You Pour My Heart Away • Declan McKenna

Chapter Sixteen

Gabi's house was small, but ever so warm. There were two small sofas and an office chair. Declan sat lonesome on the office chair, spinning, Oli, Nathan and Callum were squished on one of the sofas, Isabel, Hannah and Will were squished on the other. I perched on the arm of one of them, next to Callum. The rest of us were sat on the floor on cosy cushions. Gabi went into the room next door and brought in crates of beer and cider, 2 by 2. We all grabbed a few drinks each and the sound of bottle tops and can lids coming open filled the room with sizzles and clinks. The only people who didn't drink were Hannah and Mikayla. Instead they had a glass of water each, which Oli thought was vodka, so he asked Mikayla for some, he was disappointed to find out it was water and whined like a child in a low range when she told him.
The more beer Declan drank the more loud he got, putting loud rap music on the stereo and making made up gang signs everytime the beat dropped. It was very funny and was the main entertainment we had.
"I need to piss" he said and wandered out the room. He came back 3 seconds later and popped his little head round the corner
"y/n! Keep 'em entertained pleazz"
"Okee"
Since I'd had a few drinks, my confidence level had risen a lot so I got up, cider bottle still in hand.
"Alright, alright alright. Whooo likes Mr David Bowie??"
"I doooo" I heard a few of them murmur and shout
"Ew no" Hannah shouted over everyone else's positive response.
"Don't be such a party pooper Hannah" Harry said looking at her sternly, but not being able to keep his head perfectly still since he was a little bit tipsy.
I went to the stereo and typed into whoever's phone was there
David Bowie
A "Bowie's greatest hits" playlist came up and I pressed it.
Oh! You Pretty Things
Began to play and I used my bottle as a microphone, I knew all the lyrics more than anyone else in the room. Everyone got up and started awkwardly dancing in a cramped way since the room was so small, bottles in hand.
"Wake up your sleepy head, put on some clothes, shake off your bed..." I wasn't in tune, it was far too low for me to sing but I tried.
"...All the strangers came today, and it looks as though they're here to stayy" I heard Declan clomping down the stairs.
"OH! YOU PRETTY THINGS! DON'T YA KNOW YOU'RE DRIVING YOUR MAMAS AND PAPAS INSANE!!" Declan yelled as he came in the room, his voice wheezing cutely on the "oh".
He came over to me and put his arm around my shoulders. We bounced around singing the song, both knowing every single word, not missing one. It was strange because the verses of the song are not particularly loud or rowdy, but the whole group of us singing it made it so loud and messy, changing the dynamics of the song completely.
The song changed to
Right
"Fuck yeah the soul era y/n"
The sweet guitar and African drums surrounded the room.
"Taking it all the right way, never no turning back" Declan sang pulling me away from him and twisting and turning me back into his chest gracefully again and again. Nobody else knew the words so we all just danced, it was fun.

After a few songs Hannah had had enough and she stopped the music.
"I'm sick of Bowie can we listen to something else."
"Ok" We all said collectively, gaining more consciousness now the music had stopped and it was quiet.
She typed something in, and the music started up again. Everyone recognised this song from years ago. 
Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepson
"I threw a wish in the well, don't ask me I'll never tell, I looked at you as it fell, and now you're in my way" Declan and I sang to each other, arm in arm, not bouncing anymore but looking into each others eyes laughing at how we both knew the words to such a cringey 2012 song."Your stare was holding, ripped jeans, skin was showing, hot night, wind was blowing. Where d'you think you're going baby?" He pointed at my ripped jeans up down and grabbed my waist and pulled it towards his. We danced through the rest of the song, laughing with the rest of the squad. The music ended and everyone collapsed to the floor and the seats in exhaustion.
"Who'd have thought Hannah liked Carly Rae Jepson eh?" George said breathlessly, surprised.
"I don't. I wanted a throwback, but more recent than Bowie, so everyone knew the words this time" she looked at Declan.
"Let's put the telly on then" Sofia said sweetly, grabbing the remote off a coffee table and switching the t.v on. Everyone sat down in different places now, Gabi and Mikayla spread out on one sofa, in each other's arms, Declan and I sat next to each other, laid back on the other sofa, with Oli and Will next to us.
The Big Bang theory had just started, everyone was happy enough to watch it. So we sat there episode after episode, not aware of the time.
I checked my phone, 19 messages, all of which from my parents, asking me where I was and if I was okay.
I messaged them back saying I was fine and that everything was okay and that I was at a friends house. I was surprised at how well my drunk mind managed to type a text that made sense, I was pretty proud. It was only 10:00, but I was ever so tired. I wandered round the house trying to find the kitchen. It took me a few seconds to get my sense of direction, but I found it. I looked in all the crates looking for a lucosade or red bull just to keep me awake for a little longer. I suddenly realised that I was rude for not asking, so regrettably, drunk me ran in to the room again and apologised.
"Gabiiii I'm sorry for not asking if you had any glucosade - hahaha get it coz lucosade is mainly made of glucose ahahahhaah"  oh god.
Oli giggled at my shit joke and gave me a dodgy high five
"It's cool y/n there's a crate in my fridgeee"
Gabi yelled and patted me on the back. I jogged to the kitchen again and swiftly opened the fridge. My eyes were scanning for the lucosade.
I heard a sweet voice singing the Big Bang theory theme tune, the voice a bit shaky obviously from the drinks. I looked round, already knowing who it was.
Declan.
He was leaning against the door frame, smiling sweetly at me, eyes blinking slowly, almost closing. He stood there for a while whilst I got the lucosade out of the crate.
"You're really pretty, y/n. Genuinely."
I walked over to him, wobbling from either the intoxication or from the giddiness of being called pretty, since nobody had called me that in a long time, and it was Declan.
I brushed his rosy lips with my finger.
"I'm really not." I shook my head and walked back into the living room, dancing a little.

