AVALON

Chapter 36 - Tangled

I give him a smile that says I'm not but let's just say I am. "Yup!"

He raises an eyebrow at Noah, "Just watch the blue light, if it flashes take her out the back way."

Noah pulls me forward, "Thank you," I wave at the bouncer as I pass. He just stares at me looking me up and down. No one smiles around here.

Inside its pretty dim and everything is black, wooden or stainless steel. The air is thick with smoke or something and it stinks like a road train has smashed in to a liquor store.

Noah continues to pull me along as I look around; men are staring back at me or nudging each other to look.

Rapunzel, in Dell's all time favorite Disney movie Tangled is the basis of this scenario so I'm off to a good start, there's not smiles here just watchful eyes following my every move. I don't think I could've chosen a better place really.

Noah gently pushes me in to a seat at a table for two; the table is sticky and has rings of foul smelling liquid on it. He leans back in his seat and just stares at me with raised eyebrows, his green eyes kind of glowing in this weird light.

Letting my eyes drift away from him I plan my attack, I need to achieve two things here and I think I can get them both done in one shot. All the men here have that crest thing on there shirts or vests. I point to the big picture of it over the bar, "what does that mean I wonder?"

Noah says... nothing.

"So," I lean forward in an upbeat voice, "you want a drink sugar?"

He doesn't find it as funny as I do; his eyes scan behind me and around me every few second. I don't know why he is so tense about being here, they aren't too bad.

"I'm gonna get one," I stand up only to be forcefully pushed back down in my seat.

Now my eyes narrow because I need to do my thing soon and I need to get up to do it.

"Yeah, here's the thing—"

I'm cut off as Noah stands up and slams his hands on the small table, I don't flinch but I give him a glare from hell. 'Stay!' he mouths. He walks off to the bar turning often to check if I'm here. I wave to him sweetly.

"Noah!" I yell out really loudly getting the attention of most of the men around me, there are women too and they look just as tough as the men, they actually look less pleased about my presence than the men. I see him pause but he doesn't look around. "Can you get me a Banana Moove please? With ice!"

I laugh to myself at his fists clenching by his sides. Dell would say 'no one puts baby in the corner." I snort wishing they were here for this. It's a strange feeling I have, each day my pain grows a little stronger but there is also something else growing too and I'm not quite sure what it is yet but there's definitely a side of me that has found a silver lining here.

A big man walks by; he has some huge arms on him and a huge beard too. He reminds of  Brutus from my fav cartoon Pop Eye.

"Excuse me mate?" I call to him.

 He turns and his eyes lose any semblance of friendliness. He's cold and hard just like Noah; funny thing people is doesn't worry me.

"What does your picture mean?" I point to the skeleton thingy.

His eyes narrow and I just gaze back, I'm rarely intimidated and I'm not changing that today just because someone is bigger than me, I feel like saying, umm I'm 5'3 everyone is bigger than me. Working on the land day in day out isn't an easy job that's for sure it makes you harder than a lot of people give you credit for and because I'm a girl I reckon people even discredit me further.