It was awkward.

Really awkward and all I wanted to do was just go home. It was a mistake coming here with the boys, not to mention a little too dangerous for my own good. It also didn't help that I was sitting here and watching the people I love and care about downing drink and drink, slowly ruining the one and only liver that they have. But I couldn't say anything. No. Because if I did, then I'd just look like the little worry wart I am. Which I couldn't help, I just knew I had to be concerned of every possible thing that could go wrong. It's what my sister would of wanted.

I continued to fumble with the hem of the black shirt I had chose to wear with just a pair of jeans. I had pretty much stayed with Havoc the whole night. He insisted on picking me up at my house and walking me here. He didn't feel the need to bring a car because he didn't know how smashed hew as going to get and I offered to bring mine, but he didn't like that idea either. He actually thought I was going to drink.

Not likely.

Or so I thought.

Little did I know though, that the lovely men I had chose to spend the evening with had other plans. They had all thought ahead on how they were going to get me to drink. Whether it be just a sip or fifty. They were going to get at least a drop of alcohol in me tonight and Havoc was hoping to maybe get me to at least take another puff of those death sticks we used to smoke together.

They would succeed and I would find out why they were pushing so much for me to do these things I had given up. Things I had given up for good reasons. Well, reasons I thought were good anyway.

The waitress walked over and she looked oddly familiar but I didn't think much of it. I let the boys order and of course what is the first thing they get. A round of beers. They start off light before they brought the heavier stuff. I didn't look up, not really going to order. I wasn't really thirsty, but I looked up, feeling all eyes on me.

"Um…I'll have a water, please?" I muttered nervously, smiling at the waitress. She stood there and stared for a moment, her mouth twitching and then she glared. Her brows furrowed together and her head shook softly, before she walked away. She quickly scurried around the tables and went through the closed doors and I could notice someone standing behind them. I just didn't know who.

The girl looked very familiar with long black hair and she had bright purple eyes, but she kept them hidden behind her dark hair. I just couldn't put my finger on where I had seen her or why she looked so familiar.

"Lacey are you seriously going to order water at a bar?" Hughes, pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and rested his chin on his hand, glancing over at me. "I'm the married one with a child and I won't even do that, which reminds me! WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOOK AT A PICTURE OF MY LITTLE PRINCESS?"

"You already showed me when we got here Hughes. She's beautiful. Just like her mother." I smiled warmly over at Hughes and did my best to ignore the question he had asked before. I didn't want to be put out on the spot. Was it really so bad to order water at a bar? I surely had to of done it before.

"Oh. I'm sorry! I just love to show off Baby Elyse so much! She's adorable really. I mean just last week she…" I tuned the rest of it out, not really wanting to hear the story that had been going around our small office all morning and till we got off and were aloud to go out. It also seemed that he like to stay around me and tell me most of his stories. I guess it was because I was mainly the only one who listened.

"You didn't answer his first question, Lacey."

It was that one statement that started it all. From that one little sentence, the rest of the night turned into a spiraling blur. I won't lie. I did have fun that night, but I'm getting ahead of myself and not how it all actually happened. We have to go in order here.

I looked over at the other end of the table at Roy and raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

"Hughes asked if you were really going to order water at a bar? You never answered it." He spoke calmly and slipped a teasing smirk onto his handsome face. I swallowed slowly and shrugged my shoulders.

"I suppose so, otherwise I wouldn't of ordered it. I'm not in the mood to drink." I said nonchalantly. And I really wasn't. I don't even remember how I was persuaded to come tonight.

"Then what was the point of coming tonight, if you're not going to enjoy yourself?" His smirk intensified and he crossed his arms on the table, leaning over. He looked so damn full of himself and he used that for his advantage. He wasn't afraid of anything.

"You need to drink to enjoy yourself?" I sniped back and his eyes showed that he was shocked, but he covered that up quickly and raised a brow to the ceiling. Everyone else at the table stayed quiet through this ordeal.

"No. I just remember you used to be the one to drink the most. You'd think you'd were scared of drinking or something." It was then the waitress came over again, keeping her head down, she quickly dispersed the drinks, but I didn't react to her, my eyes stayed locked with Roy's. His stayed with mine too and he picked up his mug of beer, taking a sip, his eyes staying locked with mine.

"Scared?" I questioned, my tone dripping with disbelief. I locked my jaw and continued to stare him down. He brought his drink from his lips and nodded. I glanced around all the other faces at the table. They were all watching me closely, wondering what my response would be to something like that. If there was one thing I couldn't stand, was being asked if I was too scared to do something. I always had and always will. It was probably one of my strongest points and also one of my worst weaknesses.

I glanced at Jean, who was staring at me with a bored expression. He hadn't even touched his beer yet. I glanced down at him and then back up at him. Without bothering to ask, I grabbed his drink and brought the mug up to my lip and started to gulp it down. I grimaced at the taste and memories flooded back on how much I actually hated this stuff. There were a few gasps at the table, but I slammed the mug down on the table, the glass now empty.

Roy continued to smirk and I returned the favor.

"How's that for scared?"

He chuckled.

