The night goes on,
and on,
and on.
Twelve o'clock turns to 1, turns to 2, turn to 3; and the Viper Room is still in full swing.
Though Piper and I have just settled on our last drinks, it seems as if no one else has done the same.
All the people we had came here with are oblivious to the meaning of sober, especially River.
The night slowly becomes more risky with every beer a friend of ours takes down.
I can practically sense trouble.
-
Piper and I talk late into the night, refusing to give up our usual booth in fear that someone else might dare to occupy it. Meanwhile, the boys' continuously order drinks, dance, and occasionally sing on the tables.
"Get up here!" River yells, grasping at my wrist.
He's attempting to pull me on top of the table, likely to join him in song.
"I think you should get down, Riv." I say, and try to be gentle as I tug on his shirt. "You're pretty drunk. I don't want you to fall."
"Fall, shmall." He laughs. "Who cares! It's all in good fun, isn't it?"
I slightly laugh and shake my head.
"Come on, doofus." I insist, again getting hold of his sleeve.
He first refuses, but then cooperates as I help to lower him to the ground while he childishly kicks his feet.
"Don't grab my armpits," he giggles. "That tickles."
I ignore his comment and finally get him on the ground; in his face, you can see his distortion, though he's somehow still sane.
"Don't worry, I'm done drinking." He tells me, and then pats his pockets. "But where are those damn cigarettes?"
Flea hands him an American Spirit cigarette; the only type that River would ever dare to smoke.
"Thanks, man." He says, and sparks it up.
The smell almost instantly dances around my nose.
He offers me one, but I decline.
"How long are we going to loiter this place?" I question. "It's about closing time."
Around us, security locks the doors from the inside, a clear indication that they are no longer welcoming new club-goers.
Still, though, the Viper carries a carnival of people under it's roof.
"Yeah, we should get headed soon." River says anxiously. "You know, get rockin' and rollin'."
"Nothing like some birthday sex!" Flea jokes.
"That's right! It's time to get down!" River screams.
I laugh and sarcastically shake my head; Piper does the same.
"Are you serious?" I wonder, and he nods.
"Do I ever lie?" He sasses.
Yes.
"Okay, alright. I guess if I have to." I say, but am immediately disrupted by the sound of breaking glass.
A bar fight.
Everyone around me stops; my first instinct is to look to my friends, making sure that I have eyes on all of them.
My eyes land on River, then Piper, then Flea, Keanu, Lila, and Matt.
But someone's missing.
"Holy shit," Flea screams, immediately beginning to shove past us. We all freeze. "Anthony!"
My mind rushes, but before I know it, we find ourselves swarming to the scene. I don't think as I follow in the path that Flea and River have created in front of us.
Ahead, I see Anthony's dark hair. He's fighting two men at once; both dark haired and similar in size.
Piper and Lila mumble something behind me but I don't pay attention; I'm stuck with my focus on him, cringing every time a swing comes his way.
"Fucking move!" River yells, roughly shoving past a group who stood between them.
Flea is quick to follow behind, ready to back up his friends.
"Fuck you-," Someone screams, but is soon cut off by the sound of collided flesh.
The more punches heard, the more people shove in front of me until I can't see.
The Viper Room's darkness soon sets over my eyes.
"Carmen, hey, Carmen!" Piper yells, grabbing my shoulder.
I'm still trying to get a better look.
"Come on, let's get out of here, okay?" I look back at Piper and Lila; both full with discomfort. "The boys' wouldn't want us up this close."
Although I know they're right, I can't help myself from watching.
"River is drunk," I start. "I just need to watch him."
Piper's face soon falls; she understands.
With them by my side, we try to power through various people. Our combined force is just enough to get us into the second row of bystanders.
I spot Anthony; he is still meeting his fists to the man like a magnet, his face full of anger.
Close by I see Flea, who's hyperactive and spunky attitude is successful in mocking another predator.
But most importantly, I'm finally able to lock my eyes on the back of River's head. Now, I can realize the intensity of his drunken mindset.
In River's grip is a brown haired man, around the same size and height as him. Mercilessly, he shoves and taunts his opponent in wild hand motions and facial expressions.
Just as I suspected, the man doesn't give up, roughly landing his fist on River's chest.
He falls back, smashing against a wooden chair.
"Fuck!" I yell, although it can barely be heard.
Piper pushes past me and runs to River, likely with the intention of helping him up.
"Take it outside, boys. Let's move this outside." A group of security insists.
I watch helplessly as the workers restrain the scene.
One by one, they grab the arms of our friends and begin moving them to the entrance.
"Let's go, kid." A muscular, black man says, man-handling River's weakened body. "Come on, tough guy."
I quickly rush to the exit, creating my own path of bodies so that I can be the first to see River.
