DEFEATISM

18

Ro is drunk and wandering around the place. She finds Jerry and Galilee playing a racing game in the lounge. She plops down on the couch between them, stumbling so hard she jostles Galilee who goes off the track. Jerry laughs and puts down the remote. He's seconds before the finish line and Galilee is in last, so it shouldn't be an issue.

"Either you tried to DIY a pipe bomb with vodka or you are drunk off your ass," Jerry answers.

"Both," Ro feels her stomach heave. She's smiling though. "Life's so fucked Jerry."

Galilee's face turns pink. Ro would never speak like this under normal conditions. She quietly keeps holding down the buttons on the remote, hoping she will fade into the background.

"Okay, Nietzsche," Jerry wraps an arm around Ro, pulling her back on the couch since she looks like she's going to fold into a ball.

"You know, I've got half the baggage of everyone else here, and I actually packed for a plane trip," Ro slurs her words together.

"Choose: philosopher or shitty standup comedian. I can't handle both tonight," Jerry responds.

Galilee, still steering, is aware of how relaxed Jerry is. Sober Jerry, with an arm around somebody, joking with them. It's nice to see. Maybe it's just Ro that he's like this with. Maybe it's the book club they put together, or any other hundred things she has noticed Jerry do over the break.

"What about drunk chick in a bathroom?" Ro asks. She turns her head to look at Galilee. "What's got you sad, Gallita?"

"Huh?" Galilee asks. She looks over, her hand still on the remote, forcing the car to go down the straight while she looks at Ro.

"You always look so forlorn," Ro offers, pouting out her bottom lip. "It's fucking dreary, if I'm honest."

Yep, Galilee decides. There's Ro.

"She's Mormon," Jerry answers for Galilee. "It's all the shame and repression."

There he is too.

Galilee turns back to the game while Jerry and Ro whisper sweet nothings to each other. Literally nothings. Galilee eavesdrops. Ro has some sort of secret but she forgot what, and Jerry is being Jerry to an annoying effect.

"I have a secret."

"What secret?"

"I forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"The secret."

"What's the secret?"

"Jerry, I don't know!"

It goes on for just long enough that Galilee drives over the finish line while Jerry is distracted. She leans forward laughing. Jerry's jaw drops as he is shocked, and Ro points at him, laughing so hard she tips into Galilee, and both of them collapse on the floor. Jerry isn't dragged along but plops down next to them, just so he can join them.

Ro cannot believe she somehow wandered into this. Things this perfect shouldn't happen by accident.

~~~

In Benedict's lounge, Callie decides to battle him at chess. Originally, Callie had planned to find Ro since there are few joys Ro loves more than chess, but Ro seemed really drunk stumbling around the halls and Callie selfishly didn't want to get roped into caring for someone else that night. Instead, she happened upon Benedict.