A/N: Because I no longer see any point to sleeping when I’m just going to have to wake up again.

Babble

“Shussh, do you hear that? Do you hear that hammering?!”

“I don’t hear a thing.”

“You don’t hear it?!”

“The only thing I can hear at the moment is you—screaming in my ear. Take it down a notch, Zack, everybody in the damn bar is getting annoyed.”

“Agh, I think God is hammering a nail into the wall of my brain!”

“I think God is telling you that you’re wasted. Put that glass down, haven’t you caused enough trouble for one night?”

“Who, me?! That’s crazy talk! You’re crazy!”

“Whatever you say.”

“I didn’t do anything, it was all Simone—and her stupid fiancé’—What’s-his-face...Mr. Fancy Pants Harvard Man…”

“George.”

“Huh?”

“His name is George.”

“Whatever his face—he fights like a pansy.”

“And I suppose that’s why you’re the one with the black eye, Zack?”

“I was jus’ trying to show Simone—!”

“That you’re an idiot.”

“That I still love her!”

“You’re an idiot, Zack.”

“S’not my fault!”

“But you had to cause drama, didn’t you? You’re such a drama queen, you know that, Zack? It’s our high school reunion, and I’m stuck with you at a pub in the middle of nowhere.”

“Hey—nobody made you come with, alright, little missy?”

“No, but someone had to drive you home at the end of the night. And did you just call me little missy?”

“Oh, God, I think I have a tumor! There is a strange noise coming from inside my brain…and it sounds just like a Barry Manilow song!”

“That’s the juke box, Zack.”

“Oh God, Angi. Angi—I think I might throw up.”

“Lovely. Well can you please lean the other way, I’ll murder you if you spew all over my new dress.”

“Yeah, speaking of—you’re certainly all dolled up tonight. Who you showing off for?”

“I’m not showing off for anybody.”

“Nobody wears a dress that shnazy unless they’re showing off for someone. So. Who’s the guy?”

“No guy.”

“…whose the chick?”

“Shut up. I’m not showing off for anyone.”

“…well, whatever, you look hot is all. Agh, Barry Manilow makes me wanna pull my hair out.”

“Please don’t say that to me.”

“Well I can’t help it, Angi, his voice is just aweful!..Copacabana my ass…”

“No, the other thing.”

“What other thing?”

“Forget it.”

“Copacabana?

“Forget it!”

“…..Angi?”

“Yes?”

“Why’d you show up?”

“What do you mean?”

“To the reunion.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I went to Richton High too, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, I just didn’t think you’d bother to show up.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Nothing! Shit, girls are so quick to anger. Like Simone—.”

“Why does it surprise you? That I would show up to my own reunion, why does that surprise you, Zack?”

“You just don’t strike me as the type who’s into all that high school shit.”

“High school shit?”

“I mean, you never went to games or dances, or hung around with all of us after school. Hell, I think I only ever saw you in classes. And even then I didn’t talk to you. Well—besides to make fun of you.”

“Well that’s your problem. You always were an arrogant jerk, Zack Bergeron.”

“And you always were invisible, Angela Serna.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“It wasn’t one.”

“No shit.”

“….”

“….”

“…why would she choose that looser over me?”

“Who, Simone?”

“Mmh.”

“Well, let’s see…Oh, oh I know! For starters, he’s a Harvard graduate, and he’s rich, and smart, and kind, and loving, and, oh I don’t know, not a cocky bastard who thinks the whole world revolves around him!”

“Well—I’m all of those things!”

“psh”

“Or—well, except for the Harvard part. But I LOVED Simone!”

“Gimme a break, it was just a school fling.”

“It was more than a fling, you blind goose.”

“Blind goose? Is that even an insult? Oh, God, so you’re the weepy kind of drunk? That’s just great.”

“I’m not crying!”

“Well you could have fooled me!”

“Bartender! Bring another—.”

“No. No more for him, sir. It’s bad enough I have this mess to clean up.”

“….ah, Angi, why does she have to torment me so? Love is awful, just awful.”

“You know what? I am sick of hearing everybody’s damn problems about their love life! Doesn’t anybody care about my love problems?”

“..oh, you are so right. I’m sorry, Angi. Go ahead, tell me your problems.”

“….actually, I haven’t any. But that’s not my point.”

“Oh, Angi…you’re such a good listener, buddy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“But you are a listener.”

“But I’m not your buddy.”

“Were you ever anybody’s—buddy? Haha, anybuddy’s body…buddies...”

“Shut the hell up, Zack, I did so have friends!”

“Like who? Gimme some names, I prolly know ‘em.”

“I don’t have to prove anything to you, you—conceited—!”

“oohh…you’re so hot when you’re angry.”

“Don’t say that! I told you not to say that to me!”

“…Angi….”

“….Forget it.”

“Look, Ange—.”

“Please?”

“…..”

“…..”

“You don’t see it, do you, Angi?”

“…”

“You’re beautiful, Angi. You always were.”

“Stop talking, you’re drunk.”

“Doesn’t make it any less true. You were always beautiful, Angi. But you hid, you just—hid so much from the world. Why’d you do that, Angi?”

“Get your arm off of me!”

“You are. Beautiful.”

“Vomit.”

“I don’t have to anymore.”

“Well congratulations.”

“…”

“…”

“..”

“…”

“..”

“…”

“…”

“..”

“Do you here that, Angi?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, you do not have a tumor!”

“No...the song…it’s slow…”

“So?”

“So we should dance, Angi. We should—get up with me, Angi, we’ll dance the night away.”

“If you try to stand up you’ll probably topple over.”

“Ah, c’mon, Angi. Let’s slow dance. Jus’ you and me. The way we never did in high school.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Aw, c’mon, baby...let’s boogy!”

