Claire’s phone
bleeped at her. Tricia and Margaret looked over her shoulders at the distress
message from Georgia.
“Oh god,” groaned Claire, “Not again.”
“This seems to happen every time Jill
and Lucy are together,” Tricia pointed out. Margaret agreed, “They need to keep
away from each other.”
“Come on, we have to go and help before
someone starts getting really angry,” Claire said, “This won’t end well if it
gets violent.” Even in her advanced state of tipsiness, Claire managed to lead
Tricia and Margaret quickly over to the bar, where they found quite an unusual
scene.
Lucy was half off her stool, being held
from behind by the shoulders by Neil, with a look of pure frustration tinged
with what Claire recognised as the weariness that Jill always brought out in
her. Jill was sat, drunk and oblivious, on her own bar stool, explaining
(Claire began to pick up as she got closer) how proud she was of herself for
confessing to and forgiving Lucy. Georgia had inserted herself between the
girls’ stools with a hand on each girl’s leg and kept glancing worriedly at
Neil, whose expression was a mixture of strained (presumably from holding Lucy
back), confused and concerned. Steve stood next to Neil, closer to being in
between the girls and trying to cut Jill off as she rambled while James was
standing next to him, almost beside Jill but still turned towards her so as not
to appear as if he was on her side. Claire hurried over, flanked by Tricia and
Margaret. She tapped James on the
shoulder as none of them had noticed her approaching and he moved out of the
way, a look of thanks on his face, to stand between Steve and Neil.
“What in the heck has happened now?” she demanded. Jill looked elated at her
arrival and cried out, “Yes! Claire knows what I’m talking about, you did it to
her too!” Claire looked immediately at Steve, beginning to comprehend the
situation. Jill continued, “You sab… sabby… mucked up her and Steve just like
you did to me! Tell her, Clairey baby!” Claire winced at the unwanted nickname
but said calmly to Jill, “I never said I thought Lucy was responsible for Steve
and me breaking up.”
“Yes you did,” asserted Jill (in as
assertive a voice as she could manage through her slurred words), “You say it
all the time when you drinky drinky drink!” Panic and anger surged through
Claire’s mind. So you can remember what I
say when we’re both drunk but you can’t ever remember to clear up after
yourself at home. So many dirty plates everywhere but THIS is a priority in
your mind. Claire realised that everyone was staring at her but didn’t
understand why until she saw Lucy sit down again with a hurt look on her face.
Neil’s grasp of her shoulders softened from restraint to comfort.
“You really said that?” Lucy asked
Claire dejectedly, “And to Jill?” Claire realised she had spoken out loud
instead of to herself. She moved to Lucy and grabbed her hands, speaking in as
apologetic a tone as she could.
“I was drunk and she brought it up and
I was suggestible because of the drinking but I never meant it, you know I would
never think that!” she searched for Lucy’s eyes, which were avoiding hers. Then
she heard James speak from behind her, suggesting that everybody go and look at
something really interesting over on the other side of the bar, except for
Claire, Jill and Lucy. Claire stayed where she was, holding Lucy’s hands and
trying to catch her eye. She heard Georgia agreeing with James, but Steve and
Neil stayed where they were.
“No,” said Neil simply, “I’m staying.”
“Me too,” agreed Steve, “I’m staying.”
James, Georgia, Margaret and Tricia
hesitated awkwardly for a moment but all silently decided it was best to let
the five of them work it out between themselves. They walked away slowly,
casting glances back at the unchanging situation behind them. Nobody there
spoke. When they had gone, Jill piped up, “See? You all thought I was making it
up and being a bitch but Claire agreed with me the whole time!”
“No!” cried out Claire, “She’s lying!”
“I am not!” shouted Jill, sounding
genuinely hurt. Claire felt something break inside of her.
“Of course you are!” she yelled at
Jill, “You’re always lying! You're a pathological liar who gets a kick out of
bitching and making up stories to get other people in trouble. We put up with
it at first because it wasn’t that bad and it was only about Sue, who wasn’t
very nice anyway at that point. But then, you started taking advantage of other people as
well. The things you used to say about Joe were horrible, and then you
apparently decided that it should be your mission in life to try and do
anything in your power to hurt Lucy, even if it meant getting other people in
trouble at the same time! You’re a selfish bitch, Jill, and all you ever want
is glory and attention even though nobody likes you!”
There was a silence. Claire stood there,
panting while Neil and Steve looked between her and Jill, who was sat,
motionless and slightly more sober now, staring at Claire with a gobsmacked
expression. Lucy had gone from staring at the floor behind Jill with her head
up to hanging her head to hide her face. The silence was broken by a sob which
emanated from her. Claire spun round to face her again, having turned to yell
at Jill.
“Luce?” she tried. Lucy sobbed again and
stood up, shaking off Neil’s hands but keeping her head down. She ran, at first
towards the toilets but swerving when she was halfway there. The group at the
bar looked to where she was heading and saw Carter, talking to Joe. Lucy ran
towards them and threw her arms around them both. Joe said something to her
and, following her response, detached himself and started to walk determinedly
towards the bar. As he walked past Georgia she grabbed his arm and spoke to
him. From what Claire could see, she was trying to calm him down. She
desperately wanted to ask if anyone else could tell what was going on but the
awkward silence that had been engulfing the group since Lucy had run away was
too much to break. That was, until Steve grunted slightly and walked over to
Georgia and Joe. Neil followed him. Not wanting to be left with Jill, Claire
went to the toilets to hide for a while as she wasn’t sure whether or not
everyone hated her and it wasn’t in her nature to ask.
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