BRAND OF BODHI (BOYXBOY)

THIRTEEN

The Layout is a local bar that Gil and Galen favor. It has a nice atmosphere, and always plays a mixture of new and old music. It was the kind of place that was pretty nondescript. A rundown shithole you can pretty much find in any city. The beer always tastes bad, and for some reason or another it always smells like stale ale. But you will never catch any tourists hanging around. And for locals, it is a familiar waterhole. The faded wallpaper and cracked seating makes us feel at home.

Allen, Lisa and Levon -- Lisa's husband -- join us in the festivities, while Samuel and Mina had to respectfully back out. They have yet to tell anyone that Jasmine is missing, and are still sticking close to home in case she calls or shows up.

We make our way to the dance floor, Gil leading the way as I trail behind him. I don't do the dancing thing, but since this is his day I had swallowed my protest and got up anyway. My beer is in one hand, and my other rests on Gil's hip as he moves in front of me. I can smell alcohol and B.O from the bodies pressing close to us, and I resist the urge to elbow people when they get a little too close.

The music is so loud, I can feel it pulsing through the soles of my shoes. Others bump into us as they dance and grind against each other. The lights are turned down and people crowd around tables that line the walls.

When the song finally ends, Gil grabs my hand and pulls me back to the table where our friends are seated, laughing and bickering with one another. Galen passes his brother a shot before passing one to me. I eye the red liquid suspiciously for a moment before wordlessly tossing it back.

Taking a seat on an empty stool, I wrap an arm around Gil's waist as Gil manoeuvres himself between my legs. Levon passes us another round of shots, and holding my glass up, the others pause briefly before drinking their own.

As I look at the faces around me, I can't help but smile slightly. Gil leans over to talk to his brother; Lisa and her husband talk quietly amongst themselves, laughing at a private joke the rest of us will probably never understand; and Allen continues to annoy a red faced Galen, pinching his cheeks and cooing at the man as if he were a baby. Today had started with mourning death, but at the end of the day we were celebrating life.

A part of me wonders if we should have held off our party. If this is disrespectful to Bradley in any way? I can't help but think: shouldn't we all be home reflecting and mourning right now? Everyone mourns in their own way. I'd rather be out drinking and having fun with people I know, than at home drinking away the memories of someone I had lost.

"It's a few days late but . . . Gil, Galen, Happy Birthday." I toss back another shot as the others wish the twins a happy birthday and toss back their own shots.

The shot is bitter and sweet at the same time. One of those speciality drinks that I could never understand. I would have rather taken a shot of something straight than have them mix it with all of that extra shit.

"Happy Birthday, guys." Lisa pipes up, giving Galen a hug and then reaching across the table to give Gil one as well. It seems like the twins had already forgiven her for the part she had played in their interrogation. "This is from Levon, Natalie, and me."

Lisa passes Galen a box, and then passes Gil a similar one. The twins both rip into the boxes.

Inside of Gil's box are new gardening tools. He had been saying he needed to get some new ones, but hadn't got around to replacing his old set yet. His face lights up when he sees the gift and he reaches over to hug Lisa.

"Thank you so much," says Gil, turning around to show me the box. I smile back at him.

My eyes move across the table to Galen to see what he has gotten. Inside of Galen box is a new bookbag, and inside of the bag is a travel kit. Galen is always on the road, flying from one place to another, for work. Or at least he claims it's for work.