This Year is My Year

The Fourth Element: A Final Realization

I stumbled out of the bathroom, still dizzy and warm from Eddie's touch. I started towards the dancefloor when someone caught my arm. I turned to the person who had stopped me – it was Robin. I grinned at my friend, and pulled her into a hug, drunk and happy that I was here with her.

"You're in a good mood," Robin laughed, and I smiled at her, nodding. She started looking around, seeming concerned.

"What's wrong, Rob?" The music was loud again and we had to shout.

"I've lost the Hair – I'm trying to find him." I shook my head and started pulling her to the dancefloor.

"He's talking to Eddie; they'll find us later." Robin stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide.

"Is that such a good idea? Last time they talked one on one it led to a fight and you leaving early with Eddie."

"Eddie promised it was just talking – you don't need to worry about it, Buckley!" I tried pulling her again, and she was still frozen, looking to the bathroom as she had deduced that was where they were.

"Maybe we should go in there to mediate? Just to make sure nothing happens—"

"Robin, you don't need to worry about them. It's your big night, and they are adults," I tried to reassure her, but she was still concerned, biting her lip. I was confused. "Robin, why are you so worried? They've been good tonight."

She started to speak, but stopped herself, a change from her normal oversharing. I took her hand and looked at her in the eyes, prompting her to speak.

"Tonight is just supposed to be the night we all go back to normal. I'm supposed to fix everything so that we can all just be friends again. So that Harrington can move on, and you and Eddie can be happy, and I can have my best friends back."

My throat caught at her words. I realized this was why she had been so strange tonight – insisting on outfits, dictating what we did, and how much we drank.

I felt so guilty.

I pulled her into a hug. We held each other for a beat, the music still pounding. I didn't know what to tell her to reassure her, especially since she had felt so responsible for fixing our little group.

"You're a really good friend, do you know that?" I asked as I pulled back. She smiled weakly. "I promise they are going to be okay. I promise we will go back to normal. But you don't need to ruin your night worrying about everyone else – you're the main character of tonight, Rob."

She looked down at her feet and I squeezed her again before letting her go.

"So, are you going to dance with me, or do I have to go out there on my own?" She smiled shyly at my question.

"Actually, a girl asked me to dance," she was blushing, and I broke into a huge grin.

"Buckley! Point her out to me!" I dragged her closer to the dancefloor, and she tried to discreetly point to a stunning woman with long, dark hair and tan skin. She was in an oversized pair of suit pants with suspenders and had red lipstick on. She was dancing with her friends – a tall man in a neon ski suit and heels and a woman with huge, blonde curls and dark coveralls on. I smacked Robin on the arm.

"Robin Buckley, that girl asked you to dance, and you were worried about us?"

"Well, I told her I would come back to dance, I just wanted to find Steve first," she was bashful, and I smiled at my friend.

"Well, perfect, you better get back to her since you know where he is now!" I started to pull her towards the beautiful girl, and she stopped again.

"I mean, what if she didn't really mean it? And I mean, I told her I would be back in ten minutes, and we are already on minute nine—"