Cure for Pain

Part 2: Crazy/Forever

“Hey, it’s time to give the…” Coleton said, walking towards me. He stopped and looked at the large amount of cider glasses that had accumulated in front of me on the bar table. “You didn’t… how many have you had?”

I turned around. “Well…” I said, looking at the pile, my voice slurring. “This is the eleventh. I think. Wait, how much is eleven again?” Coleton hit his face with his hoof. “This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening… DUDE!” He grabbed my shoulders. “I don’t know how, but at least act like you aren’t blitzed on stage. This is important.” He pushed me towards the stage, and I stumbled onto it.

I don’t know exactly how it happened. It may have happened when I saw Coleton and his parents sitting by themselves, eagerly awaiting my speech. It may have been when I saw how many people were there, waiting for my words. But something in my brain clicked, and I sobered up. The alcohol, however, rushed into my brain, and words formed on the spot.

“Coleton…” I said, standing up straight and holding the microphone stand firmly. “We’ve been friends since I’ve been old enough to remember. We were there in Kindergarten, We were there in middle school, high school, even college! We had inside jokes, a secret handshake, a secret club, and had a band! But you know what?

“None of those things makes a friend. You know what does?” I paused, surpressing the tears forming from my tear ducts. “We supported each other. We knew what the other was like, and even through numerous fights, both verbal and oral, we’ve stuck together.”

Here come the waterworks. The tears were falling down my face, but I kept talking, keeping my voice calm and collected. “Throughout childhood, life is relatively easy. We had school, music, and social obligations to keep us busy, but none of that required much thinking; even studying for tests was an easy task. To just cram things into your head, ready to spill out he next day isn’t hard. But now that we’re adults, things are harder. You have a family to support now; Dash is gonna depend on you, no matter how hard she tries to deny it. You are going to get a better house, inevitably have kids at some point,” Coleton’s parents shifted nervously in their seats.

“And you two are going to grow closer.” I said. “And none of that will be denied. Responsibilities are going to present themselves, but I’m not worried. You know why?

“Because I know you can handle it.  Things will never get too hard for my good friend Coleton to handle.” I held up a glass of cider to conclude the speech. “A TOAST! To Coleton, Rainbow Dash, and the happy bonding between them!”

The scattered clinking of glasses was heard throughout the room, and applause rang throughout the quaint bar. I scuffled off of the stage to meet Octavia, Coleton, and the mane 6 minus Dash, who joined Coleton to meet his parents. “Dude…” Coleton said, before giving me a hug. “Thanks.”

Once he let me go and left, Octavia came up to me and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “That was beautiful. No one could even tell you were drunk.”

I gave a loud laugh. “That’s good.” The rest of my friends congratulated me and walked over to introduced themselves to Coleton’s parents.

“Hey, man.” I said to Coleton a couple of hours later. “I’m gonna go ahead and head home.” Coleton simply smiled. “I was thinking the same thing. Dash and I have to get up early in the morning to go to work, so it’s for the best that we head home too.”

As we walked home from the bar, Coleton started talking to me. “Have you noticed that tonight hasn’t been that funny? I mean, usually our lives are laced with humor, but tonight was very serious. It wasn’t awkward, but it wasn’t normal.”

I looked at him and smiled. “Well, you and Dash are getting married, and what is there to joke about with marriage?” Coleton shrugged and kept walking.

“You’re parents are pretty nice, Coleton.” Dash chimed in. “They’re pretty awesome with how understanding they were of us! You know, with you being a human originally.”

“Well, that was just a little introduction.” Coleton said. “They want to meet you and talk to you more personally tomorrow after work, and I figured you would be alright with that.” Dash simply smiled. “Yeah, that’s alright.”

We reached my apartment complex. “Well, it was good being your best man, Coleton.” I said as I walked away. Something didn’t feel right, though. It was like something was missing that I should have said. Usually, I leave the conversation feeling like I contributed my worth, but that wasn’t the case tonight.

I know!

“Oh yeah, enjoy the sex!” I yelled, giving both of them a wink and a laugh. Their faces turned beet red, and their expressions looked as if they wanted to kill me. NOW things felt right. “Enjoy the night.” I said before entering the building for some well-deserved rest.