Fading Out (COMPLETED)

Chapter nine

Damn, I really didn't think I'd ever be back here. I pull the car into the parking lot of my old local, we drove through lunch to make it here by two.
"You good man?" Coop asks when I don't move or say anything.
"Yeah, let's eat" I nod and climb out then toss the keys to Cooper.
No one here would believe this beautiful beast belonged to me anyway. I smooth out my shirt nervously and tuck it behind my belt buckle, I couldn't help but wear my new boots today and so did Coop.
"Great I'm starving" Coop clasps my shoulder and rubs rough and supportive.

I lead him in and take in the surroundings, the crappy bar is for day drinking and playing pool, buying drugs and not feeling bad about it, and getting laid without judgment. The room is full of familiar faces but mostly strangers, people I know by face but not by name. Then there's a few I know by name too.
"Bentley?" A female voice asks in shock. "Oh god is that really you?" She covers her mouth from behind the bar and I hold out my hands.
"Hey Riley, its me honey" I hold her tight as she jumps and wraps arms and legs around me.
"I thought I'd never see you again, please tell me you're back?!" The little redhead with skinny arms and dark freckles holds herself tight to my neck.
"I'm back right now" I chuckle and put her down.
"Who's your friend? You in trouble Bentley?" Riley asks looking between Coop and me.
"This is Cooper, and you should know that's a stupid question" I ruffle her hair and move towards the bar. "I'm always in trouble" I wink.
"What can I getcha? Beers, bourbon or something a little stronger? You look tired" she asks stepping behind the bar.
"She means coffee right?" Coop asks taking the stool beside me.
"Crap Bentley you didn't bring your lawyer in here did you?" Riley pins me with a look and multiple chairs shift behind me.
"Calm ya tits, Coop is my brother and a bartender. Definitely not a lawyer, I left him at home" I roll my eyes.
"Really? I don't see many bartenders rolling around on wheels like that" she asks always the skeptic.
"So how's things been? You doing okay?" I ask and take the beer.
"Sure I'm here, still standing, how about you? So you found him then? Cute" She nods at Coop without actually looking at him.
"Yeah I did, I'm good. Seen Luke around?" I ask looking around the bar.
"Oh god you don't know" she tells me biting her lip. "Sorry man, I thought someone would have called you... Luke's dead. Bolder too. They hit the wrong place, killed someone's wife. Next week they're both dead with needles in their arm, I was blamed for giving them a bad batch and had to replace all the windows out front twice" she doesn't stop with the cleaning of the bar and I drop my face into my hands.
"When?" I ask quiet.
"Maybe three or four months ago" Riley tells me apologetic and runs her fingers through my hair.
"I saw him six months ago, he told me he was out" why does this shock me? I feel like I've been punched in the gut.
"There's only one way out" she tells me on a sigh.
"Wrong, I got out. I stayed out. That fucking idiot" I punch the bar in anger.
"Maybe we could get that bourbon?" Coop says with a hand on my shoulder.
"Juni?" I ask checking on my best friends girl
"Don't even ask Bent, you know what happens when a debt remains unpaid"
"They put her in the game?" I look pleading.
"No. Prostitution, last I saw her she was jacked up pretty bad. Full on crack head, paid off what she owes but stayed for the fun of it" she shrugs.
"Rie?" I beg.
"Don't bother she won't take your help, she don't want it. You know better than most you can't help em if they don't want it"
"So I just leave her to die? How do I do that?" I say hard faced that no one seems to care.
"You already did Bentley, you left. She's dead already. Like you said you got out, you better Fucking stay out. It's not your business anymore" she slaps my face and points at me. "You Fucking hear me?"
"Cole you in trouble man?" Coop asks gently.
"No he's not, you take your brother and your fancy car all the way home" Riley answers for me.
"You kicking me out already? Thought you wanted me to stay?" I raise a brow and drink down my beer.
"No, how bout I get you some food? I can call Moni, we can party a little then I'll kick you out" she smirks
"Yes to the food, no to Monica"
"Oh you don't think I heard about you little rendezvous in the Mediterranean. You showed her right Bent?" She laughs at me and holds out her fist for a bump.
I take it in mine and hold it.
"No to Monica" I repeat with a smile at her mischievous face.
"She's Fucking your old roommate now?" She pushes.
"No" I shake my head for emphasis.
"Someone stole your fun kid" she pouts. "I've got a little artificial fun if you want to bump it up a notch?"
Hmm yeah that be nice about now, I haven't even had a joint since we left.
"He'll pass" Coop tells her when I don't answer. "You mentioned food?" He asks pointedly.
"I bet you're a Fucking vegetarian now too, no Fucking, no revenge, no Fucking blow. It's like invasion of the fucking body snatchers over here, seriously what the fuck are you doing here Bentley?" She grumbles pouring us both a jack and Coke and slapping the menu on the counter in front of Coop. "And why the fuck is he calling you Cole?" Riley is a sore loser.
"It's my name honey" I laugh at her.
"Bullshit I know your name Bentley" she rolls her eyes at me and pouts.
"Okay Riley" I nod still laughing.
"You are an asshole" she jumps on the spot like a toddler about to throw a tantrum.
"I don't want to see her. It's final" I squish her face in my hand.
"We could show her right, it would really piss her off" Riley takes my hand and bites my thumb.
"Rie, no sweetie. How long we known each other now?" I cup her cheek instead and she leans into me.
"Ten years?" She pouts.
"It's not gonna happen, you're my friend. I care about you, I can't fuck anyone I care about. You know this" I sigh.
"You're not my friend Bentley, friends keep in touch. Not one call, not even a fucking post card. You shut down your Facebook, you erased us. You came back, you didn't even come and see me" she tells me hurt.
