Aquila's Tears

The Lunar Star - Part 2

    Once we arrived at the club there was already a line to the edge of the building. We quickly took our place in line, and as we waited, we watched the line grow and pool into the back-parking lot. There were a lot of people here, and everyone looked amazing. Mira, Cal, and I excitedly chatted about what drinks we were planning to get once we were inside. The Lunar Star had specialty drinks that were space themed. Mira pulled out her phone and stared at her screen and exclaimed she wanted a Galaxy Moscow Mule before passing the phone to Cal and me.

    “We have to start the night off right with a round of Star Dust shots!” Cal bounced in excitement, “and then I want to try the Blue Moon Cosmo, no, the Color Changing Alien Juice, no, the Stardew Martini!”

    “The Blue Moon Cosmo sounds good.” I said, peering at the phone in Cal’s hand.

    “Ooo, look at Mr. VIP stepping out of the limo tinted car.” Cal elbowed me as he blindly passed Mira her phone back, nearly dropping it.

    Out of the car stepped a very tall, and very handsome man, dressed mostly in all black. His jet-black hair was stylishly messy and he ran his fingers through his hair pushing it back out of his face. He turned his head slightly to look at the line before heading up the stairs. I felt my heart leap out of my chest. There was something so familiar about this man like I had known him my entire life, it felt like he was special to me, and yet he was a complete stranger. I was so drawn to him, but I knew he was out of my league as I watched the bouncer quickly usher him inside the club. I shook out my body trying to shake the strange feeling I got looking at this strange man.

    “You okay, Aurora?” Mira gave me a concerned look.

    “Yeah I’m okay” I quickly fibbed. Truth was I was a little freaked out by the feeling.

    “Oh she’s fine!” Cal laughed, slapping up both on the back as he pushed us forward to catch up with the rest of the line “She’s just never seen such a fine man as that! I can’t say I blame her. Whoever ends up with that at the end of the night… DAMN! I sure hope it's me!”

    “Well I guess he’s okay looking,” Mira said with her hand to her chin as if pondering his looks in her mind “He’s just not my type. I prefer more of a, how do you say? Thicker man?” she blushed.

    “Yes,” Cal sighed “We know! You like the big teddy bears”

    “Exactly!” Mira beamed.

    “You guys are ridiculous!” I laughed.

    I didn’t date much, but I didn’t necessarily have a type either. I was more focused on the connection I had with someone and tried not to base others on their looks alone. That could get you into the wrong crowd pretty quickly. Derek was the perfect example of that. He looked like a model but was a two-faced horrible person who lied and manipulated others to get what he wanted. We continued to chat about our preferred types and our poor tastes in the past until it was our turn to hand our ID’s over to the bouncer. He looked them over, looked at us, moved aside, and let us through without a word. The big silent type. I could see Mira swooning.

    Once inside we headed to the closest bar. The music was blaring and the crowd below on the dance floor was going wild for the DJ. We spotted a short brunette with a beautiful smile and sporty body behind the bar pouring drinks. It was Monica! When she spotted us, she waved us over smiling ear to ear.

    “Oh my gosh!” Monica beamed “How are you guys! It’s so great to see you! Would you want a shot on the house?”

    “Girl,” Cal leaned on the bar dramatically “You are speaking my language!”

    “Haha absolutely!” Monica giggled “Four Star Dust shots on the house!” she turned her back and began pouring peach schnapps, blue curacao, grenadine, pineapple juice, sweet n sour, and citrus vodka into a shaker before slapping on the lid and shaking it. She grabbed four glasses from under the bar, pressed the rims into the sponge in the glass rimmer tray before dipping them into the crushed blue and purple pop rocks. Monica carefully poured the purple drink mix into the now beautifully rimmed shot glasses. She pushed the shots towards us and grabbed one for herself.

    “Cheers!” she said as she raised her shot glass to us.

    “Cheers!” We all shouted, clinking the shot glasses together, and then tapping them on the bar before chugging the shots. The shot was sweet like candy and masked the harsh taste of the alcohol.

    “Oh, those are dangerous!” Mira shouted over the music.

    “When did you start working here, Monica?” Cal asked

    “About a month ago. It’s a pretty sweet gig! The owner doesn’t mind if we occasionally do shots with the guests if we’re letting them sample something.” Monica smacked the side of her head suddenly as if she had remembered something she had forgotten “That reminds me! Aurora, you need to be careful ‘cause I saw Derek here when I started my shift a couple of hours ago. I haven’t seen him since, but he might still be here.”

    “Of course,” I rolled my eyes. “Thank you for letting me know. He hasn’t harassed you has he?”

    “No. Luckily, I don’t think he saw me, and I let the other bartenders know he’s a f*****g creep, so they agreed to take care of him for me, so I can avoid him easier.”  Monica was such a happy go lucky person.

