THE GHOST IN YOU - IT [2]

chapter four

Different alcoholic beverages are passed around in a frenzy. The aroma of booze and fried food is potent, though their food hadn't been catered to them quite yet. For now, they drank on empty stomachs, which of course resulted in near instant tipsiness. Jaime realized she had never gotten drunk with any of the others before, and she vocalized that thought. They all laughed as they realized this, then Richie says he got drunk with Eddie on the night of his seventeenth birthday. Eddie flushes and tells him to shut up. Richie claims Eddie began roaming the streets, slurring along to Cyndi Lauper, and Richie (who is currently near tears explaining this) could only find him because of how loud he was. Everyone laughs at the mental image (except Eddie, whom is fuming like a child.)

The waitress returns with platters upon platters of fried Chinese food and noodles. Before she leaves, she pours each of the seven a shot of some fire-colored alcohol that Jaime knows she's never had. They cheers, glasses clinking together, and down their shots instantly.

Richie takes note of the ring on Eddie's finger and says, "so, wait, Eddie, you got married?"

"Yeah, why's it so fucking funny, dickwad?" Eddie fires back.

"What, to like, a woman?"

Eddie points his chopstick at the other man. "Fuck you, bro."

Richie cackles. "Fuck you!" Jaime would tell him to quiet down had she not been giggling so much.

"So what about you, trashmouth? You married?" Bill asks. The table erupts in amused chaos.

"There's no way Richie's married!" Beverly insists loudly.

Jaime swallows a bite of her wonton. "I barely lasted three years with the guy!"

Everyone laughs, but Richie scowls at her. "Fuck you, too, Jay! I did get married!"

"Richie, I don't believe it." Beverly says, shaking her head as she stuffs a piece of broccoli in her mouth.

Richie looks to Eddie, face now fallen in offense. "You didn't know I got married?"

Eddie shakes his head incredulously. "No."

"No, well, me and your mom are very, very happy together."

Bill snorts beer everywhere, some emitting onto Jaime's heather grey t-shirt. She swats at him playfully.

"No, no, sometimes she'll put her arm around me and," Richie proceeds to do a surprisingly impressive Jabba the Hutt impression.

"We get it. My mom is a great big fat person! Hilarious! Hysterical!" Eddie retorts.

"Okay, let's talk about the elephant not in the room. Ben..." He gestures across the table to Ben. "The fuck, man?"

Ben sets his glass down with a sheepish smile. "Okay, okay, obviously I lost a few pounds."

"No shit you lost a few pounds!" He says.

"You look great." Jaime tells him.

"Not just great, like, hot." Richie says. "You're like, every Brazilian soccer player wrapped up into one person."

"Leave him alone." Beverly says teasingly, but the warning is clear. "You're embarassing him." Richie drops it there.

"So, Jay," Mike starts, smiling when she visibly shrinks away. "I was listening to the radio the other day--"

"Your first mistake." She interrupts, giggling.

"--and I heard your name... you produce music? Like, for a living?"

She toys with the wrapper around her beer bottle. "I suppose I do."

"What the fuck does that mean?"