"It was a short trip there was a family emergency, Isabel needed me" I try to explain.
"Give it up man, we both know there is no fucking Isabel. You've been using her as an excuse since I met you, where has she been huh? No ones ever seen her" she stomps off angry.
I groan and flop my head onto the counter, back five minutes and everything is like I never left.
"You've been talking about Izzy for ten years?" Coop asks confused.
"Riley exaggerates. I'm sorry man, I shouldn't have brought you here. My life was never pretty, hope you weren't looking forward to seeing anything resembling a happy past?" I roll my head to look up at him.
"I'm sorry about your friends" he pats my head.
"He was the first friend I made after dad got locked up, we knew each other from school. He taught me how to make my first tourniquet" I laugh.
"This place, this town, it's full of drugs isn't it? It's people's livelihoods? You live drugs and die drugs" Coop worries a hand over his jaw.
"That pretty much sums it up yeah"
"You're not going to do anything about your prostitute friend" he tells me.
"I'm not?" I sit up now.
"No, whatever trouble she's in it's not your business. Those people know you right? You worked for them or something?" Coop asks trying to piece it all together from our conversation.
"You don't work for those people Coop. Do do as they say or you die, they're a gang. Drug dealers. You don't even need to pay upfront when you're short on cash, in fact they prefer it that way. Favours are worth so much more"
"You've owed favours before?" He stresses out.
"A few times" I say quietly.
"What did you have to do?" He frowns not liking this about me.
"Well I never had to kill anyone" I sigh.
What trouble had Luke gotten into that that was his payment? Coop rests his elbows on the bar thinking about something, his hard face suggests nothing good.
"Your fucking food" Riley drop two plates on the bar with attitude.
"Thanks Riley" I smile at her.
"Don't fucking smile at me. Why are you here?" She asks again and I sigh.
"I'm going to see dad" I tell her.
"Because of you?!" She snaps at Cooper.
"No Rie, because of me. It's time I go see what the fuck he wants" I puff and pick up my slice of pizza.
"He wants to take a stroll down memory lane, hey son remember that time when you were fifteen and you snuck out the house to get your mum some fucking tampons? Remember I walked into the store and beat you unconscious in front of everyone and even the cop who was arresting that little redhead girl did nothing to stop it? Remember all the fucking blood on the floor? Fucking fun times right son?" Riley growls getting louder and angrier with every word.
"Rie..." I sigh.
"Or maybe remember that time when you were twelve and I shot you up with heroine for the first time? How much fun was that?" She continues.
"Riley enough. I know he's a fucking asshole. I remember everything he did, I'm not going to bury the hatchet" I snap.
"Then why?"
"I don't fucking know alright? I have no Fucking clue! I just drove three fucking days and here I am but I have no fucking idea what I'm doing here" I shout back. "I shouldn't have come" I say losing my anger.
"Well it wasn't for the pizza" Coop mutters and bangs the hard dry crust on the plate making it thud.
"What are you talking about? It's the best pizza in town. Says so out the front" Riley tries to hide her smile.
"Hey Bentley, wanna keep it down over here some of us are trying to enjoy the serene ambiance this fine establishment offers" a arm rests over my shoulders and I shrug it off without turning.
"Fuck off Smith" I tell him taking a sip of jack.
"You gonna do me like that huh? After all we been through?" He laughs unaffected.
"You mean after all my women you've been through?" I sneer at him.
"Hmm, fair call" he snorts.
"How's the band?" I taunt him.
"We decided to go our separate ways" he mutters, yep that hit a nerve.
"I know, I saw your drummer on MTV last month" I smirk into my glass. "Guess the drummers and the bass always stick together though right?"
"Least I didn't quit" he grumbles.
"Neither did he, Bentley played two sold out shows last week" Coop buts in defending me and I give him a look.
"Is that right? Got any groupies I can fuck behind your back?" He sneers and I take a breath to keep me in my seat. "I'm actually surprised you can get up without your mama" he laughs and before I can think my stool is on the floor and my fist is in his face.
"You break it you buy it Bentley" Riley calls out as I punch him again but this time he's ready for it and swings back.
I get a punch to the head and I go for the stomach, losing his breath he hunches over and I ram my knee into his face.
"Got anything else to say to me?" I growl beyond mad.
"Yeah you hit like a pussy" he spits blood on to the floor and launches himself at me.
We hit the ground and roll, punching and grunting in pain. His pain, I won't feel it till it's over and I pin him beneath me. I punch his face over and over while he works a foot to my chest and kicks. I land on my back, the air rushing from my lungs but I spring to my feet and wipe the blood from my mouth.
"Enough" Coop says on his feet ready to fight for me.
"Not even close" Smith says picking up a pool cue.
"Dude no, they're new" Riley groans but makes no move to stop this.
I wave my hands at him with a smile, encouraging him and he takes the bait. He swings and I catch it, the force of it stinging my palms but I smile. I kick out at his feet, holding the cue and turn him so lands on his face as he falls. His grunt makes me laugh and I kick him in the ribs, jumping on his back I hold the cue to his throat. I pull it back against me stretching his neck and cutting off air, his hands grasp at it uselessly and I watch as his face turns red then purple.
"How bout now?" I spit in his ear. "What's that motherfucker? I can't hear you" I taunt as he gurgles and whimpers.
"Cole, enough" Coop repeats and I let him go with a huff.