Chapter 17;Neon and bruises
1103 Words
The house was too loud with no one in it.
Liv texted at 8. Come. Just us. One drink. I promise.
I stared at it.But Didn’t answer.
At 9 she was at the door. Pink jacket. Two wristbands between her fingers.
She didn’t knock hard.
I looked at the floor. Then at my shoes.
I pulled myself together.I needed some fun in my life.
The car smelled like vanilla and old fries.Liv had already turned 18,so of course she had her own car and even a license.She turned the music down.
“One hour,” she said. “If you hate it, we leave.”
I kept my hands in the sleeves of my dress.
The club on 4th. Neon sign buzzing. Line outside. Bass through the concrete before we even got in.
Inside it was dark and hot. Red and blue lights cut across the room.
People pressed together. Laughing. Phones up.
Liv led me to a booth in the back. Away from the speakers.
She set two waters down.
I drank from one.Trust me I felt nervous I’ve never been to this kind of place before.
My eyes stayed on the floor. On the scuffs in the tile.
I scanned everywhere looking for a place to escape since Liv was already distracted.That was whenfront door opened.
Xavier.
Black tee. Rain jacket over his shoulder. Same one from the storm. Tired eyes.
And a girl with him. Blonde. Red dress. Arm through his. Laughing at something on his phone.
They went to the bar.
He ordered two drinks. Paid.
She leaned into him.
She whispered something to his ears.
He smiled.
My chest went tight.
The air felt thin.
Liv followed my eyes.
Her hand moved across the table.
I pulled mine back.
“Stacy”.She called out.”I thought you’re over him?”
I seriously thought I was until now.
Two guys stopped at our booth.
The First one. Tall. Hat backwards.
“Hey.”
Liv looked up.
“Y’all alone?”
Second one. Smaller. Grinning.
“You look like you need a real drink.” He set a shot glass down. Didn’t ask.
“Tequila. On us.”
I didn’t look at them.
Liv did.
“We’re good,” she said.
“Come on,” Hat said. “Don’t be like that. What’s your name?”
Silence.
He looked at me.
“You don’t talk?”
He laughed.
“That’s cool. Mysterious. I like that.”
He reached for my hand.
I snapped.
The smaller one leaned on the table.
“You sure? You look stressed. This’ll help.”
He pushed the shot closer.
Liv stood up.
“We’re leaving.”
Hat put his hands up.
“Whoa. Chill. We were just being nice.”
“Yeah,” the other one said. “No need to get all worked up.”
A voice from behind them.
“Problem here?”
Xavier.
He wasn’t close. Maybe six feet. Hands in his pockets.
Eyes on the table. On the shot. On my hand.
Hat turned.
“Nah, man. Just talking.”
“Looks like they said no,” Xavier said.
The air changed.
Smaller guy looked between them.
“Alright. We were just—”
“Leave,” Xavier said.
Hat stared for a second. Then shrugged.
“Whatever.”
They walked off.
Xavier didn’t move.
Liv sat back down.
I kept my eyes down.
Xavier came closer. Not to the booth. To the edge of it.
Didn’t sit.
Liv watched him.
He looked at me.
I looked at the floor.
“Are you okay,” he said.
I didn’t answer.
He waited.
“May I asked why you’re here?
“I came out to have some fun”.I replied avoiding his gaze.
“You’re not up to eighteen Stace”.
“Stop pretending you care”.I shot at him.”your girlfriend’s waiting”.
He Stepped back.
The girl in the red dress came over.
She looked at me. Then at Xavier.
“Babe?”
He didn’t look at her.
“Can we go,” she said. “This place is…”
“Give me a minute,” he said.
She crossed her arms.
“With her?”
He didn’t answer.
She made a sound. Turned. Walked back to the bar.
Xavier crouched. Not close. Same distance as the kitchen.
He looked at my hands.
They were fists in the sleeves.
“You don’t have to be here if you’re not comfortable ,” he said.
I shook my head.
“Okay,” he said.
“Do you want me to stay over here?”
I shook my head.
He stood up.
“Do you want me to go?”
I didn’t move.
He waited three seconds.
Then he went back to the bar.
I thought the drama was over,but I was mistaken.
Another group came by. Three guys. Louder.
“Yo, you good?” One of them pointed at me.
“You look like you’re about to pass out.”
Liv stood up again.
“She’s fine. We’re fine.”
“Come on,” another one said. “Dance with us. Loosen up.”
He reached for my wrist.
A hand caught his.
Xavier.
He didn’t raise his voice.
“Don’t touch her.”
The guy pulled back.
“Bro, relax. We were just—”
“I said don’t touch her.she’s mine.”
The music was loud.
But the space around us got quiet.
The three guys looked at each other.
Then at me.
Then walked away.
Xavier let go.
He looked at me.
Then at Liv.
“Liv”.He said with concern.”Take her out of here.”
Then he went back to the bar.
Liv typed on her phone. Turned it to me.
You want to go.
I nodded.
We stood.
The booth scraped.
As we walked past the bar, Xavier’s head turned.
Our eyes met for half a second.
But I didn’t stop.
Outside. Cold hit my face.
It helped.
I sat on the curb by Liv’s car. Knees up.
The hoodie wasn’t enough.
Liv sat next to me.
She didn’t touch me.
She pulled out her phone. Typed. Showed me.
You okay.
I nodded.
The door opened behind us.
Footsteps.
Stopped a few feet away.
I didn’t look up.
A water bottle was set on the ground next to my shoe.
Cap off. Condensation on the plastic.
No other sound.
The footsteps moved away.
The door closed.
Liv picked it up. Unscrewed it. Held it out.
I took it. My hands were shaking.
Then we drove off.
- Writer
