Standard Disclaimer: Alex and courtnie are mine and everyone else belongs to Filmation -- K.
Jealousy
"Eeew" Alex looked over at Glimmer. "Aren’t they awful?"
"Yeah. They’re disgusting!" They were watching Courtnie and Bow. When they had started to be a couple it was cute, but now they were absolutely gross in public. Right now, Courtnie was watching adoringly as Bow sang for a number of the children.
"Glimmer. We’re bright, successful, pretty women, right?"
"Right. So why can’t we get men?"
"I don’t know but the boss’s brother is kinda cute," Alex looked over at Glimmer with a sly look.
"Hey, I want him. He’s mine, but he just isn’t interested!" Glimmer pouted. "This is terrible. I’m a princess, I should have men in a mile long line behind me!"
"I used to have like six dates on any given weekend night!" Alex moaned. "Oh ick! They’re kissing. Take it inside!"
"Agreed!" Glimmer looked depressed. "Can I play games on your computer?"
"Sure, come on in!" They ducked inside. Glimmer had recently discovered the world of computer games and of course, Alex made no attempt to stop her. "Whaddaya want to play?" Alex asked, pulling the box out from under her bed. "Diablo, Doom, Atari, Tetris, Quake?" She asked, pulling CDs out. Glimmer peered under the bed. "What is that?" She asked, indicating the maze of tubes and pipes residing under Alexandra’s bed.
"Oh, that? That’s just a little something I’ve been working on." She grabbed a glass and filled it halfway with a clear liquid from a small tap. "It’s alcohol. Hooch to be exact. I made it myself. Try some?" She took a sip. "Wow it’s pretty good for the first batch!"
"Where did you learn that?" Glimmer asked.
"My ex-ex-ex boyfriend brewed a lot of his own stuff. I paid attention. Actually we should cut it with juice or something. Well you should since you’re not used to it. I used to get roaring drunk three nights a week at school!" She smiled at the memories of guys dancing with her, bringing her drinks in order to get a chance at her. It was a nice life.
"Hey, what do you mean! If you can handle it so can I!" Glimmer was indignant. She sniffed. "What is that?"
"The stuff. Here." Alex dumped some leftover fruit juice and hooch in a glass and handed it to Glimmer, who sniffed at the glass cautiously before taking a sip. "It tastes funny."
"That’s the alcohol you’re tasting. You get used to it." Alex made her own drink a lot stronger. "Cheers! Let’s play!" They booted up Diablo and turned to the business of slaying demons and witches, each refilling her drink a few times.
"Here, it’s gonna be too strong. Lemme."
"Are you drinking it straight?"
"I told you, I’m used to this!"
After a while, Courtnie came in. "What’s up?"
"Not much" Glimmer said, stifling a giggle. Alex looked at her and started laughing.
"What’s so funny?" Courtnie asked. For some reason, Alex and Glimmer seemed to find her question amusing. They were both laughing too hard to talk. "What has gotten into you guys?"
Glimmer stopped laughing long enough to croak out "Don’t you wish you knew?" Alex looked at her, and they both started laughing again.
Courtnie looked at her friends, realization dawning. "Where – I mean—How did – you get – Here." She grabbed Alex’s glass and sniffed. "What is this?"
"Stuff." Alex laughed.
Courtnie took a sip, and promptly spit it back out, saying "Alex, this stuff should have an octane rating. What did you do?"
"Hey that’s the good stuff – for the first batch anyway!" Alex stumbled over. "Gimme."
"No. How much have you guy had?"
"Enough." Glimmer laughed at Alex. "Not nearly enough for me – Alex I need a refill!"
"Well sure as soon as some party pooper hands over the bottle." Glimmer got up and stumbled over. "As the," here she paused, burped, and started again. "As the princess of Bright Moon I order you to give me the bottle!" Alex giggled, as Glimmer dissolved into gales of laughter. "Come on, Alex I wanna play some more Quake!"
Courtnie looked at her two drunken friends. Alex had managed to completely corrupt Glimmer. They were playing the game, but Glimmer couldn’t maneuver the trackball very well, and was starting to look upset. She turned at the knock on the door. "Yeah?"
Bow came in. "What’s wrong? You’ve been gone a while." He noticed the other two on the bed, laughing as Glimmer died for the third time in five minutes. "What’s gotten into them?"
