Status: (active / also on mcrfanfiction)
On the Edge
II
You were too beautiful to be working at a bar. Frank never told you that.
-
'Stop.'
The haunting melody of Where Is My Mind by Pixies began to whistle through my bare apartment. My head was hung low as I slouched in a chair at my kitchen table. I couldn't help but tap on the glass to the music. I shifted my feet. Fingerprints were now visible from the black backdrop caused by my torn sneakers.
I fell into a deep captivating stare as I focused on the curves of my fingerprints. My vision became blurred and the melody flooded my mind once more. With a blink, I came back to reality and realized I had tuned out the song. I sighed, smearing away the fingerprints with the sleeve of my jacket. My eyes adjusted. They were now focused on the floor beneath me. I was jolted out of my gaze as my phone began to vibrate hard against the glass. "Gerard," I muttered as I picked up the phone.
"I hope you guys aren't lost." I said, pressing the phone firmly against my ear. I stood, walking to the living room. "Its a straight shot from Newark until you take a slight left onto NJ-90 West."
"Nah," Gerard spoke, his voice was static through the phone. "I'm calling to let you know we're about 10 minutes outside Philly. What's your address again? No one remembers."
"It's 601 Wharton Street, man."
I heard laughter in the background as Gerard's voice slowly decreased volume. "Write it down, Ray. I'm driving." Gerard paused, as if he were watching Ray write it down. His voice came to full volume again. "Alright man, I'll just give you a call when we're here so you can let us up."
"Sounds great." I said. "See you guys in 10."
The bright pink and orange sky was now becoming dark purple. Navy blue clouds streaked across the sky as the entire sun set. Below, headlights were starting to light up the streets. To pass the short period of time, I figured I would pack a bowl. I could tell the guys were planning on getting completely inebriated tonight. I just wanted to relax.
I headed into my room and sat on the edge of my queen sized bed. Some nights I would lie on one side of the bed and imagine how it'd be if I had someone to occupy the other side every night. I pictured us falling asleep tangled in each others arms every night. But when morning came we would have returned to each side of the bed.
In some cases I would wake first, getting up to take a piss. Other times they would wake first, realizing that at some point through the night we parted and crawl gently back into my arms. I would wake and lean down to kiss their forehead, whispering a good morning. They would gently smile at me as I pulled them into my arms. I'd give a light squeeze, causing them to hum in pleasure.
I opened the drawer of my white nightstand and pulled out a small dark red wooden box. The box held my bowl and a bag of weed that was half full. I began packing the bowl with just enough of the drug to get me high. I didn't want to fall into a coma before the guys got there.
I lit the bowl, inhaling as I watched green flash bright orange before turning into black ash. I held my breath for as long as I could before coughing, letting the THC fill my body. Feeling the warmth of the freshly lit bowl in my hand, I rested it in my lap. The delicious scent filled my bedroom as I slowly exhaled, watching the smoke rise.
I nearly dropped the bowl once I heard a knock at the door. I glanced at the time. 'Fuck,' I thought. 'That couldn't possibly be them already.' I slowly made my way into the kitchen, listening closely to see if I could hear any voices. Silence.
I gently placed the bowl on the counter and tip toed toward the door. I started to hear a few frustrated voices bickering back and forth on the other side. "The fuck?" I exhaled.
I lightly pressed my hand against the door, peering into the peephole. What I saw nearly made me faint with relief. I grasped the handle and yanked the door open, revealing my three best friends from back home. Gerard's furrowed brows raised as huge grin grew across his face. "I thought you were the fucking Feds!"
"We knocked a few times." Ray spoke as they all pushed past me. Mikey sat a case of beer down on the counter and made his way into the living room, where Gerard was taking a seat on the couch.
"Yeah," Mikey exclaimed, plopping himself down next to his brother on the couch. He kicked his feet up on the coffee table, making himself at home. "I thought I remembered the code to get in."
I chuckled, picking up my half smoked bowl off the counter. I took a seat on the other side of Gerard, bringing the bowl to my lips. "I can see why you thought we were the Feds." Gerard joked, watching me take a hit. I coughed, exhaling smoke in the opposite direction of them. I extended my hands to Gerard, offering the bowl and lighter to him. "Nah man," he crinkled his nose. "I'm good."
I looked past Gerard and offered the bowl to Mikey, he gave me a weary look. "You sure? It looks like I could take one hit of that and it'll be done."
