out of the pub

When the house lights were switched on Alby and Pilar were entwined on the couch no longer aware of the goings-on around them; Mattias was propped against the bar commentating on the action on the couch with the drummer and lead guitarist from the band; Zach, Donna and Hazel were in passionate discussion with a group of three others about the quality of local support for young artists; and Marshall, Piers and Yoshi- who had appeared as if an apparition from the night- were pontificating on the state of political discourse in Australia. Topics serious, mundane, whimsical and frivolous had all been broached; characters had been invented, stereotypes mocked and existentialism theorised.

They had to be hounded out of the pub and into the mild spring night; the staff unwilling to even consider the suggestion of a lock-in. Alby and Pilar untangled from each other and stood around shuffling their feet and trying not to arouse mocking in the others. Mattias disappeared westward on the arm of the drummer, while the guitarist angled towards an invite back to a random girl’s flat. Donna and Zach huddled against each other for warmth and affection, and a distinctly intoxicated Marshall leant on Hazel for support. Piers picked up the thread of an abandoned conversation with the Arts bureaucrat that had been talking with Zach and Donna., while Yoshi disappeared without warning from whence he came.

Those remaining formed a circle on the footpath and talked amicably. While the reasons may have been different from person to person, not one of them wanted to be the one to break up the huddle or suggest the next move for fear of their motives being found out and opened up for mockery.

Eventually Zach bit the bullet and took leave of his friends. Donna naturally took his arm and they started the short walk down the hill to Zach’s place. Alby was hopping around from foot to foot caught in two or three minds as to what he should do. In the dark of the pub it was only naturally to hook up with Pilar, but here in the cold light of the streetlamp his judgement was impaired by the eyes of his peers.