Friend to Lovers Pt. 10

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"Be still my heart; thou hast known worse than this." I mumbled to myself, sitting on my bed, waiting for Xavier and Lucy to be done with showering.
The others, that had to leave, already did so. Without goodbyes or farewells.
Well, I didn't really know anyone of them, so who cares. Okay, the others did, but that wasn't my problem. Or so I thought.
Let me tell you something, dating another initiate is all easy peasy, but if one of them doesn't manage to get through initiation, that's when the lemons come.
Carry has been crying all evening and I could tell, there was a headache on the way. So I got an idea.
Eric and I once stole one or two bottles of liquor from my father. Yes. I received hits for that afterwards, but it helped forgetting everything for the moment.
As soon as Xavier got out of the shower, I told him my idea and he agreed grinning.
Together we ran to the stores, entering the one that had a liquor department.
"Okay, I have no idea what we should take." Looking over at Xavier, I instantly knew that he knew exactly what would help best. He grinned at the bottles as if he just met a long-lost friend.
"Alright, I'll leave you alone with the alc. I'll see if I can get some cups. We meet in front of this store in five minutes."
I ran down to the cafeteria, hoping that no one except the sweet old lady would be there. And once in my life, I was lucky. She stood there, still cleaning the plates from dinner.
"Uhm...excuse me?" I timidly walked into the kitchen looking around.
"What can I do for you sweetie?" She smiled at me drying her hand on the apron she was wearing.
"I somehow need eleven to twelve cups? And I thought, maybe I could borrow them from here?"
"Sure, just bring them back tomorrow, okay?" She took a tray and put twelve cups on it. "Thank you so much. I'll bring them back!" I took the tray and ran out, hearing her laughing behind me.
I returned to the store area, seeing Xavier waiting but without any bottles.
"Where is the liquor?" I put the tray on the ground looking behind Xavier to see if he hid the liquor there. "They wouldn't sell it to me." He pouted, looking at the floor.
"That's a problem, I know to solve. You take the cups to the dorm. I'll be there in a few minutes." Without asking he nodded and walked away, tray in hand.
I began running again, thankful that Four took us on many runs.
At the infirmary I used the way I've once before walked, ending up in the leading quarters. Already knowing one which door I have to knock, I did.
"Okay, before you ask me what I'm doing here, let me say that I know that I hate you right now, but I need your help." I explained everything to Eric and he couldn't keep a small smirk of his lips.
He agreed helping me under the condition that he can ask me for a favour. Having no other possibility than agreeing he took me to the liquid store and bought me the stuff I needed.
"Thanks Eric, see you!"

I ran as fast as my feet would carry me to the dorms, bottles safely in my arms. As soon as I entered, Lucy and Xavier looked up and I showed them the bottles.
"Ready?" They nodded and Lucy started handing out the cups, while Xavier began playing on the guitar. I followed Lucy, pouring the liquor into the cups.

We could just go home right now
Or maybe we could stick around
For just one more drink
Oh yeah
Get another bottle out
Let's shoot the breeze
Sit back down
For just one more drink
Oh yeah

Here's to us
Here's to love
All the times
That we messed up
Here's to you
Fill the glass
Cause the last few days
Have gone too fast
So let's give em hell
Wish everybody well
Here's to us
Here's to us

Stuck it out this far together
Put our dreams through the shredder
Let's toast cause things got better
And everything could change like that
And all these years go by so fast
But nothing lasts forever

Here's to us
Here's to love
All the times
That we messed up
Here's to you
Fill the glass
Cause the last few nights
Have gone to fast
If they give you hell
Tell em to forget themselves
Here's to us
Here's to us

Here's to all that we kissed
And to all that we missed
To the biggest mistakes
That we just wouldn't trade
To us breaking up
Without us breaking down
To whatever's come our way

The other joined me singing, some of them apparently knew the lyrics, others didn't and just followed my lead. Either way, the feeling was amazing!

Here's to us, Here's to us!
Here's to us, Here's to love
All the times
That we messed up
Here's to you
Fill the glass
Cause the last few days
Have gone too fast
So let's give em hell
Wish everybody

Well!

Here's to us
Here's to love
All the times
That we messed up
Here's to you
Fill the glass
Cause the last few nights
Have gone too fast
If they give you hell
Tell em forget themselves
Here's to us, Here's to us
Oh here's to us
Here's to us, Here's to us
Here's to love
(Here's to us) Wish everybody well
Here's to us, Here's to love
Here's to us, Here's to us

Everyone cheered and laughed, not a single tear flowed. We did it.

From my place on my bed I could see Eric standing by the stairs, observing us. Standing up, I filled a cup and walked over to him.
"Thank you. I mean it. I don't really like you at the moment and you definitely deserve that, but I still need to thank you. So, yeah. If you want to, you can join your super cool initiates!"
"So you don't hate me anymore?" He took the cup and sipped at the liquor.
"I never said that. But maybe, I owe you something and this is my way to say thanks." I turned around and walked back to the others. Sitting down besides Xavier, I watched Eric making his way over to us. "What's he doing here?" Xavier leaned his head down to whisper in my ear.
"He helped me get the liquor." I laughed at his shocked expression. Well, to be honest I too, didn't expect Eric to help me, but I'm glad he did.
He sat down on one of the beds and everything was quiet. "You don't need to become all quiet just because of me." His voice was stern, still in leader mode. I shot him a glance and he immediately got it. "I mean...I'm not here as a leader, so don't worry, okay?" This time his voice was a little bit softer. Not exactly what I hoped for, but it was a beginning.
Soon, the happy atmosphere was back and everyone was smiling and laughing.
Xavier continued to play the guitar and I sang from time to time.
Way too soon, someone came down the stairs, staring at us with a shocked expression.
"What the hell happened here?" Four stood at the foot of the stairs, his eyes wide.
"Come on number boy! Don't be so Abnegation and come here. Drink something!" Eric grinned at Four, clearly drunk.
"When did Eric have so much to drink?" I asked Xavier but he didn't know the answer. "He drank one and a half bottle of whiskey alone!" Mia shout-whispered and I couldn't supress a chuckle.
In the meantime, Eric was wobbling towards Four, a cup full of liquor in his hand. "You are drunk Eric. Go to your apartment. And you! Tomorrow is visiting day, if any of you show one single sign of a hangover, I'll throw you down the chasm." He took Eric's arm and dragged him out the dorm.
"Okay, as much as I hate to admit it, Four is right! Let's go to sleep. We're keeping the liquor for another time! Please wash the cups, so I can bring them back tomorrow!" I stood up and instructed the others. Surprisingly they did what I told them, and soon I had all the cups back on the tray.

After a few more minutes almost everyone was sound asleep. Xavier and I quietly talked about this and that and soon fell asleep too, in high hopes for tomorrow. After all, the day way free. But I didn't expect what was waiting for me.

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