NOTE: Hey yall! I split up the last chapter, so I'm posting this one now. Will get the out angst soon, and will post sooner, promise. Until then, enjoy the fun drunk dialogue :)

Also, disclaimer. I might TECHNICALLY need a trigger warning for how this story is progressing, but I don't want to add it, really, because this story is huge and fluffy and its not really a large factor. But, just in case, HERE is the trigger warning for Implied Attempted Non-Con. You have been warned.

Also, fuck Wickham. 👿 He's awful.
but enjoy the story, nevertheless. Leave a review if you so wish!


They— Lizzy and Jorge— didn't talk of heavy things, mind you. THAT wasn't proper bar-talk. Jorge told her so, and Lizzy agreed.

They just.. talked about other stuff. Stupid stuff. Like Jorge learned that Lizzy was still in school and working at the QuickaSnack (she promised to hook him up with some free caffeine Every now and then) along with the fact she thought AC/DC was overrated and that she had thrown up at her Bat Mitzvah, Lizzy found out that Jorge was in Haertford for the summer with no real plans, he liked Indian food (the spicier the better), used to collect tropical fish, and could stomach enormous amounts of alcohol.

And Lizzy drank her share too. She normally didn't— having researched brain studies about alcohol's effects on young folk— but tonight she just wanted to let loose. She even played a private drinking game with herself! Every time her traitorous mind would conjure up William's face (whatever the expression), she took a drink. She took two if she thought of him looking disapproving, four if he was kissing her.

Five hours later and Lizzy was well on her way to black-out drunk.

Jorge Wickham though (or Wick, as she had started calling him) had drunk at least twice her fill, and was still able to sing (read: yell) along to whatever song the DJ happened to be playing without slurring his words. That did not, however, make him anywhere near a good singer.

"God, you sound horrible," Lizzy laughed. Her elbows were the only things keeping her from sliding off the bar, but she felt more relaxed than she had in ages. "Seriushly. Seerushly. Serusly. Whatever. You need vocal lessons!"

"I do not!" Wickham laughed back, "I sound wonderful, what are you talking about!"

Lizzy leaned forward and poked his nose. She counted that as an answer.

Wickham looked like he was getting ready to poke or tickle or tease her (or something?) but Charlotte just HAD to show up.

"Hey, bestie," Charlotte said with a grin. She looked a little buzzed, but Lizzy was more concentrating on the man whose arm was currently around her best friend.

"Meet Denny," Charlotte introduced.

"Hullo," Denny said.

He had dirty blonde hair and a halo glow stick. He was smiling off to the side. Denny was tall. Not as tall as William.

Lizzy took a drink.

"Um, Liz, how much have you had?"

Charlotte's voice was too quiet over the music, but Lizzy supposed she was probably yelling. She frowned in concentration. How much had she had?

"More than enough, pr'bly," she answered with a sloppy grin. She patted Wickham's shoulder. "I'll ask our good buddy bartender for a water."

"Yeah," Charlotte said distantly, "Do that." She bit her lip, looking up at Denny, who had a similar worried expression. "Um, Liz? You need me to drive you home?"

Lizzy frowned. She didn't like the worry lines on Charlotte's forehead. There were too many of them. She waved off her friend's request nonchalantly. "Nah, s'cool! I can walk."

"I don't think you can," Charlotte said, again with the worry lines, as she glanced down to where Lizzy was wobbly maintaining a semblance of a stance.

Before Lizzy could open her mouth and say something she'd later regret, Wickham covered her hand on the bar and addressed Charlotte. "Don't worry. I'll make sure she's safe."

Charlotte's thin eyes narrowed further, assessing Lizzy's companion— clearly not liking what she found. She turned back to her friend with a petulant, but resigned, frown. "Oh...Kay."

Lizzy smiled and nodded a few times; she hoped it looked reassuring. But by the time the Denny guy led Charlotte away and towards the door, Charlotte's worry line's had yet to abscond the perch.

