"You hate crowds, don't you?" Clarisse commented as she led Reyna inside the building. The thumping music could be heard from outside, but it started to hurt Reyna's ears as they got closer. The food had been amazing, and while she was grateful for it, she wasn't sure that she wanted to get any drinks. Especially not from a nightclub.
"A little," Reyna admitted with a nervous shrug. She bit back her tongue as Clarisse pulled out an ID and handed it to the man watching the entrance to the club. Reyna slowly handed her ID over. The man studied both of them.
"Have fun," the man said as he handed the IDs back. Reyna took hers and put it back in her wallet. The two stepped inside, and Reyna felt the tension in her shoulders triple. She gritted her teeth as Clarisse glanced at her.
"We can go somewhere else," Clarisse began.
"Just one drink. Then, we leave," Reyna suggested. Clarisse nodded her agreement. If Reyna was being honest, eating dinner with another person was not that bad. Clarisse didn't talk too much, as the two were too busy stuffing their faces to converse. It was Clarisse's idea to come to this night club, and Reyna could not wait to be out of here.
"One drink," Clarisse promised. They walked inside, and Reyna almost winced from all of the strobe lights. Conversations from all sides threatened to overwhelm her until she tuned it out. "Do you know what you want?"
"Surprise me," Reyna replied as she looked around the nightclub. It was absolutely packed, and on top of that, there were a lot of people staring at them. A second look made her realize that they were staring at Clarisse. The two stopped at the bar counter, which was the only place not swamped.
Reyna cleared her throat and leaned on the counter, "Thanks for all this."
"You're a friend, and I know everyone at the bar hasn't been giving you an easy time," Clarisse waved off. Reyna froze on the word friend. She didn't remember the last time she had someone who she could actually call that. She fixed her collar. "Don't tell me we're not friends. I thought we were really bonding in those long stretches of silence."
"I don't remember the last time I called someone a friend," Reyna mumbled. Clarisse studied her quietly.
"Mark today as the first day," Clarisse stated. She turned towards the bartender. "My friend has never drank before. Can I get something delicious that won't knock her flat on her ass? Scotch for me. Thanks."
"Thanks, Clarisse. Today has been really nice," Reyna exhaled softly. "You didn't tell everyone at the bar, right? There's not a surprise party waiting for me?"
"Fuck no," Clarisse shut down the idea. She chuckled. "I would kill them if they did that to me, so I won't do it to you. Chiron said he might make you a small cake but nothing special."
Reyna smiled slightly. The bartender placed a glass down in front of her. Reyna spoke, "Thanks."
It took a moment for Reyna to sip from the drink. She expected harsh alcohol, but it was rather sweet. Reyna took another sip and watched as Clarisse downed her shot in one take. She shuddered and ordered another.
"Who let that in here?" a voice questioned. Reyna felt her left ear twitch from the words, and she moved her gaze to the side. Three men were standing at the far end of the bar counter. There were beer bottles all around them. "What a freak."
"Someone needs to tell her to get back on the set of Shrek!" one of the other men barked. Reyna gritted her teeth and tried to look back at her drink.
"How are we supposed to enjoy our drinks with that?" the third questioned. They all chuckled. Out of the corner of her eye, Reyna saw Clarisse tense as she heard the words. Anger blossomed in her chest.
"Why don't you three fuck off?" Reyna demanded as she looked at the three men at the end of the counter. All three of them sneered at her. "Just shut the fuck up."
"Instead of fucking off or up, we could just fuck," one of the men suggested with a sneer. "Two for you and one for your friend."
"Nah. We don't want the ugly bitch," the second chimed in. He looked Reyna up and down. "We could definitely have you, though. Think you can take all three of us at once?"
The three men chuckled. Reyna saw red and stepped forward. A hand grabbed her shoulder. Clarisse spoke, "It's not worth it. Just settle down."
Reyna felt a growl boiling in the back of her throat. She turned away from the jeering men and leaned against the bar counter. Clarisse looked at the bartender, "Two more beers please."
"Coming right up. We're cutting those three off. If they give you more issues, let me know," the bartender said. Reyna just nursed her drink and tried to calm down her anger. She passed as human easily, but for people like Clarisse, it was a little harder. It didn't give anyone the right to be an asshole to her.