“No. And I am not your baby.”

“Ugh, you’re no fun.”

“Well I never was much fun, remember?”

“Yeah… But you sure did have a heart.”

“We all have hearts. That’s why we’re alive, idiot.”

“Nah, nah, I mean like—a heart of gold an’ all that shit, you know? Me, I was a bastard—.”

“Was?”

“Is. Am. Blah. You know what I mean.”

“Yes.”

“And we always tried to bring you down, do you remember, Angi? Do you remember how we used to steal your purse in the middle of class, and dump everything onto the middle of the floor? Or how we cheated offa you, then called you names?”

“…I do.”

“And do you remember, Angi, how we made fun of your clothes? We treated you like shit, and you—you just smiled.”

“….”

“You did, Ange. You just smiled at us—and treated us with the respect we never gave you. And that was somethin’, Angi, that was—.”

“It was high school.”

“…Did I ever say sorry, Angi?”

“It was high school.”

“I’m sorry, Angi.”

“I don’t mind.”

“You never did, Angi.”

“…”

“I’m sorry, God, I am.”

“Ugh, please don’t start crying again.”

“I don’t cry, I told ya!”

“Look at yourself…you’re a mess. Get up, I’m taking you home now.”

“No, I’m not done!”

“Hell yes, you’re done! You can’t even speak without slurring!”

“No, I mean—God, just stay here with me, Ange, wouldja do that?”

“And watch you drink yourself to death?”

“Nah, just—just sit here with me, Ange. Wouldja please? Jus stay here with me, Angi.”

“….It’s almost midnight.”

“mmh…and we’ll make a wish. When the clock strikes twelve… we will wish upon a star...”

“And what will you wish for, Zack Bergeron?”

“Aha, nice try—but if I tell you…then it won’t come true.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Hey, why don’t you wipe those tears away and we can head towards the car—.”

“I’m not crying!”

“Okay, Zack.”

“I’m not—my eyes are just leaking! That’s all!”

“Okay.”

“That’s all.”

“Okay, Zack.”

“Angi, where did I go wrong?”

“How should I know?”

“I mean—what am I doing with my life, I—I haven’t got a clue.”

“Me neither, Zack. Hopefully, not this every night.”

“Next week I’ll be twenty-six—twenty-fucking-six!...and what do I have to show for it? Some—dingy ol’ apartment and a cashier job—what the hell is that?”

“It’s an apartment and a cashier job. At least you have that much.”

“Everyb’dy tonight—they all had somethin’ to be proud of. They’re all makin’ it big—Sammy, Quinn, David, all of ‘em—even Moose!”

“So, good for them.”

“..and Moose used to eat his own snots!—what the hell is wrong with me?!”

“Well, for starters—oh, but I find it much more enjoyable to keep you wondering.”

“I—I have no direction. I dunno, I dunno what I wanna do with my life. I missed all my chances and now I’m screwed, Angi, I’m screwed.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, you’re only twenty-five. Twenty-fucking-five. You have time.”

“Yea, easy for you to say, you’re already doing what you’ve always wanted.”

“Is that so?”

“You’re a journalist, just like you always said you’d be. You got everything you ever wanted. You’re life is exactly how you wanted it to be.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“Well what’s missing?! Shit, you have it all Angi. What’s missing?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“You shouldn’t rest your head on the bar, Zack. It’s filthy.”

“…”

“Hello? You alive over there?”

“…”

“So I’m hoping you’re just asleep and not dead. What the hell, Bartender! Anything, bring me anything. You see that, Zack I guess I have no choice but to join your little pitty party. Well, I do have a choice, and I am choosing to slump down to your level. How’s that for perfectionist?”

“…”

“You know… I realize that you’re too thick headed to see this…. but there is something missing, Zack. There is.”

“…”

“I mean, I’m not complaining, things are going pretty good. There going pretty great, in fact. I mean, I guess I should just shut up. I should, because—well, we all say things that we regret in the morning, don’t we?”

“hmm”

“Oh. So you’re not dead.”

“Mph..rm.”

“Yes, well I can’t understand you when your face is muffled in your sleeve. But that’s okay, I think I’ve heard enough of you for one night.”

“..m’kay, Simone…”

“….I’m not—Zack, we really should get going now. You’re passing out as it is.”

“m’not passin’ out—jus’ woozy—just tired.”

“Then let’s go!”

“mmhmm. kay. s’been a good night, hasn’t it?”

“Sure, Zack.”

“…everything is fine now, isn’t it?”

“Fine and dandy. Let’s leave now.”

“Simone—may I kiss you?”

“I—.”

“Just one kiss?”

“…alright, Zack.”

“…………………”

“Oh, now—don’t cry, Simone, don’t—.”

“I’m not crying, Zack. My eyes are just leaking.”

“…”

“Yeah, okay, Zack, just—just fall asleep again. To hell with you, then. To hell with you, and your stupid friends, and your stupid complaints!… oh, and your stupid contagious leaking eyes…”

“….”

“It’s always been you, Zack.”

“…”

“I wonder if you ever knew. I wonder if you ever guessed. It’s always been you.”

“…”

“Oh, and you think you’re screwed, Zack? I’m the one confessing my heart and soul out to a sleeping drunk with a heart of stone…you, you, you, it’ been you all along…and look what you’ve done to me.”

“….”

“Well, it’s finally midnight, Zack. Zack. Wake up, we’re leaving. Really.”

“mmph.”

“Wake up, Zack.”

“hmm”

“….It’s midnight now….make a wish, Zack.”

“mph… wish I could go back.”

“Back to sleep? Lovely.”

“Nope…just back…I’d do it all different, Angi.”

“...so would I, Zack...so would I."

fIn