"This." Courtnie handed Bow the glass. He tasted it. "This is terrible, what did she do, make it herself?"
"I think so. And I don’t know how much they’ve had, but Alex was drinking it straight." Courtnie shuddered. At that moment, Glimmer pitched forward onto the computer. "Hey. You’re gonna break it." Alex shook her new drinking buddy, then looked at Courtnie. "She fell asleep!" This sudden relevation was too much for her and she also passed out.
"Lovely. In about an hour Alex is going to puke her guts out." Courtnie predicted.
As it turned out, it only took a few minutes. Alex woke up. "Ohh nooo." She ran outside and into the woods, where everything she had eaten for the past two days came back to her in two minutes. "Haaaaaccccckkkkkk!" "Oh, ewww!" Her mouth was so dry. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel so lousy? Even on her worst nights of partying, like homecoming, had never left her feeling like this. "I am so sick!" She said to no one in particular, right before she threw up again. "What happened to me?"
"Maybe you shouldn’t try to brew you own next time." Courtnie watched her friend vomit.
"Bite me. Just go run back to your little boyfriend, and let me have my hangover in peace. I never had one before, but then again I’ve never had straight grain alcohol before either."
"Whatever possessed you to build a still in the first place?"
Alex grinned. "I was bored. Call it applied Chemistry." She grinned, and was grinning so hard she didn’t notice Courtnie’s hand until it slapped her. "Hey what was that for?"
"For being an immature, irresponsible idiot!" Courtnie looked at her friend, seething. "You got Glimmer drunk."
"No shit. Really. That was the general idea. Maybe if you and lover boy weren’t so gross you wouldn’t drive single people like us so crazy we needed to entertain ourselves with computer games and booze."
Courtnie was seething. "Alex, do you know what kind – Do you – What do you think everyone here thinks of you?"
"I’m a goddess?"
"Not quite."
"I am the power incarnate. You can’t boss me around!" Alex cried. Why wouldn’t Courtnie leave her alone? She had such a headache, and her stomach felt awful. "Just leave me alone."
"Alex you’re not at school anymore. This frat party bimbo image you have is not going to cut it here. Neither is this fangirl image – no one cares!" Courtnie paused before delivering the final blow. "That’s why you can’t get a date."
Alex was furious. She could get a date anytime, anywhere. She had always been able to get a guy. "How do you think I feel? I’m under a lot of pressure."
"Pressure? From what?"
"Everyone here looks at me like I’m supposed to save the world, and I can’t even save myself – you’re always pulling me out of trouble." Alex looked at Courtnie darkly. "You’re the one who can ride a horse, fight, build a fire, hunt, all that outdoor stuff. I’m a city girl. I can shop, play video games, dance and get men. Not much use here." Why didn’t anyone understand her? No one here knew what it was like to be under the pressures of trying to save the world. Sure they were all fighting a common enemy, but Alex was supposed to be special, and so far she was just a loser.
Courtnie felt suddenly bad for her friend. "I’m sorry. I guess it is hard, huh." She bent down and gave Alex and awkward hug. "You know, you could ask for help. Castaspella is always willing to work with you on your magic. I’ll be happy to teach you how to ride, and I’m sure if you wait a couple weeks till Adora’s not quite so mad at you, she’ll help us teach you to fight. You need to ask."
"Really? Maybe we could go do the horse thing now." Alex stood up and groaned. "Or not."
"I think you should go to bed and sleep this off. Tomorrow you get up nice and early," here Alex made a face, "And we’ll get to work. Deal?"
"Deal." Alex thought for a moment. "How’s Glimmer?"
"Sleeping soundly." Bow said. "Apparently she didn’t have nearly as much as you did."
"Yeah well, I wouldn’t let her drink it straight. "You think maybe we should ship some of this stuff over to the Fright Zone?"
"No."
"I really don’t think so. Go to bed, Alex."
"Not quite yet," said a new voice. Adora came over. "I heard what Courtnie said, and that about covers the lecture I was going to give you." She paused. "I’m not your keeper and I can’t tell you what to do, but I will say that it will not reflect well on you if I find you in this state again."
"Sheesh. All I did was try and have some fun I mean . . ." Alex was cut off by a sharp jab in the ribs. "All right, I’m going, but you gotta admit it’s some pretty good hooch, right?"
"Go to bed Alex. Please."