If I Had A Heart

Chapter 2

Shortly after her encounter with him, Regine had decided to stay outside for just a bit longer so she didn't look like she was following the boy inside like a lost puppy. She didn't want to embarrass herself by walking over to his table with all of his friends after their little exchange. She lit up another cigarette as she procrastinated and tried not to dwell on the fact that she didn't get his name.

It wasn't long before Jane came barreling out of the bar, eyes frantically searching for her friend. Her eyes scanned each face until they landed on Regine's amidst a cloud of smoke from her own cigarette and nearly threw herself into the other girl's arms.

"Reg!" she squealed in the blonde's ear before continuing. "I think I'm too drunk to be alive right now," her voice slurring as she leaned almost entirely on Regine for support. "Don't let Paul see me, I think I'm gonna puke."

"Okay, okay! Let's get you out of here." Regine quickly sprung into action and led her very drunk friend to the alley behind St. Mary's. When they were finally hidden in a dark corner, Jane immediately started to heave and expel all the drinks Regine didn't even realize she had been consuming this entire time.

"You're fine, just get it all out."

Holding Jane's hair and stroking her back, Regine assumed the role of Sober Best Friend, someone she was very used to being by now. That wasn't to say that Jane had never taken care of her after some wild nights of partying, but Regine was no stranger to seeing her best friend vomit in an alleyway.

Jane's breathing began to slow as she wiped her mouth and slowly peered up at Regine pathetically.

"Get me out of here," she all but whimpered.

Regine nodded and pulled Jane to her feet from her crouched position. "We have to move fast or Tony'll see us and you remember what happened last time."

Jane cackled loudly. "He was so mad at me, I thought his head was going to explode," she howled, her head falling back in hysterical laughter.

"Yeah, well let's see if you're still laughing when he comes over and screams at us again," Regine warned, her menacing tone only making Jane laugh harder.

What Jane needed the most was hydration, and Regine knew she had brought along a large water bottle in the car before they left the house. Quickly grabbing Jane by the arm, she all but dragged her to the car and hoisted her into the passenger seat, making sure to click her seatbelt into place. Hurrying to the driver's side, Regine hustled to grab the water bottle from the backseat, practically throwing it at Jane so she could feel better. What she didn't realize was that Jane had already begun to close her eyes and was slumped against the seat, her hair obscuring her face.

"Jane, come on," Regine urged while holding the water bottle and unscrewing the cap. "Just drink a little bit of this and you'll feel so much better, I promise."

After Regine tried shaking her shoulder for a few seconds, Jane apparently was tired of being jostled. She grabbed the water bottle from Regine's grasp without moving to sit up and took the smallest sip of water before screwing the cap back on and chucking it in the backseat.

Regine sighed in her friend's direction. "Can't say I didn't try."

Just as she turned the key in the ignition, her head reflexively jerked toward the deafening rumble of motorcycles coming from across the parking lot. She nearly jumped a mile in her seat, her hand quickly covering her mouth as she inhaled sharply.

Regine was so caught off guard by the noise that she almost didn't register the shit-eating grin plastered on his face from such a great distance.