Chapter Eight: Truth and Consequences
Sidewinder had been out drinking with Scarlett, Lady Jaye, Jinx and Firewall for the last three hours. Cover Girl and Vorona showed up in the last hour and started to put them away as well. She was glad that she felt welcome with the girls on her team. She didn't have many friends when she was at Wright-Patterson. Now that she was part of this team; she felt that not only did she have friends, but an actual sisterhood with these women. She felt the closest with Firewall, but she started to feel close to the others as well. She looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was eleven at night. She knew that she was drunk and the rest of the girls were pretty well gone as well. She didn't have anything to do the next day but go to Ace's card game in the evening. They walked to the back of the bar where the pool tables were and decided to shoot and talk. Sidewinder walked over to Firewall and tapped her on the shoulder to wake her.
"C'mon lightweight, we're going towards the back to shoot pool." Firewall sleepily woke up and nodded. Firewall stood up and nearly fell over. Sidewinder and Vorona caught her and carried her to the back with them.
"Maybe we should call taxi for Firewall?" Vorona asked, putting her down gently in a nearby stool.
"Scarlett and Cover Girl looked her over. "I think Shelly will be okay Daina. She doesn't drink that much booze in the first place." Scarlett replied.
"She only had a couple of vodka shots, Red." Sidewinder replied. "It really put her out though. You think she'll be okay?"
Cover Girl nodded. "We've taken her out before, Cassie. She has a couple of drinks and sleeps the rest of the time. She'll be fine in the morning."
Jinx came over and placed a hand on Sidewinder's shoulder. "I'll keep an eye on her. You four go ahead and start shooting." Jaye racked the pool balls while Scarlett and Vorona started chalking their cues.
"Actually, I'll sit this game out." Sidewinder smiled. "I'll keep you company, if that's okay with you?" Jinx nodded and offered her a seat. Both of them had shots in front of them and they took them.
"So, how's Jason doing Kimi?"
Jinx looked at her and smiled. "You can ask him yourself. He's right behind you." Sidewinder looked at her confused but turned around. She not only saw Shockwave, but Shipwreck, Snake Eyes, Ace, Dusty, Low-Light and Flint. They were all dressed in street clothes and smiling. The women went up to their respective others and started talking to them. Sidewinder sat back and took a deep drink from her beer. She sat there watching Flint and Jaye, Snakes and Scarlett, Cover Girl and Shipwreck, Jinx and Shockwave and felt a bit left out. She knew that Vorona and Low-Light were good friends, so the two of the shooting pool was common. Dusty and Ace walked over to where she was at.
"How's our new pilot doing?" Dusty asked, taking the seat next to Firewall. He rubbed her shoulder and Firewall sat up and smiled. Dusty leaned over and whispered into Firewall's ear. Firewall nodded and stood up.
"I'm good, Ron. You taking her home?" Sidewinder asked. Dusty nodded.
"I'll make sure that she gets back to her room in one piece." Dusty replied. He bent over and picked her up. He was going to carry her out and back home. They walked out of the bar together. Ace took the spot that Dusty was in a minute ago. He smiled and took a drink from his beer. Cover Girl came up to them.
"Hey we're heading back to base. You staying, Cassie?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna have a couple more. You guys go ahead. I'll be fine." Sidewinder replied with a smile. "I'll take over the game there." She nodded to the pool table. Cover Girl nodded and the group left. Sidewinder got up and grabbed a cue. She was surprised that Ace stayed behind.
"You don't have to stick around, flyboy. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."
"I don't think so. Looking like that, I'm surprised that you aren't fending off guys with a stick." Ace smiled. Sidewinder glared at him and threatened him with a pool cue.
"What do you mean by that, flyboy?"
Ace jumped back a little bit. "No that's not what I meant, Cassie. You look great but I'm surprised that there aren't a couple dozen guys back here." Sidewinder turned away and shot the cueball. She broke the rack and knocked a couple of solids into some pockets. Ace walked over and grabbed another cue to wait his turn.
"If you must know, I'm not very popular with the guys." Sidewinder lined up another shot and sunk another solid. She stood up and lit up a cigarette. "I never had a boyfriend for more than six months, Ace."
Ace chalked the cue stick. "That sounds real familiar. I'm lucky in many things, but love seems to be the one that I'm not."
Sidewinder lined up another shot and missed. "You plan on having luck with this game tonight, Brad?"
"You called me by my first name?" Ace lined up his shot and also missed. "That's a first for you Cassie."
"Yeah, well I'm trying something new where I'm nice to you." Sidewinder half-smiled and sunk another solid ball. "I think the booze is what's doing it."
Ace smiled at her. "Remind me to keep you liquored up then." Sidewinder's eyes grew wide. She threw her cue stick down on the ground. Ace was confused on what was going on. Sidewinder stripped out of her jacket at him. He caught the jacket.
"You insensitive asshole!" Sidewinder yelled; tears forming in her eyes. "You trying to turn me into an alcoholic? Do I have to show you what results come from drunk mother fuckers? Here take a good long look!" She got into Ace's face, practically screaming at him. "You see this? Burns from a cigarette; my mother's cigarette." She took off her tank-top and stood there in her skirt and bra. "Take a good look. See the scars on my stomach? My mother threw me through a plate-glass window. I nearly fucking died from the blood loss. If I hadn't made it to my friend's house, I would have." She turned around and showed him her back. "See this? This was her on a bender. One hundred lashes from an electrical cord. She thought it was funny. I won't even go into the left shoulder." She grabbed her jacket and put it back on. She sat down in the empty chair, put her head on the table and sobbed. Ace sat there in shock. He didn't know what to say. Instinct took over and he stood up and walked over to her. He placed an arm around her, trying to comfort her. Her body flinched away from him.
"Cass, I didn't know. You could have told me."
"It doesn't matter." Sidewinder sniffed. "It was in the past. That's why I'm so close to my dad. I told him everything one night."
"Kind of like you're telling me right now?" Ace asked.
Sidewinder nodded. "I don't expect you to understand. I'm surprised that Shelly understands." Ace nodded, which caused Sidewinder to look up at him.
"Michelle told me about her situation one night. I didn't understand, but I let her talk. I never understood what would cause a person to do that to their children. It's sick."
Sidewinder looked away from him. "You're a good man, Brad Armbruster. You're the type of man that I could never deserve." She stood up from the table. Ace followed suit.
"What are you talking about, Cassidy?" Ace's words wouldn't be finished at that point; Sidewinder stepped closer and embraced him, kissing him deeply. She broke off the kiss.
"Please hold me, Brad." He took her into his arms and held her. He took in the smell of her lilac perfume; the stale smoke coming from her jacket. It was a hypnotic scent and strangely he wanted more. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head to look her in the eyes. She was more beautiful than he thought. Ace smiled at her; which she returned the smile.
"Thank you, Brad." Was all that Sidewinder could say to him.
"No thank you. You let me into your world. I should let you into mine." Ace smiled his million dollar smile to her.
"You really are a charmer, aren't you?" Sidewinder asked. "My dad warned me about zoomies like you. He told me that you're all about getting girls in the sack."
"Cassie, I'm almost shocked that you would say that." Ace laughed. "You think that all us flyboys think about is sex? I'm not about to say he's right."
Sidewinder just shook her head. "Alright, if you buy me a cup of coffee we'll continue this conversation somewhere else." She took Ace's arm and they walked out of the bar. They walked to a local coffee shop, where they spent most of the night talking about themselves and their pasts. They finally let the coffee shop at four in the morning, where Ace walked her back to her door. She gave him a goodnight kiss and walked into her room. She placed her head on the pillow and quickly fell asleep.