"Stupid, stupid, STUPID." The vending machine shook as Bela whacked the side of it, earning her a dirty look from a young, blonde woman sitting at the table across from her in the student lounge.
She gave the machine another thump and her packet of Cheetos fell forward a fraction of an inch, and then stopped. Bela didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or give the irritating box a good solid kick.
"Wow, nothing gets a woman going like a faulty vending machine." Randall joked as he joined his friend in front of the infernal device. "Don't worry Bels, I've got you covered."
He reached into his satchel and pulled out a Twix. As Bela took it with a small 'thanks', her eyes were suspiciously glassy. Randall grimaced, "Bad day?"
"Bad month." Bela replied.
"Still on for our epic film night?"
Bela nodded. "When have I ever said no to The Princess Bride? We can grab snacks on the way to mine."
As they walked Bela felt herself relax slightly, letting Randall's easy chatter drown out the sounds of the students around them.
"We thought we'd celebrate the end of finals but Jack was busy with Alyssa again, like always - must be a Tuesday, right? I wanted to go to B&C but Lil insisted on going to that new bar down the road, the one with all the bikers-"
Bela nodded in sympathy, unwrapping her Twix.
"And then we got SO drunk, Hamis-" Randall broke off suddenly.
Bela looked at him. "You can say his name, Randall."
"I didn't want to upset you."
"Who's upset?" Her eyes flashed. "It's totally normal to sleep with someone who ditches you in their apartment and then ignores you for three weeks straight. The kids call it being 'ghosted' Randall, and it's a normal part of the college experience."
Catching the look on her friend's face she forced her expression into something she hoped resembled a smile. "Really," she insisted, "I'm over it."
"Yes, of course you are - I'm totally convinced."
Bela had been trying her hardest to avoid drawing her friend into her little pity party over Hamish. She'd had her feelings hurt before by a guy - by a dozen guys, but this time it stung more than she wanted to admit. When Bela had woken alone in Hamish's apartment with sore legs, a sore neck and, well, sore all over, she had been surprised. A few days and three unreturned texts later she'd been worried. After Randall had awkwardly confirmed over coffee, that Hamish was in fact, alive, she had been furious.
Despite hitting all of the usual heartbreak remedies - romcom binges, a rather satisfying round of axe throwing at the hipster place round the corner, and just plain, wallowing - Bela's feelings were as raw as they had been weeks ago. As much as she wanted to, she just wasn't moving on.
She'd quickly realised that talking to Randall was off the cards. He was her friend, but he was also Hamish's friend. When she attempted to casually bring up the situation, his insistence that it was just a difficult and complicated situation (which he couldn't explain to her), just made her feel worse. Besides, it wasn't fair for her to put him in the middle of what was quickly turning into a bizarre and deeply depressing, failed romantic conquest.
The final straw had been last Monday. She'd been walking home from class, distracted by the thought of another late night grading papers, when she rounded a corner and almost ran head-first into him. The countless nights spent imagining what she'd do if she saw Hamish did little to prepare her. There was no apology, no awkward exchange or attempt to excuse his abrupt absence from her life, Hamish had just turned on his heels and walked off in the opposite direction, leaving Bela, and a very confused Randall and Lilith in his wake.
Once they'd all recovered from the moment, Lilith and Randall had offered to help carry the papers back to her apartment, but Bela politely and firmly refused.
Instead she walked the 15 minute journey home, closed her front door on the outside world and then, after setting the papers neatly on her coffee table, burst into tears.
"Bels," said Randall, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Mmhm?"
"I don't think you're fine." He reached over and prised the mangled chocolate bar from her fist. "Blade and Chalice?" He suggested.
"Yes, please," Bela said with a weak smile.
- - - - -"You're gone and I gotta stay high, all the time, to keep you off my mind, ooOo-hoo, ooOoo-hoo." Gabrielle warbled from a stage in the corner of the packed bar.
"You didn't tell me it was karaoke night." Bela rolled her eyes as the brunette milked the spotlight for all she could.
"She sounds like an angel." Randall slurred, pouring himself another beer.
Bela squinted at him. "Do you have a crush on Gabrielle?"
"Pffft," Randall blinked a few times, trying to focus on the stage, "She does sing it well though…"
"Right, I'm cutting you off."
"Nooooo, hells bells-ha! Bels. Get it?"
"Yes," Bela sighed, "I get it."
Randall frowned. "But you're not laughing."
