, I think we could have again what we did before," she put her hand on his arm, and took a large step forwards so that she was almost pressed up against him, "Please. Give us a try again."

He brushed off her arm and shook his head. "No. I was finished with you the moment you jumped into bed with someone else."

"Well...just know that the offer will always stand. Friendly acquaintances?" She held out her hand in a symbol of a truce. Mario nodded in defeat and took her hand to shake it, when she pulled him close to her and embraced him. "Call me if you need anything...anything at all." With that, she sidled past him, back to the larger group of people, taking care to sway her hips as much as possible. He took care to avert his eyes.