And from that point on that night was a blur, but if there was one thing I remembered. I don't think Havoc had one drink that night. Not even a sip.

* * *

I buried my head further into the pillow, hoping to block out the light that was streaming in from the window. I don't know how the light got threw, my curtains, they were usually very good at ending any light that came through. Maybe I had forgotten to close them the night before. I probably did come in late and didn't worry about closing them. It was a sort of crazy night, from what I can remember.

My eyes shot open and I stared up at the ceiling and then quickly squinted away against the blaring light. It made the headache I just realized I had intensify. I rolled over and buried my head in the pillow and tried my best to recall the events from the night before. It all flooded back at once.

The bar.

Roy's manipulative ways.

The first drink and the many that followed.

I laid there for a long time, trying to remember how I got home and how I got here in my bed. It didn't matter how long I tried to think, nothing came. My first reaction was that I was just a little too drunk when I got home to remember such things. So I decided to push it aside and do my best to get ready for the day. I was probably already really late for work.

With squinting eyes I turned over on my back and stretched my arms above my head. I couldn't really see the room from my squinting eyes, so I walked over to the window, tripping over countless things. I never knew I had this much stuff on my floor. I needed to clean up more. Once I reached the window, my eyes were practically closed, fighting away the brightness of the sun. I reached blindly and quickly found the curtains, slamming them closed.

I held my head as I turned around, the throbbing pain got worse when I started to move around. Maybe it wasn't the smartest idea to go to work today, but if I didn't I'd feel terrible. I went out the night before, even if I didn't remember most of it, knowing the consequences that were most likely going to follow. So I had to go, just needed to get my head back on my shoulders.

I slowly opened my eyes and when I slowly saw I wasn't in my room, my eyes shot open. The floor was littered with clothes, carelessly thrown here and there. I wouldn't of freaked out as much, but they were men's clothes. I looked around the room furiously. It was a dorm room at Central, so that would make it harder sneaking out. This couldn't be happening, I quickly looked down and was glad to see I was still fully dressed. Just a little disgruntled, but I had to take that as a good sign.

I took a deep breath and found my shoes that were laying on the floor and quietly crept to the door and slowly opened it, glancing around. The halls were deserted and I couldn't hear anything. I slipped out of the door carefully, closing it silently behind me. I was probably going to extremes, but I just knew this looked bad, especially with my old reputation.

I walked cautiously down the halls, looking everyway, paranoid of who might see me. It was the last thing I needed. So I was surprised who I ran into.

I didn't see him and I don't think he saw me. I was looking behind me, because I thought I heard a door close and didn't know if someone was back there, thus causing me to walk right into someone. I froze as arms wrapped around, steadying me from falling backwards.

"Whoa there Lace. I don't think you should be moving around. Especially because of last night."

I slowly looked up, past the sea of red that clouded my face and I saw my best friend. Havoc. I smiled nervously and quickly disentangled myself from his arms. This was just great, not only did I get caught in the men's dorm, but I got caught by my best friend. This was humiliating.

"I'm fine." I muttered and glanced around the empty hallway, hugging myself, feeling very uncomfortable and out of place.

"I was hoping to make it back to my room before you woke up. I was bringing you some water and Aspirin, but I see I was too late." I looked up at Jean with wide eyes and then down at his hands. He extended them to me, one holding a bottle of water and the other a bottle of pills.

"I was in your room?" I whispered, and fear set in. What the hell happened last night? I couldn't remember any of and I just prayed, that nothing happened between us.

"Yea. You got really drunk last night and I didn't want you walking home alone and I wasn't about to go through your purse and find your keys. That just didn't seem right, so I brought you here and let you stay in my room. I didn't trust some people last night." He explained, opening the container of pills and grabbed my hand pouring two into my palm. He then gave me the water. "Take them, they'll help with the headache I know you have." I listened, popping the pills into my mouth and downing them with some water. I took a deep breath and looked up at Havoc, who was lighting a cigarette and then around the abandoned hallway once more.

"Um…Jean…we didn't happen to…you…know?" I looked over at Jean, a blush rising to my cheeks. He stared at me confused for a minute, before a blush grazed his cheeks also. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head furiously.

"No! No! I couldn't do that to you. Not when you're drunk and we're friends." I sighed in relief and smiled. "Thanks for being a good friend. There is no telling what would of happened to me last night if you didn't."

His arms slowly wrapped around me and he rested his cheek on the top of my head. "Yea. No problem." He said softly and I smiled, feeling comfortable in his arms. "Well I guess you're going to be wanting to go home and get ready for the day or take it off. I don't actually know how you're feeling."

I nodded, pulling out of his hug and I smiled. "Thanks again Havoc. I'm sure I'll feel better after a shower and some coffee."

Havoc nodded and cleared his throat again. "Do you want me to drive you home? It's a long walk from here."

"Sure." I smiled and Havoc nodded, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders and walked to out of the building. "But you know, it was nice having you come out last night. I haven't seen the real Lacey in a while."

The real Lacey.

I don't even think I remember any more.

It's amazing how tragedies can change someone.

But I wonder, what do you have to do to get them back?