"Hey, thanks," Clarisse began. Reyna glanced at her. "I've dealt with shit like that all my life. No one has really stood up for me like that."
"Those guys are assholes," Reyna returned. She shook her head and tried to shake off the rest of her anger. "You're hot as shit."
A barking laugh left Clarisse. She grinned widely, "I'd sleep with you too if I wasn't dating someone."
Reyna looked Clarisse up and down and debated the merits of having sex with her. The woman in question rolled her eyes and hit Reyna's shoulder. A small laugh left Reyna, and she spoke, "Who is the lucky guy? Or gal?"
"Chris Rodriguez," Clarisse answered. "We've been dating almost three years now. Chiron helped us meet."
"Chiron helps a lot of people," Reyna commented. She took a sip of her drink before realizing that it was empty. Clarisse offered her a beer. Reyna took it and couldn't stop her smile.
"He does," Clarisse agreed. "I'm guessing you don't have a lucky guy or gal."
"I don't," Reyna confirmed, and she didn't lose her smile. "I've never actually dated anyone."
"Really?" Clarisse questioned. She raised an eyebrow. Reyna shrugged and took a sip of her beer. The taste was odd, but it wasn't bad. "I guess I'm going to have to set you up. Guy or girl?"
"Doesn't matter to me," Reyna answered with a shrug. "I've had plenty of partners. Don't really care what kind of creature or gender they are."
"You've never tried to have a relationship with any of these partners?" Clarisse asked gently. Reyna looked away and played with her beer bottle. "Shit. Am I prying too much?"
"A little," Reyna muttered.
"I'm sorry," Clarisse said. "Honestly, I didn't have anyone before Chris. We met back in our shitty middle school. Everyone always made fun of me for what I was. When I got to high school, I punched one of the bullies right in the face. Started dunking kids' heads into the toilet after that. I became the bully to avoid anyone else picking on me."
"Basically, I'll stick your head into a toilet if you get out of line," Clarisse summed up. Reyna laughed and finished her beer. Clarisse ordered them another round. "You ever bully any kids?"
"No," Reyna answered with a grin. "I haven't been to school since I was ten. That's when I ran away from home."
"Ten," Clarisse repeated. "Shit. Why did you run away?"
Reyna hesitated as she tried to think of an answer. Clarisse raised her hands, "I'll stop prying."
"No, it's okay. I ran away from home because I learned I was a werewolf," Reyna explained. She let out a shaky breath and cleared her throat. Reyna took a long sip of beer. "My family didn't approve, and well, that's an understatement. After running away, I bounced around from state to state, not really settling anywhere."
"What brought you here then?" Clarisse questioned gently.
"I think I was fourteen or fifteen," Reyna began. She looked off in the distance as bile built into the back of her throat. She choked it back down with beer. "I found a place that I thought would work out. It was a place to stay, and the owner took care of me. For a little."
"It was too good to be true," Reyna continued. She shook her head. "I got tricked and ended up stuck in a situation that I didn't know how to get out of. It was... bad, for lack of a better word. And one day, I just couldn't take it anymore. I tried to run, and it backfired. Werewolf hunters were sent after me, and I ran. All the way here."
"Is that why you ended up in my bar with a stab wound in your gut?" Clarisse wondered.
"Guilty," Reyna said with a shrug. She looked at Clarisse. "I promise they won't come to the bar looking for me."
"I'm more worried about you," Clarisse admitted. Reyna smiled slightly. "There you go. Now, you're loosening up."
"Trying to bribe me into talking with beer?" Reyna teased as she took another sip.
"Maybe," Clarisse said with a shrug. "I could see you had a lot of walls to get through. The others just wanted to suffocate you with friendship and care, but I know that won't work. You need time to relax and to warm up to the others around you. Can I ask you another question? One that's prying, so you don't have to answer."
Reyna nodded. Clarisse studied her, "That scar on your lip. Is it from fighting or a mark?"
There was a silence between the two. Reyna debated answering, and then, she sighed, "It's a mark. From the same woman who fucked my life for years. It was her way of claiming me."
Reyna hung her head and stared at the counter. She let out a sigh and then a strangled laugh, "I haven't told anyone that."
"Want to get fucked up on alcohol now?" Clarisse asked in a gentle voice.
"Yeah," Reyna agreed. She looked at Clarisse, and she found herself relaxing completely. "Let's get fucked up."