She thought about KSL, about how sad he had looked this morning. She was sure he needed to get it all out of his system as well.
"Dive Bar Dancing?" she texted.
"At another bar. Friend's band is playing. Maybe after."
"K. Need to drink the night away right now. The hits just kept on coming today."
"You okay?"
"Not really. Set aside all day tomorrow to celebrate Piz's birthday. He just told me he needs to study instead. So might as well nurse a hangover instead. Peak loneliness indeed."
"Nice callback. I'll check with you in a bit, yeah?"
She walked into the dive bar, where she took selfies in the bathroom with MG, Dawn, and their mutual friend. She danced with MG, and MG pulled a cougar onto the dance floor. She drank way too many dirty martinis. Dawn's flavor of the week arrived, and they spent the evening talking about the din of the bad house band.
MG got a text right before her phone died that one of her friends needed her. She told MG that was fine, that she would find another ride. As if by magic, her phone went off.
"How goes?"
"You should come save me."
"Like from myself."
"But like after one dance."
"This is where I am in life."
"Okay, gimme a few. I'm on my way."
4 minutes later he texted "I'm here, where are you?"
"By the dance floor."
He came and sat down in their booth. She introduced him around, he thanked them for coming to his show a few hours earlier. He refused to dance, and they sat and laughed at the people on the dance floor for a few minutes. Dawn left to walk her flavor out to his car.
"Ready to go?" KSL asked her.
"Yeah," she said, "Just wait until Dawn gets back so I can say goodbye."
Dawn bounced back in a few hours later and sat back down with a huge grin. "Oh my god, you got kissed!!!!" She screamed over the music. She stood up and reached over the table and planted a kiss on Dawn's forehead.
"The night isn't getting any better after that, we can go." She patted KSL's leg with authority so he would stand up.
They walked to his roommates car, which he was driving until she came back into town in a few days later. Then he would have to beg his mom to borrow her car again until he could afford to fix his own.
They sat in the parking lot in the car talking for awhile. She leaned against the back of the seat so she was facing him. She stole his hat, slowly, waiting for him to protest. He didn't. She took a selfie with it and then put it back on his head. It must have been a terrible day for him, his wall was completely down.
He finally started the car and took her the short distance home. He pulled up to the loading zone of her building. She thanked him for the ride, and for the fun time. They hadn't hung out as friends for awhile.
"I could come up for a drink."
She shrugged, and slurred "You could come up for a drink."
He took a sharp turn out into the street and into the back alley to park.
