Happy Thanksgiving!

55. Night Clubbing Dinosaurs. Part III.

We arrived at the club and instantly we went over to the bar to get some drinks before sitting at a table. Lark got a beer bottle and I ordered some wine that was apple cider flavored. When it eventually came I sipped it and found it to taste exactly like regular apple cider. I started to chug it down, but Lark took it from my hands. "Eat some crackers first," He said. "It'll slow down the drinking. I don't wanna have to leave in a half hour from a drunk Marley Rose!" He laughed.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" I laughed.

We sat and got some crackers in these baskets. Lark got up to do both bathroom business and "personal business." I just sat there waiting and sipping my drink.

Maybe an hour went by and I was on my fourth glass when I got a text from Sam.

Hwo'd you get in?

Fake I.D

Damn, we'll be in in about 10 minutes.

Okay.

I waited and ten minutes later I saw the guys walking into the club. Quickly I handed my empty glasses to an oncoming waiter, keeping my fifth drink with me, and waved them over. They came over quickly.

"Damn, Marley broken out of the cage yo." Artie stated as he came to a stop. "Nice clothes."

"Thanks." I said.

"Marley, what is that?" Finn asked as he pointed to my glass. "If that's wine I'm taking you home right now."

"Apple cider!" I answered. "These are the only glasses they have."

"Fine. That's good." Finn said. "Where's your friend?"

"He's off trying to find a bathroom to use." I told him. "Want crackers?"

"Nah, I'm hitting the dance floor. Come on Artie," Sam said as he took the handles of Artie's chair and they both went to the dance floor. Artie seemed excited. Blaine went off to find some food, leaving Finn and I alone.

"You're old enough to drink, right?" I asked him.

"No, in a few months I will. August." Finn said. "But I'll probably still be the driver of the group."

"Oh."

"Hey Marley," Finn came closer to me in his chair. "I spoke to Ryder this morning. Didn't you tell him anything about New York?"

"I did...vaguely." I answered. "I needed space to rid some...some habits." I said in a tone that Finn understood what it meant. "Why?"

"He sounded super depressed. I asked how things were and he said he hasn't done much since the graduation and when I asked why, he said there was nothing fun to do in Lima. He mentioned you were here for some silly reason." I rolled my eyes. "He said he wanted you to come home soon. He'll help with whatever he can help with."

"No he can't." I said.

"Well I told him I saw you once at the diner and that you smelled like a cigarette—"

"You what!?" I screamed.

"He asked me!" Finn yelled. "I'm not lying to him! He wanted me to keep an eye on you," Finn said.

"I'm old enough to care for myself." I said. "I don't need his help."

"I'm here for you." Finn's hand touched mine. "Always."

I smiled and winked. I didn't need help though.

I can do good, all on my own.

Later during the night I was alone in the bathroom smoking a second cigarette. I pulled it off when I left by declaring the girls in the bathroom were smoking and blowing the smoke outside of the stalls. They bought it. Lark hadn't returned from business either. Strange.

I danced a little bit with the guys then on my own for a while. With eight glasses of apple cider I'm surprised I wasn't too buzzed out yet. Just a little tipsy.

I went back to the bathroom to have a third cigarette, then gave fifty dollars to a girl who had a weed joint with her. I smoked that as well and left the bathroom a while later.

I made it halfway to the floor when I felt someone grab my shoulder. I turned to see Finn. "Finny?"

"Let's go." He said as he began dragging me out. "We're going?"

"Ever one?"

"At least just you and me." Finn sounded angry. "We're going right now."

"Finny!" I whined.

"You're high, you've been smoking cigarettes all night and your tipsy. Three more drinks and you'll be drunk." Finn said. "Let's go."

"No Finny, I stay." I demanded. "I leave with my friend."

"Text them." Finn said. "Let's go now."

"Finny, I stay."

"Marley Jane, we're going home!" He yelled in frustration.

No. He did not just call me Marley Jane! He didn't call me Marley Jane. I pulled away from his grip and sucker punched him in the face, causing a scene with him falling and some people around us looking at us.

"No name calling!" I yelled before walking away and out of the club.

I got back to the apartment and tossed everything down on the floor. Stupid Finn. Judging me. Being a Connie and calling me Marley Jane, a form of Mary Jane, a weed addict. I am not.

I sat on the couch smoking another cigarette.

It's Lark, where r u?

Home. Mean people.

Not too long after I sent him that, Lark came home.

"Hey, what about mean people?"

"Finny mean, call me Marley Jane." I said. Lark laughed. "What!?"

"Well your name is Marley and Jane is your middle name," Lark said. "Got another butt?"

I pulled out a cigarette and handed it to him. "I no Marley Jane...I was fine."

"As long as you're safe and don't get into trouble, do whatever pleases you." Lark said. "Let people judge. Not everyone judges."

I rolled my eyes as I finished my cigarette and tossed the empty thing into a glass of water settled on the table. Not everyone judges? Funny. It seems like everyone in my life judges me for everything I have ever done or have never done. Having a drug father, telling me I'd become my mother's weight when I got older, being a druggie and smoking cigarette addict when I got older. Becoming a Marley Jane, as I was called. Always asking if I was going to pass out at every important event too. Fucking everyone had a word to say to me about everything.

Except Lark.

Lark never judged me. He still never judges me. Sure he's probably seen me lie to people and is annoyed with that, but Lark never judges me. He is supportive of whatever choices I want to make. He didn't make me smoke, I wanted too. It felt great so I continued. He didn't make me smoke weed, I wanted too. He didn't make me drink, I wanted too. All of it was my choice and he was the only person to ever really be okay with that. He's always been like that since we met back in November, eight months ago.

Lark sat next to me finishing his cigarette and then tossing it in he water glass. "Eh, work tomorrow night. It sucks. Oh but hey sorry I wasn't there all night I ended up going into the club basement and selling a lot of things. Six hundred tonight." He told me.

"Larky?"

"I'm going out after work tomorrow night to get a couple of weed bags and stuff." Lark said. "Maybe some beer bottles too and what not."

"Larky?"

"Damn, I need a vacation."

"Larky!"

"Yes?" He turned to me.

I leaned in and kissed him on the lips. His mouth taste like beer and cigarette, but delicious. Neither of us pulled away, I felt him pull me onto his lap and then hold me while my arms wrapped around his neck. Still neither of us wanted to break away. It was a hot, three minute make-out before pulling out but keeping close together. "Your mother taste awesome." I muttered.

"Rawrly the Dinosaur and Dino Lark." Lark laughed.