"Yeah man," I laughed. My body began to feel heavy and I noticed my steady breathing. "I wouldn't offer it to you if I wasn't sure. I have more in the room." I stood and joined Ray in the kitchen, opening the box of beer. I cracked one open for myself and tossed one to Gerard.
"So how's it going?!" Gerard exclaimed as he cracked open his beer. "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever!"
"I know," I chuckled in agreement. "Other being a college drop out and struggling to feed myself, I'm doing pretty well."
"I heard that." He spoke, taking a sip of his beer.
"Here," Mikey said as he extended his arm out to Ray from the couch. "there's one hit left."
Ray politely shook his head. "I think I'm going to stick to drinking tonight," he raised his beer. "Thanks though."
Mikey motioned toward me.
"Nah," I said, shooing the bowl away. "You go ahead and finish it off." He shrugged before taking the last hit, blowing smoke into the hazy apartment.
For the next two hours we sat around my living room, cracking open beer after beer. We spoke about where each of us were headed in life. After high school I took a year off, debating whether or not to go to school. I finally made the decision to go. Why not, right? I ended up moving to Philly and going to school here. But both the guys and I can agree that college just wasn't right for me.
Gerard had already graduated art school and making a name for himself. Ray and Mikey didn't go to college. They just worked but they seemed to be getting by better than I was. I was 22, the youngest out of them all. I figured I still had time to sort my life out. I wanted to do something more than work at a record store and smoke large amounts of pot every day.
"Alright," I sighed. I had come down off my high and I needed a change of scenery. I glanced at the neon green numbers on the oven. It was nearly 10:30. "I'm sure the bars are crowded by now."
Gerard was the most sober one out of us all so he offered to drive. We all piled into his car and I took the front seat to guide him through the city. I couldn't tell if I was tipsy or still a bit high. I did have quite a few beers though, so I decided it was a mix of the two.
"At this next intersection, take a left on South 5th street." I said, watching the road ahead of me. The break lights on the cars in front of us were becoming blurry. I blinked a few times, trying to focus. I guess I was more tipsy than I thought. "Then that road will take you straight to the South street bars."
-
A few drunken jokes and four minutes later we found ourselves shoving quarters in the meter for parking on south street. I'm surprised we found a close spot to the bars. South street is always packed on the weekends. "We should have just walked, man." Gerard said, digging into his glove box for more quarters as the rest of us stood around the meter.
"I honestly didn't think of that," I chuckled. "Besides, we're probably going to be too fucked up to walk home anyway."
"Who's going to drive then, dip shit?" Mikey spoke.
Ray laughed, shaking his head. "I don't put it past you to not think, Frank." He patted me on the back.
"Fine guys," I said stepping to the side so Gerard could shove two more quarters into the meter. "I'll stay sober enough to drive you fucks back to my place."
"Atta' boy," Gerard smirked. "How hospitable of you."
We began to make our way down south street stopping at the first bar we came across, Fat Tuesday. We would get a few beers, stand around and make small talk with others that had the same agenda. As we left the first bar, I made note on how far away we parked from it just in case I got a little too drunk. I kept a steady buzz going as we made our way through each bar.
A few people would join us on our drunken journey down south street, sometimes leaving us to join another group of people passing by. One of the best things about bar hopping on south street is you always find the same strangers you met earlier in the night at the last bar you go to. By then, everyone is completely wasted. When you meet up with people you met at the first bar again, the whole bar erupts as if you've just seen your best friend for the first time in years.
As we approached the fourth bar, I could tell the guys would barely make it through this one. I stepped aside, allowing them to go in first. "You comin'?" Gerard managed.
"Yeah man, let me finish this first and I'll meet ya in there." I said, holding my cigarette up. He nodded and proceeded to stumble into the bar.
I brought the cancer stick to my lips, inhaling deeply. I exhaled, watching the white smoke blur all the flashing lights and signs of south street. My vision focused on a green and gold sign once the smoke cleared. The sign read Jon's Bar and Grille, one of my favorite spots in Philly. During the day it was a nice restaurant with plenty of seating inside and out. At night the dining room would be clear of all tables, making it the most spacious bar on south street. Outside, tables filled the gated area which had a view of the rest of the busy street. Just above the outside tables was a top deck where they would have bands play or a DJ.
