The first time I meet William Beckett, I am just past tipsy, and slowly sliding into gloriously drunk. Victoria, my muse, and Ryland, my partner in crime, are discussing our latest adventure, befriending a Mormon boy named Brendon.

I am watching people dance when I see a heavyset man getting all up in the space of a delicate boy (or maybe girl, I can't quite tell), wearing a soft green scarf and looking rather uncomfortable.

I get up, intent on rescuing the poor creature, Victoria and Ryland arguing animatedly behind me. I am halfway to the scarf-bearer when they push the man away and go to leave. Unfortunately, a few seconds before this, someone had dropped their beer, broken glass going everywhere. Green Scarf slips on the spilt
beer, and falls. I reach down to help him up, and he shies away from my hands. I crouch down and try introducing myself first.

"Hi, I'm Gabe"

"William" he replies.

"Are you okay?"

"Yup." William starts to get up, but when he tries to put weight on his right leg, he grimaces and sits back. "Maybe not so much."

"Want some help?"

"Nah, I'll be fine."

I snort. No way is this kid fine. If he can't even stand up by himself, he probably needs medical attention. I would suggest going to hospital, but something tells me that William won't go. Luckily, being friends with the owner of the bar has its perks.

Pulling William up to his feet, I turn to Bob, the bouncer.

"This young man needs medical attention, but hospital isn't an option. Ideas?"

"Tearoom. It has a first aid kit."

"Thank you dearest Robert. Remind me to buy you a drink sometime."

"You haven't paid for a drink in years."

"Oh yeah. Well, I will buy you candy then. Deal?"

"Deal."

In the tearoom I deposit William on the sink and go searching through the cupboards for the first aid kit. I sing to myself, and when I find the kit I turn to see William watching me with bemusement.

"What are you singing?"

"The Finding Song. Its from a BBC kids show. My nieces are a bit obsessed." He suddenly grins, wide and happy. I smile back. "Okay. Either you can take your shoe off, or I can. Pick a card, any card."

"You're drunk aren't you?"

"Just a teensy bit."

When I finish wrapping his ankle in a bandage, William jumps down from the sink, light as a cat.

"Well, that was fun, but I have to go."

"What? It's only-" I checked the time, "midnight. Are you secretly Cinderella?"

William sighed.

"No Gabe, I'm not Cinderella. But I do need to go. I'll see you around."

"I'd hate to see you leave, but I would love to watch you go."

"You wouldn't be able to afford me. But really, I have somewhere to be. Goodnight Gabe."

William traipses through the crowd as if his ankle isn't sprained, green scarf flowing behind him.

I trail after him, before being snagged by a drunk Victoria.

"Dude, where were you? Nevermind that, Ryland thinks that ninjas would win, but he is clearly wrong. It's obviously pirates. They have parrots that could peck your eyes out."