Oblivion

18

The restaurant was small and quiet. Only a few of the tables were taken. Kyle and Dan sat reading the menus as they awaited their friends. Dan felt a little anxious. He hadn't seen them for close to five years. He wondered if they'd changed much. He wondered if they'd have anything left in common anymore.

'They're here.' Kyle nudged him. Dan put down his menu and there they were at the front door. Will first, dressed in black trousers and a smart shirt. His hair and beard were longer and he seemed to have more muscles than before. And Woody had short hair, jeans and a tshirt. If anything, he looked younger than he did five years ago. Dan felt a rush of joy and found himself stood up, crossing the room to greet his long lost friends with massive hugs. He felt tears welling up inside him as he embraced them both.

'Dan.' Will held him tightly. 'You look well, really well.'

'So do you.'

'I missed you so much.' Woody said with tears in his eyes. The four of them stood in a circle, all grinning and laughing at each other. 'This is weird.' Woody laughed.

'I know. And I just need to tell you how sorry I am for everything.'

'It's fine. I think we're all just so happy that you're ok.' Will told him and rubbed his shoulder. Kyle and Woody nodded in agreement.

'Hey, do you want a beer?' Will asked him. For just a moment, Dan didn't answer. He was waiting for Will to laugh. Because surely he was kidding? But he didn't.

'I'm erm...a recovering alcoholic...' He muttered. It was the first time he'd said the words out loud. He saw Will's face drop and turn scarlet and suddenly he wasn't the most embarrassed one.

'Dan, I'm so sorry...I didn't mean...I forgot, old habbits and all that.' Dan managed to break the tension by laughing. He had to see the funny side to it. There was no other way to get round it.

'No worries. I'll grab an orange juice, thanks.'

The conversation flowed effortlessly, aside from the initial hiccup. Dan's worry of not having anything in common anymore was unfounded. It was as if they'd gone back in time ten years and they were the same old stupid, naive twenty somethings once more. In fact, there was so much to catch up on, that before anyone noticed, the sun had set and the restaurant was now busy with late night diners.

Dan had mainly watched and listened. They didn't want to hear any of his stories. That would have changed the mood of the group immensely. He sipped his orange juice and out of respect for him, the three men had the same. It did feel strange to be out where alcohol was being served. But he never once contemplated getting a beer or a glass of wine. He felt well and truly rid of that demon. He never thought he would be. But as he sat with his best friends, laughing and joking about, he knew that letting Kyle help him had been the best decision of his life.

Four weeks had passed since his release from hospital. He had attended all his appointments, his blood tests, and had even found a local AA meeting to join. He felt truly on top of the world. He spent a few days at his parents house, finally ready to tell them what he had been through and how sorry he was. But they were just glad to have him home. They wanted him to move back in there, the family home he'd grown up in. But it didn't feel right. He had left there when he was 19 to go to university. It felt like a massive step backwards to return there, jobless, homeless, 35 years old with very little prospects. No. He needed a fresh start somewhere on his own.

The bank were not helping matters. They had closed down his accounts after two years of not being used. All the money that had been in them had essentially been lost. Until he got a new passport or driving license they refused to even talk to him. Luckily his mum had a copy of his birth certificate so it was a matter of waiting for his new ID to come through before he could think about looking at houses to rent or buy. He knew he'd over stayed his welcome at the Simmons household. Eve had made a few comments about looking for a place to live and Dan had walked in on an argument between them about it one night. He had apologised and offered to go to a hotel but Kyle had vehemently defended him.

He didn't like not having his own funds. It wasn't like he needed to buy anything, with Kyle supplying the roof over his head and food in his stomach, there was little much else to pay for. Just the option would've been nice. He hated having to rely on other people for things. And it was beginning to stress him out.