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“It was just a little white lie,” Gary shrugged off the claim as he approached the table, carefully sliding back into his chair
“How is that a white lie?”
“Well she’s not dead, is she!” He responds giving a chuckle to emphasize how ridiculous he found this conversation.
Andy did not find it so ridiculous, which was emphasized by Gary’s head being slammed into the table, leaving him with blood pouring out of a probably broken nose.
“God, you really are a cock, aren’t you. I’m leaving, and I would suggest you all do too.”
Peter got up first, leaving just enough room for Andy to leave the bench. But he hesitated before moving any further.
“Wait! We can’t stop now! We’re only four bars in!”
When Gary noticed Andy was not intent on stopping, he got desperate.
“Please!”
It wasn’t the word that stopped Andy at the door, it was the cry. Gary King had dropped his crown. He was groveling.
Andy turned around slowly.
“I’ll stay,” He held up a hand to stop Gary from interrupting him, as he so often did, “If! If you apologize to all of us.”
“What have I got to apologize for!” Gary shouted, drawing the attention of the rest of the pub. Those who hadn’t been intrigued by Andy slamming Gary’s head into the table.
“Let’s start simple, my accident.”
“It’s not my fault you crashed that car!” Gary’s face was getting more distorted with every word as if he was trying to stop himself from crying. This was not the Gary King who gave snide remarks about his friends. This was a Gary King who would do anything not to be left alone, and Andy saw this.
“Of course not,” His voice was low and quiet, much more intimidating than his yell, “but you left me, Gary, alone. I would have followed you to the end, and you left me.”
The other three shuffled uncomfortably behind them. Oliver lifted his watch as if to make a comment on the time, but Steve pushed it down and shushed him.
“I’m sorry! Alright! Why do you even care!” Gary actually was crying now. He didn't want to be, but he couldn’t stop it. He had hoped this wouldn’t come up.
“Of course I fucking care! There is a reason I’m angry at you!”
“What else,” Gary sniffled, “what’s next, come on. I’ll apologize.”
“Your mom. I want to know why you lied.”
It was simple, and yet Gary hesitated.
“I just wanted you to come,” he mumbled under his breath, which was a clear giveaway that there was more he didn’t want to tell.
“And that’s what you came up with? Not apologizing, not making things right, lying about your mom?”
“I needed you here,” he was slightly louder
“And what is so important about the Golden Mile!”
“It’s all I’ve got!”
The only sound in the entire pub was Gary and Andy’s breathing and the occasional shuffle from an uncomfortable Peter.
“Gary…” Andy was no longer yelling.
“Go.”
“Gary… come on…” It was Steve. Finally contributing.
“If you want to leave, then go. I won’t try to stop you.”
“How about one more pub? Just me and you,” It was Andy.
Gary looked up and made eye contact with him, trying to keep his face from betraying him.
“Everyone comes,” His voice cracked slightly, “Or I continue on my own.”
Andy looked around at the group, making eye contact with each of them. He could tell that they didn’t want to, but he also knew Gary could not be left alone.
Steve and Peter both slowly nodded.
“Oh, come on!” Oliver shouted, “After everything?”
“Oliver!” Andy started before being cut off by Garry.
“Please, Ollie?”
It was the fact that he wasn’t called O-man that finally swayed him.
Gary slammed the five pints on the table, grinning wildly. One would have thought that his act in the previous bar was just that, an act. A ploy to get his friends to keep going.
“I don’t drink.”
“One won’t kill you!”
“One almost did.”
There was a brief pause of awkward silence.
“More for me than!” Gary downed one of the pints in an instant.
“We need to talk, Gary”
“Come on! Drink up! We’re not even halfway through yet!”
“Gary.”
He dropped his simile.
“Can we talk after?” He mumbled
“This isn’t healthy, Gary,” Oliver interjected, “You shouldn't be drinking this much right now.”
“Yeah,” Peter chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, “Think of the headache you’ll get tomorrow.
Gary smiled.
“I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Steve questioned, leaning in to look at Gary closely.
Andy was silent. He was listening closely, watching Gary’s movement. Since the events at The Cross Hands, he’d been different. He was shaken. Andy had gotten close to something. He needed to figure out what. But if he pushed him too far, who knows what would happen?
He just needed to get through the night. Keep a close eye on Gary, make sure he doesn’t do anything. Maybe, a few drinks would help loosen him up, not that they ever did.
“Come on!” Gary shouted, jumping out of his seat and startling Andy out of his thoughts, “On to the next one!”
“Ok, Gary, that’s twelve pubs. It’s just me and you, now it’s time we talk.”
The other two had left early, Steve had gotten so close to making it all the way through, but he tapped out at the Hole in the Wall. Andy had elected to stay sober, despite Gary pushing him to drink at every bar. He couldn’t tell if Gary actually wanted him to drink, or if he just wanted him to get drunk enough to forget what happened at The Cross Hands
“Right, sure,” Gary’s voice was only slightly slurred. It was astounding the amount of alcohol he could endure, “I just got to piss first, be right out.”
He entered the disabled’s, so he could be alone.
Then, he took out the only thing he had brought for this trip, a handgun.
How lucky he had been that his friends were innocently oblivious. That they didn’t question his lack of luggage, that they hadn’t seen his picture on the news. Escaped, and possibly dangerous.
He pulled out the small map from his pocket and crossed off the last pub.
“I actually did it,” He let out a long sigh, “All twelve, not bad if you ask me.”
Andy could hear the shot from the pistol from his seat. He didn’t get up to check, he knew what it was. Instead, he picked up the pint that Gary had bought him, despite his protest, and downed it with tears filling his eyes, as everyone else in the bar ran to check on the noise.