Hang out at her place.

Beth was enjoying the evening and didn't want it to end just yet. She invited her friends to come back to her house for drinks.

"Hell yeah!" Joseph said. "Need to pick anything up on the way?"

"Nah, I think I'm fully stocked," she replied. He seemed weirdly disappointed but didn't say anything. The group headed for the parking lot and got in their cars.

Beth rode with Joseph and James. She sat in shotgun, with Joseph driving and James in the back. She knew Joseph had a little crush on her - he'd been mooning over her for years. He thought it was a secret, but the whole group knew about it. Today, though, he was uncharacteristically chipper.

"So, Beth," he asked casually. "What do you want to do when we get there? Play a board game or something?"

"Nah, it's too late to start up a board game," she told him. "Let's just hang out on my patio."

"Booo!" yelled James from the backseat. He was the tabletop game nerd of the crew. "Let's play a game!"

To Beth and James' surprise, Joseph snapped at him sharply. "She said she wants to chill, dude. Don't shove your stupid hobby down her throat just because you aren't interesting enough to hold a real conversation."

After that, James quieted down and the rest of the ride passed in awkward silence. When they arrived, Beth unlocked the door and let her guests in. Kat and Marcus hadn't gotten there yet so she left the front door unlocked and offered her guests drinks. James had a beer and Joseph asked for a glass of whiskey. Beth got herself a gin and tonic and the three strolled out into the evening air of her backyard.

"So Joseph, how's work been?" James asked, hoping to put the weird moment in the car behind them. Joseph took a sip of his whiskey before answering.

"Not bad. Hey, Beth, what do you wanna do right now?"

She looked at him quizzically. Maybe this was just his latest unsubtle way of trying to hit on her. Before she could answer, they heard the door slam and a voice call out from inside the house. She hurriedly got up and went back into her living room to greet Kat and Marcus.

"Hey guys! Can I get you anything to drink?" Beth asked cheerfully. Marcus asked for a beer and Kat asked for a glass of wine, then grinned and pulled a baggie out of her pocket.

"I brought some smokes in case anyone wants one. Beth?" Beth shrugged and took the joint that was offered. They got their drinks and headed to the back patio.

Outside, Joseph and James were awkwardly silent, as though they'd been arguing and stopped as soon as the rest of the group came. James belched and announced that he was going to get a beer while Beth, Kat, and Marcus lit up joints. They chatted amicably about the movie for a few minutes.

Beth leaned back, relishing the cool night air on her face. She was on her second drink and had almost finished her joint, so she had a nice buzz going. She turned to Joseph and grinned goofily. "So Joseph, what's going on with you?"

He looked at her with concern. "Nothing's going on. Are you ok? Do you need anything?"

She laughed at his seriousness. "No, man, it's this kinda shit! You've been, like, reverse-needy all night. It's getting weird!"

Kat sidled up next to her. She was already well into a second joint. "Yeah, why the hell are you bugging Beth so much?" She turned to Beth. "You want me to straighten him out?"

Beth stared at her friend with puzzlement. Kat typically didn't offer to "straighten out" anyone, especially for something this minor. "See, Kat's doing it too! What the fuck is even going on here?"

Marcus laughed as he inhaled, causing him to cough up a plume of smoke. "It's 'cause we gotta do whatever you want," he croaked before taking a long pull on his beer. "I don't know why but it's true."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Beth asked with frustration as Kat and Joseph nodded in agreement. James seemed to be the only member of the group who was as confused as her.

"It means," Kat said as she put a hand on Beth's shoulder, "we all want to do exactly what's best for you. Marcus and I figured it out on the ride over. We all have this weird compulsion to treat you like our number one priority."

Beth turned to James. "And you, James? Are you in on this stupid prank?"

He shook his head, clearly bewildered. "No... I don't know what's going on. Was there a gas leak at the theater or something? You guys are freaking me out."

"Ooh!" Joseph said suddenly. "Beth touched me at the restaurant. Kat, Marcus, did she touch either of you?"

When the two nodded, he turned to James. "Maybe it's a touch thing! Beth, why don't you try touching James?"