The Girl in the Striped Bikini

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Kendal Bryce

　

　

I gripped the steering wheel of my car tightly, as I sat parked on the side of the road, about five houses away from Jude’s. I wouldn’t say I’m chickening out, exactly. More like stalling. I’m not even sure why I’m hesitating though, the balls in my court, not his, but something was definitely stopping me from stepping on the gas.

I sighed in defeat and rested my forehead on the steering wheel. “Now what?” I asked myself.

Suddenly, Frankie’s face flashed in my mind.

Pulling my face away from the steering wheel, I finally pulled away from the curb, knowing where I needed to go and who I really needed to talk to.

When I was stopped at a red light, I sent Jude a quick text saying I was gonna be an hour late. His reply was almost immediate, but I ignored it and drove on.

Five minutes later I pushed through the entrance of the Blue Oyster. Frankie jumped back in surprise at my arrival, as she had been wiping down the table closest to the door.

“Jesus, girlie!” Frankie says breathlessly, with her hand placed over her heart. “You nearly gave me a heart attack…”

“Sorry, Frank… But I really need to talk to you again,” I say, and head straight towards the bar.

Once settled into my seat, I felt like a weight was being lifted off my shoulders. It was an odd sensation, and I was unsure of what it was brought on by. My only guess would be that I was getting buying myself extra time before I had to face Jude.

A moment later, Frankie slides a glass of coke in front of me, and settles in the bar stool next to me. “Let me guess,” she begins, “this is about Jude, isn’t it?”

I nod robotically and busy myself with ripping the paper off my straw. “What else has he done?”

I sigh and close my eyes before responding. “Nothing… It’s just that I’m supposed to be at his house right now talking to him about what happened. But I chickened out and ended up here.”

“So, what’re you wanting me to tell you?”

I sighed and took a sip of my drink. I let the cool liquid slide down my throat before I answer. “I don’t know, Frank. It’s just that–”

“Go,” she interrupts.

I avert my gaze from my glass, to her. “What?”

“You heard me. Go.” Confusion over takes me as Frankie rises from her bar stool and grabs my coke out from under me. “Go talk to him. Talking to me won’t do ya any good. The only way you all are going to get this settled is to talk about it face to face. I’m just an outsider looking in. The only person who knows what’s right for you, is you.”

I stay quiet after Frankie’s mini speech and watch as she walks behind the bar. Once there, she retrieves a Styrofoam cup and dumps the remains on my drink into it. After adding a little more coke into the cup and adding a lid and straw, she places it into my hand. “It’s on the house. Now, go!”

I laugh to myself at her pushiness, and jump out of my seat.

With my drink in hand, my make my way towards the entrance, but before I could reach the entrance, a familiar face caught my attention.

Sitting at a corner booth, with another familiar face, was that Brody guy. Is he always here? I asked myself.

Sitting with him, oddly enough, was that worker from Ultrazone that Keana had the hots for. Will, was it?