Reunited (appledash)

c5. New Developments

We exited the bathroom, with me letting AJ out first, which she appreciated. The atmosphere in the club felt different. I spotted Sunset, drunk dancing with a drink in her hand next to Fluttershy, also clearly intoxicated—a somewhat surprising pair to be together. Pinkie was the only one who seemed sober, although I knew her to be a heavyweight, so I wouldn't be surprised if she were drunk too. After letting us out, Pinkie ran off to meet Rarity, who was talking to a group of boys at the bar as the catering staff poured out a round of shots for them, presumably bought by the boys to get Rarity slightly drunker than she already was. AJ and I stood next to each other by the bathroom door as we scanned the club simultaneously.

"Sunset and Flutters, dancing together? Didn't see that coming." She says with a scoff, reading my mind.

I won't deny that I was slightly scared. All that talk about my drinking with AJ made me apprehensive, as if I needed to watch how much I drank. I even considered staying sober for the night while I was with her, just to make her happy, but I know deep down that I don't think that'd be possible. Drinking was, for me, a way to feel slightly less, a way to escape so I wouldn't have to think so much. Right now, that's exactly what I needed after everything I felt in the bathroom.

"Come, let's get something to drink." AJ surprised me by saying.

"Really?"

"I'll keep an eye on you, I promise." She winked at me as she grabbed me by the arm, pulling me to the bar closest to us. I hadn't actually been to a club in a while, instead binge-drinking in my apartment or hanging at bars with Sunset until I ended up feeling half alive. AJ, on the other hand, seemed to be on some sort of high after our conversation, suddenly washed by the giddiness and comfortability of the club environment, something that she never used to be. It was always me who overdid it at things like this; she preferred to hang back and watch me have all the fun, something that I think she enjoyed.

"If you say so." I felt myself grinning as she pulled me away from the bathroom to the bar nearby.

"What can I get for you, ladies?" The bartender says as he is mixing a drink.

"We'll get two margaritas, please!" AJ says, excitedly.

"Coming right up!" The bartender started to make the drinks after serving another customer who stood next to us.

"Are you sure about this, AJ? You know what I'm like."

"That's why I'm not leaving your side. Besides, what'll one drink do to you?" She was right to be fair; one little margherita will only make me a bit tipsy, which I could handle. It was comforting to know that she'd be there to monitor me. It's strange to say, but I think I need someone like that right now. My eyes smiled at hers, a non-verbal 'thank you'.

"Here you are, two margaritas." The bartender slid us our drinks along with the card reader. I rapidly reached into my pocket to grab my wallet; AJ did the same, but I was, of course, quicker and tapped my card on the reader.

AJ shot me a look of happiness and guilt. "I can't believe you."

"Think of this as your payment for keeping tabs on me tonight." I say with a proud grin.

"Well, in that case, I'm going to need to be paid more than that." Our eyes meet once again; like magnets, they draw together naturally. AJ sips her drink; I follow, spipping mine. I'm not usually one for margaritas, but it tasted like sipping pure gold when I looked into AJ's eyes.

The night continued as we ended up in the pool of dancing drunk twenty somethings. AJ stuck with me the whole night, just like she said she would, keeping to her word as I kept to my limits. We danced mostly with Sunset, Rarity, and Fluttershy, Pinkie swinging by now and again but mostly sticking with her boyfriend, Cheese, to make sure everything was going the way they planned. For me, though, it went better than I could've ever imagined.