Where we come from

Cara

Radha

Nothing was more intoxicating than an intoxicated Maebh. Radha loved her best friend on an average day, but if she was being honest, she knew exactly what alcohol did to Maebh, and she was always partial to its side effects. Tonight was no different, as she and Maebh laughed in the kitchen, and Maebh was downing shots like it was the last night of her life. But Radha knew what this was in aid of, this was Maebh filling herself with dancing juice. Radha knew what was coming.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's do this", Maebh stated with all the finality and serious, self assured confidence of a high ranking military general. With that, she grabbed Radha's hand and strutted her way towards the dance floor.

"Sir, yes sir!" Radha laughed, with a suitable salute thrown in for good measure. Maebh threw a look over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue in mock defiance.

"Let's see if you're still laughing when I release the atomic bombs of slut drops", Maebh threw back, winking as she turned, pulling Radha close and beginning the slow swaying of her hips. Radha gasped, blessing herself. She was only half joking, Maebh could actually dance, provided she had consumed sufficient dancing juice.

"Wow Maebh, I didn't know those could move! And here I spent the last decade thinking that your dancing talents were strictly limited to white dad at a barbecue!" Maebh threw her head back as she laughed and ran her hand through her hair combing it out of her face, placing the other hand on Radha's shoulder. Radha laughed back, and glanced over Maebh's shoulder.

"Seems like I'm not the only one who's enjoying it. What's that lad's name, the one who sits beside you in English?" Radha questioned, brows raised.

"Ugh it's Mikey. Please rescue me", Maebh groaned. Radha laughed and answered her pleas, grabbing her waist and spinning her away from his line of vision. Mikey had fancied Maebh for a long time, and after many an awkward interaction he still refused to take the hint that she wasn't interested. Maebh never really did seem to be interested in the lads that pursued her, in fairness. Radha noticed, but never bothered to ask. She would go out with someone if she wanted to, Radha didn't want to push her, as long as she was happy.

"Thank you for saving my life once again", Maebh said, placing her forehead against Radha's, the way she always did when her inhibitions were lowered, barriers down.

"I wouldn't go that far, but I did probably save you from a very awkward dance session and even worse conversation about why you didn't want to go talk somewhere quieter", Radha replied laughing lightly. They weren't really dancing anymore, like they were stuck in some strange limbo between the verbal conversation and what was going on in their heads, and the look on Maebh's face sent a barrage of questions tumbling from Radha's brain right down to the tip of her tongue. She then caught sight of something very red, and very distracting. Ah yes, it was Neala performing her usual party trick of wall twerking. Impressive, regretful yes, but definitely impressive. Neala climbed down from the wall with surprising elegance and joined them. The three resumed dancing, and were joined by Kane and the typically awkward Donncha. They were surrounded by dozens of people, crowds were shouting and making more noise than should be physically possible, the music was defeaning.

But nothing was louder than that first boom.

Maebh's grip on Radha's waist suddenly tightened tenfold, as the dancing and shouting stopped. There was complete silence for a few seconds as somebody cut off the music, and nobody spoke. Eventually somebody broke the silence from somewhere in the kitchen.