Light of my Life

Happy Birthday

LAUREN

We all were together in the dank, smelly bar. The bass thumping so violently that the stools shook. 

I bent over my drink, silently sipping it in the sticky, glowing atmosphere. 

To my right I caught a glimpse of Jason and Noah dancing drunkenly around to the music on the floor. Alex sat next to me with his navy blue baseball hat on, also hunched over his drink. His hand hung under the bar table, clinging to mine. 

Miles was at a booth somewhere, and wherever Miles went, Alyssa went there too. I was beginning to doubt her expertise on men. She wasn't very good at communicating with them.

"So, We haven't seen each other in two whole days-" He commented loudly over the music. I sipped my drink.

"Yeah, a new record." I joked. He chuckled and leaned back, turning to see my face.

"What have you been up to?"

"I went and saw Wicked with Miles and Alyssa, and a kid named Jordan Brady asked me out. That was fun."

"Wait, Jordan from before? Your friend?"

"Yeah, he saved me from a jealous fan of yours before you went on television and cleared everything up. He's a cool guy and all-"

"But you're dating me," Alex finished my sentence. I smiled and drank the last of my cocktail, setting the glass down on the counter.

"How's Keegan doing?"

"He's getting better, still in the hospital. I've never seen Taylor so mad. It kind of ticks me off. She wants him performing in three days, but he barely had anytime to rest."

"You really don't like Taylor, do you?"

Alex clenched his jaw, turning back to face the counter, staring menacingly at it. I squeezed his hand from under the table reassuringly.

"She's just doing her job, Alex," I softly reminded. He took a long pause and downed the rest of his drink.

"That's just it. I'm beginning to question what her job really is anyway," he slid his glass back across the bar and once again turned to look at me, about to say something. But Noah grabbed his shoulder and yanked him roughly, making him let go of my hand.

"Dude, come dance with me." He commanded sluggishly.

"No, I'm talking to Lauren."

"What?" He laughed. I hadn't seen Noah with that much light in his eyes for a long time. 

He pulled Alex away into the crowd. I and turned back into the counter, not bothering to go after him, and slid my empty glass back across the counter as well.

"Another?" The bartender suggested. She had her bright red hair up in a ponytail and was wearing too much cotton candy pink lipstick. I shook my head.

"Can I get a water?"

 She scrunched her nose at me, but turned around and obliged.

Jason sat down on a bar stool next to mine. Sweat covered him thickly and ran down the sides of his head. He laughed at nothing. "Hey, happy birthday, man!" I grinned and nudged him in the shoulder. He looked over and smiled with ecstatic, green puppy eyes.

"It's my birthday?!"

I laughed. "How do you like your party?"

"It's awesooome!" He cheered and got up, strutting back into the crowd to where Noah was now dancing alone.