It was 8pm and the single agenda of the day was to get drunk.
The music was booming. It was so loud that if we were in a cartoon the sound waves would have been seen.
It was so loud that every beat was felt and each hit of the bass was seen through the vibrations of all the wine glass.
It was so loud that I could barely hear my thoughts.
"Now this.. is a party!" Michael said with an eccentric turn as though he's responsible for the volume fest.
"Isn't it a bit too loud?" Shelly asked, pointing at her ears.
"Yes!! The music is great!" Michael replied.
Shelly looked at me and I shrugged.
We needed him to loosen up, maybe get drunk, dance a bit, then we haul him back home to sober up before Monday.
We all needed this Friday night party, Michael even more as he had just finished a nasty divorce which cost him way more than normal.
Any sane person could see that he was being ripped off, yet his lack of evidence and her suspiciously huge amount of alabi's and evidence tilted the jury to her side.
That's how his net worth was reduced to way less than half; losing his house, car, kids and dignity.
I looked as he danced and vibed on the dance floor, wearing a smile that could fool anybody but I and Shelly who've known him since High School.
I felt my phone buzz and I opened up to see Shelly's chat page.
"Do you really think this party would help him?"
"Can't hurt to try."
I replied
"Where are you anyways?"
"Place is way too loud, I can't hear myself scream. I'll be in the car standing by for pulling drunk friend duty"
I chuckled to myself after reading her message and decided to go find the soon to be drunk friend.
The music was loud, so loud that I could barely hear what Shelly who was talking to me from just 2 feet away was saying.
Yet I understood what she was saying. The music was indeed loud, yet not loud enough.
I could feel the alcohol working in my system, the familiar numbness of pain, loss and memories that comes when you're drunk. Yet a single thought made me keep drinking.
The fact that I could still feel the alcohol meant I wasn't drunk enough.
I ran off, going straight to the dance floor where the music was loudest. It was hot and suffocating.
The lights were dim, my future seemed dimmer. I left the dance floor and found a booth to sit down and catch my breath.
As I stopped moving, the emotions all caught up to me.
I relived the judge giving the verdict and when I lost it all. I felt my world tilt as my properties were legally stolen from me.
The anger at her slight grin as we walked side by side out of the court to the hallway.
"Hey Party monster" a voice said beside me.
I turned in shock at the voice and saw Jacob.
He was looking at me straight on, no way to hide or deny the tears running down my face.
"It is quite hot." He said after a second of awkwardness.
I laughed at the most stupid excuse, yet I gratefully took it.
"It really is... My eyes are sweating." I said with a chuckle😂
We sat in silence after that. I tried cleaning my eyes and he pretended not to notice.
It was hard watching Michael cry. He almost never cried, he was the one who cheered us up when we cried.
He tried pretentiously to clean it up and pack it all back in but he was doing a terrible job.
I just sat beside him, humming and nodding my head to the music, pretending not to notice.
The club music had changed to a slower softer tone, probably for slow dances. Certainly not the best mood for the situation but on the plus side we could hear ourselves better.
"Jacob... What should I do now?" Michael asked.
I turned to look at him. Eyes red, nose running, face a total mess.
Seems he had given up on trying to feign strength and unwavering solidarity.
"I've lost everything. Over seven years of work, gone."
"You'll have to carry on." I simply said.
"You've lost quite a lot, but you haven't lost it all. You've still got me. Shelly's in the car, you can make it back." I knew it wasn't the most convincing pep talk.
Actually, I didn't know if it was a pep talk at this point.
I just hoped that at the very least his personal charisma would overtake and he'll find the rainbow in the storm clouds.
"I've still got you.. How would we make money?" He asked, laughing.
"I sing a lovely alto." I said smiling. Michael was back.
"I have a terrible voice." He said
"Of course you do." I replied. "Maybe people would pay you to shut up?"
"That is one way to make use of your gifts." He said laughing.
We talked for a while, forgetting the fact that we were at a party. I ordered some drinks and we drank while we joked.
Making fun of other dancers, whistling at some girls, laughing at work experiences, I didn't note the time till Shelly called at 11pm
"Hey.. How's it going?"
"It's going great!!"
I said shouting into the phone as I eyed Michael filling another glass.
"How's Michael?"
She asked, immediately Michael drank the last glass then slipped off the chair.
"Yep.. He's completely drunk."
"Great.. mission accomplished, carry him out so we can go home."
"Negative ma'am!"
I said laughing.
"Why's that?"
"Because.... Michael isn't the only one drunk tonight."
Suddenly the room shifted and I was looking at the ceiling listening to Michael hum a tune.
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