They were all sat on the floor, playing uno.
"I'll join in the next game" I said. Walking back out the room to find Declan. I bumped straight into him, we both weren't looking where we were going and ended up in a crash.
"Good job" he laughed, holding my hand and leading me upstairs.
He took me into what looked like a storage cupboard. We both sat down with a clunk.
"Guess what?" He whispered into my ear.
"What." I whispered back.
"I know the whole Big Bang theory theme tune, I mean the whole 3 minute version" he said laughing.
"Fucktard." I said rolling my eyes.
"Go on then, sing it" I said. 
He sang it, full out, a Capella-ing all the instruments, it was quite the performance. He finished and I clapped.
"You're such a fucking dork you know that don't you Declan."
He stared at me for a few seconds eyes exploring my face in detail, and he kissed me gently. We made out delicately, trying not to knock anything over in the cupboard. The door opened unexpectedly and we pulled apart and  looked up from each other to find Will staring at us.
"What the bloody hell are you doing in a cupboard?" He looked down at us, confused.
"We were looking for more drinks and we couldn't find any" Declan lied badly.
"Yeah" I said.
"In a storage cupboard?" He asked skeptically.
"Mmhmm - we thought more drinks would be in here, like a pantry." I said.
"You two are bad liars" he laughed.
"Y/n I've literally known you for a few hours and I can read your mind like a magazine"
I laughed sheepishly and got up and gave him a hug. Declan joined us and it was a funny little drunk moment. It was sweet.
Declan and I ran downstairs, I was still swigging on my lucosade. Everyone had their coats on and was ready to leave apart from Mikayla. Gabi was clearing up the drinks in the living room. The whole atmosphere had died, everyone was still loud and mumbling however the energy of the place had depressed because everyone was leaving. Nathan opened the front door and the cold late September night air brushed through the house.
"Bye guys love you all" "nice meeting you y/n" "thank youuuu" "see ya legends" an abundance of good byes were spoken and the door suddenly slammed shut.

*Gabi's point of view*
I knew Declan loved y/n. He never actually told me but it was obvious. Since I was a little drunk that night, I thought it was a good idea to let Dec and y/n stay in my spare room. I thought it would be so cute for them to be together on a little sleepover. I admit, I am so childish drunk.
Once everyone had cleared the house I shouted
"You two love bugs can stay here if you want - I've got a spare bedroom y/n, you n Dec can canoodle in there" God I am cringey drunk.
"Okayy thank youu" y/n and Dec called in unison.
I heard them sprint up the stairs.
Mikayla and I finished cleaning up and we sat on the sofa together, cuddling whilst watching an episode of the Big Bang theory
"I really like y/n. She's really nice." Mikayla said plainly.
"Yeah she is - we're in the same philosophy and ethics class" I replied.
"Mmmm" she hummed in reply.
I kissed her on the cheek and drifted off into a light sleep, I think Mikayla did too. I loved everything in this moment in time.