Vaughn set down his empty glass. “You are going to get wasted if you keep up with that,” Veronica teased. “Maybe you should come back to our house.”
“I don’t want to bother your parents-“
“Our parents, Vaughn. Your foster parents. We all wish you would come back, you know.”
He gave a sigh. “Yeah I know, but I’m better off alone.”
"He sounds like you." "I will not hesitate to slap you." "But he does!" "I know!"
“Oh come on. You’re full of bullshit,” Veronica accused.
“I’m not, I don’t feel lonley,” Vaughn stated.
“Well you barely call me. Who do you talk to, huh?” Her voice lowered. “Those little voices?”
Vaughn scoffed. “No, they just tell me things to do.. I don’t hear them all the time.”
“Not the point. You need to come home, and you need to take your meds.”
She downed her whiskey quickly. "I'm not sure what's going to kill you faster, the cigarettes or the whiskey addiction." "I don't drink as much as I smoke." "So the cigarettes. When you get lung cancer and die, don't blame me."
“I am taking my meds,” Vaughn grumbled.
“Bullshit, Vaughn!” Veronica exclaimed. “I call bullshit! You are so unstable!”
"Vaughn! That's his name! I knew it!" She whispered to herself. "Calm down, just listen you drunk." She rolled her eyes, ordering another whiskey.
Vaughn huffed as he ordered another drink. “Yeah, whatever. I can’t help it.”
“You could go back to therapy. See Dr.Willard. You like them.”
“Yeah, but it’s pointless.”
"Are you actually going to drink that or are you just going to nurse it?" "I don't drink, believe it or not." "Then why'd you get anything?"
Veronica had decided to quit arguing and she looked at the tow by Vaughn. She almost choked on her drink when she recognized who the woman was. “Oh fuck me!” She exclaimed, almost a bit too loud. Vaughn’s eyes widened a bit as he looked at Veronica.
"Is that an exclamation or a request?" Roxie chuckled to herself. Niall kicked her ankle under the stool.
Vaughn gave Veronica a look, so she quickly cleaned up her act. “Request, gorgeous,” she purred with a sultry look, blowing some of her pink hair from her face. Vaughn face palmed as he huffed.
Roxie just rolled her eyes turning her attention back to Niall. "I think we're been spotted." "We've been sitting here for how long?"
Veronica giggled and sipped her drink. “You are terrible,” Vaughn huffed.
“No, I don’t think so,” Veronica chirped.
(If I'm ever not on after school from about 2:20 to 4:45, I'm at play practice.)
"Right, should we get going?" "Nah, I'm staying here." "Seriously?" "As a heart attack."
(Alright)
Veronica and Vaughn continued to drink. They stayed and chatted to themselves. Vaughn was feeling uneasy eventually. He should stop, he probably would have to take Veronica home. She was wasted.
Niall and Roxie drank much more slowly, mostly nursing drinks as they came around. "So three." "Yep. Three guys all bought you drinks." "Guess this pretty face is good for something."
Vaughn had gotten up after a few more minutes. “Veronica, time to go,” he told her.
“Oh, but Finny, I want to stay,” Veronica whined with a pout.
"Right, you've got work in the morning. You should get some sleep." "Not like trying will do me any good." She shrugged, taking another sip of her whiskey.
“No, Veronica,” Vaughn said in a firmer tone. He put a few bills on the counter to pay for their tab and tip. He them pulled Veronica to her feet and led her over to the door.
"Nope, I'm getting you out of here." He grabbed wrist, paid for their drinks, and dragged her to the door. "Wait, stop, I'm gonna-ah!" She stumbled and tripped, slamming into someone, knocking them to the floor with her. She only caught a quick glance at the person but it looked like…Vaughn? How coincidental that they were leaving at the exact same time.
Vaughn had been walking with Veronica when someone ran into him from behind, shoving him to the ground with a grunt. He managed to catch himself slightly so he wouldn’t his his face on the floor.
"Roxie!" Niall grabbed her arm, pulling her up. "Sorry, sorry, I should've been watching where you were going." "Niall relax, it's fine."
Vaughn pushed himself to his feet, and stepped over to were Veronica was waiting by the door. She seemed to not have really noticed, obviously too intoxicated to be able to.
She glanced at him. "Nice to see you again…Vaughn." She smiled to herself and walked out with Niall on her heels. "I knew he was lying, I just knew it!"
Vaughn’s jaw clenched at that, and he shot her a look in response. So she knew his name. Just his first name. She couldn’t link him to the case that was a decade ago. And she couldn’t link him to the cases now. He pulled Veronica outisde and to their car.