The hot and thick Hollywood air hits me. I cringe.
To the side of me, I spot a light head of hair.
At first glimpse I assume it's River; as I look closer, It clicks.
Kurt.
"Hey," I begin. "Kurt, hey!"
My voice raises but he refuses to turn his head; the commotion is quick to drown out any other noise.
"Can we go?" River's voice echoes.
My head turns and I see him, slightly discolored and looking weak.
Quickly, I touch his side.
"Are you okay?" I ask him. "What the hell happened?"
He shakes his head and pats his pockets yet again.
"They were mocking us," he begins, finding a cigarette. "They just wanted to kick our ass. It's fine."
Piper, Lila, Keanu, and Matt soon find us; Flea and Anthony walking from the other direction.
The boys are quick to lock their hands in River's hair, messing it.
"You were kicking ass out there, dude!" Keanu says. "I was trying to get a few uppercuts in."
"Stupid fucks," Flea spits, putting an arm around Piper. "Fuck em', though. It's C-Dog's birthday!"
I shake my head.
"Let's get the fuck out of here." Anthony insists, full of anger.
We cooperate.
River and I lead the bunch back to the apartment. Piper and Flea trail shortly behind us, then comes Lila, Keanu, Matt, and Anthony.
No one speaks.
For most of the mile long walk, I think of Kurt; I regret not being able to talk to him for the short time I had seen him.
Then, I crack.
"Hey," I say, stopping on the sidewalk. "I think I left something back at the club. Can I meet you there?"
River furrows his eyebrows.
"What did you leave?" He wonders, eyeing me up and down.
"My watch," I start. "I took it off in the bathroom."
I didn't wear my watch.
"It's probably long gone," Matt says. "It's not even worth it."
I shake my head and begin to step back, heading towards the club.
"It's really important to me," I lie. "I'll be right back!"
-
I dart down the Hollywood street and stop when I can finally see the sign that reads Sunset.
The streets are finally starting to clear out and my eyes are able to examine my surroundings.
To my dismay, no Kurt.
Because the Viper has since closed, I continue past it and onto the next street.
Then, I find The Roxy.
The Roxy was another extremely popular club, mostly known for it's heavy count of drug users that occupied it.
I hated to think Kurt would be there, but I had to check anyways.
Surprisingly, he was.
"Kurt!" I yell to him, watching as he turned his head.
Our glances locked although I was doubtful he was able to see me in the dim lighting.
I walk over, and he smiles.
"Hey," his scratchy voice says. "It's you! I remember you."
He pats the chair next to him and I sit, awkwardly blending in to the scene.
"I was calling for you earlier," I begin. "I saw you walking near the Viper."
He scratches his chin.
"Ah, yeah. I heard someone call my damn name. Just thought it was some god-damned paparazzi or something."
I laugh and shake my head, noticing as Courtney walks towards us.
She rocks smudged red lipstick and a thin pink dress; I try not to skim my eyes over the parts of her body that are clearly visible.
"Oh shit. You're the girl with the cool studded jacket!" She says.
I send her a warm smile and nod.
"Yeah." I tell her.
"Well hey, drinks on me if you want a few! I recommend the red wine, it really puts you in the mood." She insists, taking a seat beside me.
"I'm sure the girl has been drinking all night. She was at the Viper for fucks sake." Kurt teases, sending me a wink.
"I'm good." I say. "But thank you. I just wanted to say hi; I didn't know when the last time I'd see you would be."
He laughs and sends me a smile, twirling a cigarette between his index fingers.
"Don't smoke cigarettes." He states in a fatherly tone.
I chuckle awkwardly and begin to get up, jumping when his hand slams over mine.
"Hey, don't go." He insists. "Hang out for a while."
My heart skips a beat but I try not to show it.
"I wish I could," I explain. "But I really should be going. There was a pretty big fight at the bar and some friends were involved."
His eyes narrow.
"You better not have gotten too close," he starts, but I cut him off.
"I didn't. I just should be getting back to them."
He nods and scratches his chin again, lighting the cigarette he had been fondling the past few minutes.
"Yeah, you should then. Thanks for finding me important enough to come back and talk to." He laughs, exhaling a thick stream of smoke.
I connect my eyes with his.
"Soon," I say. "We should talk soon."
He nods in approval.
"That would be cool."
-
Back at the apartment, I'm happy to see that it is totally vacant besides Piper, Lila, Keanu, Flea, Anthony, Matt, and River.
No one speaks of the fight that has unraveled at the bar.
Rather, the boys gather in the living room sharing stories and good company.
"Hey," Lila's voice says. As I turn around, I see her with Keanu. It's obvious to me that they are beginning to be fond of each other.
"I think we're going to head out. It's been a long night." She explains.
And it has.
