THALIA

23. Best man

• THALIA •

I sip on my drink whiskt o can feel Mr. Ford's gaze on me. I've angled my body to the side slightly, so that he can't see that I'm in pain. He does seem weirded out by my outfit though. And I mean, fair enough. When I jumped out the window, I had to tie the bedsheet around me. It looks... questionable.

"Your outfit is..." he starts.

"Um, yeah. It's kind of a trend at the moment. I mean, yeah I get that it looks a bit like a bedsheet, but it's not. It's a dress made out of a softy material. Sleeveless. It's a statement in my eyes.

He looks as if he siszing me up. Trying to tell if I'm being honest, but fair enough. I woidknt believe me eitehr.

"And your shoes...?" He asks.

My eyes widen instantly and I look to the floor. HOW DID I NOT REALISE MY LACK OF FOOTWEAR.

This is gonna be tricky to cover up.

"Oh, right. I - I am all about nature - Mother Nature she is my Mum - loveeee her - I thinks it - I think it's important to - to be at one with nature..."

"Right." He says bluntly, taking a sip of his drink.

I breathe a sigh of relief. I know he doesn't believe me but at least he's off my case for now.

"Where's your..."

I shrug. I shrug knowing exactly where she is.

"And what are you doing out in the evening?"

It's the evening? I go to check my watch but realise I don't own one.

He chuckles, "it's quarter to six."

"Oh, right."

"So why are you out so late. Barefoot?"

I laugh awkwardly, "well, you know why I'm barefoot."

"And the other part of the question?"

"I was bored at home. Really bored. And thirsty."

"You looked pretty troubled when you left the other night."

"I was fine."

"Were you?"

"Yes." I say and stand up. "Honestly, Thankyou for the drink but I need to go." Im fed up of the non stop questions being fired at me. I hear him yell my name, telling me to wait but I don't. I leave the bar with nothing but a bed sheet on and not even shoes. I don't know where I'm headed but I'm headed there.

_________________________________

God knows what time it is now. The sun said goodbye not long ago and now I'm wondering around the streets in the dark.

I start to become stressed and anxious, what if I die out here? God, that would suck so much.

A load bang causes me to snap my head in that direction. There's nothing there, I don't think.

I carry on walking but an unsettling feeling forms in my stomach. Something's not right. I can hear the sound of footsteps nearing me so I look over my shoulder.

There's 3 men. There is three men following me. Or maybe they're just going to a bar or soemthing...

"Princess!" One of them yells. "What are ya doing out here so late at night?" He sounds Liverpudlian.

I start to run. The little, tiny rocks digging into the bottom of my feet. I'm tired 5 seconds in but this I can't stop. This isn't a cross county in junior school.

I can hear them running after me. I turn a corner but it's just another road. I check over my shoulder again, but whilst doing so, I run into somebody.

"I am so so so sorry. Sorry." I say quickly and then try to step past them.

They grab onto my arm, but lightly, there's little force behind it. "Hey, what's wrong?" A soft voice asks. A soft voice that I know.

My eyes dart to his, "uh.." it's the best man from the wedding. Oh my god, can this get any more embarrassing.

Just then, the 3 guys come storming down the road. On instinct, I get closer to BM (best man) and he puts his arm round me and whispers, "go with it."

The men reach us and come to a halt. BM tightens his hold on me. "Hi, lads. You all good, bro?"

"She with you?" One of them asks, breathing hard.

"Yeah, my girl. Why?"

"Oh, cool. Just... asking. We'll be on our way, bye mate." He replies before walking off, his buddies following him.

I don't feel relief until they're out of sight. However, I don't make a move to put a distance between me and BM.  "They're gone now, you're okay." He tells me.

Reality kicks in, and now I move away. Putting a good distance between us. I wrap my arms around myself. How has this sheet not fallen down yet-

Too soon to speak...

The sheet drops onto the gravelly ground. Oh. My. God. Kill me.

I quickly pick it up off the ground and wrap it around me. BM sucks in a shakes breath. Luckily, he probably couldn't see much, the only light we have is a street lamp about 3 metres away.

"What are you wearing?" He asks.

"It's a dress."

He mumbles something under his breath before taking off his hoodie and handing it to me. "Here, wear this."

"I'm good."

"No, you're not. Here. Put it on."

I take the jumper hesitantly. I slide it over my head and make sure the bed sheet is covering my lower body. In 20 years this might be a fashion statement. As of now, it's not.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

I shake my head.

"Want me to take you to mine."

I don't say anything because I do want to go back there with him. He's got a safe aura around him. And there's nowhere else I really want to go.

"Alright. Come on, my cars down the road."

I don't question why he was here late at night because then he'll just ask me why I was here late at night.

"Where the fuck are your shoes?" He asks whilst we walk.

"Oh - I - they are - they're..."

He laughs, "okay then." The picks me up bridal style with no warning.

I hit him lightly, "put me down. I don't need you to save me."

"I'm not saving you. I'm just, helping you out a little. Plus, there's stones all over this pavement, your feet probably hurt a ton."

They do. They really fucking hurt. But he doesn't need to know that, so I just tell him "they don't."

"Sure." He replies sarcastically.

I mumble a soft, "fuck you." Before falling asleep in my best friends husbands best man's arms.