the hangover pt II-phil wenneck

two

"Does my hair look normal?" you ask, both you and Phil walking hand in hand towards the venue.

"It looks fine, baby. You'd never be able to tell. And, we're on time, would you look at that?" he chuckles, kissing your forehead. The first part of the night had gone by quick, you and Phil catching up with the people you knew and then introducing yourselves to some new people. Then came the part where you all sat down, having drinks and making toasts, and Lauren's little brother's cello solo. He beautifully played the song, everyone watching him adoringly as he portrayed his talent. That's when Alan's hadn't reached over from next to you, tapping Phil's shoulder. You both look over, watching Alan give you and thumbs down and plugging his nose before awkwardly turning your heads to look back at the front.

"Oh, god, this is going to be a rough week," you mumble. He finishes his song, everyone clapping and cheering.

"All right!" Stu smiles, Sitting at the head of the table right in front of you. You hear the clinking god a glass, everyone turning their heads to see Lauren's dad stood up at the other end of the table, a smile on his face as well.

"Thank you, Teddy. The hands of a brilliant musician. And one day, a great surgeon. I admit it, when I first met Stu, I was not quite sold," he says, Stu laughing quietly.

"He seemed unattractive. He lacked intelligence and imagination," he says. Doug looks over at you from across the table, scoffing softly with a smile on his face. You shrug, a chuckle falling past your lips.

"He was missing that spark you look for in a man." Stu awkwardly looks down, looking back over at Lauren sitting next to him.

"But then, I look into Stu's eyes. He reminded me of my sweet brother, Chaiyo. For those that do not know, Chaiyo is learning disabled and lives in a group home," you say, and you have to hold back your laughter at the choice of person he'd chosen to compare Stu to. But, Alan on the other hand, laughs out loud, everyone at the table looking over at him with disgusted looks.

"But, Chaiyo loves chok," he says, you and Phil glancing over at each other wide-eyed.

"Chok? Is that what I just heard?" Phil asks you.

"I don't think that's what he means. I hope," you snort.

"And that's when I realized Stu is chok," he says.

"What's chok?" you hear Stu ask Lauren quietly. Lauren makes a face, almost like she doesn't want to say what he means.

"Chok is soft white rice in lukewarm water. It has no taste. We feed it to small baby and very old people. It is nourishment that everyone can digest." Oh, god, you feel bad for Stu right now. He has the most unimpressed look on his face you had ever seen.

"The world needs chok. Just like the world needs people like Stu. To my sweet daughter and Stu. Congratulations," he says, holding up his glass.

"Hear, hear," Phils says, people chuckling softly as they mumble 'cheers', everyone holding up their glass before sipping. You furrow your eyebrows when Alan puts his lips over the entire rim of the glass, chugging it back.

"And now I believe that Teddy has something to say," he says, sitting back down. Teddy stands up, preparing to make a speech when Alan places a hand on his leg.

"Sit down, I got this. Sit down, boy," he says, standing up and leaving teddy to awkwardly sit back down.

"That was a great speech, sir," he starts off.

"This isn't gonna end well," you mumble in Phil's ear.

"It never does," he says.

"I like the comparisons between, uh, Stu and-and-and rice. I've also prepared a few words," he says, pulling out cue cards.