Things We Don't Normally Do

THIRTY SIX

The group did not stay much longer at the bar, deciding to continue hanging out at Harry and Cal's flat instead. With everyone having had a few drinks in them, they decided to take Ubers. Thankfully the three boys got their own, and Alex only had to share hers with Harry.

She was never much of an anxious drunk. Otherwise that would defeat the reason why she liked to drink in the first place—to stop being an anxious mess in social situations. But she had noticed she seem to have developed some anxiety over drinking around guys she didn't know incredibly well.

While she trusts that none of Harry's friends are skeevey like that, it did nothing to make her any less uneasy whenever she was left alone with them. So she was thankful to have Harry around—the one person right then that made her feel profoundly and inexplicably safe.

His hands, although starting to get a bit clammy, were still assuringly wrapped around hers.

Alex playfully nudged him, her head bumping against his shoulder, "I'm glad you showed up."

Harry smiled, his lips twitching into a persistent smirk.

"Don't get cocky with me." she raised an eyebrow but she couldn't help but smile back at him. For all the teasing about Harry turning soppy, he has been having the exact same effect on her. The usual walls that kept her guarded just kept crumbling against Harry.

The Cals and Ethan seemed determined to get wasted, taking a bunch of alcohol out and onto the island, along with a few mixes.

Alex furrowed her brows upon eyeing a bottle of Malibu. She's never actually had it, and it's not her to be a liquor snob, but she was less than sober and suffers from persistent foot in mouth.

"Any girls coming?" And when the question was only answered by confused looks on the boys' faces, she continued, "I mean who is drinking Malibu?"

Callux and Cal started howling with laughter, pointing at Ethan who was already mid pour.

"Oh god!" Cal exclaimed, his harm holding his stomach in stitches, "She just called you out on your drink."

"Well go on then." Ethan said, concealing a smile and pretending to be offended, "What manly man drink are you having today Ms. Alexa."

"Oh that bitch." Alex muttered under her breath. She could only assume that Stella had told Ethan how much she hated her actual name, Alexa, especially since Amazon had come out with the AI. Having people say "Alexa" pretending to summon the AI for the laughs got really old, really fast.

Ethan laughed, knowing he had pressed her buttons, then added the expected,  pretending like he was talking to the AI "Alexa, show me a manly drink."

"You don't have to get so defensive about your drink, Ethan." Alex said, playfully rolling her eyes at him. It almost seemed like she was extending an olive branch but she couldn't help but add more, "It's just that I've only ever seen my girl friends from early Uni days drink them."

"I'll have you know, this drink" he swirls his glass of Malibu and Coke around for emphasis, "Is the drink of choice of half the Sidemen."

"And?" Alex asked bluntly, unsure what the statement was supposed to accomplish.

This was when Harry finally stepped in, "Alright, more drinking, less bickering."

Alex raised both hands as if I sure see but smirked at Ethan, "You do you, babe."

This was a line she stole from Stella, who can be the queen of patronizing. Ethan on his part, was tempted to try and have the last word but stopped himself and gave a belly laugh instead and settling with a, "I hate you sometimes."