The Mistake

Spiral

***

Nick

"I'll be right back, ladies." Ben waved to the twins he left behind as they kept dancing seductively among the crowd, walking over to sit next to me at the bar. Ben slumped down in the stool next to me. "I think I'm in love."

"Yeah, with which one?"

"Joanna, the one on the left- no, right. Fuck, I think they switched sides. I need to mark her with a sharpie or something." I laughed and turned to the bartender.

"Two whiskeys, please." The bartender poured the glasses and passed them on as the heavy music was turned down, the sound of the spotlight humming as it was turned on over the center ring signaling the fight was about to start.

The crowd roared as they announced one of the fighters; a skinny, but fast kid whose name I didn't quite make out or remember climbing through the ropes. When the announcer called out the second name, my jaw twitched. "...Jacob Hatcher!"

I took a sip from the glass in my hand as people cheered for him as he walked confidently into the ring. I scanned the crowd, wondering for a second if she came along.

"You know," Ben said through a chuckle as he nodded to the ring, snapping my wandering gaze back towards him. "I overheard a couple of Jacob's friends buggin' him the other day about you sleeping with Sam when he was still trying to get her to go on a date with him."

I tasted something sour when I heard that. "I already told you, that's not true. It wasn't like that with Sam..."

Ben scrunched his brows together and tilted his head. "Sounds to me like you caught feelings." I rolled my eyes.

"Just finish your drink, alright? I'm out of here." I downed the whiskey and placed the glass on the counter along with some money.

"Hey, what do you mean out of here?" Ben's eyes widened with betrayal. "There's twins."

"You shouldn't keep them waiting, then."

"Oh, I'm sorry. You must not have heard me. I said there's twins. Hot twins." Ben said, looking at me like I had a screw loose, as he nodded his head to where the two girls were, cheering along with the rest of the crowd. "I can't handle the two of them. I need help telling them apart."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." I shrugged on my jacket and made my way out as the first round started.

The heavy metal door creaked as it shut behind me, swallowing every noise from inside. I walked out into the dark, quiet alley, the brisk night air biting at my face. I slid my hands into my pockets, my ears ringing as they adjusted to the sudden silence.

I didn't feel like staying out tonight. I was getting tired of the same old things I'd always done. I used to enjoy it more before, never thinking twice before a one night stand or new party, but it somehow felt so much... emptier now.

I kicked at a pebble on the dimly lit sidewalk as I walked back home, grimacing as I recalled the look on Alex's face the other night when I brought another girl home. He couldn't stand me, I knew that well enough. But every day that passed, his disdain for me only seemed to grow more.

I knew no matter what I said, what I did, he'd made his mind up about me. And maybe he was right. Maybe they all were.

The sound of my phone ringing cut through my train of thought. I took it out from my pocket and saw it was James. "Hey."

"Nick. I've tried calling you like five times."

"What's up?" I rarely got signal down there, so calls almost never came through. I kept walking, the ground crunching underneath me with each step.