adjacent ➵ tronnor

accident

Lilly has never been one to handle drinks well — Connor knows that. She's the biggest lightweight he knows, and she's also always the life of the party. Her dumb jokes and sporadic outbursts are entertaining, to say the least, though it has occasionally gotten her into some absurd situations that he's not entirely sure why it occurred or how she got to be in that position exactly.

For instance, she once climbed halfway up a tree, which doesn't sound that wacky, but the mere fact that she managed to get that far up in her state was enough to make Connor grin at the memory — let alone the things she was shouting in the actual process of climbing. She also once bought every last packet of condoms for no particular reason from the large Tesco nearby, and she once jumped off a roof claiming she could fly (this ended in a trip to the hospital and a broken leg, inevitably).

So in hindsight, perhaps inviting her wasn't the best decision he's made this year, but it's a little too late to opt out now. Besides, what's a party without his best friend? It just wouldn't be the same, would it? Although the noise level was concerning, it'd feel too quiet without her — almost silent. It's sort of like having a pair of broken headphones that won't allow you to turn up the volume when you want it to — it remains quiet.

By the time it gets to approximately half past eleven, one of his friends had to leave, but the rest are still happy and conversing with each other, and although he's a bit too drunk to think properly, he's really quite appreciative of everything. He reckons that everyone could probably do with a glass of water (or three), so he excuses himself from the discussion (which isn't much of a discussion, really. It's more of a shouting-fest, paired with fits of laughter) and walks into the kitchen.

He zones out for a while, and he's not sure how long it's been exactly, but he's immediately snapped back into reality when he hears a loud crashing noise coming from the living room, and rushes in quickly (he's sort of forgotten about the drink in his hand, so as he moves, it's spilling all over the carpet) to see the commotion, and is shocked by the sight in front of him.

Gaping fairly wide on the wall, is an unmistakable hole. A fucking hole. A hole that just so happens to be on the very thin wall that separates Troye's apartment from his own, that he most definitely can't cover up quickly. He's more than a little dumbfounded, and he's not sure if he's more amused or mad at Lilly for getting him into this mess. He doesn't know how it happened, either, so how he's going to explain that properly to Troye is a mystery.

Oh God, Troye. He's going to have to deal with Troye, and he doesn't think he's on board with a newfound enemy, but he may just have to live with it. But then he remembers that each time he's spoken to the boy he's been sweet, respectful and understanding, and he manages to convince himself that this would be no different, and Troye would react calmly and rationally.

(Perhaps Connor should consider the fact that if he were in Troye's situation he would certainly not react nicely, and he also considers himself to be a nice person.)

He also takes note of the fact that if Troye were in, he'd have most definitely heard the noise and woken up, but as he hasn't, Connor can only assume that he's out for the night. Either that, or he's just a really heavy sleeper, which seems unlikely. Regardless, he breathes a sigh of relief at the realisation that he's not going to have to talk to him until the morning, which is a bonus, because he won't be half-drunk anymore at that point.

As calmly as he can, he kicks everyone out of his apartment, telling them all how much fun he's had and how he'll see them all again soon, and collapses haphazardly into bed. He snuggles under the covers and lets his mind take him away from the present. He forgets how stressful the next day will be, and he forgets about the hole in his wall. He's peaceful, sure — but how long will that last?