This Life ? (J.C)

The guys had left the bar. Joy had been too drunk to comprehend that she was alone. She sat thinking about Julian, contemplating on giving into his suggestions. What did she have to lose? She'd probably never see him again anyway; sleeping with Jules would just give herself some sexual closure.

A simple one night stand—they knew each other, they were both adults. And on top of that, Joy was drunk.

She hailed a cab; she had made up her mind at the bar that she was going to sleep with Julian.

She knocked on the door to the apartment that Albert and Jules shared, internally hoping that Julian would change her mind about what she had planned to do. Deep down, she hoped that he would reject her—admit that it was all just a game and that he had never looked at her more than a friend.

Joy wasn't so sure she was strong enough to sleep with Jules. Perhaps becoming physical in every way with him would bring out intense feelings she wasn't ready to feel yet.

Not with Julian, Joy thought.

He was careless—reckless and empty. Why did she find that so goddamn endearing? Nothing would ever come of them. Every time Joy thought of Jules negatively, she always thought back to that night he had admitted that he too struggled with personal demons. She thought of him taking up for her; punching the stranger that had gotten too handsy.

No matter how much Julian tried to mask his golden heart, Joy could still sense it. He was protecting himself... from himself.

"Hey... What are you doing here?" Albert asked, standing at the threshold of the front door. He had a drink in his hand. She could hear loud music blaring—ricocheting off the walls of the confines of the apartment.

"I was invited." She spoke drunkenly, bracing herself against the banister.

Albert glanced over his shoulder. He seemed nervous as he looked back to Joy. "I don't think you should be here right now. Can you come back in like... an hour?"

"Why, what are you guys doing? Is it an orgy? You said I could be apart of those." Joy whined playfully, pleased that she had made Al laugh.

"Look-" Al sighed. "Okay, since you're leaving us soon, I'll let you in. But... keep the judgements to yourself." He waved Joy inside, closing the door behind her as she made her way past.

She stood just at the foyer; her eyes growing wide when seeing Fab leaning over the coffee table hovering over some white lines. She looked at Albert, his eyes narrowed before taking the beer away from his lips. "I said no judgements." He mumbled. "Okay, which one of you idiots invited the girl?!" Al yelled over the music, getting everyone's attention.

Ryan looked to Joy from the sofa with confusion in his eyes. Or maybe it was worry. Ryan had known of the drug use the entire time—he was part of it.

"Uh, Jules... Julian invited me." Joy found herself backing away, suddenly feeling uninvited.

"Oh, well that's gonna be a problem." Al said, pulling Joy back into the room by her wrist.

"Wha- is he fucking someone?" She wasn't sure why, but the thought stung a little.

"No, he's fucked up on acid. He's sitting over there in the chair. He's been staring out into space for a good thirty minutes."

Joy started toward him—for a single moment, he was the only person in the room; until Al grabbed a hold of her wrist, pulling her into his side.