Thin Lines

Trouble

Xela

"Are you sure you are okay?" Annie asks for the tenth time. "I'm fine, really." I assure her, refocusing my attention to the teacher. Annie sighs but drops it, continuing her notes.

"So what are you doing tonight?" She asks me once class ends and school is officially over. "I'm not sure." I respond, which is true. I don't know if participating in this little poker tournament is smart. Even if I wanted to my mom could need me for something tonight, and would be furious if I wasn't available.

"We need to hang out this weekend." Annie tells me as we arrive at our lockers. I agree and put my books into the blue compartment. My locker is very plain, not a single decoration. Maybe on Monday I will bring a photo or something just to spice it up.

Max comes up behind Annie ands pulls her into a hug. "Hey!" She turns to him and gives him a kiss. "Do you need a ride home?" Max asks me, since he lives right next to me.

I shake my head, "I need to stop into town." I give him a weak smile. He nods but doesn't fully believe me.

Just a few minutes later Annie and Max were gone, my walk into town just beginning. Thankfully, I left all my belongings in my locker so I just had a small bag with things like homework and stuff.

I didn't have to go into town, I was just stalling for when I would inevitably have to go home.

After hours of aimlessly walking around my subconscious mind brought me to the little bar from Monday night.

I know it's a bad idea, but as I pushed through the wooden doors of the bar all I wanted was to feel successful and go home with money in my pocket.

I see Denny immediately, his smile widening when he spots me. "You came" he comes up to me and I fall into step with him, walking to the back, past the tables I played at before. "Where are we going?" I ask warily when he pushes a door open that reveals a dark staircase. "Trust me." He tells me, trying to make me not scared of a stranger leading me down a staircase in a bar. 

I sigh and follow him.

Once we get to the bottom, there is a big room full of life. Probably one hundred people spread out across different purple poker tables and a bar at the far end.

"Nice isn't it?" Denny says, noticing the shocked look on my face. Denny leads me to one of the tables, briefly introducing me to the men around me. Each of them look at me like I'm a piece of meat, their eyes lingering far too long at certain areas of my body.

"Hey assholes my eyes are up here." I snap, sitting down.

Their eyes widen, "What the fuck did you just say to me little girl?" A bigger guy looks pissed. Denny quickly steps in, "She was joking."

I give Denny a glare, but understand he was trying to keep me out of a fight with the gorilla of a man across from me.

"Don't tell me this bitch is playing?" An older man questions as I ruffle through my bag and pull out $500.

I give the man a smile as I buy several chips, knowing I will have them tripled before I leave here.  "More money for us, fellas." A man chimes in, looking amused at me.