Gord tried to just stay still as everyone flailed and herded to the front door, trying to escape from whatever insane plan Gary Smith had created here. He figured, I'll just stay out of the way in case something fun happens, and I don't want to get into that crowd and ruin my suit. He couldn't find Derby when he looked around, and had a sudden incling that maybe he should go and find the old boy, see who he needed kicking or something like that, just like in the old days. He saw Tad, further ahead, disappearing out of the door and decided to follow him because if anyone knew where Derby was these days it was probably his old friend.
He waited for a gap in the corwd before sliding through, using his elbows to move people out of the way, and grabbed a drink from the tray of a startled waiter who was still holding it as though he didn't remember why it was there. There was a strange numbness in his head, he wasn't really sure how he should react to all this, probably with shock and outrage. Well, there was some of that, it was a disgrace that some poverty stsricken outcast could come and cause some destruction to Derby's impeccable reputation. However, bubbling over the top of this indigance was a sort of amusement, a feeling of nostalgia. It was just like that day of total madness that Gary had caused back at school. Now that had been fun. He'd had to get a tooth capped after that.
Leaving the building and feeling cold evening air spill over him, Gord saw immediately that most people were just milling around a little way away, lost and confused. He scanned for Derby, for Tad, for anyone, and didn't see them. The night was bright, but he had had enough alcohol now that his vision was a little bit fuzzy.
He stood alone in the middle of the grounds, confused and irritated. His friends had disappeared, what was he supposed to do now? His phone buzzed in his pocket. A text message from Tad, saying he had gone for a drink with...Bif. Why on earth? Not much love was lost there these days, because of Tad's new station with Derby and whatever had gone on between him and Bif in the past. Hmm. He wasn't sure whether he should go and interrupt or not, but Gord's usual tact level was a little bit below normal anyway, and the alcohol had fueled this problem. He thought he would stroll over to them, see what they were doing.
He knew where the Lava Lounge was, a nice sort of place with brilliant expensive drinks. He had picked up a lot of nice rich kids there to take back home with him. It was a little way away though, he needed a car or something, so he telephoned his driver and got helped himself to another drink while he waited. He could afford as much drink as he wanted, of course, but there was something in a free glass of champagne that you just couldn't buy. The excitement of poverty in a glass, cheap and bubbling and desparate.
He knew where Tad would be, in his usual table where he had been sometimes when they had gone with Derby. He walked over to the table as soon as he got there, seeing Tad and Bif together, quite close, talking quietly. He flung himself down a little indelicately onto the seat beside Bif, raising his fingers in a little wave. "I like how you fellows sneaked off," he said jovially, interrupting whatever it was that Tad was saying, "didn't you think of Derby when you left him back there? Not that I even know where he is now." Gord waved to a waiter and ordered a martini with a cherry.