Externalizing [mxm]

Chapter 10

“Hey, happy Friday,” Ryan said, popping his head into Marc’s office.

Marc still just couldn’t get over that it was only Friday. It felt like too much had happened over the week for it to have only been the course of a few days. Marc nodded in greeting, already knowing what was coming.

“Did you want to come out with us tonight?” Ryan still offered, even knowing that Marc might say yes now.

“Sure,” Marc agreed again, intent on bringing Brendan along again. He’d already set everything up with Terri as well.

“Cool. Drunken Monkey again,” Ryan informed before ducking out and going back to work.

Marc still wasn’t sure the logic behind the name of the bar, but whatever. He finished doing his work for the day and left in time to pick Ariel and Terri up from school. He dropped them off at home, this time already stocked with things for dinner.

He went to pick Brendan up from him house, this time going inside while he waited. Blueberry gave him a curious stare from the living room couch and smiled at him. He still couldn’t remember what her name was other than Blueberry, and he wasn’t sure if that was okay. He smiled back at her to be polite but really just wanted Brendan to hurry up.

Brendan finally came downstairs and put his shoes on at the bottom. “Sorry, I found out I had paint on my face,” he said. “Who knows how long I had it, and of course it takes for me to get home for anyone to tell me.” He pointedly briefly towards Blueberry on the couch, and she smiled proudly.

Marc drove them to the bar, and the group was happy to see both him and Brendan. Marc dressed a little more relaxed than he had before, changing out of his business suit and into some slacks and a shirt. Brendan was wearing short sleeves as well for once, showing off his tattoos. It was a thin white shirt so the one on his back was just barely showing through the fabric as well, only distinguishable by a little bit of black showing through.

Brendan settled in easily with Marc’s co-workers like he’d known them for years. He was too good with socializing, where Marc wasn’t. Marc was more entertained in watching everyone else get smashed, and wondering how they functioned in day to day life when they were drunk or hung over so often.  

One of the girls whispered something in Brendan’s ear, making him laugh and say something back that Marc couldn’t hear. Brendan didn’t drink as much as everyone else, and was able to appear mostly sober through it all. Eventually Ryan declared that they were going to move bars—something about hopping—and invited Marc and Brendan along as well.

“We’re going to Illegal Pete’s,” Ryan informed. At least it wasn’t named after an animal, but it was still a weird name.

Marc and Brendan both shared a quick look on the negative. “No thanks,” Marc said. “I think we’re going to call it soon. Let me know how it goes, though.”

Ryan shrugged and followed everyone else out as they went to walk to the next place, since it wasn’t too far away. Brendan started ordering some glasses of water then as he was trying to sober up.