I held the cigarette between my lips firmly as I wrapped my dark gray cardigan around my body tightly. I inhaled deeply again, pulling the cigarette away from my lips and tapping on it. I watched the ash fall to the concrete sidewalk as I began to hear the sound of high heels approach from behind.
I turned to see four girls stumbling to make it to the door without falling in their high heels. The one leading the group gasped as she locked eyes with me. "I know you!" She spoke. She must have seen my confused expression, causing her to continue. "You were at Fat Tuesdays!"
"I was!" I exclaimed, matching her excitement. I chuckled, dropping my half smoked cigarette to the ground and stepping on it. She smiled and walked up to me as her friends made their way into the bar. "We haven't met though, have we?"
"No." she said, pulling at her short tight fitting dress. "I spotted you just before you were leaving," she continued on. "You were gone by the time I could make my way over to you."
I smiled. She was the same height as me with her heels on. Her black shoulder length hair was curled and her lips were painted red to match her heels. She had flawless ivory skin and something about her look gave off a 1950's vibe. "You found me." I smirked, twisting my foot over my cigarette once more. "Can I get you a drink?"
"Sure." She smirked.
I guided her to the bar as her friends disappeared into the crowd. The man behind the counter took notice of her and quickly made his way over to us. "What can I get for you guys?" He asked as he placed his hands against the bar.
I turned to her with a smirk, asking "What would you like?"
"Let's take some shots!" She exclaimed. The bartender looked at me as if he was waiting for me to approve of the statement.
"Surprise us." I said with a nod, watching him turn around and pick up a bottle of tequila. He took two tall shot glasses and filled each to the brim, pushing them toward us. Realizing that I haven't gotten the girls name yet, I began speaking "You know, I haven-"
She pushed the shot glass into my hand, clicking hers against mine before I could finish my sentence. "Cheers!" She yelled over the music. I gave her a weak smile and clinked my glass against hers. I poured the liquid into my mouth, swallowing quickly. My eyes began to water from the burning sensation in the back of my throat. "C'mon," she grasped my hand, looking as if she was not affected by the tall shot of tequila at all. "Let's dance."
I began to follow her path through people toward the open dining room area. Somewhere along the way she stated that she had to use the restroom. I followed her to the restrooms that were next to the bar.
As I waited, I scanned the dark room to see if I could spot any of the guys. No such luck. I waited a few more minutes, wishing I had a beer in my hands. I glanced up at the bar to see if it was crowded, hoping I could quickly grab a beer before she came out of the restroom. And that's when I noticed you.
You were smiling and making small talk with the guys that crowded around the bar. Your smile was radiating through the entire bar. You made the pretty girl I was with look like a child. I felt an urge to go talk to you, but there was no way I could compete with the frat guys that were now starting to block my view.
You were clearly out of my league. You would probably take one look at me and scoff. I was a college drop out with a dead end job at the record store up the street. You were probably a model just working at a bar for your own entertainment. I was jolted out of my gaze as I felt a pat on my back. "Keep dreaming, man."
I turned to see Ray standing by my side, looking at her as well. "She's too beautiful to be working at a bar." I said, keeping my eyes locked on you. Ray nodded in agreement as I heard the restroom door open. The girl I was with was now standing directly in front of me, blocking my view.
"Uh," I staggered, breaking my gaze away from you. "This is my friend Ray." I said, giving him a pat on the back. She extended her hand and Ray took it, shaking it politely. I found myself looking past her and staring at you again.
"Nice to meet you." She smiled at Ray but quickly returned her attention toward me. "You ready?" She asked, noticing that I was staring at something behind her. She looked over her shoulder and laid eyes on you. You were handing a frat boy his beer, completely unaware of our glances and stares.
She looked back at me as I snapped out of it, focusing all my attention on her. She was pretty, but she was no you. "Uh," I spoke up. "Yeah, I'm ready." The expression on her face turned from worried furrowed brows to a sly smirk.
Ray noticed this and chuckled, leaving us to head to the dance floor. I'm not going to lie, this girl knew every right way to move her body and she definitely knew how to keep my attention. She was grinding her ass against my crotch, taking my hands and placing them on her hips. I held her tightly against me as she bounced to the beat of the music. But every so often I would find myself searching for you across the bar when her back was turned.
Throughout the rest of the night we would go back and forth from the bar to the dance floor. Every time we found ourselves leaning against the bar I was hoping you'd be the one to hand me a beer. Yet you were nowhere to be found. I gave up hope on trying to spot you again.
