Saving Insanity

Chapter 7: Shifted Tiles

"Here you are," the Tender placed my alcoholic drink down in front of me. I nodded at him, watching as the condensation trickled down the side of the glass. The blood red colour of the drink had beckoned for me to have three of them. In fact, I probably would continue after this one.

Alcohol had never been the answer for me. Drowning my sorrows by burning my throat and messing with my brain cells had never really made sense to me. But now it did, right at the point where there was nothing else to do in life but drink. My feet grazed the foot rest of the bar stool in which I sat, the same one I had been collapsing into for the last little while. I hadn't been to the Institution in five days. And I had spent those five days cooped up in the confinements of my dark home and drinking away my worries at the bar.

"Well, well, never thought I'd see the Sorter of the District drifting into the world of the drunk."

The glass dropped the few inches to the counter top, clanging loudly and splashing droplets over the side. I turned in my seat to ensure that the voice hadn't just been another one of my hopeless dreams. And it wasn't. India slid into the stool next to me, her blue eyes shimmering with their usual sparkle. I scoffed, my disbelief mixing horribly with the poison from the alcohol. "Where the hell have you been?" I asked the question before I could even decide how to play this out.

My childhood friend smiled, her perfect teeth adding to her flawless appearance, "Miss me, did you?"

I shook my head, "Missing you is a complete understatement, India. I have been searching everywhere for you, coming to this dreadful place every night. Where the hell have you been at?"

She smirked as her eyes scanned the empty two glasses next to the half full one by my elbow. Her gaze flicked up to mine, "What? You haven't been able to find me in the bottom of those glasses?"

"I will not stand for your little mind games," my jaw tightened. She pushed her blonde hair behind her ears before shifting in her seat, "So how's your little plan of insanity going?" she shook her head as she displayed a perfect smirk, "Even as a little girl you were always coming up with these crazy little ideas." She reached over and grabbed my drink off the counter, taking a long sip before continuing, "Hell, I even remember that time you wanted to figure out how to free our pet rabbit without our foster parents knowing. You hated seeing him locked up."

She stared at the glass in her hands, as if the memory itself was playing out deep within the red liquid. I eyed her closely, not dropping back into the past she had just relived, "Why did you come back? Or did you not expect to see me here?"

India rolled her sparkling blue eyes, smacking her bright red lips like my question was somehow invalid. "My dear Ireland, if I had walked into the bar and caught sight of you without wanting to speak to you, I would have left."

"So that leaves my original question," I signaled to the Tender for two more drinks, "Why did you come back?"

My friend shrugged, as if puzzled by her own motives, "I figured you would be the one to drown yourself in liquor until your liver exploded and your brain could no longer function."

"That does not answer my question," my patience was thin, displaying itself tightly within my voice. India took a sip of her newly brought drink, tilting her head to the side, "After coming up with yet another ridiculous idea, I figured you would stop fussing about it the second you were discouraged. Was I right?"

I glanced down, "Yes."

She smiled, "Ireland, my dear Ireland. Even after all the bullshit we have suffered together, and the heartbreak in which you forced upon me, I still care enough to show up to the bar to kick you in the ass for ever letting yourself feel hopeless."

"I never forced any heartbreak upon you, India," I almost spat the words. She said nothing. She stared at me, waiting for me to drop the sentence and continue further. So I did, "You were the one that kicked my ridiculous idea down. Besides, it is ridiculous," I sucked back the contents of my glass and slammed it back down onto the counter top, "How could I ever think I could save the entire population of the Mutts?"

India placed her hand on mine, preventing me from taking another swig of alcohol, "Because as long as I have known you, you have accomplished anything you have set that crazy mind of yours too. Remember when you were eight? There was a single tile that had shifted in the ceiling, and you stacked as many books, pillows, cushions, anything you could find until you were able to reach it and tilt it an inch to the left." She let out a short laugh, the first time I had heard her laugh for two years. "You even broke the lamp in the process of doing so, all because you wanted that damn tile to be straight."

I pulled my hand away from her, "Saving an entire race is not like fixing a ceiling tile."

"Sure it is," she scooted her bar stool to be facing me with the front of her body, "First, you source out the problem, then, you set your mind to fixing it. Then you need to figure out just what things are going to get you to the top, which in this case probably will not be pillows or old magazines." She smiled, "Once you figure out the things you need, Ireland," she placed her hand on my shoulder, her eyes melting with compassion, "all you need to do is climb up that motherfucker and straighten that tile once and for all."

I laughed quietly, putting my hand overtop of hers. India gave my shoulder a squeeze and lifted herself to her feet, "Now, if you ever need my brilliance for this little plan of yours. I should hope you know where to find me." She tapped on the counter screen to pay for her drinks, "The night is on me. Just don't go wild."

And she left.

~~~

A/N

Yet another chapter! (: Comments?