Harrison Avenue // H.S.

Tiny Dancer

[Ellison]

The bartender slides me two shots across the counter, giving me a wink that I decide to ignore. I mumble a quick thank you that I'm sure he doesn't hear considering the amount of noise in this bar and then I swing my legs to the side, turning to face Kai who's in the barstool next to mine.

One of the shots I keep in my hand and the other I slide to him with a grin, noticing his slumped over posture as he leans over the bar.

"That one is for you," I smile, nodding toward the glass that's an inch away from his hand.

"Oh, Elle," he gives me a nervous smile back before grabbing the shot from the counter to inspect it further. And a slightly disgusted scowl takes over his face, replacing the smile. "You know I'm not much of a drinker," he turns to look at me again, his eyes half closed. "Mary Jane is more my style."

My shoulders fall and an immediate pout moves over my face. I know Mary Jane is more his style because he spent a half hour outside the bar attending to "her" before he decided to venture in. It's my birthday though, which is half the reasons so many of these people crowding this bar are in here, so of course I'm going to use that to my fullest advantage.

"Kai," I pout a little more, twisting the shot carefully in my hand. "I know that. But it's my birthday. I promise I'll smoke a bowl with you later and you can talk about aliens and government conspiracy theories all you want."

He looks at me for a few more seconds with squinted eyes, clearly still a little skeptical. Then he shrugs his shoulders and raises the shot glass in his hand.

"Fine," he sighs out. "Since it's your birthday."

I bounce in my seat for a moment, feeling giddy as I reach to grab my shot glass again. Then I knock it back fast and an immediate tingle runs through my body. My eyes move to Kai once I open them again and I start laughing at his face as his mouth stays open with his tongue out, shaking his head from side to side.

"Disgusting," he sighs out, setting the glass down as I order another for myself.

It's my twenty-first birthday and because I'm the baby of my group of friends, being at least a year younger than all of them, they've all been waiting for this day. Harry set it up with a bar he frequently plays at and while we haven't fully rented out the place, the majority of the people in here are here for me in some shape or form. That doesn't mean I know every face, not even close to that, but if they aren't friends of mine, they're friends of friends... plus the occasional person who just decided to pick here to let loose on a Thursday night.

I've been in this bar a handful of times before. Even though I wasn't technically allowed in because of my age, I was able to sweet talk my way in to watch Harry when he's played here. But this is the first time I've had full access to the bar and because of that it's like I'm clinging onto it and using the winking bartender to the fullest capacity.

Because of the large amount of people in here and the fact that I misplaced Harry a half hour ago, Kai and the barstool I'm currently sat in have turned into the place I've found refuge in as I hide away from some of the attention directed at me.

"Hey," I feel Kai's hand on my shoulder as I knock over the shot glass so it's sideways on the counter. I turn my head to him, laughing because it feels like there isn't a moment when he isn't high. His hair is all over the place, long like Harry's, which I've decided they have a secret competition going on to see who can grow it out the longest. Only Harry always keeps his hair a bit more tame because I don't think Kai even owns a hairbrush. "Where's your guy?"