All It Seems

Part 25: Misery

Chapter chapter chapter!

Thanks for being patient with me again guys, I really wanted to bring this one out a little earlier since the last two have been so late.

And now, I'm off to finish my assignment that's due at midnight :|

love you guys!

I sat in the car out the front of the Harley's Bar and watched everyone on the inside as they sat and laughed. I'd been sitting here for fifteen minutes trying to will the courage to get up and go in. Dan and Alyssa were sitting next to each other on the bar stools at our usual bar tall bar table and I noticed that every so often Dan placed his hand on her leg under the table, so discretely that no one would notice unless they were looking for it.

Isaac and Kim sat opposite them, Kim and Alyssa laughing as the two boys argued. Ironically, to everyone else it looked perfect, Isaac and Kim looked like a couple as did Dan and Alyssa. I was an outsider, slowly becoming more of one everyday I avoided them.

I couldn't bring up Lucy tonight, I had to act like everything was normal. I wondered if Dan would pick up that I knew he was Lucy's dad? Surely he hadn't told Alyssa if he hadn't have told me.

I slowly opened the car door and took my time to walk into the bar. Anxiety was sitting heavy in my stomach and my heart, making me feel dizzy as my heart sped up and slowed down rapidly.

'Hey guys," I greeted them, perching myself on the barstool next between Kim and Dan.

"Hey!" They all greeted. Isaac shot me a small smile before picking at a chip basket in the middle of the table.

"I'm so glad you're here," started Kim, pulling her phone out of her bag, "Andy said he'll be here tonight," she said, flashing her pearly white teeth.

"Oh, that's good. I'll be able to meet him,"

"Well, you'll all be able to meet him, apart from Isaac,"

My brows furrowed.

"Oh, so you guys haven't met him either? Only Isaac?" I looked in confusion towards Dan and Alyssa who were looking just as confused as I was.

"Yeah, Isaac came over the other day to drop off a textbook and met him then," she peered at her phone, her fingers moving quickly as she typed a text to whom I assumed was Andrew.

There was a brief interlude of silence where no one really knew what to say. I wracked my brains and tried to remember whether or not Isaac had told me that he had met Andrew and by the looks of it, Lys and Dan were just a confused. If I had've met the elusive Andrew, the first thing I would do is reassure my friends that he's actually real...

"How's Lucy going, Alex?" Asked Lys, her eyes hopeful as she tried to make conversation.

Shit.

"She's good," I returned, avoiding the gaze of everyone and immediately beginning to sweat. In that moment, though, I realised that just because I know that Dan's Lucy's dad doesn't mean that he doesn't still want to know what's going on. "She's doing really well at school and placed in the top three of every event she entered in on Athletics day," I said, subtly directing it towards Dan who was listening intently. "I also taught her some moves to use in football that I doubt any of the other kids will know and she picked it up like a pro,"

Dan nodded with a smile and Alyssa giggled.

"She sounds like she's a mini you," she laughed, dipping a chip into the little pot of sauce.

"Sounds like it," concurred Dan and I noticed his arm move subtly towards Alyssa and assumed they were holding hands under the table.

I remained mostly silent for the rest of the night, apart from when Alyssa asked me to go to the loo with her.