The Essence of Your Love

Chapter 5 - Invaded Thoughts

—New Group Message ✉ 'The Michigan Musketeers'—

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@Steve: [Ladies, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to conquer. I'm on fire!]

@Nate: [Ready. It hurts all over because of the practice, but a couple of drinks should do it.ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ ]

@Steve: [That's the spirit, brother. ヽ( ⌒o⌒)*(⌒”⌒ )ﾉ Jas? Please tell me you're ready.]

[Nah. Just coming out of the bathroom.]✓✓

@Nate: [f**k, seriously? o(〒﹏〒)o ]

@Steve: [Dude, you take longer than a woman. Was your right hand consoling you?]

[Stop complaining, you have to come and get me anyway. Remember, I'm car-dependent until your dad fixes my truck.]✓✓

@Steve: [And you make me suffer the consequences? ٩(ಥ*ಥ)٩ ]

[Friends support each other while their cars are sick. Aren't you my friend? Besides, I thought I was buying the drinks tonight.]✓✓

@Steve: [Blackmail and manipulation? Brother, you disappoint me. ┐( ˘ ､ ˘ )┌ P.S. Even so, you're buying.]

@Nate: [I remind you that I'm still here and waiting for you ¬-¬]

[If you stop distracting me, I can finish getting ready]✓✓

@Steve: [Don't forget to bring your fake ID, genius. Remember in the mess you got us into last time. PS: You're still buying.]

@Nate: [Don't forget the f*****g ID! If there's a problem, I'll leave you two and go have some fun on my own. (#Φ*Φ) ]

@Steve: [Hey, don't count the chickens before they're born. Jas will remember, won't you, Jas?]

@Nate: [ Jas? *insert warning voice* (#Φ*Φ#) ]

@Steve: [Answer, sweetie~ ❤]

@Nate: [ Jasper Wright! ((╬ಥ﹏ಥ))]

@Steve: [You're an i***t :”v ]

I laugh and block my phone so I can start dressing. Steve doesn't live far from here, I know he'll come looking for me, even if I don't tell him, so I hurry. I put on the first boxers I find, take one of my black shirts from the pile along with a pair of matching pants, then I choose my favorite pair of military boots, completing the outfit with a leather jacket.

I have my fake ID hidden inside one of my shoes, being careful that Ellie doesn't find it by “accident” while cleaning. I take it out and put it in my wallet before slipping it into my pants pocket. By the time I walk down the stairs, I hear the familiar sound of Steve's horn. I grab my keys and go outside; the night is cool and the breeze blows my hair a little. I jog to his car and slide into the passenger seat.

“How dare you leave me in suspense?” He grunts and pinches my thigh. “You're the worst best friend in the world, you just don't do that.”

“You should be crowned a drama queen,” I laugh and roll my eyes as he steps on the gas.

“And you as the biggest i***t,” we get on the road, the streetlights are on, and luckily there's not much traffic. “Nate told me he's close by.”

“Speaking of Nate...” I swallow thick and stir in the seat a little. “Did he ever tell you that his brother has heterochromia?”

“Hetero... what?” He asks with a grimace. “The f**k is that?”

“s**t,” I growl. “You really don't know what it is?”

“Hey, I'm a football player, not a f*****g doctor,” he snorts while turning the wheel to pass a corner. “What's that hethrotamia about?”

“Heterochromia,” I correct, laughing at him. “It's when the iris in one eye is a different color than the other.”

“Ah, yeah?” He shrugs. “Nate's brother has it?”

“Yeah, didn't you see him?”

“I couldn't because of the f*****g giant glasses he was wearing,” he laughs. “His nose looks so tiny with that thing on.”

“Yeah,” I look out the window and smile, remembering the delicacy of his small features.

“And what color are his eyes?”

“One brown...” I whisper, absent-mindedly creating figures in the glass with my finger. “And the other blue.”

“Oh, boy. I had no idea that was possible.”

“They're beautiful,” I say before I can avoid it, coughing loudly, wishing Steve hadn't heard that.

“Are you okay?” He pats my back. “You choked with saliva, genius?” He mocks and I sigh of relief when I'm done pretending.

“I guess so,” I clear my throat.

“Well, you'll be able to relax your throat in a couple of minutes,” slowly, he parks and we get out. The Blue Detroit sign lights up the street and the top of the heads of the people lined up outside, waiting their turn to get in.

“Where's Nate?” I ask.

“I don't know. Let me...”

“Here I am, beauties,” a hand falls on my shoulder and another on Steve's, our friend sneaking in between us. “Ready for a little fun?”

“Oh, yeah!” Steve dances, and I hear some girls laughing as we walk to the entrance.

We know the gorilla guarding the door today. He’s a huge, sturdy guy, almost two meters tall, and I estimate he must weigh about three hundred pounds. His arms are about the thickness of my thighs and considering the volume of my legs, it's quite a bit. He always carries a small receiver in the ear; we make fun of how the light reflects on his bald, shiny head.

“What's up, George?” Steve shakes his hand, slipping him fifty bucks. “How's life, buddy?”

“Hey, Steve,” his thick, deep voice fits perfectly with that huge body. “I hope there won't be any trouble with any of you tonight.”

“Of course not, last time was just a misunderstanding. Right, Jas?” Nate nudges my side harder than necessary.

“Just a minor disagreement,” I nod, raising my hands in the air.

“Good,” George moves part of the railing so we can get through. “Have fun,” the club is full, everywhere we can find people dancing and drinking, bathing in the characteristic blue lights of the place.

“It's time for your wallet to lose a bit of weight, don't you think?” Steve yells in my ear so I can hear him over the music.

“Aren't you supposed to drive?”

“Oh, come on. One beer won't kill anyone.”

