How do you heal?

Chapter 65: I'll Be Fine

Nearly two hours later Annie was very drunk. While she had accomplished the dancing in support of the band part of her plan, she did not forget that Bucky had come to the bar because he'd stayed. He'd stayed and he'd barely taken his eyes off her. At some point he had left his stool, and therefore Kat, at the bar and had moved to the back of the room but she could feel his gaze on her. Sweaty, annoyed and needing another drink she walked back over to the table to talk to Sadie while she flagged down the waitress.

"Annie, are you sure that guy dumped you? He has had like a dozen girls minimum hit on him and I have not seen him take his eyes off you once to acknowledge them." Sadie asked as Annie stumbled up to the table.

"UGHHHHH." She groaned loudly, leaning on the table. "Yes, he dumped me in a letter and for over a year I pinned after him like he was some great lost love! And then literally a day after he comes back to the compound he goes on a date with KAT! Can you believe that? Like seriously of all people he went out with fucking Kat who has mocked me and called me fat and ugly to my face at every chance she gets! And I think she purposefully writes down the wrong burger order when she is my waitress on Wednesdays despite the fact that I never tip less than thirty percent! I mean who does that? And who dates someone like that? Evil people and dumb asses, that's who."

"Kat is a bitch. She tried hitting on Vik when he first started playing here but I told her if I ever caught her touching him again I would rip her nipple rings out." Sadie said as she started to put merch back into boxes for the end of the night.

"Gods I envy your badassery. I just wish I could think of a way to give them both kind of a 'fuck you' to the face but I'm just not that brave."

Sadie narrowed her eyes on Annie. "I have an idea. Wait here." She said and started to walk towards the stage.

"Wait, what's the idea?" Annie called after her.

"You'll see!" Sadie yelled and then waited for the song to end before hopping on stage and whispering something in Vik's ear. He looked at Sadie and then at Annie before shrugging, nodding his head and calling the others to the drums for a quick huddle.

Sadie jumped back off the stage and returned to the table, quickly pulling Annie's flannel off and reaching into her tank top to make her cleavage more pronounced.

"What are you doing?" Annie said as she tried to undo Sadie's changes.

Sadie, however, snatched her hands and said, "Just trust me. It may not be nipple ring ripping but it's your kind of 'fuck you'." Before reaching into her purse, pulling out a lipstick tube and grabbing Annie's face to apply it.

As she did, Vik returned to his mic. "Alright folks, for our last song tonight we are gonna bring A.J. back for an encore. So let's give her a hand and get her up here!"

"Sadie, what are you doing?" Annie asked in a mild panic at her drunken state as the crowd began to cheer.

Sadie leaned in and whispered a song name to Annie before she pushed her towards the stage. It was an old song they had done when she first started playing with them and it also happened to be one of her favorites.

Annie walked onto the stage with a dazed smile on her face as Vik went on. "Woo! Yeah A.J. Okay for our last song tonight we want to dedicate this one to all the folks out there who remain bad asses despite the dumb asses!"

The music started and Annie stepped up and took the microphone. She let herself dance and jump and move about the stage as she sang the first part for the crowd and for herself but as they approached the chorus she moved back to center stage and put the mic back in its stand. Scanning the crowd she locked eyes with Bucky and as he moved towards the stage she never looked away.

🎵"So, so what?

I'm still a rock star

I got my rock moves

And I don't need you

And guess what?

I'm having more fun

And now that we're done

I'm gonna show you tonight

I'm alright

I'm just fine

And you're a tool

So, so what?

I am a rock star

I got my rock moves

And I don't want you tonight"

The next verse and chorus Annie returned to her performance losing herself to the giddy feeling and the drunkenness. When the third verse came she slowed her movements again and found Bucky standing in front of the stage. She dropped to her knees and sang with every emotion she had felt since getting his letter.

🎵"You weren't there

You never were

You want it all

But that's not fair

I gave you life

I gave my all

You weren't there

You let me fall"

The action drained her anger and the cloud that had been fogging her brain when she decided to trust Sadie and get back up on the stage. She had enough conscious thought left to get back up for the remainder of the song and she did not meet Bucky's eyes again.