Fragments

6.4

            6.4

            Roman’s gaze finds mine across the bar. I hold his eyes as I lower the empty glass to the bar, making my point. Despite his tough demeanor, he smirks and raises his own glass in a toast before taking a sip.

            “I thought you ordered a water?”

            It takes me a moment to realize that Adam’s talking to me, sipping the last drops from my glass.

            Shrugging, I turn away from Roman’s watching eyes and face Adam. “I guess the bartender thought I needed a fun night.”

            Adam grins and puts his arm around my waist, guiding me into the crowd as another band begins to set up on stage. Either Roman’s has already played, or they’re headlining. A part of me hopes they didn’t.

            “And a fun night we shall have.”

            Part of me starts to get nervous as we take our place in the middle of a swarm of people. Adam isn’t the most reliable friend and though occasionally he proves me wrong, sometimes I don’t feel very safe with him.

            But when I look up at him smiling, watching the band get their instruments ready and singing quietly along to the music coming from the speakers, I find myself pushing the thoughts away. If Roman was worried about my safety, he would surely step in, wouldn’t he?

            “Piper!”

            My head starts to feel foggy as I turn around, looking for the person who called my name. It isn’t until I see her pushing through the crowd and creating a space around us that I recognize her dark hair and cat eyes.

            “Reesa?” My voice disappears as the band onstage begins the opening to their first song. Even Adam doesn’t hear me but watches Reesa with a curious gaze.

            “Piper,” she repeats when she gets to me. She puts her hand on my shoulder as if we’re friends when in truth I haven’t seen her since she opened Roman’s door. “I thought that was you!”

            I have no idea what to say to this. Both my fuzzy brain and lack of social skills impair me greatly, only allowing me to focus on the obvious.

            “Are you drunk?”

            Reesa laughs, throwing her hand in the air as if to swat away my comment. “No. Well, not completely, anyway. What are you doing here? I thought Roman took you somewhere tonight.”

            Adam eyes me warily but I avoid looking at him. “I kind of left. What are you doing here?”

            “Roman’s performing tonight,” she replies, as if it’s obvious. “He said you couldn’t come. Didn’t he tell you about it?”

            I look towards the bar where I last saw him, but Roman’s gone. Maybe backstage, maybe out for a smoke. Regardless, I won’t be able to find him in the sea of black clothing and smoky air.

            “Piper.” Adam nudges me in the ribs and I jump. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

            I open my mouth to try but Reesa takes the lead, holding her hand out like it’s a formal meeting.

            “Reesa.”

            Adam smiles and removes his hand from me to shake hers. Despite our friendship, it hurts when he doesn’t return it there afterward.

            “Adam.”

            “Do you guys want something to drink? I’ve got an open bar ticket.” She grins as she waves a backstage pass in front of us, the lanyard swaying as she moves it back and forth.

            “Definitely.”

            Adam is already moving through the crowd towards the bar, obviously happy for the free pass to get drunk without paying a penny. But when I take a step I wobble, just beginning to realize how intoxicated I am after drinking a whole glass of straight vodka.

            “Whoa,” Reesa laughs, grabbing my arm and steadying me though she’s not so steady herself. “Are you drunk?”

            My lips curl up in a smile as she intimidates my tone. “Maybe a little.”

            She shakes her head and puts her arm around me as if we’re best friends or sisters. “No, no, no. That will not do. Unless,” she continues, moving her lips to my ear, “alcohol isn’t your preferred weapon of choice.”

            At her words, my vision starts to blur, and I’m back months ago where a boy I knew was alive and I wasn’t suicidal.

            It was him who got me into it that time. Him who told me I would love the feeling and ignored the consequences it would give me. But now the voice belongs to a girl who is very much alive despite how distant she feels.

            “I need…” I can barely get my words out as I detach myself from Reesa. “I need air.”