Stick To the Script // Danny O'Donoghue

Chapter 28-Drinking Never Gets You Anywhere

Danny

I stand outside of Mark's flat with my bags, pounding on the front door. His place is booming with energy which is abnormal for him at this hour.

Rina opens the large, mahogany door with a smile on her face, her blond hair thrown up in a high ponytail that makes her look ages younger.

She puts her hand on her hip and leans against the door frame, striking a provocative pose. Her glass that's filled to the brim with red wine spills over onto her light pink blouse, but she doesn't even bat an eye.

"Danny! How are you?" she screams at me, sounding a little tipsy. Her sweet Texas accent shines right through like it often does when she's drunk.

"Mark! Glen!" she calls, draping an arm over me as she leads me through the crowd of people in the living room, "Dan's back!"

"Oh, Danny boy, you aren't gonna believe this mate!" Mark calls shooting out from around the corner with his older son Cameron slung over his shoulder. "I got Rina and me a lottery ticket and we've done won the damn thing!"

"Really?" I ask. "That's great," I say just to humor him. He is shitfaced out of his mind. I doubt he really won the lottery.

"I'm gonna buy us a new flat, Rina a new car, myself a guitar." he chuckles setting Cam down on the floor. "Oooo! That rhymed."

"I dunno if that's smart Mark. We don't really need that money. You know that."

At least he better know that. He's the one who gave me similar advice when I wanted to blow our first paycheck on a nice car.

"So what Dan? Money is money! You can't just throw it away." he says.

"Not throw it away, maybe we can just give it away...to charity or something?"

"Oh relax Dan, don't get your knickers in a bunch." Glen slurs coming out of the kitchen, "He only won fifty euros."

I roll my eyes at them both, watching as they take more drinks from some other guest in the house.

Rina drapes herself over Mark and shoves her tongue down his throat scarring poor little Cameron for life.

I quickly rest a hand on his shoulder and turn him away, telling him to come with me.

"Uncle Danny, why is Da having such a loud party?" he asks me in his sweet little voice.

"I dunno kiddo. I'm trying to figure that out myself."

Cameron shrugs and we head for his bedroom where I have to shoo a couple that's making out.

"You two are sick," I say as I cover Cam's ears with the palms of my hands. "About to fuck in a child's room! What the hell?"

They glare at me and walk away, still making out.

I shake my head in disgust and lead Cameron into the dark room, trying my best not to trip on any of the six year old's toys lying around on the floor.

I turn on the little lamp next to Cameron's twin sized bed, and shift the covers over for him to slide underneath.

He cuddles up on the bed and I throw the comforter over him, tucking him in.

"Can you get my mummy and daddy?" he asks me.

"You know Cam," I say, "yer parents are a little busy right now. What is it you need?"

"Mummy always tells me a bedtime story." he says. "And daddy plays me music to go to sleep."

"Well, I don't know if I can tell you a bedtime story, but I can sing to you. If that's alright with you?"