𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑮𝑰𝑹𝑳 | ᵍʳᵉʸˢ ᵃⁿᵃᵗᵒᵐʸ

⁰⁰⁵ 𝐭𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟓

Christina and George entered the Emerald City Bar, a place that had become like a second home to them, only with less furniture and more alcohol.

Joe, the barkeeper, was sort of the unofficial therapist here. He greeted her with an enthusiastic "All hail the champ!" A few of the regular customers joined in the cheers, a sign of appreciation for the little drama that had unfolded not long before.

George, with the charisma of a wet mop, stored his umbrella in the designated spot at the wardrobe and looked like he'd rather be somewhere else.

"So my guy Alex finally got what was coming to him" Joe commented, his eyes sparkling with glee.

"George knocked him down in one punch. You should have seen it," Christina recounted with a hint of pride in her voice, pulling back the hood of her leather jacket.

"I don't want to talk about it," George snapped irritably as he took off his jacket and sat down next to Meredith at the bar. He hated being the center of attention, even though the whole place was celebrating his victory over Alex.

But Joe wouldn't let it go.

"Brag, champ, brag! You've earned it!"

While Christina squeezed in between Meredith and George, George ordered a beer and tried to forget the events of the evening.

"Let's play a game of whose life sucks the most", Meredith announced self-pityingly, staring into her glass.

"I'll win. I always win."

It wasn't a game anyone really wanted to win, but somehow they all played along.

Christina sighed and now also received her drink; a glass of water. "No. You don't want to play with me," she said, and it sounded almost like a warning.

"Oh yes, I do," Meredith replied with a hint of defiance in her voice. "I'll even go first." A pause, heavy as lead, hung in the air before she continued: "Derek is married. And he has a daughter."

George, who was sipping his beer, choked spectacularly, causing an involuntary geyser of beer to spray across the bar.

Christina couldn't hide her disgust and grimaced.

"George, beer is dripping from your nostrils..."

Coughing and wheezing, George got up and went to the bar's restroom to recover from the little accident.

Meredith watched him go before turning resignedly back to Christina to return to the original subject.

"I told you," she murmured, her voice drenched in self-pity, "I'll win."

"No, you don't win," Christina retorted, unimpressed, and took a sip of water.

Meredith looked at her irritably. "Didn't you hear me? I said Derek is married. Nothing you could say could top that."

Christina put down her glass and stared at an unseen spot on the wall behind the counter. "I'm pregnant," she finally said, not looking away. Meredith's face reflected shock and disbelief as Christina added with an unchanged expression: "I win."

Suddenly their attention was drawn to a noise in the background. "Joe, you all right?" someone called out. Joe collapsed and remained unconscious on the floor of the bar.

The glasses on the tray he was carrying shattered with a clatter, causing Christina and Meredith to look over their shoulders.

They looked at Joe, then back at each other. Christina, as she and Meredith jumped off the barstools to help Joe, said with a touch of dark humor: "Okay, maybe Joe wins."