PECULIAR (✓)

19. Wrong Crowd

Sitting quietly in Rosa's Cafe, I can't help but feel detached from everything. Why did the night have to end like that? Was that the end of us?

As I'm reading trying to drown out the rude crowd of people that have just come in I hear a shriek.

A very familiar shriek.

Nicole, my ex best friend, runs up to my table breaking away from her rowdy crowd and throws her arms around me, still squealing in glee, through I just laugh uneasy, due to the daggers her group are giving me.

"Of course, you are reading a book on a Saturday", Nicole exclaims as she sits across from me. "Hey, are you okay, you look like you've been crying?"

Trust the girl I haven't seen in a year and a half to still be able to recognise my tells.

"No, well yes, it's this damn book", I say while waving the copy of Pride and Prejudice... The book he gave me to make me feel better. Safe to say it was not working.

"Oh my God, Alettra you have to come with us, we're hitting up a bar in about 15 minutes and since, you know, my lovely boyfriend owns it, we can get into the VIP section as well."

As I try to cover the pang in my chest at the word 'boyfriend', one of Nicole's friend's comes up and introduces herself.

"Hey there, the name's Emily and you are..."

"Alettra nice to meet you, but I was just about to start heading home so...", I say as I try to move swiftly to the exit but Nicole pulls me back,"No Alettra come on, let's go to the club it will be fun."

"She's hardly dressed for it Nic, and she doesn't look like the type to go clubbing... If you know what I mean", Emily comments.

Normally her quick judgement of me would upset me, but right now I argee, I'm the type to go home and read, that's all I want to do, not go to a club. But my attempt to leave is useless. Nicole grabs me by the arm to her group who mumble in unison of hi's.

We quickly set off to the club and I'm in a random person's car. I can't help but really tell myself not to even bother buying a drink while I'm there, shivering when the thought of going through that again hits my mind.

We get in a there's smoke everywhere and neon lights messing with my eyesight. I look up to see Nicole dragging me to the VIP section and it's less crowded making me slightly happy. Only slightly.

Nicole quickly exclaims "Hey, Alettra this is my boyfriend of 4 months Victor."

I look to see a quite tall man, with blondish hair and brown eyes... His eyes look off to me through. I don't like to judge people but he screams danger. Then I realise he's smirking at me, and then shakes my hand and releases it, not before giving it a peck.

Ew.

I slyly wipe the back of my hand and just follow them, as I do Victor puts his arm around me and asks me how I got such a unique name. I tell him to ask my mother. He just laughs boisteriously in my ear.

As we get to the VIP section, I see something that shocks me, immobilises me.

Cassius.

Dressed in a black button shirt that hugs his broad chest and black slacks. His hair is styled differently, everything seems different, but it was him.

It was my Cass, my sweetheart, surrounded by women, laughing and joking with another man opposite. Wow, now I know what it feels like to have my heart ripped out of my chest, I even struggle to catch my breath.

I wanted nothing more than to run and never stop.Victors suddenly shouts "Yo James, how are you man?" But I frown deeply when Cassius answers back without looking at him.

Wait, what?

Cassius' eye drift up to me and his smile falters but he covers it and keeps laughing with his friend.

Emily can most probably see I'm staring way too hard at Cassius or James and tells me while flipping her blonde straight hair, "Oh Alettra, I wouldn't even try you see James only really like blondes", and finishes on a wink.

I want to be sick.

Cassius looks at me for another second but quickly tears his gaze away. I can't help but look at the other leggy slim women sitting beside him. I can't help but see how I don't even come close to them.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Victor selling my drugs to some women while winking at them. I have a strong feeling that the drugs in question are stronger than weed. God, why am I here.

As a tear rolls down my face, I look at Cassius and something clicks.

Cyrus.

This is why he was beaten up and why his name is supposedly James, he's pretending to get closer to them. To find out who was most probably supplying his brother with drugs, the same drugs that killed.

I shake my head as I can feel Cass' eyes on me and wipe my tears.

I see a text I get from Cassius pleading for me to hear him out but I just slide it in my pocket ignoring it.

He fits in so well here, it scares me. All the people here are most likely involved in something shady and illegal.

I go to just sit in an empty spot unable to find Nicole. When a random man sits next to me and speaks to me.

"Hey beautiful, can I buy you a drink?" But I shake my head so quickly I almost get whiplash.

He keeps harassing me but I clear someone clear their throat behind me making them leave.

I turn to see my saviour, but it's Victor, I was really hoping for Cassius. Through I can see why he's doing this, I'm angry at him for not telling me, these people clearly are not people to mess around with.

Victor sits next to me and drapes his arm around my shoulder again. Having taken enough of everything, I just silently take his arm and put it on his lap making him laugh at me.

"You are a peculiar one, Alettra."

Oh God, please not that word, I didn't expect him know what it means let alone use it. I just shrug.

"So you want something to ease your nerves, Alettra."

"No thanks. My nerves keep me alert and safe."

He laughs again loudly while shouting "I like you, you're funny." I look around and notice some eyeing us, including Cass.

"So where's Nicole?" I try to ask diverting this conversation, "Oh she's at the bar in the back she'll be a while. But if you change your mind about the gear let me know I'll even give you some for free, as long as you help me out a bit beautiful."

I don't even listen to him to busy staring at Cass, when suddenly a girl sits in his lap. Unable to take anymore I say a quick bye to Victor and leave. Tears roll down my face as I try to even figure where the hell I am. The cold air piercing my skin...

The man I care about is in terrible danger and there's most probably nothing I can do, and he's stubborn so there's nothing I can say to stop him from whatever he's doing.

Cassius' name keeps popping up on my phone as he trys to ring me back I mute it. I just want to get away from it all.