"Oh yeah," I say. "It's been nice to see you guys. Thanks for coming."
"I hope the fight didn't ruin your night." Keanu states sadly.
"It didn't, no worries. I'll see you soon!"
I exchange hugs with both of them before they leave together; then, turn to the crowd.
River gets up and immediately entraps me in his arms.
I can tell by his limp arms that he's running out of energy.
Carefully, I prop him up.
"Well," I start, but am cut off.
"Hey, I'm sorry about that." Anthony tells me, sincerity in his voice. "This fuck-head started to mouth off to me."
I shake my head and rub River's back; still keeping him on his feet.
"It's okay, Anthony." I begin. "Really. I had fun tonight, I'm just glad everyone is okay."
He smiles to me and stands, allowing Matt to do the same.
Matt looks to the clock.
"Holy shit, it's four!" He chuckles. "I'm going to head."
"Me too, man." Anthony says.
I use my free hand to pat their shoulders; them doing the same.
"Bye, girl." Anthony yells. "And bye Riv! Happy birthday."
River mumbles under his breath but is too tired, and drunk, to exaggerate his words.
"Oh, and Flea," he says, causing Flea's head to rise. "Eleven o'clock meeting tomorrow at the Beverly Hills Hotel."
"Wouldn't miss it, dude." Flea says.
Then, they're gone.
Feeling slightly less flustered, I turn to Flea and Piper.
They sit extremely close on the couch; I notice his hand trailing her left leg.
"Okay, well," I say. "I think I need to tuck this one into bed."
Piper mischievously raises an eyebrow.
"I'll tuck you into bed." River jokes, sounding seductive.
I shake my head and laugh; his beer-smelling breath begins to form around my nose.
"That's the mating call, Carmen." Flea tells me, shooing me into the direction of the hallway.
"Yeah, okay. Fuck you." I tease.
Step by step I guide River down the hallway and to the bedroom.
He slowly becomes more and more balanced, carrying himself the rest of the way.
I turn on the light and watch as he throws himself on the bed.
"Okay," he says, his right lazy eye drifting aside. "I'm ready."
"What?" I ask, and begin to laugh as I walk to my dresser.
Immediate satisfaction takes over me as I remove my jacket. My skin tingles with joy from the feeling of air against it.
"I'm ready." He says again. "It's your birthday."
"Oh, it is?" I joke. "Since when?"
"Since October 24th, 19-fucking-71." He laughs, and then pats his thighs. "I'm ready."
I look back at him and narrow my eyes.
"Are you sure you're ready?" I tease.
"I think I am, yeah." He replies, and then scoots up on the bed.
"Okay." I say. "Hold on."
"Oh, I will."
"Jesus."
I head down the hallway and to the living room, immediately locking eyes with Piper and Flea's connected faces.
Silently, I hear the light smacking of lips.
"Uh," I mumble, and watch as they tear apart. "You know what, never mind."
I ignore their echo of 'whats' as I head back to the room.
As normal, I shut off the lights upon entering.
"Aha!" River yells from somewhere in the room. "Now you need to come find me."
"Are you serious right now?"
"Yes."
I use my imagination to envision where the bed is; feeling discomfort in knowing he could be anywhere in the room. Even beside me.
One foot after the other, I step in the direction of the bed.
"You're trying to play hide and seek with me." I state.
"Foreplay." He says.
"Yeah, this isn't really what I had in mind for foreplay." I say in disbelief.
I hear few quick footsteps behind me and then a warm hand on my shoulder.
"Is this more like it?"
His breath is hot on my neck, causing me to flinch to the side.
"Control yourself." I mumble, clearly teasing but slightly serious.
"Can't." He tells me. "Sorry."
His voice gets lower as his hands move from my shoulders down my arms; the skin to skin contact being sure to rise the chills on my body.
I want to speak but I can't.
Instead, I turn to face him, although I can't see him through the dark lighting.
One of his hands finds its way to the middle of my back as he lays me down.
His hair brushes against my forehead and his breath is louder, showing that his face is close.
Before I know it, our mouths connect.
I try to keep a steady rhythm as I scoot myself further up the bed; his hands press down near my shoulders as he follows.
Instinctively, I put one hand in his hair and the other on his back, tugging harder every time he sucks against my bottom lip.
When I feel the space near my shoulders lightens, I soon hear the jingling of a belt.
I am definitely enjoying my birthday.
-
Hey hey hey!! So sorry for suddenly getting all kinky on everyone in this last part, I guess it felt necessary. We are nearing the end of this book which makes me incredibly sad but also humbled :) I hope you all enjoyed, seriously😂 I love your comments so feel free to leave millions. They're my motivation to update quicker. ALSO IGNORE ERRORS PLS. I was just excited to update so i didnt really proof-read it. I will soon.