Safe-Chapter 3

This is the next chapter. I was going to keep going on this chapter, but it was getting rather long, so I made it the start of the next chapter. Once I post the next chapter, please tell me if I should have made it part of this chapter.

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We headed down to the club, me wincing every step, trying to figure out to explain what was going to happen. I keep to myself. It’s why I don’t do with people to places I know. I have to explain about myself. And that can get complicated.

From two locks blocks off, we could hear a soft beat of the music from the club battling with the noise from the nearby restaurants and stores. As we rounded the corner, we could see the line of people waiting to get in.

‘Let’s see if we can get in,’ Sarah said a little deflated.

‘Lines are there for a reason.’

‘I know, but my sister did tell me that she was well know in there. So I thought I might drop her name.’

‘If you say,’ I said, not even bothered to put up a fight.

I saw her walk to the front of the line, and she was greeted by the bouncer controlling the line.

‘Hi,’ she said chirpily to the bouncer.

‘Hi,’ he replied almost irritated. ‘If you want to get in, don’t waste your time. You can line up with the rest of them.’ I watched on from behind the start of the line with a small smirk on my face.

‘Oh, I just thought you would let Jamie Parker’s sister in.’

‘Who?’ he asked like he never heard suck a ridicules name before.

‘Jamie Parker? How do you not know her? She’s here like every second month?’ Slowly, the smirk on my face became a smile as did those on some of the people next to me who were in line.

‘Never heard of her. Back of the line.’ Shattered, Sarah walked back to me defeated.

‘Nice try,’ I said half encouragingly. ‘Answer me seriously. Does going here mean that much to you?’

‘Yes,’ she said as if she thought I was joking.

‘You sure you want to do this?’ I asked one last time.

‘Yes,’ she said defiantly.

‘Okay then,’ I said with half a sigh.

I walked up to the bounce with my head down.

‘Hey Dave,’ I said softly to the bouncer.

‘Who the hell are you kid?’ I looked up at him, and saw his face change from confused annoyance to shocked recognition.

‘Holy shi- Jamie. Sorry man,’ he said apologetically.

‘You think me and my friend can go in?’ I asked humbly.

‘Are you kidding?’ he asked unhooking the rope to let Sarah and me in. As we walked in, I hear a couple soft voices whisper ‘It’s Jamie. Wow, he hasn’t been here in over a year.’

As the rush of sound greeted us, I heard Sarah ask, ‘Why did he let us in?’

‘Not right now. Once we get to the bar.’ As we crossed the crowded dance floor, I saw the board behind the bar with the menu on it. I saw the usual ‘Shaken Special’ and the ‘Alcohol for 23+’ sign.

We sat down on a couple of the bar stools, as the bar tender came over and asked what we wanted.

‘How about two Smashed Bottle Heads?’ I asked sliding over five dollars in the shape of a leaf.

The bar tender looked a little confused at the order, then saw the five dollars.

‘Damn! Jamie! It’s been ages!’

‘Yeah, too long Matt.’

‘How are your folks?’

‘The same. They still blame each other,’ I said unable to keep the mournful tone out of my voice.

‘Take this back, you shouldn’t be paying,’ he said passing the money back.

‘It’s a tip,’ I said with a smirk.

‘Sure, I’ll grab your drinks.’

‘What the hell?’ Sarah said in confusion. ‘At school on one seems to know you, but here, it’s like you own the place. You said you would tell me. So?’

‘Well, I kind of do own the place,’ I said sheepishly.

‘What?!’ she said shocked.

‘I said it was going to be weird here. But basically, about five years back, my family had some hard times with money. I had this idea about the youth club, and I knew I could do it if I got the chance. My brother probably didn’t think I could do it, but he trusted me I guess. So he used the money he had saved for collage to buy this place. It took a hell of a lot of work, but we got it running. This is probably the only reason we have enough food for dinner each night.’ Sarah just looked at me in disbelief.

Matt came back with the drinks. ‘Two Broken Bottle Heads.’

‘Thanks,’ I said glad there was something to at lease slice a little way through the tension.

‘The name’s a little weird for a drink, don’t you think.’

‘Well that’s what it is.’

‘What?’ she asked confused.

‘I was behind the bar for the first time, and I broke a couple bottles, to we put it all in a jug. My brother had no idea, so he drank it. He said it was totally worth the trip to the hospital to get the glass out of his throat.’ She half choked on her drink as she laughed at that.

‘So how old is your brother?’

‘He’d be 26 this year. Sorry, I have to go to the bathroom,’ I said as I got up and went.

I pushed through a few of the people and escaped into the bathroom. With a tear seeping out of my eye, I soaked my face in the freezing cold water. With the water dripping off my face, I looked at myself in the mirror. ‘Not tonight. Not tonight.’ I told myself. ‘You need to do this.’

I grabbed some paper towels and wiped my face. I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn’t know it would be this hard. It was my fault. It is my fault. I need to make up for it. I need to do this. For him.

I opened the bathroom door, and was once again swarmed by the music and voices. I kept my head down, not wanting to meet anyone else, and found my way back to the bar.

‘So why did Jamie bring you here?’ I heard Matt say quietly to Sarah. Well, as quietly as you can in a club.

‘Oh, he didn’t. I had heard about this place, but he didn’t know until we were at the station,’ she explained to him.

‘And he brought you in?’ Matt said a little shocked.

‘Yeah, what’s the big-’ She stopped as I took a couple steps up to her. It seemed that even while you can barley hear someone talk, you can still seem to have an awkward silence.

‘Is the deck still VIP?’ I asked Matt.

‘I’m not sure anyone would be able to get up there if it wasn’t,’ Matt said with a laugh.

‘How’s the line these days?’ I asked.

‘The same, or even worse. But it should be fine for you. Just talk to John. Luke’s up there too, but he doesn’t know you.’

‘Thanks. Good to see you again too. Here, I’ll show you one of the reasons we’re so popular,’ I said grabbing my drink and Sarah’s hand.

We once again squeezed through the people on the dance floor, and went up to the small crowded stairway in the front corner of the room.

‘Where are we going?’ Sarah asked curiously.

‘You said you didn’t want to always feel safe. Well, getting up here will defiantly make you feel like that.’

We gently pushed pass some people at the bottom of the stairs, then started our battle up then. There were cries of outrage as we snuck up the line, which most people had been waiting all night to get up. My head smashed against the stairwell wall, punched by an angry fist of an outrages person.