Five tall shots of tequila later, I was extremely intoxicated and was pretty sure I had forgotten how to use my legs. The bartender shouted out last call and people began to trickle out of the bar. "You're clearly too fucked up to be driving anyone home." Mikey stated as the guys appeared by my side.
"You're right." I managed, looking around the now empty bar. I turned to the girl that was clinging to my side. "Where are your friends?" I asked. All she did was shrug and pull me closer to her. She pressed her warm lips against my neck, sending shivers throughout my body. It was clear what she wanted to do.
"It's alright," Ray spoke. "I can drive, I'm nearly sober."
I looked deeply into the girls eyes. She was giving me the most seductive look. I'm surprised she didn't lie me down on the bar and rip all my clothes off right then and there. Gerard noticed this and spoke up, "You coming with us, Frank?"
"Ugh," I staggered as she slid her warm hand up my shirt, resting it on my hip. "Nah, you guys can go ahead and go."
And with that my three best friends left me with a girl who's name I didn't even know. But at that point in time I didn't care. I was thinking with my other head, the one she was now reaching into my pants to grab. I bit my lip, "Not here." I groaned.
She leaned into me and gently bit my neck. "Let's go." She breathed into my ear. I took her hand and headed for the door. I stumbled into the street, holding onto the girls hand. We began down a quiet street toward my apartment.
As we continued walking down the quiet street, I heard a faint sob. I continued on, thinking the girl I dragged along was trying to keep a steady pace walking in her high heels. But the sobs became louder with each step. I stopped, shushing the girl that I was guiding along. Concerned, I glanced around the eerie street.
The sobs continued.
"Do you hear that?" I asked the girl. She nodded but soon it became quiet. I shrugged it off and began to walk once more. Bright headlights approached us on the street, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a figure sitting on the sidewalk across the street. The sound of the car passed and sobs became louder. I stopped, focusing on the figure across the street.
Someone was sitting on the sidewalk, sobbing uncontrollably, with their knees against their chest. They looked up at me weakly, as if they felt my gaze. My heart broke, realizing who it was. It was you.
My entire body softened. The girl noticed my sunken posture once I took sight of you and tugged on my arm. "Come on." She said.
And in my drunken stupor I went, leaving you weeping on the dirty sidewalks on Philadelphia.
-
'Stop.'
The haunting melody of Where Is My Mind by Pixies began to whistle through my bare apartment. My head was hung low as I slouched in a chair at my kitchen table. I couldn't help but tap on the glass to the music. I shifted my feet. Fingerprints were now visible from the black backdrop caused by my torn sneakers.
I fell into a deep captivating stare as I focused on the curves of my fingerprints. My vision became blurred and the melody flooded my mind once more. With a blink, I came back to reality and realized I had tuned out the song. I sighed, smearing away the fingerprints with the sleeve of my jacket. My eyes adjusted. They were now focused on the floor beneath me. I was jolted out of my gaze as my phone began to vibrate hard against the glass. "Gerard," I muttered as I picked up the phone.
"I hope you guys aren't lost." I said, pressing the phone firmly against my ear. I stood, walking to the living room. "Its a straight shot from Newark until you take a slight left onto NJ-90 West."
"Nah," Gerard spoke, his voice was static through the phone. "I'm calling to let you know we're about 10 minutes outside Philly. What's your address again? No one remembers."
"It's 601 Wharton Street, man."
I heard laughter in the background as Gerard's voice slowly decreased volume. "Write it down, Ray. I'm driving." Gerard paused, as if he were watching Ray write it down. His voice came to full volume again. "Alright man, I'll just give you a call when we're here so you can let us up."
"Sounds great." I said. "See you guys in 10."
The bright pink and orange sky was now becoming dark purple. Navy blue clouds streaked across the sky as the entire sun set. Below, headlights were starting to light up the streets. To pass the short period of time, I figured I would pack a bowl. I could tell the guys were planning on getting completely inebriated tonight. I just wanted to relax.
I headed into my room and sat on the edge of my queen sized bed. Some nights I would lie on one side of the bed and imagine how it'd be if I had someone to occupy the other side every night. I pictured us falling asleep tangled in each others arms every night. But when morning came we would have returned to each side of the bed.
In some cases I would wake first, getting up to take a piss. Other times they would wake first, realizing that at some point through the night we parted and crawl gently back into my arms. I would wake and lean down to kiss their forehead, whispering a good morning. They would gently smile at me as I pulled them into my arms. I'd give a light squeeze, causing them to hum in pleasure.
