2nd time Helen was asked to dance. I'm not very fond of this chapter, it didn't turn quite the way I wanted. Oh well! Enjoy! :)
I apologize for any grammatical errors.
The discussion had gone from a civilized, serious talk of science to the inevitable bashing of each other's manhood. It had been about a month since they had become "the five." it had been decided that on the last Saturday of each month they would get together to discuss the experiments they had developed and the latest gossip from campus. However, the night never went that way. Alcohol was always involved and it seemed that, for being the brightest minds of their day, none of them knew when to stop drinking.
The more the men insulted each other, the more they drank. Nigel was usually the first to succumb to the effects. He was what they called "the weepy drunk." He always talked of how he would never find a girl, saying he was going to die alone with 50 cats. Nigel seemed to think he was invisible to the female population. Eventually he would find a couch or chair to pass out on.
The next was John. He might have been the biggest in the group, but when your best friend is one of the most observant people of his time, it's hard not to get worked up over his well thought insults to your ego. John would slam his drink down and stumble to the door, claiming he hated James and they were no longer friends. James in turn would run after him begging for forgiveness, signaling that James, too, had had a little too much. It always amazed Helen how childish and sensitive the pair of them became when they drank.
Nikola seemed to have an almost supernatural tolerance to alcohol. In fact, the night usually ended with Helen and Nikola talking about anything that came to mind.
They had reached the point in the night when Nigel became weepy.
"What girl is going to want some broke, pathetic bloke who can't even speak to a girl in public without making a fool of himself?" The 3 other men did nothing to hide their laughter. Helen gave them a look and turned to Nigel.
"You're not pathetic Nigel. Any girl would be lucky to have you." Nigel just scoffed and turned away.
"Yes Nigel, that girl in the pub the other night seemed really interested in you." Nigel drunkenly swung his fist at Nikola, missing by several feet. Helen tried not to smile as she went over to Nigel, who had fallen to the ground. John had told her about poor Nigel's run in with a gentleman, who for some reason was dressed as a woman.
"Ignore them Nigel, it was an honest mistake that any one of them could have easily made. Why, I do remember the one time that James accidentally kissed John-"
"Helen! You promised you would never speak of that!" James' smile turned to turn one of embarrassment, his cheeks turning a deep red. Nikola was beside himself. John, who would never do any harm to Helen, aimed his rage at Nikola by pushing him out of his chair.
The sight of Nikola crumpled on the floor, James and John subtly inching away from each other, and Nigel sitting in the corner while Helen tried to comfort him; made the five of them burst out laughing. After her laughter subsided, Helen walked across the room and put some music on. Nikola had made a very strange contraption that had the ability to play music with a small device that resembled a horn. They talked and laughed at the smallest things. John and James were the first to leave. John had asked Helen if she wanted to leave but she was enjoying herself too much, so the pair left, leaving Helen with a very drunk Nigel and a less drunk Nikola.
Nikola and Helen talked and laughed as Nigel asked where John and James had gone. The room was quiet when suddenly Nigel jumped up from the ground and stumbled over to where Helen sat. The room had gone silent at his movement. After a few moments of silence Nigel finally held out his shaking hand and, in a somewhat slurred voice, said "Heln, want o dance wit me?" Helen looked at him for a moment and, ignoring the laughter of the others, took his hand and stood up.
He could barely keep himself up as the two of them "danced." Helen winced as Nigel stepped on her feet. He tried spinning her and nearly knocked both of them over. Helen laughed as she caught her balanced. It seemed as if Nigel was almost at his passing out point. Nikola saw this and decided to intervene. He helped Nigel to the couch and went back to Helen.
"Miss Magnus, would you care to dance with me?" Helen giggled and took his hand. "I would love to."
Nikola placed his hand on her back and she put hers on his shoulder. They slowing moved back and forth. He twirled her around (properly this time) and, instead of putting his hand back on her back, he let it slip a little lower. Helen gasped "Nikola!" He looked shocked and moved his hand back up. "So sorry Helen, it must the alcohol." He grinned when she looked away. The clock indicated that it was 4am. The friends continued their dance. A "dance" that neither knew would last well into the 20th century.
There's chapter 2! Review? Please?