Notes

He doesn't normally get drunk.

That's the only thing going through her mind as she watches him sway on the dance floor, completely off beat but still perfectly happy. He looks like he's in his own little world, and normally she'd be ecstatic to be so relaxed, but the feeling is tainted with the fact that he had to get drunk to be happy. The resulting mess has her so confused that she can't even enjoy herself as much as she wants to. Sure, the drinks are free, the music is loud, and the people are fun-loving and wild--it's her type of scene down to a T.

It's just not Branch's, and therein lies the problem.

Suki dances over to her, a pair of sunglasses perched on her nose. She stops next to Poppy and bobs her head to the beat of the music, lips pursed like the aloof asshole she tries to be but can never pull off.

"Nice sunglasses," Poppy shouts.

"Thanks," Suki replies at the same volume. "I had to wear them, 'cause you're so hot you would have burned my eyes otherwise."

Poppy snorts into her drink. "Smooth," she says, and Suki pushes her glasses onto her head so Poppy can see her wink. She drops into the barstool next to Poppy.

"I try," she says. "And normally you do, too. Why aren't you out there having fun?"

"Seems like I'm not the only one breaking habits tonight," Poppy mutters right as the song gets quiet, and Suki hears her. She follows Poppy's gaze.

"Ah," she says in understanding. "Branch."

"Branch," Poppy agrees. "Who let him get drunk? You do know he hates being drunk, right?"

Suki laughs and holds her hands up placatingly. "Girl, you need to slow your roll," she says. "Branch is a fully-grown adult who's capable of walking to the open bar and ordering his own drinks. No one <em>let</em> him do anything."

Poppy sucks on the inside of her cheek. "I still think it's fishy," she says.

"If the boy wants to drink, let him drink," Suki says with a shrug. "God knows he needs it after the week he's had."

Poppy whips her head around so fast she gives herself a headrush. "What happened this week?" she demands.

"Yeah, what happened this week?" Satin repeats, coming up behind Poppy with her twin in tow.

"Who are we gossiping about?" Chanelle asks.

"No one!" Poppy says quickly.

"Branch," Suki says smugly. The twins shoot Poppy knowing looks.

"Poor guy," Satin says. "I heard his week has been terrible."

"First the anniversary of his family's death," Chanelle says.

"And then he almost gets hit by a car--"

"--and then he dropped his phone in his sink--"

"--and then he asked out this girl who turned him down."

Poppy sits back in shock. "How do you two know all this?" she asks.

"Drunk Branch is a chatty Branch," Suki says. "He's been complaining to anyone who'll listen."

"He's not annoying when he complains, though," Satin says, sounding confused.

"Yeah, because it's so funny," Chanelle replies.

"Until he got mad at us for laughing and stormed onto the dance floor."

"Huh," says Suki. "Well, he seems to be having a good time now, right?"

"I guess," Poppy says. She turns back to the dance floor and sees that Branch has managed to disappear in the approximately two seconds she wasn't watching him. "Oh, perfect," she mutters.