I opened the drawer of my white nightstand and pulled out a small dark red wooden box. The box held my bowl and a bag of weed that was half full. I began packing the bowl with just enough of the drug to get me high. I didn't want to fall into a coma before the guys got there.
I lit the bowl, inhaling as I watched green flash bright orange before turning into black ash. I held my breath for as long as I could before coughing, letting the THC fill my body. Feeling the warmth of the freshly lit bowl in my hand, I rested it in my lap. The delicious scent filled my bedroom as I slowly exhaled, watching the smoke rise.
I nearly dropped the bowl once I heard a knock at the door. I glanced at the time. 'Fuck,' I thought. 'That couldn't possibly be them already.' I slowly made my way into the kitchen, listening closely to see if I could hear any voices. Silence.
I gently placed the bowl on the counter and tip toed toward the door. I started to hear a few frustrated voices bickering back and forth on the other side. "The fuck?" I exhaled.
I lightly pressed my hand against the door, peering into the peephole. What I saw nearly made me faint with relief. I grasped the handle and yanked the door open, revealing my three best friends from back home. Gerard's furrowed brows raised as huge grin grew across his face. "I thought you were the fucking Feds!"
"We knocked a few times." Ray spoke as they all pushed past me. Mikey sat a case of beer down on the counter and made his way into the living room, where Gerard was taking a seat on the couch.
"Yeah," Mikey exclaimed, plopping himself down next to his brother on the couch. He kicked his feet up on the coffee table, making himself at home. "I thought I remembered the code to get in."
I chuckled, picking up my half smoked bowl off the counter. I took a seat on the other side of Gerard, bringing the bowl to my lips. "I can see why you thought we were the Feds." Gerard joked, watching me take a hit. I coughed, exhaling smoke in the opposite direction of them. I extended my hands to Gerard, offering the bowl and lighter to him. "Nah man," he crinkled his nose. "I'm good."
I looked past Gerard and offered the bowl to Mikey, he gave me a weary look. "You sure? It looks like I could take one hit of that and it'll be done."
"Yeah man," I laughed. My body began to feel heavy and I noticed my steady breathing. "I wouldn't offer it to you if I wasn't sure. I have more in the room." I stood and joined Ray in the kitchen, opening the box of beer. I cracked one open for myself and tossed one to Gerard.
"So how's it going?!" Gerard exclaimed as he cracked open his beer. "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever!"
"I know," I chuckled in agreement. "Other being a college drop out and struggling to feed myself, I'm doing pretty well."
"I heard that." He spoke, taking a sip of his beer.
"Here," Mikey said as he extended his arm out to Ray from the couch. "there's one hit left."
Ray politely shook his head. "I think I'm going to stick to drinking tonight," he raised his beer. "Thanks though."
Mikey motioned toward me.
"Nah," I said, shooing the bowl away. "You go ahead and finish it off." He shrugged before taking the last hit, blowing smoke into the hazy apartment.
For the next two hours we sat around my living room, cracking open beer after beer. We spoke about where each of us were headed in life. After high school I took a year off, debating whether or not to go to school. I finally made the decision to go. Why not, right? I ended up moving to Philly and going to school here. But both the guys and I can agree that college just wasn't right for me.
Gerard had already graduated art school and making a name for himself. Ray and Mikey didn't go to college. They just worked but they seemed to be getting by better than I was. I was 22, the youngest out of them all. I figured I still had time to sort my life out. I wanted to do something more than work at a record store and smoke large amounts of pot every day.
"Alright," I sighed. I had come down off my high and I needed a change of scenery. I glanced at the neon green numbers on the oven. It was nearly 10:30. "I'm sure the bars are crowded by now."
Gerard was the most sober one out of us all so he offered to drive. We all piled into his car and I took the front seat to guide him through the city. I couldn't tell if I was tipsy or still a bit high. I did have quite a few beers though, so I decided it was a mix of the two.
"At this next intersection, take a left on South 5th street." I said, watching the road ahead of me. The break lights on the cars in front of us were becoming blurry. I blinked a few times, trying to focus. I guess I was more tipsy than I thought. "Then that road will take you straight to the South street bars."
-
A few drunken jokes and four minutes later we found ourselves shoving quarters in the meter for parking on south street. I'm surprised we found a close spot to the bars. South street is always packed on the weekends. "We should have just walked, man." Gerard said, digging into his glove box for more quarters as the rest of us stood around the meter.
