Pomegranate

Wilson got almost too many messages from his friend. He responded to Keane that they could go out for beer and maybe he would even invite someone.

Wilson called and asked Sophia if she and her friend would like to go for a drink with him and his buddy. Sophia was hesitant, but she wanted to get a little bit drunk and to forget about problems. "Sure, I will come and I will check with my friend."

"Great, it's a deal."

Wilson was a little bit nervous about seeing Sophia. He was also still shaken by what he had seen from his mother. He couldn't talk to her normally even before that, but now he thought it was going to get even harder. She is really caring, but she is as boring as me, and if not even more. She just asks a bunch of uninteresting questions. I just go "mhmm, mhm" like 100 times in a row, and we call that a conversation.

Wilson and Keane were at the Elephant Bar, waiting for girls. They arranged to meet there. Wilson didn't have many topics to go over with Keane.

"You know, I have been hitting the gym more."

Keane was chugging beer like water. "Really? I don't see it. I got fired from my job."

Wilson was drinking light beer. He didn't feel like going for the dark one. He picked a small one, for which he got blasted by Keane. While sipping his little beer, he didn't want to dwell on this bad news. "Sorry to hear that, man. You will find something better," Wilson said with an attempt at a compassionate face.

"Better for them to find me before I find them. Heh heh, I know it don't work like that though. Anyhow, Wilson buddy, did you see the new series with Gary Oldman?"

"No, not really. I like to read more. You can experience the story more, see the inner thoughts and the motivation of characters better, you know."

"Hm, I think I get what you mean, but you miss the music and the audio and stuff. For me, I like just going the easier way and watching it. Anyhow, did you not say you invited some cool friends?"

"Oh yes, here they are coming in right now."

Sophia was first, and behind her, a familiar face—Sabina, with a lot of makeup, long nails, and a sparkly jacket.

Keane and Wilson, Sophia and Sabina, all went, "You gotta be kidding me."

Sophia was confused. "What? That is your friend Keane from my work?"

"That is how you dress for the Elephant Bar?" Wilson said, looking at Sabina.

"Salamina is the friend you invited?" Keane said with his head shaking.

The bar was dark and almost satanic with its decoration. Some leather with nudity, some masks with horns on walls. The music was nice soft rock. The bartender was the wife of the owner, an old lady always on anti-stress pills.

The four of them sat in some kind of booth-like couches. Sabina was not happy with the choice of drinks available.

"Can we go somewhere else?"

"Sabinaaaa," Sophia exhaled. "She is joking, guys. Everything is fine. Order us beer as well, ja. Sabina, you can drink, I know it."

"Okay, fine," Sabina said reluctantly.

As the night and the beers went on, a division was made: Sabina and Wilson against Sophia and Keane.

The stupid bar games and drinking games that were played were almost competitive level. Sabina and Wilson were winning and trying really hard to do every challenge, tell every truth in this truth-or-dare drinking game. Sabina would still drink sometimes even when she won the challenge.

Sophia and Keane were more focused on drinking away their problems and complaining to one another.

"You know, this awful, awful boss of mine begged me to stay like 3 more months. Who does that?" Keane said to Sophia, mumbling.

"I hear you. Don't you dare stay. You need to show her das Boot, that you are the boss. Show her what you are made of."

"Skin and blood and stuff?"

"NO, no, don't show her that, hahhah."

Sophia sipped dark beer, and the games were not the center of attention anymore. Sabina and Wilson were talking about books and nature. Wilson also opened up about the stupid plan and how his mother had arranged that with Sophia.

Sophia was looking Keane in the eyes. "Do you think it is normal that your father is sleeping with the mother of a dude he set you up with? How is that normal?"

Keane was trying to find an answer.

Wilson got a text message from his mother. It was urgent. So he stepped outside to check what was going on. The gang was having fun in the bar, but when Wilson came back in, he had one sobering sentence for Sophia.

"My mum is somehow pregnant..."

Sophia couldn't believe her ears. "Your mum what? Pomegranate? The fruit?"

"Nooo, she is pregnant. Baby in her."

Sophia fainted, and Keane caught her with his one arm, big as a log of tree.

Wilson quickly rushed home and asked his mom how this was possible, what was happening.

His mum was sitting down, looking as usual. "I am not actually pregnant. I am just sleeping with Sophia's father sometimes, you know."

"Ew, what?" Wilson was pacing in the room. "I mean, what? So you are not pregnant for real?"

"Of course not, I am old. I just made the drama so that the bad news is less bad."

"Great job, Mum. Great job."

"Are you drunk?" Mary asked with eyebrows raised.

Wilson stormed off.