Her
I wasn't much of a party person. I was too quiet, too shy for that kind of thing and I sure as hell was too uncoordinated to try dancing in front of an audience. But some things have to be done in order to heal, as Alice previously said. And nothing, again, in her words, heals better than being hammered at a killer party. The hammered part was what got me agreeing, though I'd never been drunk my entire life before. From what I've heard, alcohol could help me forget things, even if for a short period of time, and there were a lot of things that I wanted to forget. A lot of things that were centered in one particular person, in that matter.
As soon as I walked into the bar, wearing a modest dark-blue dress, sneakers — that were the only thing I could walk in without risking my own life, mind you —, and a black jacket. My hair was down and messy, falling in brown waves down my back. I had no make up on except for a little bit of red lipstick that Alice had insisted on me wearing. "You obviously don't wanna show up at a party like you show up in class!" I had rolled my eyes at her, but agreed. The only things I considered wearing to university were my jeans and sneakers, and never have I let the thought of showing up there with make up go through my mind. I guess I just wasn't that kind of girl.
I avoided looking back at any of the men glancing at me like hungry wolves, and walked up to the small bar, expecting to find Alice. I didn't see her anywhere near, and with a frustrated sigh, I sat down in one of the tall chairs, reaching for my phone somewhere in the pocket of the jacket.
- Hey, Miss. Can I help ya? - I heard a strangely familiar voice say behind me. I turned the chair around to see who it was, and gasped, surprised, at the sight of Jacob, wearing a black tie with no shirt on, and holding purple glasses, with a big smile on his face.
- You got to be kidding me. - I told him, laughing too loud as I registered what I was seeing. My best friend, working as a "sexy waiter" at a bar. Hell, was anything more priceless?
- Bells! Damn, what you doing here? That doesn't seem like something you'd do on the weekends.
- That didn't seem to me like something you would be doing on the weekends.
He shrugged, smirking at me. "A man's gotta eat."
I rolled my eyes, glancing at the collection of different colored drinks behind him. I knew nothing about any of them, there was for sure. Hell, I couldn't even distinguish vodka from water if I saw it. But at that moment, it didn't quite matter. Any drink would do, or at least I hoped so.
- Can you serve me one of your strongest ones? - I asked him, gesturing at the amount of different bottles behind him. He raised his eyebrows so high on his head, they almost disappeared in the line of hair. "Damn, Bells, you drinking now?"
- Right now I am. - I told him, avoiding adding anything more to the answer. He frowned at me, putting the cup he was holding down, and looking at me right in the eye, reading everything in them.
- What's wrong, Bells? - He asked, in a serious tone. I tried making an indifferent face, tried to look as if I had no clue what he meant with the question, but I knew I couldn't hide it. Jake knew me too well for me to even consider trying to fool him.
- Just some stuff. - I murmured, quietly, and wondered if he heard me over the sound of loud music. He tilted his head to the side the tiniest bit, and studied my face for a few seconds, before his entire expression changed.
- Is it about James? - he asked, his voice hard and steady. I didn't look up at him, too embarrassed to even bothered to reply, so I only offered a weak nod. He growled under his breath and walked up to me, taking me in his strong arms. I used one hand to press him to me, placing my head on his shoulder, and trying not to cry. Hell, I was fine before someone hugged me and rushed emotions back into my head. They surely were in my heart but I could handle it, if my head was somewhere else. The moment my head went to the same place my heart was, things got tough.
- What happened, did you guys have a fight? - he talked into my ear, quietly, but he was close enough for me to be able to hear you. I was sure anyone looking from afar would think we were a couple exchanging caresses and whispering sweet things to each other, but it didn't bother me. My closeness with Jacob was very much strong, for he was my best friend and meant nothing but a brother figure to me.
- Have I ever attempted to get drunk over a fight of ours? - I asked, laughing dryly. My fights with James sure were bad, when he'd come back to me with lipstick stains on his skin and clothes, or smelling like someone else's perfumes. When he stayed out until late at night and someone told me they saw him with a blonde. Or a redhead, or a brunette. When he'd get so drunk he'd tell me things I tried taking lightly, since I knew he didn't mean them, since he was affected by the amount of alcohol ingested. When he'd not only emotionally harm me...
- You guys split? - he asked, pulling away only a little, to be able to look me in the eye. I frowned a little bit, trying to put myself together, but nodded. Jake seemed to be holding back from looking too surprised, but I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. James and I were together for over five years. Anyone would be quite shocked to see the "golden couple" break up, as so many called us.
- What happened?
I inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to adapt to the words that to that moment seemed to split me in half. "He cheated on me."
Jake didn't seem surprised, which I also could understand. It wasn't a shocker that James was seeing other women, the shocker would be that I found out. But everyone was also aware that at a point, I'd have to. At a point I'd have to get out of being the blind, submissive girlfriend, and get a grip of what man James had become. I had to admit that I've had, in a way, always known about James' wandering around with other women, but the part of me that knew was shadowed by the part of me that was in denial. To think a 5 year relationship would come down to that just seemed... Wrong. It was wrong, really. But it happened.
- Baby, I'm sorry. - He told me, before pulling me, again, into his arms. I said nothing, only letting myself feel the familiar warmth of him around me, making me feel safer, and even if just a smaller than tiny bit, better.