"I honestly didn't think of that," I chuckled. "Besides, we're probably going to be too fucked up to walk home anyway."
"Who's going to drive then, dip shit?" Mikey spoke.
Ray laughed, shaking his head. "I don't put it past you to not think, Frank." He patted me on the back.
"Fine guys," I said stepping to the side so Gerard could shove two more quarters into the meter. "I'll stay sober enough to drive you fucks back to my place."
"Atta' boy," Gerard smirked. "How hospitable of you."
We began to make our way down south street stopping at the first bar we came across, Fat Tuesday. We would get a few beers, stand around and make small talk with others that had the same agenda. As we left the first bar, I made note on how far away we parked from it just in case I got a little too drunk. I kept a steady buzz going as we made our way through each bar.
A few people would join us on our drunken journey down south street, sometimes leaving us to join another group of people passing by. One of the best things about bar hopping on south street is you always find the same strangers you met earlier in the night at the last bar you go to. By then, everyone is completely wasted. When you meet up with people you met at the first bar again, the whole bar erupts as if you've just seen your best friend for the first time in years.
As we approached the fourth bar, I could tell the guys would barely make it through this one. I stepped aside, allowing them to go in first. "You comin'?" Gerard managed.
"Yeah man, let me finish this first and I'll meet ya in there." I said, holding my cigarette up. He nodded and proceeded to stumble into the bar.
I brought the cancer stick to my lips, inhaling deeply. I exhaled, watching the white smoke blur all the flashing lights and signs of south street. My vision focused on a green and gold sign once the smoke cleared. The sign read Jon's Bar and Grille, one of my favorite spots in Philly. During the day it was a nice restaurant with plenty of seating inside and out. At night the dining room would be clear of all tables, making it the most spacious bar on south street. Outside, tables filled the gated area which had a view of the rest of the busy street. Just above the outside tables was a top deck where they would have bands play or a DJ.
I held the cigarette between my lips firmly as I wrapped my dark gray cardigan around my body tightly. I inhaled deeply again, pulling the cigarette away from my lips and tapping on it. I watched the ash fall to the concrete sidewalk as I began to hear the sound of high heels approach from behind.
I turned to see four girls stumbling to make it to the door without falling in their high heels. The one leading the group gasped as she locked eyes with me. "I know you!" She spoke. She must have seen my confused expression, causing her to continue. "You were at Fat Tuesdays!"
"I was!" I exclaimed, matching her excitement. I chuckled, dropping my half smoked cigarette to the ground and stepping on it. She smiled and walked up to me as her friends made their way into the bar. "We haven't met though, have we?"
"No." she said, pulling at her short tight fitting dress. "I spotted you just before you were leaving," she continued on. "You were gone by the time I could make my way over to you."
I smiled. She was the same height as me with her heels on. Her black shoulder length hair was curled and her lips were painted red to match her heels. She had flawless ivory skin and something about her look gave off a 1950's vibe. "You found me." I smirked, twisting my foot over my cigarette once more. "Can I get you a drink?"
"Sure." She smirked.
I guided her to the bar as her friends disappeared into the crowd. The man behind the counter took notice of her and quickly made his way over to us. "What can I get for you guys?" He asked as he placed his hands against the bar.
I turned to her with a smirk, asking "What would you like?"
"Let's take some shots!" She exclaimed. The bartender looked at me as if he was waiting for me to approve of the statement.
"Surprise us." I said with a nod, watching him turn around and pick up a bottle of tequila. He took two tall shot glasses and filled each to the brim, pushing them toward us. Realizing that I haven't gotten the girls name yet, I began speaking "You know, I haven-"
She pushed the shot glass into my hand, clicking hers against mine before I could finish my sentence. "Cheers!" She yelled over the music. I gave her a weak smile and clinked my glass against hers. I poured the liquid into my mouth, swallowing quickly. My eyes began to water from the burning sensation in the back of my throat. "C'mon," she grasped my hand, looking as if she was not affected by the tall shot of tequila at all. "Let's dance."
I began to follow her path through people toward the open dining room area. Somewhere along the way she stated that she had to use the restroom. I followed her to the restrooms that were next to the bar.
