Fiction Friday - Two Drinks

With no notice, rain started pounding on the roof of the bar, and the wind blew fat drops against the windows looking out to the street. Clara heard the noise and drained her glass with a sigh. She'd been hoping to escape as soon as she finished her drink, but she wasn't going out into that! The banter between the two other women at the table waned slightly so she smiled at Tracy and pointed to her glass. "Another?"

"What? You don't have to..." Tracy had suggested she and Clara meet for a drink that evening, but when Tracy's BFF Midge arrived Clara learned that it was Tracy's birthday and others would be arriving as the evening went on.

She turned to the bartender and held up her glass and two fingers. Clara wasn't made of money, but she could buy a birthday drink or two for a friend at happy hour prices. One more, for the rain. Then she'd make excuses and leave before it got too crazy. She was the third wheel and hated it. Oops - another friend joined their table - make that "fourth" wheel. Soon to be fifth, no doubt.

Clara didn't like social gatherings and felt deceived to learn that that was what was happening. "I think you're doing the right thing," she chimed in as Midge discussed a personal problem. Clara was doing well to participate in the conversation at all. These two had a conversational short hand that left little room for input, but occasionally a look came her way and Clara knew that to remain a silent observer would be even more awkward. So every now and then she gave a sentence or two to the tabletop chatter.

By the time she'd finished her second drink, the rain had eased up enough that she could escape. "I'm going to head home. Early morning tomorrow, you know. Happy birthday again Tracy!" she gave the birthday girl and hug and smiled around at the growing group of friends Clara didn't know well or at all.

Walking home, Clara assessed the evening. She avoided social situations like poison, and always checked her emotional state afterward. In younger years she'd honed a conversational skill to protect her privacy: Talk about mundane elements of life and no one asked deeper questions. As she grew older and bolder to say no, she could select her social engagements with care. One-on-one or a very small group of like-minded individuals was no problem. But large gatherings, groups of strangers, overlapping conversations, like the situation she just left? No. Uh-uh. Not comfortable.

Clara was getting better at feeling okay after being tricked into being social. Tonight, instead of being upset at the sneaky "let's have a drink together" with no indication that it was an event; instead of beating herself up over stupid things she might have said; instead of overstaying and feeling worse later; Clara felt proud of herself. 

She may have said stupid things, but no one would have noticed since she was just the extra. Anything she said was just to confirm that Tracy and Midge were lovely people for including this outsider in their event. They didn't know how much she hated it. She played her part in the conversation well enough that they shouldn't even guess she felt like a third wheel. 

Clara smiled to think of this new weapon in her "defensive conversation" arsenal: Participate just enough so that you don't seem like a third wheel. That was good. Overall, a successful social occasion. Of course, she'd never say "yes" to Tracy again, but that was Clara's business.

It's FICTION FRIDAY!

Every Friday I write a new flash fiction piece. If you have a writing prompt you'd like to see turned into a story, just leave it in a comment.