"You did promise her." Tom reminded him, watching as he straightened his collar again.
"I know." Hal hissed, feeling like an utter fool in a button-up shirt and jeans. "Are you sure this is what people wear?"
"Yeah. It's smart with the shirt and casual with the jeans." Tom explained, throwing a pen into the air and failing miserably to catch it. "You ready, then?"
"I - umm..." Hal frantically ran his hand through his hair, staring wide eyed at his reflection. "Okay. I'll see you downstairs."
Tom stayed sitting here, grinning.
"Tom!" Hal turned, frowning at him. "Go downstairs!"
"Okay, okay - no need to shout." Tom stood up, hands in pockets. "You are coming down, right?"
"Yes, Tom. Just give me a moment. Please." Hal said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He hadn't meant to about at his friend, but nerves were tight tonight.
"You've got five minutes, then I'm coming up to get you." Tom warned, sauntering off and closing the door behind him.
Hal turned back to the mirror, noticing how pale he'd gone.
It had been a bad idea to suggest to Alex that they go for drinks. He hadn't touched alcohol in... In decades. What if it reacted with him in the same way that blood had done? What if he became rude, uncontrollable… inappropriate?
The possibilities were horrifying, so he decided to stick to something benign like apple juice. Or lemonade. Diet, just to be safe.
He fussed with his hair again. No matter what he did, he couldn't make it sit in a way which looked normal.
His hands were shaking.
After closing his eyes and taking a deep, rasping breath, Hal turned from the mirror and followed Tom down the stairs. Each footstep echoed around the house and made his ears ring.
Downstairs, Alex was hissing at Tom.
"Let me have my jacket."
"No, it's warm."
"Tom, I like wearing -"
"If you get really cold, Hal will give you his."
Hal froze, eyes wide, suddenly remembering a very important stage of Tom's plan. He'd left his jacket upstairs.
He turned and ran, sprinting up the stairs and grabbing his jacket from the hanger on the door. So much for trying to look neat and unruffled. He tiptoed back down, taking deep breaths and trying to think about something calming.
"Hal! About time," Tom said loudly, gesturing that he should walk further into the room. Hal's cheek twitched minutely when he saw Alex, wearing a dark blue dress that flared out gently from her waist. Trying to not stare, Hal smiled at her.
"You look nice." His knuckles were white around his jacket, but his voice was steady and sincere. She did look lovely.
"Thanks. You look... Nice, too." She said with a smile and a glance to Tom, who was proudly admiring them both. After a moment, Alex said "Shall we go?"
"Yes, good idea." Hal said quickly, practically leaping towards the door. "We'll be back later, Tom."
"Don't wait up." Alex suggested, shunting Hal through the first door. "Hal, go." She hissed, walking into him. He stumbled and muttered an apology, opening the front door and falling into the street. The sun was going down and the street was shimmering with an orange light, blinding Hal for a moment.
"Have fun!" Tom called after them, shutting the door as soon as Alex had stepped through it.
"I think he's jealous." Alex muttered, walking down the garden path. "But anyway. Where are we going first?"
"First?" Hal repeated, terrified.
"Unless you pass out after one drink and I have to drag your sorry ass home, yeah." She looked back at him, eyebrows raised. "I haven't gone out in months. I'm making the most of this."
"Oh." Hal muttered, catching up with her.
They walked awkwardly side by side for a few minutes until they entered the center of Barry. There were hundreds of people – mainly between the ages of sixteen and twenty four – milling around in the summer heat and Hal felt a sudden urge to hold onto Alex. While they stood still to take in the surroundings and decide on a destination, he held his breath and offered her his hand.
He froze, waiting for her to respond. She smiled at him, a little bemused or humored, before placing her hand in his.
He felt everything from his neck down go numb as he looked at their hands, thinking about how nice it was to touch her.
She pointed towards a bar and said something that he didn't quite catch, but he managed a mixed response of a shrug and a nod before she dragged him in the direction she'd pointed in. He stumbled a bit and nearly walked into a few people, but he clung to her hand and managed to dodge out of their way.
They walked into the bar and were hit at once by a thick wall of music and body odor. Hal stopped in his tracks, trying to not gag on the heavy air.
"Hal?" Alex asked, giving his hand a quick squeeze. His nostrils flared but he answered in a level voice.
"There are many people." He shouted over the noise. She laughed lightly and dragged him to the bar where the music was noticeably quieter.
"Right. You owe me a drink, so vodka and coke, please." Alex said, chirpily smiling at the bartender. He returned the smile and started making her drink. Hal watched nervously as he turned back, handed Alex he drink and looked at Hal expectantly.
"Um..." He looked at Alex, swallowed, and looked back at the bartender. "Just diet lemonade, please."
The bartender gave Hal another look before pouring the drink from the tap, asking for the correct money and returning the change. He walked away and they were left there on their own.
"You're not going to be grumpy all night, are you?" Alex asked, sipping at her drink.
"I'm not." Hal glared at her, realising too late what his mistake was. He forced a smile and shook his head. "I'd explain, but it's too loud."
"Fine." Alex sniffed, looking past Hal to the dance floor. "You don't mind if I try to have a good time, though. Right?"
"Alex -"
"I'm not sitting here all night doing nothing."
Hal sighed. Less than ten minutes in and he'd already ruined everything. His eyes hopped from her to her drink and to his lemonade and he made a quick, rash decision.
"Right. Drink up. We're going to another pub and after this I will order whatever you have." She stared at him, a little bemused. "Promise. I want you to have fun."
She smiled at him and picked her drink up again, taking a bigger mouthful. "Okay, then." She said, smiling. "Why?"
"Why do I want you to have fun?" Hal asked over the din, incredulous. She nodded and he found he'd lost the ability to form words. "Because - I - you - you're important to me." He said eventually, swallowing down half of his tiny lemonade immediately after speaking. He couldn't do this.
She smirked. "I beg your pardon? I can't hear - the music..." She lied, cupping a hand to her ear and winking. Hal laughed and shook his head.
"Oh, Alex." He sighed, finishing his lemonade. "Hurry up!" He added, louder so she could definitely hear.
"Do you want me to get wasted?" She asked, eyes wide. He just shrugged, a little smile on his face.
"It could be fun." He admitted, leaning towards her slightly. She just laughed, taking another swig of her drink. She blinked rapidly and Hal noticed how long and soft her eyelashes looked.
"You're right. But you'd be surprised at how well I can hold my drink."