SHOUTOUTS: (oh wow! There are many! I'm feeling soooo awesome right now! Thanks to EVERYONE for making this my most popular story yet!)
wiseupjanetweiss - and thanks to you for being such a loyal, awesome reader! You need a Special Merit for reviewing! -steals one from piano teacher's house-
Alexandria Queen of Dreams - oooh lovely. I was confused for the longest time on what website I was supposed to search at. But I got it. Hehe. Thanks. I will try my very absolute hardest not to leave this one unfinished, just for you. (no, for everyone, lol. But you mentioned it specifically)
Katatonia - hehe. No. I don't think they would be… Maxwell's a lovely sort of bitch. That why I named my car after him… lol
Miss Loaf - oooh great! That's wonderful that the link to the artwork works! Thanks much! I had fun drawing that! (there's a couple others, but they are a tad less… proportionally correct)
JulezB - hehe… no LSD… just my brain on overtime. I was missing the movie quite badly at this point because I didn't actually get it until recently.
Roxy Eno - really? You think I got Curt's character? 'cause that has got to be my biggest hesitation in this story… thanks for the reassurance!
Valo - awww! Thanks! Love to hear I've got people hooked! Hehe. It's one thing to get reviews, but wow! Favorites, such a confidence booster!
jsumptersgurl - lol… yeah. I never could deal with their version of Maxwell Demon. Yeah, he did the whole rape-the-dolls thing but other than that I found it odd how he went about all prancing and glittery. Brian was more of Maxwell than Maxwell was Maxwell… hehe so I think I've just let out a bit of my inspiration…

Chapter Eleven

The next week was my birthday. I had completely forgotten, but of course Jack and Trevor and whoever else wouldn't let it go. So they surprised me.

I opened the door to the flat with this huge box full of liquor in one arm, shoving the door open with the other, expecting no greeting at all. Maxwell usually didn't care to acknowledge that Ihad comehome. Instead, I got this huge "SURPRISE!" and I dropped the box, shattering a couple of the bottles, and near about shit myself. Of course a bunch of people laughed.

"Look!"

"He's bought to booze for his own party!"

"Who told him about it? Who did it?"

Jack had come floating over beside me, a glass of champagne in one hand, smiling faintly as I leaned in closer to him.

"Jack… what the hell's going on? Who let everyone in here?"

"I did." He put the champagne into my hand. "It's your birthday, of course. Or are you trying to forget that, too?"

"Sort of." I mumbled back and drained the glass, handed it back to him, and put on that big press grin, and went out to welcome and thank everyone for going through all the trouble, yadda yadda yadda. Just like I was expected to.

The next few hours was I guess what you would call a pretty rockin' party. Booze, food, music, dancing, drugs, you name it. I got some pretty cool presents from people, although I couldn't take the time to open them all right then, and I don't really even remember what they were, except that they were cool.

I started off the night pretty uncomfortable. Mostly because I hadn't seen these people in weeks, and suddenly they were all celebrating me. Also, I was wondering what happened to Maxwell. We were bound to get caught with so many people over, wandering around all parts of the flat. I started to relax, though, as the night wore on and I drank more and more and nobody had turned up screaming and bloody yet. I figured he must have hid himself pretty good. But I never really got the chance to check.

People kept me on their arms all night, walking around with me, asking how I was, how things were, what I was doing. The stuff I'd already told you Jack had asked when he started dragging me out. I mostly lied and said I was getting better, I had some good new songs I could record soon, stuff like that. It's easy to lie when you don't know people half as well as they claim to know you.

The party was like this weird mix of a rave and a traditional at home birthday party. If I can remember back to any of those. There was drinking and loud music, but they stopped it all to bring out a cake. Two cakes, actually, 'cause there were so many people. And they sang "Happy Birthday" and all that weird crap. I forgot to ask how old I was turning. I didn't forget to make a wish.

I wished I could have Brian back.

-+-

After a while, things just got really weird. People kept showing up, and I knew less and less of them. I think what happened is that my neighbors caught wind of the party (gee, I'll never guess how that happened) and started inviting themselves and their friends in, and nobody knew any better than to monitor the door. And like I said, the party was already strange enough. I swear, I'm pretty sure someone showed up with a piñata.

I was wandering around among all these people, not quite as drunk anymore with an empty cake-plate in hand. It wasn't really that fun anymore; I wanted people to leave. I wasn't really up to this much of a party, especially since I obviously hadn't even remembered there was anything to celebrate. Plus, I knew the flat was going to be wrecked in the morning.

So I excused myself. Claimed I was going to take a piss, but I slipped off to that attic stairway, desperately hoping no one was going to follow me. I had the presence of mind to bring a peace offering with me, some of the cake and a bottle of wine that somehow hadn't been opened yet. Making sure the first door was locked behind me before I went upstairs, I unlocked Maxwell's door and let myself in.

I was instantly met with a snarl, but he shut up pretty quick when he realized it was only me.

"None of them saw you, did they?"

He shook his head, relaxing back on the couch again. He must have heard them coming and locked himself up here.

"Good. I brought you some cake."

-Why are you up here?-

I set the cake and wine down and took up a chair, mindful to keep my distance from him.

"'cause I don't wanna be down there."

-Party too much for you?- he mocks.

I shrugged and he went to investigate the cake before I guess determining I hadn't poisoned it and starting to eat. I hated to watch him; he ate all dainty like Brian had. So I dropped my eyes.

"I'm sleeping up here."

-Not in my bed.-

Should have guessed. I just rolled my eyes at him and curled up in the chair. Whatever. As long as I didn't have twenty thousand people trying to get me up to party some more. Or have sex with them. Hell, there were probably people in my bed having sex.

Maxwell was almost desirable company compared to that.