    “Don’t worry, Aurora,” Cal said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder “We won’t let that creep anywhere near you!”

    “Yeah that’s right!” Mira put her hands on her hips striking a pose like she meant business.

    “Thanks, guys.” I smiled.

    We opened a tab with Monica and ordered another round of Star Dust shots along with our individual drinks. She may have only been working at the club for a month, but she was a boss at making the drinks. They tasted like candy!  We decided to head down the stairs to the dance floor, and as I did my eye caught the man from earlier standing by one of the bars further back in the club. He looked so solemn, and I had this overwhelming urge to tell him everything was going to be okay. I could feel my heart being pulled to him. I wanted to comfort him, and it was the strangest feeling.

    “Come on, Aurora!” Cal tugged on my arm pulling me faster down the stairs. “Dance with me, bitches!” he shouted. We laughed as he pulled us into the middle of the dance floor jumping up and down.

    Cal was an amazing dancer, and he taught Mira and me all he knew when it came to dancing in the club. It was so much fun being out with Cal and Mira. They made life so much brighter. We began bobbing and grinding to the DJ’s electronic beats. It wasn’t long before we lost ourselves to the rhythm of the music letting go of all the worries that loomed over us. Before long I forgot about Derek possibly being here, and about that odd tugging feeling for the strange man that I had the urge to comfort. After the first song we downed our drinks, and Cal volunteered to go get another round getting our orders before wading his way out of the crowd and up the stairs to Monica’s part of the bar. Mari and I continued to dance as the next song played. As we danced it was as if we were in our own world and the other people that we were dancing with us weren’t there despite our bodies meeting with theirs periodically in the melodic dance. It took Cal a little longer than usual to get back, but when he approached with drinks in one hand, and a timid looking man dressed in skinny jeans and a colorful tank top in the other hand, we understood why. We didn’t stop dancing.

    “This is Jared,” Cal yelled over the music “Jared, this is Mira and Aurora.” He pointed to both of us. Jared waved shyly and we waved back and smiled.

    Pretty quickly Cal had Jared dancing with us, and his face lit up. They were really cute together, and Jared looked like he was having a lot of fun and he slowly broke out of his shell. After a couple more songs it was time for another round of drinks. This time I volunteered to get the next round of drinks. I pushed my way through the crowd and up the stairs to find Monica. She took my order, and I told her I was headed to the bathrooms and that I would be right back to get the drinks. I headed towards the back right corner of the club where the restrooms were. There was a line waiting to go into the bathrooms, so I took my place in line and pulled out my phone trying to distract myself from looking over in the VIP area.

    “So nice to see you here, baby” a male’s rough voice whispered into my ear as they snaked their arm around my waist. I looked up. I was met with a shock of blonde hair, brown eyes, and a tall muscular man with a wicked smirk across his lips.

    “Derek!” I said pushing him back as I stepped out of the line to distance myself from him. The other women in line ignored us and quickly moved up the line, erasing my spot. This was not their first time seeing an intoxicated lover’s quarrel. “What the hell do you want?” I growled at him.

    “You of course, baby,” I began to back away towards the front of the club towards Monica, but he grabbed my arm “You can’t escape me. I love you. We are meant to be together. You’ve hurt me so much being away. Didn’t you get my gifts? I know you have me blocked but come on can’t you give me another chance. That girl meant nothing to me.”

    “No, let me go!” I yelled trying to escape his grasp, but it was no use. Derek was a lot stronger than me, and had a good six inches of height on me.

    “I can’t do that, Aurora,” he said as he began to pull me back towards one of the closed doors on the wall. “I love you too much, and I’m going to show you how much I love you. I’m going to make you love me no matter what!”

    I was terrified. I didn’t know what Derek was going to do but all I knew was I had to get away from him, because something bad was about to happen. I grabbed Derek’s arm that restrained me with my free hand digging my nails into his flesh. I could see I was cutting into his flesh, but it was as if he didn’t feel it, and he kept dragging me towards the door to what I assumed was one of the private party rooms. I began to think of how I wish I was stronger and how much I hated this man. My rage began to grow and build until I felt this strange pulling sensation in my heart again.

    “LET ME GO!” I screamed as loud as I could, releasing my rage. As I did, I felt something hot shoot out of the palm of the hand that was trying to pry off his grip, and into Derek’s arm. He immediately released me with a loud scream and began gripping his arm in pain. I took that opportunity to take off running to the dance floor to get Mira and Cal. I didn’t look back. The only thought in my head was that we had to leave this instance! I blindly ran and bumped into the dancers trying to frantically make my way to them. Tears filled my eyes. I was so scared, and I just needed to get to them.

