Author's Note: For the approximately five of you who are actually following my stories ;o), you know that I personally prefer to stick pretty strictly to canon. This story marks what I consider to be my first real liberties taken with embellishment on the character development of Nick, but Jess in particular. At this time I don't intend to make it a major thread of my future stories, but for now, I thought it added a nice little knife-twist of angst. Oh, I do so love angst. ;o)
It was one in the afternoon the day after the wedding before Nick came crawling, like a grumpy bear, out of his cave. Winston was sitting at the table eating cereal, and although it was obvious he hadn't been up long either, he was clearly in much better shape than Nick was.
"Hair of the dog?" Winston asked, as Nick popped open a beer.
Nick didn't answer, just sat down, plopped his cheek down against the cool table, and looked up at his roommate like a dead fish.
"Dude. What happened last night?"
"Aw, man, are you serious? You don't remember?"
"I remember...little bits of...stuff that couldn't possibly have actually occurred."
"Don't bet on it," grinned Winston, "That wedding was the BOMB. Jess ROCKED it!"
"Jess?"
"Dude, she punched that wedding in the teeth! You've seriously got to stop drinking so much, Nick. You don't even remember some of the best times."
"Please just tell me that there is no chance that I did the chicken dance in slow motion, or participated in a contest in which the primary goal was to catch an unbroken bubble on the tip of your nose."
Winston just grinned.
"No, no, NO," moaned Nick. "I made a complete fool out of myself in front of Caroline, didn't I?"
"Well yes," Winston rolled his eyes, "But that's a separate issue entirely."
Just then Jess came breezing through the door, throwing her library bag in the direction of the couch. (Who is still old-fashioned enough to get their books at the LIBRARY? Jess, that's who.)
"Greetings, Mr. Bubble, I boooow to you," she curtsied in Nick's direction. But other than that, she headed straight to throw her arms around Winston, who immediately welcomed her into his lap.
"Good afternoon, my lord!"
"And to you, my lady!"
Nick cocked a rumpled and befuddled head at them.
"Oh, haven't you heard Nick? Winston and I are LOVAHS, now!"
"It's true Nick. We've bonded. You should have SEEN this girl last night! She was on fire!"
Jess pantomimed her "ON FIIIRE!" hands, and Winston continued, "Seriously though Jess, I couldn't have won that dance-off without you as my partner. You were inspired...like something possessed."
"Ohhh," she demurred, "Please, it was just a few moves I've been perfecting in front of my mirror at night since age 13. HEY, SCHMIDTY!"
Schmidt drug in, clearly doing the walk of shame, and joined them listlessly. "Hey kids. What's new."
"You mean BESIDES the fact that Jess and Winston are now sitting in a tree?" Nick asked grumpily. The roommates in question just put their heads together and posed cheesily, as if for engagement pictures.
"How was your night?" Jess asked Schmidt cheekily.
"Jess, you know how it was. Please don't ask how it was. Please let's never again speak of the abomination that last night was."
"Oh come on Schmidt, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater...parts of last night were amaaaazing. Tell him! Tell Nick how awesome Jess was!"
Even in his current mood, Schmidt had to smile. "Seriously man?" He asked Nick, "You don't remember?"
"Maybe I just don't want to remember, " Nick mumbled defensively.
Schmidt ignored him. "That was the wedding to end all weddings, man. I have never had so much non-sexual fun in my life. Jess got asked to M.C. two more weddings, and a bat mitzvah.
Jess nodded confirmation. Nick was still confused.
"Jess...what? Jess M. the wedding?" Just how drunk had he been?
"No man, but...nevermind, you just had to be there. I mean, obviously you were there, but..." Schmidt pantomimed drinking from a bottle.
"Ok did you people ever stop to think that drinking also helps me forget stuff I don't wantto remember?"
"Yeah," Winston said, "But most of the moments you need to forget probably wouldn't ever even occur if you weren't drinking to begin with."
A sudden silence squelched the previous light mood, until Jess popped up out of Winston's lap, saying, "Whew, uh, heavy stuff, yeah...I'm just gonna go put my books away in my room. Anyone up for Chinese tonight?"
"Eat out or take out?" asked Schimdt.
"Eat out."
"Naw, I don't think I'm ready to be seen in public yet. Not until I've conducted all 12 steps of the ritual cleansing that will purify me from the debauchery of last night."
Their voices faded away as they headed to their respective rooms, leaving Nick and Winston alone at the table together again.
Winston was the first to break the awkward silence. "Look...Nick...I'm sorry..."
But Nick stood up, interrupting him, "Naw man. It's all good. I'm a drunk. I do drunk things and don't remember them the next day. I'm used to it. Just tell me what I absolutely have to know before I see Caroline again, and no more. But not right now. I can't do this right now." And he disappeared towards his room as well, leaving Winston shaking his head over his cheerios.