The Green Girl ✓

At Cillian's

Alice POV

"Where are we going?" I asked the two boys.

"To meet up with Keegan," Ash replied.

"I know, but where is that?"

"At a pub owned by a friend of ours." This time it was Caden who answered.

"Um, guys… We’re all underage. Aren’t we going to get your friend in trouble?"

"You’ve got your fake ID with you right, kid?" I nodded. "Then it’s okay."

He must have seen the doubting look on my face because he continued.

"Look… The chief of police for this district is a friend of Cillian’s - that’s the pub owner’s name. The cop knows that underage teens just tap a Harry, manage to get alcohol and when they do, they get drunk and then they do stupid things. But he also knows that Cillian won’t allow that. He would keep an eye on the teens at the pub to make sure they don’t overdo it and if they somehow manage to get drunk he’s going to make sure they stay out of trouble. He’ll call a relative or a friend to pick them up, or call them a cab… Whatever it takes. Because of that the cops around here turn a blind eye. But we still need the fake ID just in case somebody new comes along ‘cause if we have them then only we get in trouble and Cillian will pretend he didn’t know about our age. Now you okay with it, kid?" I nodded. "Good! I guess there’s no point in me telling you that this thing should stay between us?"

He gave me a stern look and I glared back in response.

"Oh, really? Damn! I was just about to post it all over twitter and facebook and tag all of my friends," I replied sarcastically.

He chuckled.

"Relax, kid! No need to get so fired up over a simple question!" Caden took out his smokes.

"The question might be simple but I’m not!" I shot back.

"So, you’re pretty complicated, huh?" He lit a cig.

"I meant "simple" as in "stupid" not "not complicated"!" I said with a note of irritation in my voice.

"I know."

"Then why did you…" I started then I figured out the answer myself. "Oh! You really like to bait me, don’t you?"

"It’s fun!" He admitted with a shrug before announcing: "We’re here!"

We entered and I surveyed the place. It was pretty cool actually: simple, made out of bricks, with wooden tables and chairs and a wooden bar in front of which were wooden stools. It had about a dozen people now and that was including the three of us. We made our way to the bar and Ash and I sat on the stools.

"Hi, Cillian!" The boys greeted the bartender simultaneously.

"Hey, guys! And who might this pretty little lady be?" He nodded in my direction.

"Alice," I introduced myself shaking his hand.

"Cillian. Alice like the Wonderland thing?"

"Actually, my full name is Alissa…" I started explaining.

"Is Keegan around?" Caden cut me off sitting on the bar. Not at it; on it. "And I want a beer."

"No, not here yet," Cillian answered giving him his drink. "And you shouldn’t interrupt a lady like that!" He winked at me.

"Yeah!" I agreed. "Especially a nice little lady like me."

"You really are nice, kid!" He bumped my shoulder with his knee and turned to the bartender. "She was actually worried about getting you into trouble because we’re underage."