𝑵𝒐 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 -𝕸𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖚𝖑𝖔𝖚𝖘-

thirty

Sophia couldn't tell anymore, but she was seven shots deep before he arrived at her place.

_

       If it wasn't for Will bringing it to her attention, the girl probably wouldn't have noticed George Andrews coming through her door behind the distorted lense of alcohol and ultra violet lights.

       Her immediate reaction was to sigh, loudly. Not really knowing how that would go but not having enough rationality in her to care either.

       Alex places a hand on her shoulder. "Call me if you need, yeah?"

       "Uhum." Sophia hummed, eyes trained on the boy dressed in black. As he always did. "Thanks."

       Pushing herself from the kitchen counter, she took unstable steps his way.

       "Hi, uh" George nervously scratches the back of his head. He'd planned variations of what he wished to say to her, but his brain was not cooperating. "Happy bir-"

       "Thanks for coming!" She chirps, dismissing his nearing speech completely. "Drinks are in the kitchen, food too. Make yourself at home!"

       Even if he pulled out and read the little script -the one he wrote back home and stuffed in his pocket- he was sure his voice would fail. He couldn't say a thing. Not after she just spoke to him like they'd only just met.

       Sophia leaves him to stand still beside James, who looked equally as uncomfortable as anyone else that witnessed the interaction.

       James is the first to recover, however. "I'm getting you a drink."

***

       She allowed a cake. But only after making them promise there would be no song, no clapping. So, the cake was just another part of the 'catering', one she currently cut into without ever having the intention to eat it.

       Better to cut her own cake than drive a knife into one boy's annoyingly beautiful face.

       "Hey, pretty girl." Simon greeted, his hands grazing hers on their way to her hips.

       She smiled. "Lanky man."

       It was an accident that George's eyes landed on the pair. Well, he was looking for her, but found the two accidentally.

       George wished he didn't, truthfully, seen what he did. He could live without the image of Simon Minter's hands on her. Even more without noticing it didn't seem to bother Sophia as much as it did him.

       He stopped himself.

       Today is hers. George could not be selfish on her birthday.

       He would apologize, as he intended from the start, but that would be it. The boy would not bother her with his feelings. She didn't deserve it.

       With that, most his script went down the drain, and George tore his eyes from the pair, convinced it was for the best.

***

       "Hey, can we talk?"

       Sophia looked up from her bottled water to see George with uncertainty written all over him.

       The process of sobering up had been tough but choosing to do so was suprisingly easy. Perhaps she didn't want to miss this -all of her friends gathered in one place, celebrating- to a blackout. It warmed her heart to see them supporting her wherever and whenever.

       But, deep down she knew this time would come sooner or later. And she'd rather think straight when it did.

       Sophia took in a deep breath, summoning all of her strength and patience to what would follow.

       "Sure, Andrews. What's up?"

       It appeared to shock him that she would be open to conversation. "I wanted to apologize for what I did to you."

       "You didn't do anything, George, it's fine."

       He furrows his brows. "Of course I did. I hurt you and-"

       "Please stop." She raises a hand. "I really can't hear you say it again."

       The way her voice trembled was enough to shut him up.

       "You don't like me and that's fine. I understand." She said, to no one in particular.

       "Wait! I didn't mean it like that!" A wave of anxiety hits him, forcing the boy to scramble for words to describe precisely what he means. "Shit. I'm not good at this, okay? Just listen, please."

       "I'm not in the mood to get my fucking heart broken again, George! For fuck's sake, leave it be."

       Fuck it.

       Fuck Simon. Fuck being selfless. He didn't care.

       He didn't even have the time to ponder over how quickly Sophia could change his convictions. A word from her and he forgets who he is.

       "You were right, okay? I like you too! I'm sorry I couldn't say it before, but I really fucking do."

       It was her turn to shut up.

       "I freaked out! I don't really know how these things work. I don't even show my face, for fuck's sake, I have no idea how to handle my job and real life. I just freaked out, I'm sorry."

       He dragged a frustrated hand down his face, "I fucked up, I know that. But believe me when I say you are the best person I have ever met."

       Sophia stared at him. Seeing how he must have been holding on to that information for a while. How it seemed to relax him to finally disclose it.

       Fuck it.

       Fuck what happened before. Fuck her irritation with him. Fuck everyone else that was there with them.

       She didn't even have the time to care about anything. All she knew was she missed him, she fucking missed George Andrews, before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

       Whatever would happen next, neither of them cared.

Fuck. It.