The Way She Is

Chapter 2 ~ Drunken Confessions

Chapter 2 ~ Drunken Confessions

Phil let out an involuntary gasp at the scene playing out before him on his own living room floor. Backing up, but not realising the door was already closed, his back hit it and all he had left to do was to simply close his eyes, and pray that he hadn't just seen what his mind was telling him he'd just seen.

Dan and Cadance broke apart when they heard Phil gasp, and feeling embarrassed, promptly jumped up off of the floor and away from each other. Quickly re-buttoning up her shirt, Cadance ran to her room and closed the door behind her to hide from the shit storm that was sure to erupt. 

Back in the living room, an eerie silence had settled between the boys. Dan stood awkwardly for a few minutes, unsure as to what to say, so looked everywhere except where Phil was standing. In his head, thoughts were screaming loudly at him, yelling that he should've known it would end badly. Kissing a girl 'just because' isn't a reason to, let alone full on making out with her on your best friends floor when he's just in the other room.

"Phil It-" Dan began, but didn't know how to finish that sentence, because it was exactly what he thought it was, exactly how it had looked. There was no way out of it. "...Sorry." Was all he could muster. At which point, Phil glanced up and smiled.

"Hey, no. I mean, it's fine." He said, before strolling over to his friend and falling back onto the red sofa. "She's your friend but you know, if you want to ... uh ..." Swallowing the lump in his throat, he persevered. " ... Move on from friendship, that's cool too." Grinning up at Dan, he struggled to ignore the feeling of sudden and unnecessary betrayal. 

"Really? Phil, that's great! I mean you wouldn't be like, angry, if me and Cadance were more than friends?" Slouching down next to Phil, he chuckled and kicked his feet up onto the glass coffee table.

"Why did you never tell me you liked her?" He asked, twirling his thumbs in his lap. Dan remained silent a little too long, and with still no answer, got up and went to the fridge.

"Want some beer?" His tone casual and relaxed. Suddenly, the sound of running water filled the quiet apartment. Both boys glanced quickly toward Cadance's door, she was evidently taking a shower. 

"We don't have any, Dan, and don't try to change the topic. Why didn't you tell me?" Phil was now more curious than upset or annoyed. The fact that Dan wanted alcohol seemed to indicate that there was something he didn't consciously or willingly want to admit to. 

"Well, Vodka it is then." Taking the bottle out of the fridge, he unscrewed the cap and drank straights. Lowering the bottle, he noticed Phil's intense stare lingering on him. After a few minutes of drinking glug after glug, he finally put it down on the breakfast bar and whispered harshly, making a conscious effort to keep his voice as low as possible, far below the running water. "What do you want me to say, Phil? That I've always loved her? That before I kissed her I even looked at her like a girl? Of course I didn't. She's a wildcard! A friend! A bloody convict!" He finished by grabbing the booze and taking another glug. He hadn't ever been a good drunk. 

"So ... You don't even love her?" Phil asked, stunned as to what he was hearing from his friend. 

"I don't know. I think I might now." Wearing a look of pure perplexity, he stumbled back into the living room and fell back almost onto Phil. He was promptly shoved off and the alcohol taken from him. 

"You need to go to bed." Getting up, and hauling Dan with him, he pointed Dan toward his bedroom. As soon as the door was closed, Phil lifted the bottle to his own lips and downed the rest, wincing as it burnt the back of his throat. 

At that point, Cadance emerged wearing her pyjamas and carrying a glass. They caught each others gaze and held eye contact as she padded the length of the room and into the kitchen. Her hair was damp and wavy, darker than usual because of the moisture. Emerald eyes looked stunning even with no make up. He noticed her pyjamas for the first time, and how they clung to her figure flatteringly. 

"You shouldn't drink, Phil." She grinned as she handed him the glass to fill up for her. 

"Trust me, I'm a much better drunk than loverboy in there." He inclined his head toward Dan's bedroom door and the soft snoring issuing from within. Cadance giggled and thanked him for the water. 

"I can imagine, Philip." She winked, then departed back to her room.

Maybe there was still a sliver of hope that he could hold on to...