A Collection of Short Stories

3

We arrive at the club and get out of the car, waiting for the others. Once we're all set we begin the short walk across the street. "Damn she can walk in em too" Nine says impressed, "yeah you go girl" Amita says. Their hyping makes me feel more confident and I speed up my walk a bit. I hear someone whistle and I turn my head to the side. My face immediately dropping as I assume it's a man.

I perk up a bit as I see a woman looking me up and down. Still a bit odd for me but I brush it off as she keeps walking after. We enter the club and it looks very familiar, but I can't pinpoint why. "Is this Lou's club?" I ask Tam, "no her friend owns it" she yells over the music.

I feel a little red light go off in my head. What friend? I shake the thought away as I truly have no right to question her. I really just didn't know she had other friends. Lou comes back from wherever she's been and motions for us to follow her. We make our way through the crowd, linking hands so no one gets lost.

Finding ourselves in a back room, it's a lot quieter back here. There's no music playing in this room only the vibrations and muffled words from the main room. We all sit in a big red velvet booth that's in a semi-circle. Lou said she's already ordered drinks so they just begin talking.

Despite my previous attempts at warding off my thoughts, my curiosity gets the best of me. I go onto maps because I don't remember the name of the club. I quickly look it up and find her name but there's like one picture of her and it's blurry. So I look up her name on Instagram and it actually pops up first try.

@ marianaruiz
abuelita always said I'd be a heartbreaker

Good god! I mean honestly I wouldn't blame Lou for being into her. She's fucking gorgeous. It does kinda bum me out though, because there's really no way I could compare. Shit I would choose her over me. I'm good-looking for sure but her... she's perfect.

I close the apps and stare at my phone for a second before turning it off. I look up as the drinks arrive and grab mine immediately. I'm pretty sure she got us all the same thing since most of us have similar taste. I, myself, prefer sweeter mixed drinks because I do like to enjoy it. It's not just about the alcohol.

However, I'm also not one to complain so I just grab it. "I got you the tequila sunrise" Lou says pushing the drink towards me. "Oh..." I say surprised, "I know you don't like the strong ones" she says with a lopsided smile. I nod as a thank you and she winks at me in response.

I haven't even started and I already feel a bit cloudy. Her presence typically does that to me, her vibe is intoxicating. Better than, well, anything actually. I take a sip of the drink, humming as it spread across my tastebuds. We go into conversation once again, catching everyone up to what we talked about in the separate cars.

start song here

Then moving on to other things, stories of what we've been doing. I didn't chime in much, just listened to all their interesting tales. Lou had connected her phone to the speakers and started playing music softly. Letting us request songs whenever, though she also shuffles a playlist of hers. I actually knew all the songs on it and it felt nice to hear what she listens to.

I was on my third drink of the night, I thought I might stop here. I don't wanna get too drunk, just enough to feel it. As the conversation comes to a slow stop, everyone taking a sip of their drinks. I hear a familiar song begin to sound through the Bose speakers.

Have you got colour in your cheeks?

I see Lou reach for her phone to turn it but I stop her. "Leave it" I say, it's the first thing I've said in a few minutes so she looks up a bit startled. She eyes me for a second as if she's trying to read something behind my eyes. She nods and sets her phone down, being pulled back into conversation.

I dreamt about you nearly every night this week
How many secrets can you keep?
Cause there's this tune I found
That makes me think of you somehow

I hum along to the tune, singing to myself internally. I wondered if she listens to music for the same reasons I do. Does she feel like this for someone too?

Do I wanna know
If this feeling flows both ways
Sad to see you go
Was sorta hoping that you'd stay
Baby we both know
That the nights were mainly made
For saying things that you can't say tomorrow day

Someone asks me something causing me to tune into the discussion. I talk mindlessly, not really paying attention. I watch Lou out the corner of my eye and she doesn't take her gaze away from me. Listening intently to every word I say as if I would reveal some dark secret to her between the lines.

Maybe I'm too
Busy being yours
To fall for somebody new

This song speaks so much to everything I've been feeling lately. Every word seems to strike me more than it did before. I've always loved this song, and arctic monkeys in general. I just never thought it would hit this hard, yet here I am. Sitting across from the woman I'm practically singing this for and finding myself at a crossroads of sorts.

Simmer down and pucker up, I'm sorry to interrupt
It's just I'm constantly on the cusp
Of trying to kiss you, but I don't know if you
Feel the same as I do, we could be together...
If you wanted to

As the song passes it's half mark I feel myself coming to a conclusion. Just as I open my mouth the door opens making everyone turn. In walks what could've been my best dream but in reality is my worse nightmare. "Damn who's in love?" The brunette asks.

Fuck she's even prettier in person. "Mariana Ruiz" she introduces herself, "nice to meet you" she glances around and her eyes land on me. She smirks as if she knows something I don't. "Well since you know the song I could only assume you're in love too" I quip.

She smirks even wider and raises an eyebrow at me. "Feisty little thing, aren't you?" She slightly bends down to say, her eyes seemingly tearing into my flesh. "Excuse me" I say putting down my drink and walking away. I felt like the walls were caving in on me and I needed fresh air.

I pocketed Debbie's cigs without her noticing and snatched her lighter too. Making a beeline for the nearest exit which happened to be the back door. I stepped into the alley, propping the door with the lighter after igniting the cig. Blowing the smoke out after taking a drag and exhaling some of my pent up anxiety.