Alcohol and Hope

The next morning came around all too soon for Alex. He found himself in his apartment and smiled, despite his raging hangover, happy that Madison had dropped him off home once again. His smile quickly turning into a frown when he noticed the note placed onto his coffee table. It was a message from Rian, telling him he was a royal fuck-up who didn’t deserve to have Madison as a best friend. Alex rolled his eyes and crumpled the note in his hand, dismissing his friend as jealous. Alex decided to visit Madison; it had been a while since he had spoken to her. Ten minutes later, he found himself standing outside Madison’s apartment door. He frowned as Rian’s laughter echoed out toward Alex but knocked on the door anyway.

“Alex,” Madison stated, shocked to see him standing on the other side of her door.

“Can I come in?” he asked, already pushing the door open further.

“I guess,” Madison sighed, shutting the door after him. Rian glared at Alex, who simply rolled his eyes, allowing his friend to continue his drama.

“Why are you here?” Madison demanded. Her tone of voice took Alex aback slightly, he had never heard her sound so cutting before.

“Well, I do like to hang out with my best friend every once in a while,” Alex replied, narrowing his eyes towards Rian who had snorted at his words. “What the fuck is your problem?”

“My problem is the fact that you think Madison is your best friend when all you do is treat her like shit,” Rian spat. Alex turned toward Madison, waiting for her to defend him.

“He’s right, Alex. You do treat me like shit. Your alcohol consumption is your best friend, not me. Best friends don’t leave each other to fend for themselves at night. Best friends don’t let the alcohol speak for them. And best friends most certainly do not punch each other in the face,” Madison spoke quietly, yet each word stabbed at Alex like a knife.

“I’ve never hit you. God, Madison, I’d never hurt you,” Alex proclaimed.

“It’s too late for that, Alex. I can’t even tell the difference between my best friend and an alcohol driven monster. I can’t be around you Alex when you value that vodka bottle over your friendships. Maybe if you stopped drinking and looked around you, you’d know that no-one wants to be near you anymore. It breaks my heart to tell you this, but you’re not the guys that I once knew, and I don’t want to know the new you anymore. That’s all I had to say to you, Alex. Goodbye.” Alex sat, stunned, for a moment, before getting up and walking out of Madison’s apartment.

Madison couldn’t believe Alex had left without a fight. She’d heard from Jack and Zack, who occasionally went to the parties, that Alex either spent his time brawling with anyone who would take his punch, or crying over the best friend he had lost. According to Zack, Alex couldn’t work out where he had gone wrong with his friendship. He couldn’t work out how he had changed, or how the alcohol had changed him. Madison felt sorry for the boy. He had let his demons overtake his system, and no-one was able to save him. Not yet, at least. Madison hoped that, one day, Alex would realise how badly he had screwed up, give up the alcohol and change. But until that day came, all Madison could do was hope.