Naturally, my wandering state carried me to the first open bar that I could find. Every fibre of my being knew that this wasn't going to end well but I stopped inside anyway and ordered myself a pint. Only then did I realise the full extent of my situation.

It was early afternoon and there were only a couple more people in the bar other than me. I hadn't been to this bar that often because it basically looked like a shithole, but every time I had been here, these two guys were there both times. I don't even know the name of it, but it should be The Cliché.

Thankfully none of them attempted to talk to me as I sat at a table in the corner on my own. They were more engrossed in their fast-flattening beers.

Like them, I stared into my glass, watching the small bubbles rising from the bottom and sitting at the top. Basically the reverse journey of what my life had recently taken.

As I said before, I knew that Eddie was right, to an extent at least. I could blame him for thousands of things but my own fear of commitment wasn't one of them. That was all on me. I had no idea where this irrational fear came from but it was something that had plagued me for my entire life. It didn't make any sense at all either because my recent months with Melissa had been the best that I could remember, and that was a relationship in all but name. If there was any positive that I could take from this, it was that I'd know not to mess it up so bad when it came to the next girl.

But I didn't want there to be a next girl. I just wanted Melissa to be the only girl.

On a whim, I took out my phone and tried calling her again but yet again she didn't answer. It was worth a try I guess.

"At least you don't call me an asshole," I said to the pint as I finished it in near record time before ordering another from the bar. Thankfully it didn't answer me.

On the TV was some stupid game show that not even my grandma would watch, yet these two local drinkers were engrossed in it like it was a tense football game. Either that or they'd drank themselves to death and no one had noticed.

I guess depressed drinking alone in the afternoon gives you some pretty intense thoughts.

Figuring that this wasn't the way I wanted to go about things, I made my way back to the apartment and started to rehearse my apology to the guys. Especially Eddie.

*

I knocked on the door even though it was my own house. I just wanted to give the guys a little heads up that I was coming back in. That, and it might make Eddie less likely to throw something at the opening door.

"It's only me," I stated after slowly creeping in and being met by no one. "Hello?" I called again, once I'd walked a little further into the apartment and still hadn't seen a soul.

Finally, as I entered the kitchen, I was greeted by my two friends.

"Here he is!" Eddie cried. "Chuck Norris himself! Have you finished being a dick yet?"

"Eddie, remember what we talked about," Dean reminded him.

"Look I'm sorry," I got my words in before Eddie could argue with Dean about whatever it is that they'd discussed.

"For what? Being an asshole? Punching me in the face? Disappearing like a loser fourteen year-old? We need details here Jackie Chan."

"For all of it, ok!" I yelled. "I was being a jerk. To you two and to Melissa. And I'm clearly not very good at taking the blame when I deserve it but I promise I'm going to work on that. It's about time that I actually grew up instead of just talking about it."

"Very mature of you. Have you been drinking?" Dean asked.

At this, all tension in the apartment seemed to escape out of every window, floorboard and vent as we all cracked a little smile before bursting into full on hysterics. Ignoring the fact that what he'd asked was actually what had really happened, we all knew that jokes were always the best way to get over any awkward situations.

"Seriously, don't worry about it man," Eddie said before clapping his hand against mine before we hugged it out. "Just know that soon I'll get payback. One nut-shot when you least expect it."

"Sounds fair," I sighed. Eddie was bigger than me so I'd prefer a nut shot. If he hit me in the face, he'd definitely break it.

"Alright, deal. Now what do we do?" Eddie asked after a firm handshake.

"Honestly, I just want to shower. You have no idea where I've been. I feel dirty," I made a point of sniffing my armpits.

"Well before you do, you need to hear this," Dean warned. With a sigh, I asked if he was going to tell me off again but he said no and instead told me that he found out why Melissa was at the club the week before.

"What?" I gawked. "How did you find out?"

"Remember when I was texting her friend? Well I just rekindled that and asked what she'd been up to. Apparently it was a friend's birthday. They seem to have a lot of friends, don't they?"

Eddie and I stared at him in disbelief. It was obvious why I was doing it, but I wasn't sure if Eddie had the same reason as me. He wasn't exactly known for being supportive as of late.

"Dude!" He cried, furthering the mystery.

"What?" Dean shrugged, clearly not picking up on our shock.

"Why have you only done this now? Couldn't you have thought of that earlier?" I yelled, though I did need to try a little harder to stop myself laughing as well.

"Oh I did," He admitted. "I just wanted you to learn from this. You're a grown man, David. Actions have consequences. Even drunk ones."

"You're lucky I've reached my quota for punching people today," I joked. Well . . . kinda joked.

"So . . ." He pressed. "What are you gonna do about it now?"

I sighed. As much as I wanted Melissa back in my life, I knew how unlikely that was at this stage. I answered Dean in my most disheartened voice.

"Look man, I really appreciate you finding that out, you really didn't have to. I guess it does give me some closure on everything and it is good to know but . . . you didn't see the look in her eyes. She hates me. She's never gonna give me another shot. I know every trick in the book and there's no way she's going to fall for any of them."

"Here's a crazy idea," Dean said, placing an arm around my shoulders, as if steering me in the direction of whatever his next idea was going to be. "How about you don't do any tricks? Why not, for once in your life, just be you. Tell her the truth, be honest and let her see what she really means to you. You should already know this, but you're a much cooler dude when you're being yourself. Not this character that you play when we're out getting drunk."

Wherever he was steering me, I felt that maybe it was towards the right direction.

"He's right, you know," Eddie nodded in agreement.

"Don't you start!" Dean snapped at him now, spinning away from me within seconds. "You're even worse! But that's a story for another day. Right now we need to help David. Have you learned your lesson here about being an asshole?" He quizzed, spinning back to me now.

"Dude, you have no idea!" I chuckled ironically.

"Good because I'm only gonna do this once for you ok? We have a mission here!"

"A mission?" Asked Eddie and I together.

"You're damn right a mission!" Dean was now shouting. It was like he was leading an army into battle. I hate to admit it, but it was genuinely riling me up a little, and I didn't even know what he was talking about!

"To do . . . what, exactly?" Eddie asked with far less enthusiasm than Dean was showing.

Dean's answer sent a burning spark through my heart.

"We're gonna get David his girl back!"

This was definitely a mission that I could get behind.