Tragic Smile

What A Mess (6)

I walked to my car with Brad and Jack as they spoke about tonight's exciting wins. "Our first fight and we smashed it, bro." Jack said from behind me as I lead the way.

"Oh man did you see that ring girl I had? Jeeeez." Brad was a little bit off topic.

I was shocked when I approached my car to see Beth facing our direction but with a boy with his back to us, they were kissing.

I stopped walking and spotted other people at the corner of my eye. Nathan and Gary from the last time at the boxing. "There she is." Nathan's voice was loud and drunk.

I looked at him as he staggered towards us. Both Jack and Brad stood forward a little, almost protecting me. "Beth, what's going on?" I said loud enough to hear. I was also making it clear I was ignoring Nathan.

The kiss between Kurt and Beth split and she looked at me shocked. "Oh, I didn't know you were taking the neighbours home." She laughed.

I looked down, embarrassed for her. Why was she acting like that? "Well I am. What's going on here?"

"The boys are coming back with us." She winked at Kurt.

It looked like a war. Me, Jack and Brad on one side. Beth, Kurt, Nathan and Gary on the other. "Don't you have homes to go to? Can't you go stay at Kurt's?" I suggested. I was sick and tired of these strange men in my flat.

"Well no because I pay half the rent so I'll bring home who I want to bring home. Okay?" She argued back.

This was Beth's problem and it was her problem the last time we went to the boxing which I completely let slide because she was drunk. But once she gets the little bit of alcohol in her and whatever else she was taking for a high she was a completely different person.

I had to stick up for myself, "well you'll need to get a taxi with your new friends then because I'm taking the boys home." I unlocked my car and walked over to it.

She scrunched her face up, "fine. Let's go boys." She was angry with me but at this point I couldn't care. I stepped in to the car and pulled my seat belt on. She walked away with her three lap dogs as Brad and Jack got in the back seat.

"I'm sorry about her. Especially you Brad. Are you okay?" I turned and faced him from the drivers seat. 

He was smiling still, "yeah I'm good, babe. I got that ring girls number. I know she's your friend but Beth was just a bit of fun." He grinned. He didn't even seem bothered.

I looked at Jack and he shrugged his shoulders. I suppose the sooner we can get home the better. I think. 

"Did you see that punch at the end?" Jack still went on about his fight on the way up the stairs.

"Yeah I seen it, man. It was good." Brad replied, a little bit less excited than Jack. We reached the top of the stairs and I reached in to my bag and took out my keys. "I'm gonna jump in and get some beers but I'll be in before you know it." Brad unlocked Flat B and I walked in to my own.

Jack followed me in to the kitchen and I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it up with some water and took a big gulp of it. "Are you okay?" He asked. He leaned against the opposite counter from me.

"She's just this different person when she's got a drink in her system. And maybe if she's been taking some drugs too. I don't even know what goes on in her head sometimes." I said as I pulled myself up to sit on the counter.

"I would just take everything with a pinch of salt. Like you're saying she's a different person when she's acting like that. But you do have to speak to her when she's sober and say that the way she is treating you isn't right." Jack gave me some advice.