Perch. That was a funny word. Rhymed with lurch. And church, Lizzy supposed. Search. Dirtch.. no, dirtch wasn't a word. Neither was mirtch. Hm... What else rhymed with… with.. wiiiithhh... what was the word again?

Will! Will would know.

Oh, wait. Lizzy frowned at her newly procured water glass. Hmph, can't do a drinking game with plain ol' water. Ah well.

What was she doing again? OH RIGHT. Rhyming. Timing, criming, miming, liming.. Lizzy giggled to herself. Oh yeah, she was also texting Will!

She smiled to herself, all thoughts of his recent coldness and distance forgotten. Will was nice. And kind and tall and strong and smelled good. All good qualities in a man. He was a good man.

And she was texting him! That was what she was doing! And rhyming, rhyming too.

She pulled out her phone, and scrolled to contacts. She didn't have a picture for Will. Shame.

'Hiya Will,' Lizzy texted, 'Do u kno what rhymes?'

A second later, funny little dots appeared. '? Elize, where are you?'

'Thas not a answer,' Lizzy typed out, smiling, 'and im talkin abou ryhmes'

She added as an after thought: 'im a the bar'

'Alone?' Was his immediate response. 'It's 2am. Are you drinking? ALONE?'

Lizzy frowned again and huffed. God. Typical Will. Not a good man. He probably thought that because she didn't have any friends, that she was ugly and stupid and no one liked her, just because he thought.. all those things.

'Just bc u arent w me doesnt mean i alone. And yes am drinking dont be mean.'

And before those sneaky little dots could deliver another judgemental response about how awful and gross and unlovable she was, Lizzy sent, 'and Char is here to dont wory. She left tho. But i found a new friend ad don worry, he said he'll take care. So yea'

Will's response came quickly, with all the subtlety of a brick wall. 'Stay where you are. I'll find you— just DON'T leave with some man you just met, Lizzy. Please.'

Lizzy wanted to frown down at her phone again (it had become her go to response for Will now), but he used Please. So he couldn't be all bad. Still, his arrival probably meant she would have to go soon.

She turned with a sigh to Wickham to inform him of her impending departure, and saw leaning over to drop a white little pill into her water. She blinked at him. "What're ya doin?"

He started, but smiled. "Alka Seltzer," he explained. "Supposed to sober you up a bit."

"I don't NEED sobering up," Lizzy whined.

"You might not," Wickham said with an easy smile, "but I do." He popped a white tablet into his mouth, and his throat leaped with a swallowing motion.

"Now, 'scuze me a sec," he said, his cheeks a little puffed out, making his words blend together, "I need to use the bathroom."

"Kay Wick," Lizzy smiled, "See ya."

He nodded a goodbye, got up from the bar, and disappeared into the slightly thinning crowd. He glanced back, smiled a little, and pantomimed drinking. Lizzy rolled her eyes, but dutifully took a long sip of her water. She smacked her lips, and peered at the cup. Huh. Alka seltzer tasted like nothing. She would have to ask Wickham about the brand he used later.

After a little over 20 minutes though, Wickham still wasn't back at the bar. Lizzy could see him moving through the crowd, smiling, laughing, talking, dancing— all usually with women— and occasionally looking her way. Every time he did, he made a charming little wink that made Lizzy feel important. She liked it.

But he wasn't boyfriend material, no, no, certainly not. He was too flirty. Too.. drink-y. Lizzy knew she was a hypocrite (currently being too drunk to even stand properly), but still, there it was.

Besides, she didn't like gelled back hair. She preferred curls.

Also, side note, Lizzy's muscles seemed not to be working quite right. They were too flaccid, bouncing around on her bones without obeying her. She felt like she was nodding off, and her vision was crackling shadow around the edges, but she didn't feel very sleepy.

She drank a little more water. She needed to sober up soon.

Just as Lizzy was wondering when or if Will would get here, or if she would have to walk home, he appeared on the side of the club. He was looking around for someone. For her.

Looking more worried than Charlotte ever had. Annoyingly so. Angrily so. Lizzy downed the rest of her water. This was going to be a trying conversation.