Patience( Book Two)

Classy Girls

"Classy girls don't kiss in bars

you fool."

____________Raven_____________

The Spark

Capacity: 4/123

 Raven looked at her knuckles and saw the irritated skin, it made her nauseous. The image replayed in her head as regret pitted in her stomach like a sickness that threatened to spill any moment. The look in his eyes, the shock and betrayal in that moment. She wanted to go back, she wanted to apologize but she wanted something else much more. Raven had hijacked the rental Erik and Charlie had and zipped faster down the driveway than she could comprehend, leaving Erik shouting after her. She shook her head, clenching and unclenching her fists on the steering wheel. She needed a drink, she needed that comfortable fuzzy feeling that would make everything more bearable. She wanted to forget about all the things she had done to hurt others and the things she would come to do in the future.

Raven saw the rusting sign of "The Spark" in the distance. It was a dive bar she had only stepped foot in a few times in her high school years and until now, never considered it again. It wasn't the best place in town, filled with shady characters and subpar drinks. But, right now? She would take just about anything. Raven pulled into the bar and beelined for the front door, it was wooden instead of glass and she struggled with the knob for a moment.

"Need help? You gotta kick the bottom like this," A raspy voice came from behind her and Raven turned. The voice belonged to a girl around Raven's age, her hands were full with a crate clinking with promising bottles of liquor. Raven smiled at her, feeling something in her stomach flip as she reached around Raven and fixed the door.

"Uh, thanks. I'm Raven," Raven introduced herself.

"Roslyn," Roslyn winked at her and Raven's face went red. Roslyn's big brown eyes were kind and mysterious in a way that drew you in, like they were on fire. Her mahogany waves fell just past her shoulders and there was a natural rosiness in her cheeks that fascinated Raven. She was exceptionally beautiful, Raven had to admit as much. The kind of girl Raven might have gone after if...Raven clenched her jaw as she remembered. You don't have Marina anymore dipshit, you fucked that over too, remember?

"Coming, little bird?" Roslyn smiled brightly and held open the door for Raven with her boot.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Raven walked into the bar and shook the intrusive thoughts from her mind. Upon stepping into the bar, Raven was immediately met with something like a sour rot smell. She wiggled her nose, it wasn't much unlike what the Pink Lady smelled of on the weekends and she didn't let it bother her. The bar was near empty, a few early risers nursing their morning pick-me-up but for the most part Raven found herself alone.

"What can I get ya, sweetheart?" a gruff man asked behind the bar and Raven looked up and tapped the bar, looking behind his head for a moment at the selection.

"Vodka," Raven decided and the man took out a glass.

"No glass, just the bottle," she corrected and he chuckled and handed her the bottle.

"Rough morning?"

"Rough life." Raven giggled sadly and rubbed her knuckles. If he noticed, the bartender didn't say a word instead electing to leave her alone.

"Good, you're still here and by the looks of it, for a while." Roslyn sat beside Raven and leaned playfully on the bar. She took a mug and filled it with beer, making sure not to get caught before resuming her position in her seat. Roslyn leaned forward slightly, just enough that Raven could smell the strawberry perfume on her skin. Raven gave her a sly expression before taking a bit of that liquid courage down her throat. She was used to the feeling, the burning sensation that brought everything back into focus. Raven looked at Roslyn, her smile and the way she was playing with that dangerous lane in life. The gray line between sanity and the chaos we bring unto ourselves. And maybe before, when she still had Marina, reckless decisions such as the ones she would later make would seem absurd. But, things were different now and Raven just needed to feel something, anything, again.