As I waited, I scanned the dark room to see if I could spot any of the guys. No such luck. I waited a few more minutes, wishing I had a beer in my hands. I glanced up at the bar to see if it was crowded, hoping I could quickly grab a beer before she came out of the restroom. And that's when I noticed you.
You were smiling and making small talk with the guys that crowded around the bar. Your smile was radiating through the entire bar. You made the pretty girl I was with look like a child. I felt an urge to go talk to you, but there was no way I could compete with the frat guys that were now starting to block my view.
You were clearly out of my league. You would probably take one look at me and scoff. I was a college drop out with a dead end job at the record store up the street. You were probably a model just working at a bar for your own entertainment. I was jolted out of my gaze as I felt a pat on my back. "Keep dreaming, man."
I turned to see Ray standing by my side, looking at her as well. "She's too beautiful to be working at a bar." I said, keeping my eyes locked on you. Ray nodded in agreement as I heard the restroom door open. The girl I was with was now standing directly in front of me, blocking my view.
"Uh," I staggered, breaking my gaze away from you. "This is my friend Ray." I said, giving him a pat on the back. She extended her hand and Ray took it, shaking it politely. I found myself looking past her and staring at you again.
"Nice to meet you." She smiled at Ray but quickly returned her attention toward me. "You ready?" She asked, noticing that I was staring at something behind her. She looked over her shoulder and laid eyes on you. You were handing a frat boy his beer, completely unaware of our glances and stares.
She looked back at me as I snapped out of it, focusing all my attention on her. She was pretty, but she was no you. "Uh," I spoke up. "Yeah, I'm ready." The expression on her face turned from worried furrowed brows to a sly smirk.
Ray noticed this and chuckled, leaving us to head to the dance floor. I'm not going to lie, this girl knew every right way to move her body and she definitely knew how to keep my attention. She was grinding her ass against my crotch, taking my hands and placing them on her hips. I held her tightly against me as she bounced to the beat of the music. But every so often I would find myself searching for you across the bar when her back was turned.
Throughout the rest of the night we would go back and forth from the bar to the dance floor. Every time we found ourselves leaning against the bar I was hoping you'd be the one to hand me a beer. Yet you were nowhere to be found. I gave up hope on trying to spot you again.
Five tall shots of tequila later, I was extremely intoxicated and was pretty sure I had forgotten how to use my legs. The bartender shouted out last call and people began to trickle out of the bar. "You're clearly too fucked up to be driving anyone home." Mikey stated as the guys appeared by my side.
"You're right." I managed, looking around the now empty bar. I turned to the girl that was clinging to my side. "Where are your friends?" I asked. All she did was shrug and pull me closer to her. She pressed her warm lips against my neck, sending shivers throughout my body. It was clear what she wanted to do.
"It's alright," Ray spoke. "I can drive, I'm nearly sober."
I looked deeply into the girls eyes. She was giving me the most seductive look. I'm surprised she didn't lie me down on the bar and rip all my clothes off right then and there. Gerard noticed this and spoke up, "You coming with us, Frank?"
"Ugh," I staggered as she slid her warm hand up my shirt, resting it on my hip. "Nah, you guys can go ahead and go."
And with that my three best friends left me with a girl who's name I didn't even know. But at that point in time I didn't care. I was thinking with my other head, the one she was now reaching into my pants to grab. I bit my lip, "Not here." I groaned.
She leaned into me and gently bit my neck. "Let's go." She breathed into my ear. I took her hand and headed for the door. I stumbled into the street, holding onto the girls hand. We began down a quiet street toward my apartment.
As we continued walking down the quiet street, I heard a faint sob. I continued on, thinking the girl I dragged along was trying to keep a steady pace walking in her high heels. But the sobs became louder with each step. I stopped, shushing the girl that I was guiding along. Concerned, I glanced around the eerie street.
The sobs continued.
"Do you hear that?" I asked the girl. She nodded but soon it became quiet. I shrugged it off and began to walk once more. Bright headlights approached us on the street, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a figure sitting on the sidewalk across the street. The sound of the car passed and sobs became louder. I stopped, focusing on the figure across the street.
Someone was sitting on the sidewalk, sobbing uncontrollably, with their knees against their chest. They looked up at me weakly, as if they felt my gaze. My heart broke, realizing who it was. It was you.
My entire body softened. The girl noticed my sunken posture once I took sight of you and tugged on my arm. "Come on." She said.
And in my drunken stupor I went, leaving you weeping on the dirty sidewalks on Philadelphia.