Chapter 223 - The Lion, The Witch, And The Audacity Of This ... (1/2)

Laz just casually walked in to the guys side and headed for a change of clothes and a quick shower. Some people might lament having lost, but as far as Laz was concerned, it just meant he had a lot to learn. He never thought of himself as unbeatable. And besides, while he was nestled away in another realm for a year, everyone else kept growing and getting stronger.

'I wonder just what I'm going to run into here,' Laz thought to himself. He really had no idea if this was the place that it was suggested he go to, it was only a guess. But since he was here, he figured he would enjoy himself, if only for a while.

'I've still got to try to get in touch with the girls. It's been so long. Maybe I can find that website Vivi had set up...?' Although Laz thought about it, he knew that part of what kept it safe was keeping it hidden. This was part of the reason Laz hadn't done anything towards finding them. In face, now that Laz was on his own, although he felt free, he also felt alone. There was also the issue of his parents that he hadn't forgotten. Yumi was suppose to be looking for them, but since he had finished employing her as she had concluded they weren't in D.C., it was all left up in the air now.

'I don't even know what I'm suppose to find.'

Since Laz had showered earlier, this was just a quick rinse off. As Laz finished up, Benny and Eddy were talking about breakfast while Abraham was still waking up. Normally, he would have been up super early, but the booze had really done a number on him. As Laz walked into his room, he noticed that Abraham had dr.a.p.ed the blankets over himself and was saying over and over how he wasn't going to drink again and it looked so easy when other people did it and a whole bunch of stuff Laz didn't understand.

Taking a bottle of water out from his pouch but looking like he had grabbed it from his backpack, Laz passed it over to Abraham who had finally snapped out of his daze.

”Oh. Thanks.” Abraham looked a bit better after taking a drink of water.

”Alright. Here's some info for you. One, they are never drinking for real in shows and movies. Two, if you are going to drink, make sure to do so with food in your stomach and mix in water throughout the night. That way it will flush your system a bit.”

”Are these tricks everyone knows?”

”Everyone who's ever regularly drunk, yeah.”

”Oh.”

”Anyway, you hungry? The guys were talking about getting delivery.”

”Isn't that a waste of money? I mean, can't we just go and get something? Or even go shopping for food and bring it here to make it? There is a kitchen after all.”

”I think... that between the two of them, cooking was never an option. And I only know how to cook simple things.”

”Really? My mom and sister taught me how to cook. Best way to a man's or woman's heart is through their stomach they used to say.”

”I always thought it was through the fourth and fifth rib?” Laz asked.

”What? How is that...?”

”Nothing. Don't ever change. Ok, well, you can wow us with your cooking soon, for today is a day of indulgence and we are ordering out. Come on, let's go see where we are ordering from.”

”Oh. OK...”

”Something wrong?” Laz asked, wondering why he seemed a bit down.

”Well. To be honest, I don't have a lot of money. That's why I wanted to cook for myself. You can get a lot more when you cook for yourself than you get by ordering out.”

”Ah. That makes sense. But, Since we are already doing this, don't worry about the money. I've got you covered.”

”But. No. I can't just,” Abraham was about to decline.

”Enough. It was probably more expensive than you thought to go out and drink, hence why you're low on funds, right?” Laz had made a guess.

”Well... yeah. I can't believe that a small shot can cost like eight dollars.”

”Welcome to the grown up world. Sucks right?”

Abraham didn't have a reply to that.

”Alright. You can pay me back later.”

Although it was a quick interaction, it made Abraham's positivity for Laz go up a bit. Abraham had been worried that he wasn't going to be able to relate to others being so far away form home and all. But luckily he had met a nice person like Laz.

After that, the guys got ordered from a local diner and got some regular breakfast sort of dishes, mostly at the recommendation from Benny and Eddy. Laz, who came form up north, didn't exactly understand everything on the menu while Abraham wasn't used to ordering out. Either way, the food was hot when it arrived since the place was just down the street.

Eddy pulled out a gaming system which hooked up to the TV ok and the guys just decided to waste a day in the house, relaxing and talking. Normally, guys wouldn't do this. Especially since there was always something to do. But as Benny put it, 'you've got to build a relationship with your bunk mates,' and apparently, this was the way to do it.

As the guys relaxed, even Laz got in on playing. It had been a while since he had done anything so normal like waste a day. It was pretty fun. At one point, he and Eddy headed out to a store Eddy knew and they picked up a bunch of micro brews and brought them back along with some pizza. The furnishings in the living room were pretty decent for four guys and none of them had any complaints.

And ironically, the only time they thought about the girls next door was when they saw them all leave at one portion of the night later on. They all looked pretty dressed up and although Madison was dragging Steph, Angie and Julia looked excited. Laz didn't bother looking, trusting just what Benny who was by the window, told them. It was simply a brief interlude to their night and no one thought anything of it.

Just when things were winding down, sometime around one am, and Benny, Abraham and Eddy were trying to figure out just how much they had drunk, Laz got a message.

:Get outside. I need your help.:

'What the hell is this now?' Laz thought to himself while dragging his lazy body off the chair and walking to the door.

”What's up?” Benny asked as he was grabbing some water.

”Nothing, jut figured I would get some air.”

”Alright. Sure thing man.” And Benny didn't think anything more of it.

As Laz walked outside, he used his sense to scan down the street. Sure enough, the girls were down a ways while having been joined by a group of guys. It was easy to tell that the girls didn't want anything to do with the guys and that they wouldn't leave, insisting on bringing them to their door, something that none of them wanted since that would just cause more problems later.