"That's because it wasn't funny."
Randall grabbed his chest. "You wound me Bela. And to think I thought of you as my friend."
"A real friend would get us a refill from the bar." Bela shook the empty pitcher.
As Randall stumbled across the room she looked around. The Blade and Chalice was packed with students, regulars and - was that? Yep - even a few professors. They'd managed to snag a table by the door when they got there but as the hours ticked on the place had quickly filled up and was now almost uncomfortably busy. The promise of cheap beer and bad karaoke clearly drew a big crowd and though it wasn't Bela's usual idea of a good night, she couldn't deny that sitting here with her friend, downing drinks and mocking the performances was actually proving to be a pretty decent distraction.
"I have a surprise for you."
"Is it more beer?"
Randall placed the pitcher on the table between them. "No, well yes. But also I signed us up for a song."
"Oh great, so we can be the drunk idiots everyone's making fun of?"
"C'mon Bels, it's just a bit of fun. Let's do something funnnnnnn, for once in our lives! No one cares, they're all at least five beers deep anyway."
Bela huffed. He had a point.
"Fine, but I'm not singing a ballad."
Randall did a happy dance and dragged Bella up to the stage. As the first chords of Now or Never by Halsey began, Bela grimaced.
"You've got to be kidding me, Randall."
"Big smile doll, it's showtime!" He launched into the first verse. "I don't wanna fight right now. Know you always right. Know I need you round with me, but nobody waitin' round with me."
Bela groaned as he smiled in encouragement. "Been through the ups, yeah the ups and the downs with me. Got a whole lot of love, but you don't wanna spread it round with me."
"Let's take it to the chorus!" Randall shouted into the mic. Bela smiled at her friend, he was clearly having the time of his life.
Randall's voice joined hers as they sang together, "Baby gon' love me now, now, now, now, now or never. I want you to hold me down, down, down, down, down forever." Randall shook his hips, eliciting a chorus of cheers and whistles from the crowd.
Bela giggled, for the first time in ages she was actually kind of enjoying herself. The beer gave her a fuzzy, comfortably numb feeling and as she watched Randall crooning into his mic, dancing provocatively in front of the crowd she couldn't help but grin. When he noticed her smiling he grabbed her hand and twirled her round. They finished their song with a flourish and made their way off the stage.
As they stepped down Gabrielle approached Randall. "Nice dance moves," She said, leaning close to him and batting her long lashes. "Want to buy me a drink?".
He looked at her like a deer caught in headlights for a second and then remembered why he was in the bar in the first place. "Uh, I'm hanging with my bestie tonight."
Bela rolled her eyes and leaned over to him. "Are you crazy? Go have fun - I'm fine!"
"No, I'm not leaving you alone".
"Don't be an idiot. Tonight was awesome, consider me cheered up! Now go." She gave him a gentle shove in Gabrielle's direction. He flashed her a hasty thumbs up and mouthed wish me luck, before following her to the bar.
Bela smiled to herself, Gabrielle was going to eat that boy alive.
She was making her way back to the table to grab her bag when she bumped into someone coming from the direction of the bar.
Lilith swore loudly as the glasses she was holding splashed over, catching the front of her jeans. "Seriously? I just got these, watch where you're going, you drunk- oh. Shit. Hi". Lilith looked up, her anger fizzling when she recognised Bela.
Oh God, Bela thought, if Lilith was here did that mean…?
As if she could read her mind, Lilith raised the glasses. "Uh…I'm just here for a nightcap."
Bela eyed the drinks - a beer and a scotch. "Both of those for you?"
"Yep. What? Now only men can be alcoholics?"
Bela felt the effects of the beer evaporating quickly, along with her good mood. She didn't really want to spoil her first good night in ages and the last thing she wanted right now was to start an argument with Hamish's aggressively possessive bff. "Ok, sure. Have fun."
Bela grabbed her bag and coat and headed towards the door, just as the bell above it chimed.
She noticed Hamish before he saw her. He was wrapped in a thick coat, buttoned up against the cold, distracted by the phone in his hand. Lilith shoved past her, approaching him quickly.
"Haim, sorry I didn't realise - Randall said they were going to be at-"
He looked up to the sound of her voice, in confusion, before his eyes slid over past her shoulder and locked with Bela's.
Bela watched in shock as he snarled - actually snarled - at Lilith and then turned and walked straight out of the bar.
Lilith huffed and slammed her drinks down on the closest table. "Really! Again?"