Ever So Slightly

So we made our way to the garden.

Mark doesn’t have a back garden, or a front garden. No, he’s a rebel and has a side garden. Complete with garden shed, deckchairs and washing line.

What a rebel.

I down the tumbler of vodka and run over to where Claire and Mike are playing badminton with a couple of rackets and an old washer ball. On the other side of them, I can see William talking to someone I don’t recognize.

And I find myself thinking, why would anyone choose to dress like this new guy? I mean it’s not like he doesn’t look hot or anything, but it’s so…off the wall.

The guy is tall, taller than William, and is wearing skin tight zebra print jeans, with a lime green tee and a purple hoodie. A pair of orange wayfarer sunglasses are also covering his eyes, despite the fact that the sun is long gone. I mentally applaud myself for recognizing the fact that he’s wearing Reebok Freestyles - I’ve seen them in the footwear section of this cool nu-rave magazine I buy once in a while.

I walk over to William, after having poured another glass of Vodka, marveling at how normal I was feeling.

‘William!’ I yell, raising my hand in greeting and grinning.

Wow his jeans are tight.

‘Hannah!’ He yells back, high-fiving my palm with his own. ‘How’s things? Drunk yet?’

‘No way, I’ve only had like, a glass of Vodka.’

‘Whoa, hardcore,’ teases William. ‘This is Gabanti by the way - Gabe to most people - Gabe? This is Hannah.’

‘Hey,’ Gabe grins, dragging out the word - I smile inwardly at another hot American accent. I could tell he was the slightest bit tipsy. ‘How’s shit?’

‘Err…Shit is good…thanks Gabe.’ I reply, unsure of what I’m meant to say now. ‘And err…your shit?’

‘Fantastic thanks, Hannah.’

‘Erm…okay.’ I say.

‘What rhymes with Hannah?’ He muses to William. ‘…Savannah, bandana, chihuahua-’

‘Tanner? Banana?’ Suggests William, pronouncing banana more like bannanna.

To rhyme with Hannah, see?

‘Banah-naah, I like it,’ grins Gabe. ‘Hannah Banana. Hanny Bananni.’

I grimaced. I’d never liked the nickname Hannah Banana - it seemed so…juvenile and spazzy. Lost in thought, I jump violently as Ash, hurtles past us screaming ‘Alcohol messes with your MIINND - it fucks your BRAAIIN! BWAAAA-CK.’

I giggle, gulping more Vodka and ignoring the taste.

‘So…’ starts William. ‘You know him, huh?

‘Yeah,’ I giggle. ‘We’re old friends - he asked me out once.’ I watch Ash run around the garden.

‘Oooh, history,’ laughs Gabe. ‘So he liked you, hmm?’

‘No, he just asked me out,’ I grin, suddenly hearing what I’m saying. ‘I mean, it was sorta a ‘you’ve been fucked up by guys, I’ve been fucked up by girls, how about it?’ sorta thing, you know?’

I flex my tongue around my mouth - it feels strange.

‘Is my mouth supposed to be going numb?’ I ask, curious, if ever so slightly worried. I poke around my mouth for any sort of sensation, but all I can feel is a sort of dull throb.

Shit.