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"Motherfucker." Vienna picked up her glass, only to slam it back down on the table when she realized it was empty. "Getting away with torturing my best friend just because he can shoot a basketball." She glared across the lounge at Danny. "It's not fair. It's just not fucking fair."

"It's the world, Vienna. That's how it works. Success forgives a lot of sins." Garrett sighed as he saw Danny say something to Tyler and Amy, the latter laughing as she laid a hand on his arm. "Twenty-eight years old and this is where I am. Fuck. Danny's right. I am a loser..."

"OK, this goddamn motherfucking pity party ends now." Sadie slid off her chair and somehow managed to purposefully stride the few feet between her and where Garrett stood. "I'll take a little low self-esteem because we've all been there, but this complete and utter emotional collapse I'm witnessing? Stop it."

There was iron in Sadie's voice as she told him, "Look at me." Even in the dim lighting of the bar, Garrett's emerald eyes shimmered like an autumn pond. "Tough love time, Garrett. You are a footnote in your own life story. Everyone else is writing chapter after chapter and you're barely out of your prologue. All of the things you've done in your life are part of someone else's tale. But that's understandable when every time you begin running Danny shoots you with the starting gun."

Garrett didn't say a word. His entire focus was on Sadie. No side glances, no annoyed sighs, not even nods of agreement. He was locked on to what she was saying. Steepling her fingers in front of her mouth, Sadie blew out a deep breath. "Every single person in this room has stumbled, or hit a roadblock, or fucked up in a major way." Sadie thumped her chest. "Trust me, you're talking to the ticket taker on the Hot Mess Express. We've all had setbacks. But they were stumbling blocks, not final chapters."

She poked him in the shoulder. "You need to start writing your own life story and right over there is Chapter One, 'How Garrett Got His Groove Back.' It can't be Colette's Garrett, the one who's back in town trying to figure out what to do with his life. It can't be Brenda's Garrett, the one who was always looking over his shoulder in fear. And it can't be my Garrett because sex and booze can't be the only two mixers in your life. You need to be Michelle's Garrett. The self-confident Garrett who overcame his fears and helped my friend figure out a piece of her puzzle. The Garrett who skied a triple black diamond. The Garrett who counter-hustled a guy on Spring Break. That's the Garrett you need."

He closed his eyes. Sadie could see his body trembling slightly as he slowly, carefully nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I can do this. I've done this before. He's just a bigger fish."

"There you go. Go over there and kick his ass, so tonight you and I can have some incredible victory sex."

Garrett cocked his head. "What makes sex victory sex?"

"Once you've cum I'll play the victory fanfare from Final Fantasy VII," she grinned.

"Does that mean you're going to play a song during sex?"

"The battle theme from IX. It's got the best opening lead-up." Sadie leaned in and pressed her lips against his with a firm, lingering kiss. When she let go, Sadie gave a stunned Garrett a friendly smack on the cheek. "What are you waiting for?" she smirked. "You have five games to win."

With a short, sharp nod of affirmation, Garrett began to step away from the table. Before he could, however, Colette placed a hand on his forearm. When he turned to face her she put her other hand on the back of his head and gave him a kiss of her own. As opposed to the pep rally style of Sadie's liplock, Colette's kiss was gentle and reassuring. "Think the end of the The Color of Money and not The Hustler," she told him softly as she pulled away. Once again Garrett nodded and started moving towards the pool table...

"Oh, fuck it."

Where Colette's kiss was soft, Michelle's kiss held the fury of a raging forest fire. She poured everything she had into it, grabbing Garrett's shirt and pulling him close, not caring about the presence of her friends, high school classmates, and even total strangers. Once again, for a brief moment, she claimed him for her and her alone. "There," she told him, "that should bring my Garrett to the surface. And when I tell Andrew what I just did, you guys are all my witnesses as to why I did it."

Garrett laughed for the first time that evening. As he did, his eyes fell across Vienna who immediately put her fist out to him. "No kiss, just fists." He laughed again, smiling at his best friend while they bumped hands.

This time when Garrett turned around, Evelyn was there. He almost jumped with shock, as a moment ago she had been sitting next to Gio. "When in Rome," she whispered while softly caressing his cheek. The kiss they shared was light and airy, almost imaginary save for the dark cherry taste of Evelyn's lip gloss. "Daniel has been your King of Pain for too long," she told him. "However, it is better to rip the crown from a clenched fist rather than a weak grip."

A hand fell on his shoulder. "Like she said, when in Rome." The entire table fell quiet as Gio proceeded to kiss Garrett. It wasn't a peck on the cheek or a "hey bro we're bros" kiss. It was a genuine act of friendship and affection done without any hesitation or phobia that lingered for several moments.

When Gio pulled back, Garrett found himself chuckling. "Dude," he asked his friend, "where did that come from?"

"I'm as invested in this as you are. Besides, you kissed me last night, remember? Just returning the favor."