Perfectly Dysfunctional
Ten
“Jenny? I thought that was you who came in. What happened to you?” he asked as he nodded towards my shoulder.
“Oh, nothing, I’m fine. Two diet cokes, please.”
“Shit, was that because I left last night?” His face turned to one of utter horror then flashed angry but there was something not right about it, “I’m so sorry!” The emotion didn’t seem to reach his eyes.
“Don’t worry about it; I’m fine. They took me to hospital after I blacked out,” I pointed behind me and he peered over my shoulder. I waved at Jay then turned back to see Dave stiffen.
“Well I hope the bullet wound’s not too deep or anything,” he said, looking back at me, “I hope you get better and I’m so sorry I left. My dad needed help,” he nodded his head to his right indicating the kitchen. He stiffened again and stood up straight as someone came up behind me.
“It’s fine, I told you. I- Wait...” It was Nathan who’d come up behind me and he sat on one of the stools beside where I was standing, with a straight, blank expression on his face. “How did you know I was shot?”
Dave’s mouth bobbed open and closed like a fish and he frowned, putting the two drinks onto the bar with a little more force than was necessary, “There were rumours about last night-”
“Maybe he’s the one who shot you,” Nathan joked, but in a flat tone. Dave went white and Nathan glared.
“Nathan! Course he didn’t, don't be so stupid!” I laughed, easing the tension. “I’m sure Dave wouldn’t know how to hold a gun let alone fire one,” I poked my tongue out at him and he laughed.
“That’s true.”
“Yeah well... who knows?” It only just occurred to me about the picture I’d printed out of Dave and me at the gig last night and that it was going to the police, and the short snippet of conversation I’d heard when I woke up in the hospital earlier. The grin was wiped off my face and I stared at the two drinks before picking them up. He really could’ve shot me, if the police cared enough for his description... “Anyway, another diet coke, please.”
“Right away,” Dave said politely - perhaps a little too polite - and I paused to wait on Nathan with the two cokes in my hand. We walked back to the table in silence; I found it too awkward to ask why there was such hatred, so kept quiet.
“Can I ask why the other coke?”
“Siva,” Was all he said, rolling his eyes, and I laughed.
“I see,” I sat back down and put a glass where I was sitting and where Nathan was sitting, and Nathan handed Siva his drink.
“We’ve decided what we’re eating, by the way,” Tom grinned.
“Right, well, off you two pop again,” Max grinned and shooed us.
“Oh, nothing, I’m fine. Two diet cokes, please.”
“Shit, was that because I left last night?” His face turned to one of utter horror then flashed angry but there was something not right about it, “I’m so sorry!” The emotion didn’t seem to reach his eyes.
“Don’t worry about it; I’m fine. They took me to hospital after I blacked out,” I pointed behind me and he peered over my shoulder. I waved at Jay then turned back to see Dave stiffen.
“Well I hope the bullet wound’s not too deep or anything,” he said, looking back at me, “I hope you get better and I’m so sorry I left. My dad needed help,” he nodded his head to his right indicating the kitchen. He stiffened again and stood up straight as someone came up behind me.
“It’s fine, I told you. I- Wait...” It was Nathan who’d come up behind me and he sat on one of the stools beside where I was standing, with a straight, blank expression on his face. “How did you know I was shot?”
Dave’s mouth bobbed open and closed like a fish and he frowned, putting the two drinks onto the bar with a little more force than was necessary, “There were rumours about last night-”
“Maybe he’s the one who shot you,” Nathan joked, but in a flat tone. Dave went white and Nathan glared.
“Nathan! Course he didn’t, don't be so stupid!” I laughed, easing the tension. “I’m sure Dave wouldn’t know how to hold a gun let alone fire one,” I poked my tongue out at him and he laughed.
“That’s true.”
“Yeah well... who knows?” It only just occurred to me about the picture I’d printed out of Dave and me at the gig last night and that it was going to the police, and the short snippet of conversation I’d heard when I woke up in the hospital earlier. The grin was wiped off my face and I stared at the two drinks before picking them up. He really could’ve shot me, if the police cared enough for his description... “Anyway, another diet coke, please.”
“Right away,” Dave said politely - perhaps a little too polite - and I paused to wait on Nathan with the two cokes in my hand. We walked back to the table in silence; I found it too awkward to ask why there was such hatred, so kept quiet.
“Can I ask why the other coke?”
“Siva,” Was all he said, rolling his eyes, and I laughed.
“I see,” I sat back down and put a glass where I was sitting and where Nathan was sitting, and Nathan handed Siva his drink.
“We’ve decided what we’re eating, by the way,” Tom grinned.
“Right, well, off you two pop again,” Max grinned and shooed us.
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Short one! Next one's better! :)