- Aye there, J, man, you got work. Stop fooling around. - A voice coming from behind the bar told us, making us jump and consequently split. I looked up to see who had said it, and saw a tall, strong man with his hair on dread-locks, holding two beer bottles and looking at Jake disapprovingly.
- I wasn't fooling around, Laurent, but alright. - He told him, sounding a little annoyed, before looking at me with an apologetic smile, and stroking my hair. "I'll talk to ya later, alright, baby?" He told me and I offered him a small smile, nodding, as I watched him leave. It wasn't until his silhouette disappeared into the crowd that I noticed I hadn't asked him if he had seen Alice.
Kicking myself mentally, I walked away from the bar, entering the wild amount of drunk people, and trying to find Alice, especially because she was the main reason I had gone there, to begin with. Her and the soulless man I had for ex-boyfriend. Or ex future-fiance, whatever you'd like to it.
I tried walking, ignoring the people dancing against me, rubbing their sweaty and dirty bodies against mine, and with a disgusted look on my face, stood on tiptoe, to try getting a good look of the bar. I did not see Alice anywhere, but I could have sworn I had seen a too-familiar blonde head looking straight at me. Before I could take a better look, someone stomped on my foot, making me trip and almost fall, if I hadn't tried holding on to one of the girls dancing. She shot me a dirty look, pushing me away and yelling, with an annoying voice:
- You blind? Watch your way, bitch!
I cringed at her words, for I never liked any sort of rudeness towards me or towards others, and walked away from the crowd, ending up next to a smelly, darkened bathroom, away from the chaos. I wrinkled my nose at the sight of the bar now that I payed attention to it, and wondered why the hell had she picked that place up. Alice was too classy for an ambient like that.
I felt my phone buzz inside the pocket of my jacket, and grabbed it, bringing it closer to my eyes to read the message. The curse of having to wear glasses, I'm telling you.
There was a message from an uknown number, which I thought was strange 'cause I had Alice's saved, but it clearly said, in words that were very much like her:
Hey Bells, where are u at, even? Ive been looking for u forever!
With a relieved sigh, I put my fingers to work, quickly answering her text:
I'm next to a very dirty bathroom wondering where u are.
I waited for her reply, impatiently hitting my foot against the floor, when I heard the phone buzz again.
Gotcha. Go 2 the other side of the bar, theres a table. I left u a drink there! Im not there rn cuz I went to get me a drink but try it and tell me if u like it!
I frowned a little bit at her words, thinking whether or not I would really go and grab a random drink in the middle of a bar. But it was Alice, right? She knew what she was doing. I walked up to the table she mentioned, and found a purple cup, with a darkened content I assumed was mind. Getting closer to it, and taking a sniff, I nodded to myself. Smelled like wine.
I took a sip of it, humming when the taste got into my mouth. It was strong, but it wasn't bad. Tasted quite sweet, really, so I took a few more sips. Not bad for my first alcoholic experience, huh?
My phone was now buzzing frenetically, and I took another sip, feeling my head a little too light and assuming it was the wine, but then reaching for my phone and placing it in front of my face. It was hard to see now, so I pulled it closer to my eyes, trying to see what the text said.
Alice:
Bella? Where the hell are u at? Ive been looking for u at the bar for half an hour now and no sign! I asked the girls if they saw u here, but they all said nobody saw u! Are you sure u got the right address? Pls text me back, Im worried.
I frowned, too confused to function now, and tried looking around for Alice. Did I get the right address?
Tired and blurred flashbacks of me speaking to Jacob popped up in my mind, and I was now holding on to the table in attempt not to fall down.
- Man, I need a job. - Jacob told me, while taking a bite of his huge sandwich. I wasn't quite paying attention, for I was too focused on my essay to do so, but I heard him.
- Get one. - I answered, frowning a little as I corrected a misspelled word on the paper.
- I'm tryin'. James told me about this place he always goes to, said they're in need of a waiter or somethin'.
- Hmm. - said, vaguely, writing down a few clever words to give emphasis to my point. Jake threw a potato chip at my head, making me grab the side of it and look at him, wide eyed. "What the hell?"
- You're not even paying attention!
- Yes, I am. - I said, rubbing the side of my head and looking at him angrily.
- Alright, what's the name of the club I mentioned?
- Stock.
- No, that's the fancy ass club Alice always goes to. I said Stop.
- Well, it's not that different. - I said, going back to my essay.
- Oh, no, trust me, they're nothing alike.
No, that's the fancy ass club Alice always goes to.
Fancy ass club Alice always goes to.
I had gotten the wrong address.
Of course, the place was nothing like Alice had described. It was nothing like her, either. It stupid of me to mistake it so easily, but I barely even thought of it...
The place was now spinning around me, and I could no longer help myself from falling. I knew asking for help would be of no use — everyone was either too drunk or too busy to even notice me laying down on the floor. I slipped down to the cold, hard ground, not even trying to hold on to anything anymore, knowing it was useless. The "drink" now burned down my throat, and I could no longer differentiate the silhouettes in front of me anymore. I could no longer see anything, except for the familiar blonde head getting closer to my face. I felt a hand touch my hair, and, not knowing whether it was my imagination or reality, I heard the familiar voice of my ex-future-fiance speaking to me:
- Silly Bella, mommy didn't teach you not to accept things from strangers?