    “We have to go, NOW!” I yelled grabbing both Cal and Mira by the arms and began pulling them away leaving Jared behind looking both confused and concerned. “Derek just tried to abduct me and something really f*****g crazy just happened and I can’t be here anymore! We have to leave NOW!”

    All of the words sounded jumbled as they left my mouth and were partially distorted by the loud music, but luckily, they understood enough of what I said to know that it was urgent and we had to leave. Cal looked apologetically back at Jared and waved goodbye as we rushed off of the dance floor and up the stairs. Unfortunately, the exit was on the same side where Derek had grabbed me. I was pushing Cal and Mira in front of me without a word. As we reached the exit and Cal and Mira stepped outside, I felt this pang in my heart like my soul was being summoned. I turned around, still standing in the open exit doorway, and when I did, I locked eyes with the strange man from earlier in the night. He was standing where Derek had been. I froze and just stared at him like I was in a trance. My heart was pounding, and I wanted, no, I needed to go to him. What was this damn feeling?

    “Girl!” Cal said as they both grabbed me pulling me the rest of the way through the doorway breaking my trance “What are you doing? We have to go!”

    I shook my head and began to quickly walk down the city street. Cal and Mira both had their arms wrapped around my back trying to comfort me. We were heading to the liquor store that was only a couple of blocks from The Lunar Star. After we walked the first block in silence I spoke up.

    “I’m really sorry,” I stepped out of their arms and turned around to look at them head on. “Derek grabbed me while I was standing in line for the bathroom, and he wouldn’t let me go.” I could feel the tears begin to well in my eyes “Then he started to pull me towards one of the private party rooms, and I was so scared. The s**t he was saying to me, and I couldn’t get away.” I began to sob. We stopped walking, and then came to my side again. Mira was petting my hair and Cal was rubbing my back.

    “It’s okay,” Mira cooed. “We are here for you, you got away, and you are safe now.”

    “Did that fucker do anything to you?” Cal’s voice was shaking with anger “I swear to whatever is holy that I will rip his d**k off!”

    “No,” I stepped away from them again and turned to face them once more while wiping away my tears and taking a deep breath to steady myself. I held out my hands and examined them. My right arm had black soot on them. “I was able to get away before we reached the door, but something really weird happened, and I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t know how it happened. I don’t even think you’re going to believe me.”

    “You know we will always trust and believe you, Aurora.” Mira comforted me, taking a step closer before stopping and looking at my hand “We are here for you.”

    “Yeah,” Cal agreed. “You can tell us anything, and we won’t doubt you!”

    “Okay,” I sighed, holding out my palm flat to them “Do you see this soot?” they shook their heads yes. “Well, when Derek was dragging me, and no one was helping me I got really scared and angry. Angry because I couldn’t defend myself, angry because he was stronger than me, and angry because I couldn’t get away from him. That rage and fear built up in me, and then it felt like my heart was full of all of this strength and power, and once it felt like it was going to burst, I released it, and…” I paused, turning my palm towards myself to get a better look at it in disbelief about what I was about to say “and lighting shot out from my palm, and into Derek’s arm. He let me go instantly. He was screaming in pain as I ran away to get you guys.”

    I looked up at Mira and Cal. They were speechless. Cal’s mouth was wide open in shock, and Mira had her hand on her chin contemplating what to say next. Cal was the first to break the silence.

    “Holy s**t!” he screamed excitedly “You’re like a f*****g superhero with superpowers! That’s so bad ass! I hope you scared the s**t out of his arm as a reminder to never f**k with you again!”

    “Did it hurt when it shot out of your palm?” Mira asked worriedly as she gently grabbed my hand slowly turning it this way and that, examining my palm.

    “No, it didn’t hurt me, but it definitely did damage to him.” I said as I watched her lick the tip of her pointer finger and gently rubbed at the soot and it easily came away revealing undamaged flesh underneath.

    “How strange” she murmured to herself “but in a cool way! I swear!” She quickly corrected herself.

    “Good!” Cal shouted “He f*****g deserves it for putting his hands on you like that! If I had been there, I would have kicked his ass!” Cal kicked at the air angrily.

    “Thanks, guys” I said with a chuckle and then looked at me confused.

    “For what?” they said in unison.

    “For believing me, and not thinking I’m some mutant freakazoid.” I flashed them a smile.

    “Oh, no.” Cal smirked at me “You’re still a freakazoid, but you were already one before we found out about your epic powers.”

    “Don’t listen to him” Mira said as she jokingly hit Cal in the shoulder “You’re not a freakazoid. You are our Aurora, we love you, and that will never change even if you grow a second pair of arms. Now come on, let’s go get some more alcohol, head home, and order some Chinese food. I’m starving!”