“Says any drunk while giving the cops a statement about an accident on the highway,” Nate screams between us, Steve punches him in the arm.

“It'll only be one, don't be a spoiler.”

“Just one,” I warn, he nods repeatedly, with a “good boy” expression that doesn't fool anyone.

We go to the bar and I order three beers from the bartender as soon as I get a chance. The guy asks for my ID, I pass the fake one, he looks at it quickly, then gives it back to me. I pay and he turns to one of the coolers.

It lasts only a few seconds until we hold a cold bottle of the bitter liquid, bumping them before drinking the first sip. The atmosphere is great, the DJ who works here on weekends is one of the best, there are huge numbers of extremely attractive girls and boys. The three of us take a quick look around to evaluate the surroundings.

“Dude, I don't want you to panic, but...” Nate puts an arm around my shoulders and points to the side of the DJ booth. “There's Leyla.”

“Goddamn it,” I grunt and try to keep a low profile. “I should have known she'd be here.”

“And that's not the worst of it,” he grimaces and watches sideways at Steve, who's now dancing with a girl. “Look over there.”

He gestures towards a small group of people with his hand grabbing the beer. Now I can see almost half of the college hockey team, including f*****g Matthew, with a very cheerful Jessica sitting on his lap, mischievously stroking his neck.

“f**k,” I mumble. I knew it. I f*****g knew it.

But that doesn't mean anger won't flow through my veins because of that girl's cheekiness in continuing to play with my friend's feelings. Yeah, Steve's a clown most of the time, but he's a good guy, he doesn't deserve this.

“Should we tell Steve?” Despite the loud music, I can hear the insecurity in his voice.

“Of course we are gonna tell him,” I answer firmly and without a doubt.

“f**k, I can imagine how he'll be.”

“But at least he'll open his f*****g eyes for once.”

I leave my half-emptied beer at the bar and walk over to my friend. He smiles and dances enthusiastically with the girl, but keeps the hands off her body. That's my best friend, an i***t, but a gentleman nonetheless.

For a moment I hesitate and feel insecure, but I push the feeling away and close the gap, grasping his arm tightly. He stares at me and seems puzzled, then worries about the severity on my face.

“What's wrong, man?” He puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “Everything all right?”

“I need to show you something,” I scream and he nods, still looking concerned. He dismisses the girl, who looks disappointed.

“Steve, just don't do anything crazy, okay?” Nate tells him as we guide Steve to a place where he can view the scene.

“What are you talking about?” He ask, glancing at the two of us. “Tell me what's going on, you're scaring me.”

“Look over there,” I point in the direction with my head and he spins over.

He searches through the crowd for a moment, trying to figure out something out of the ordinary. Until he spots them. I realize when he does because freezes in place, breathing fast and muscles tense. Nate and I watch the picture too, and now Jessica starts leaning slowly over Matthew until their lips meet.

Holy crap. I don't know if it was due to the lights momentarily blinding my eyes; I have no idea why I wasn't quicker in stopping my friend when he ran off to the hockey team, and the easy girl he fell in love with. I run, dodging people in my path, Nate at my heels.

We’re late. By the time I catch up with Steve, he’s hitting Matthew's face repeatedly, while Jessica is on the floor screaming at him to stop. Nate and I hold him by the arms, attempting to restrain him as he struggles to break free to continue venting the anger on that asshole.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Matthew screams with a muffled voice, holding his bloody nose. “f*****g asshole!”

“I'll kill you, motherfucker!” Steve's arms twist in the grip that Nate and I have, but we squeeze harder and don't release him. “Let go of me so I can end up smashing his face!”

“Jas...” I turn towards Nate and he gestures to the exit, where guards are quickly making their way through because of the scandal. “We have to go.”

“Steve, come on,” I pull, but he keeps resisting, kicking the air.

“What the hell is wrong with that asshole?” I hear a random guy growling at my side. “You better drag him out of here,” I almost loose my angry friend to smash my fist into his mouth. He's one of the hockey players, a friend of Matthew's. His name is Dylan, if I recall correctly.

“Better shut up if you don't want to be the next one bleeding,” I growl and he smiles.

“I'd like to see you try,” he challenges me, and I have to make great efforts to focus again on Steve. I'll deal with that dickhead later.

“Stephen!” I shout and only then he seems to calm down enough to stop murdering Matthew with his eyes and face me. “That's enough, it's time to go,” I nod to the four guards behind us, standing with arms crossed over their chests.

He’s silent for a long time, but at least he’s no longer struggling to escape. Nate and I slowly drop him, swallowing thickly at the defeating pose he adopts.

“Stephen?” Jessica mumbles with a trembling voice, crocodile tears have made her mascara smear black patterns on the cheeks.

“Never again...” Steve grunts quietly, but we can hear him perfectly, despite the loud music. “Never come near me again, do you understand me?”

“But...”

“Never again!” Steve shouts and she’s startled, then sobs harder and nods quickly.

“Come on, man,” Nate's helping me drag him to the exit.

We leave the club, being escorted by the guards. It's gonna be a while before we can return to this place. The night hits us with cold air, or at least that's how it feels now.

“Would you like to go to my house?” Nate asks after a long, uncomfortable silence. “Jimmy's going tomorrow. You must try his food, I swear to God, the boy has magic hands.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Steve grumbles reluctantly, but we know he's relieved not to have to spend the night alone.

“Keys,” I extend a hand and he reaches into his trouser pocket, handing me the key-ring soon after. “We’ll follow you, Nate.”

“Okay,” Nate smiles and walks in the direction of where he left his car parked.

“Jas, would it be too gay if I asked you to sleep with me?” A chuckle slips out of me and I pat him on the back.

“As long it's not naked, fine with me,” he snorts.

“Well, that's too bad. I love sleeping naked.”