RESEARCH ( barry berkman.. ) ✔

o26. hit or miss..

"You better not miss the fucking hole," Adelaide threatened under her breath.

"Do I ever?" Barry mumbled, too concentrated to even be bothered by her insistent closeness.

"Stop being cocky and win us the round," her breath hitched as Barry made his throw, landing the tiny ping pong ball into one of the cups which have not been occupied with other such balls. Their color was yellow for the night and they were easily winning ground with the most claimed points. "Yes!" Adelaide jumped first in a shudder of joy, then pulled Barry in for a grateful hug. 

He laughed, "Told you we got this round in the bag."

"This is so not fair," Antonio complained, gaining the agreement of all the acting class, gathered around this table at the bar they have turned into an improvised game night outdoors, with the approval of the bar owner, who either way, loved the bunch which always got him the best profit. "Barry's got the good aim from the army."

Adelaide's arm held Barry's, answering the comment with a distinct pride, "Oh, suck it up! You should have thought of that before thinking you can win this game. Blue team's turn." She pulled Barry aside, back to the table left to their game center decorated with one too many empty cups they have all drained themselves before. At their table was the blue team, made out of Nick and Jermaine, who got up to throw their last two balls in. They were the drunkest and most likely about to lose.

The white team, made out of Sally and Natalie, were sitting at their other reserved table, with the black team, chatting away with the one team left standing because the bar was packed and there were no more chair to be spared anyway, even with their special game night. Addie and Barry took Nick and Jermaine's chairs in order to sit down too, pulling them just a tad bit closer.

On their table was a pile of jackets and handy packs or purses, amongst which also hid the sweater Adelaide removed after her third drink. She was now sporting a tank top, though sweat persevered by the grace of how fired up the game really got her. Taking every bit of it seriously made her exhausted each time they got the chance to sit down. Her ears diffused back into hearing the music of the bar and she leant her head back on Barry's shoulder.

His cheeks were redder, having downed about the same amount of drinks as her, only with the intention to not drink anything else until the night is over so that to some extent, he could be sober enough to drive them both to either of their places safely. "Are you having fun?" Barry asked, half shy, half lost in the smile stoned into his features. 

A few beads of sweat were on his own forehead, having given his all to convert taught dangerous skills in helping him and Adelaide win something so colloquial. When this game night was announced at the theater, Barry hasn't been so excited about the unnecessary competition as much as going out without concerns and simply to attempt having fun. His friends agreeing to let him bring Adelaide to be his pair for the game has added, along with her own spirit aching for victories, a certain desire to perhaps indulge in something utterly silly.

Adelaide nodded, "Thank you for inviting me." She realized, along with those words sounding far deeper than her voice should actually be, that her mouth was particularly dry. Addie sat up and walked her hand in brushing Barry's neatly combed hair into a ruffled mess, "I'll go get a water. Do you want one too?"

He shook his head and watched, patiently sitting straight in the scrawny chair, how Adelaide swayed her way across the busy place, towards the bar in the center, where she was partially out of his view. The whole night was feverish and bubbled with alcohol, but Barry got emotionally dependent to each happy second of it, printing it into his memory, because he has never felt happier.

Peace and normal thrills looked good on his glazed, drunk eyes, unbothered even as Sally Reed migrated past the arguing Blue Team, and sat down next to Barry. "So, what will you do at midnight?" she asked, barely shouting over the music, but also leaning in close enough for Barry to blink away his calm and furrow his eyebrows down at the blonde. Sally was just as passionate about winning and her team was the one with the second biggest score only because she has been actively yelling at Natalie with their every miss. She has not changed much in that matter.