Rush

Tyler scanned the rave in disgust. Most of the crowd had their eyes closed, breathing in the deafening thumps from the DJ. Their mud covered feet desperately trying to keep up with their racing heart beats.  Through the strobe lights he could see their euphoric faces riding ecstasy searching for oblivion and he had a pocket full of pills to take them there, for a price. A group of girls entered the chaos in the tent, their greedy faces looking to him like a celebrity. Everyone knew who he was. “Tyler!” one girl beamed. “Ladies.” He replied flashing them a smile that made them all blush instantly. He bent down to kiss the girl who’d called him on the cheek while sliding his hand into hers pushing a little bag of trouble into her palm. She in return tucked some notes into his front pocket. “Steady on sweetheart, that’ll cost you a lot more.” He winked as she giggled with her friends. Looking through them all he made his way towards a man signalling him over, a man he couldn’t stand. “Keeping busy, Ty?” Franks deep voice asked grinning. “Busy enough.”  Tyler replied casually not making eye contact. “Come on; let me get you a drink, plenty of bread here to feed us all.” He laughed raising two fingers to one of his sidekicks who immediately ran off to retrieve their drinks. Frank was the competition, the biggest dealer in the area. He dealt everything from girls to h****n. Tyler dealt pills at raves, there was enough clientele there to keep them both from treading on the other ones toes.  Tyler hated Frank but he knew better than to get on the wrong side of him. Frank was dangerous, violent and ruthless.   “Cheers!” Frank boomed clinking the drinks his minion had brought back. “Cheers.” Tyler replied flatly pressing his lips thinly to form a smile. “Who’s a bit grumpy tonight then?” Frank taunted, “Watch this, this’ll cheer you up.” He nodded. Tyler followed Franks gaze to a girl. How had he not seen her? She wasn’t like the other girls here. She looked like she’d been abducted from an office and dumped in the middle of a rave. She wore a white blouse tucked neatly into a knee length leather skirt. Clutching stilettos in her hand, she danced alone flicking her wavy blonde hair as she swayed from side to side. “Who is that?” Tyler asked, his eyes fixed on her. Frank ignored him grinning as one of his minions approached her. The man grabbed her face, shoving his tongue deeply into her mouth depositing a couple pills. The girl pushed him back in disgust and immediately glared up to Frank and that’s when Tyler saw her face. WHAT THE f**k WAS SHE DOING HERE?! Time stood still. The music faded into silence. There was only her. He stood frozen as he watched her eyes change and her feet speed up.  She closed her eyes and a single tear fell onto her cheek and she tilted her head back and left her body to force her to dance. Franks bellowing laugh snapped Tyler out of his daze. “Again!” Frank nodded towards his minion. “No!” Tyler shouted, shocking himself at the volume that escaped him. Frank held up a hand and his minion stopped on the spot. “Do you know her Ty?” Frank searched Tyler’s eyes confused as to his outburst. “No. No I don’t.” Tyler shook his head aware he’d accidently piqued Frank’s interest. “It’s just; she’s half way to f*****g mars already.” He reasoned trying to sound casual. “As are you.” Frank replied, his eyes gleaming at Tyler’s drink. Tyler looked at his empty glass, then up again at a smug Frank grinning from ear to ear and finally down at his own tapping foot. The bastard had spiked him. That was how Frank got his kicks. Tyler’s began racing, his breathing became heavier and nothing could stop the urge to move.  He barged past a cackling Frank and onto the dance floor, speeding towards her as fast as his feet could carry him until he was standing directly in front of her, unintentionally bouncing slightly to the beat. “Liv.” He whispered loudly enough for her to tilt her head back down and open her eyes. “Tyler?” Her eyes widened and she lunged forward to embrace him but he quickly stepped back aware of Frank’s eyes on him. “Wait.” Tyler said sternly. “Just dance.” Liv frowned at him but she was too wasted to argue. She closed her eyes again and returned to the daze she was dancing in before Tyler had said her name. Grabbing the closest person to him, Tyler pushed a fifty into his hand. “Go get me some sweets off Frank.” He ordered into his ear. The raver looked up though glassed over eyes at Tyler and immediately scuttled of to Frank. Tyler watched intensely and the moment Frank turned to the man, he grabbed Liv’s arm and dragged her through the crowd pushing and barging until they were out of the tent. His grip fell from her arm and into her hand and then they just ran. Hand in hand, the rush of whatever Frank had spiked them with carried them through the open space and into the woods. The moment they stopped running, Liv buried her face into Tyler’s chest and he wrapped his arms around her. His hand found its way to her hair, holding her head close to his chest. He bent to kiss her forehead and they just stood, listening to the sound of each other’s racing hearts, they forgot it had been ten years since they had seen one another. “Liv” Tyler whispered. “Tyler” she whispered back moving her head from his chest to look at him.