You'll Fall For Me, I Promise

9; 'Yes Ma'am'

"What are you doing here?" Brett asks, and I can hear the slur in his voice. I scrunch my nose up at the smell of cigarettes and alcohol radiating from him.

The music is booming, almost deafening. People around the club are talking loudly to be heard over the music, and I can almost imaging how much louder it would be inside. The lights outside the club are flashing away, beckoning people inside with the promise of more nauseating, swinging lights to disorientate.

I look down at my outfit, as if it was obvious, then I realize how drunk these boys must be. "Running," I reply simply, looking at both boys wearily. This, for some reason, earns a laugh from both of them.

"Come in with us," Jason smiles, nodding his head to the door. I shake my head, ready to argue to before he speaks again. "Come on, it'll be fun!" He grabs my elbow and begins leading me to the entrance.

"I-I'm under dressed," I stammer, pulling my arm away from him. I really did not want to go inside, and especially not with those two.

"Oh, come on, it might be fun," Brett comments, now sounding a little more sober than before. My eyebrows knit together, showing my discomfort, but Brett drapes his arm around my shoulder, walking slowly towards the club. "You're fun, right?"

I take a look around, seeing if there was anything that could save me, but all I saw was the line of drunken people waiting to get into the club. So, with heavy feet and a defeated sigh, I'm dragged inside.

The music is louder inside, my eardrums ringing as I try to get used to the volume. Not only was it the music, but people screaming and shouting in delight as they dance and try to talk to each other. On the dance floor there are people openly grinding on each other, their bodies moving to the music.

I cringe and follow the boys through the masses of people, chewing my lower lip as I play with my sleeves nervously. We end up at the bar, and they boys order me a drink, causing a frown to play on my lips. "I don't drink," I mumble, not making eye contact. I then started to wonder where the rest of the group was.

"Oh, come on, it's one beer," Jason laughs, handing the cold cup to me, nodding at me. I look down at it and scrunch my nose up in disgust. The boys are too busy drinking their own to notice that I'm not drinking, so I pour a little of the liquid into a plant pot and smile sheepishly when they turn to me.

"See! It wasn't that bad, was it?" Brett beams, finishing his drink quickly.

"Smells like cats piss," I grumble to myself, making sure that no one can hear. I watch as the boys run off to the dance floor, and that's when I see another boy from their group grinding against some random girl. I see another girl stumbling towards the bar and walk over, helping her sit down. "Here, have this," I say, handing her my drink so that it doesn't go to waste and she doesn't have to buy another one.

"Thanks!" She squeals, throwing her arms around me in a hug before beginning to drink. I roll my eyes and walk away, hoping to escape the building without being noticed. 

I nearly made it to the door before something caught my eye. I hadn't been noticed by the boys who bought me inside, but in the corner I see Blake. His back is to the wall and some short blond is trying to ram her tongue down his voice.

I stand, frozen, staring at the boy across the building. In a moment he notices me, a smirk playing on his lips as he reciprocates the blonds actions, his hands on her waist but his eyes never leave mine. I didn't know how to react, and wish I didn't bother at all.

***

"You saluted him?" Paige asks in utter belief as I groan, my head buried in my hands in embarrassment. That night, after seeing Blake, I simply saluted at him and ran out of the club. Yes, like a soldier salute. Now I'm sat here in the park with Paige and Liam, telling the embarrassing tale of last night's adventures.

"Yes," I mumble grumpily, not raising my hands from my head. The only plus of right now is that it's lunch time on a Saturday. We'd decided that since it was a nice day we'd take a couple of snacks and sit by the river in the park. The grass is green, spotted with white daisies. The water is clear and there are ducks and swans paddling around.

"You're so awkward, Zoey," Liam laughs.

"Shut up."

"Yes, ma'am," he snickers, saluting me. I growl and dive at him, tackling him to the floor. Normally I wouldn't succeed, but I took him by surprise. "My chips!" He wails, his packet of beef chips flying everywhere. A swarm of ducks surround him, eating his snack while I roll on the floor, laughing hard, Paige also trying to contain her snickers.

"Suck it up, soldier," I mock, my words barely coming out through my laughter.

He rolls his eyes and steals my packet, eating the entire thing. I'm not entirely bothered by this as I did sacrifice his snack to the ducks.

"So, what are you going to do?" Paige asks, looking expectantly at me. I furrow my eyebrows and she takes the hint that I don't know what she's talking about. "During spring?"

It clicks in my head, and I realize there's only a week left of school before the Easter holidays grace us. "I don't have a plan yet," I admit, smiling with a small shrug of my shoulders.

"I'm going away for the whole holiday," Liam pipes up, smiling. I pout, looking at him as a little guilt washes over him. "What? My mom decided that we need to go to New Zealand to visit family," he says, shrugging with a small smile.

I turn to look at Paige hopefully but she smiles apologetically, causing a frown to grace my lips. "I'm going to Spain," she smiles happy, still looking apologetic.

"Why am I only just finding out about this?" I complain, throwing pieces of bread at the swimming birds, watching them fight over it. I see one smaller duck who's being left out, so I throw a piece to distract the others then throw a large piece to the lonely duck, making sure he eats.

"I thought you knew," Liam shurgs. "Paige knew."

"You knew?"

"I thought you knew too, and I didn't wanna upset you saying I was going too! I'm sorry," she sighs, causing a small chuckle from me.

"It's okay. I'll just hide for three weeks." I smile gently, glad they're having holidays away in two amazing countries, but now I don't know what I'm doing.

"You'll still have your family," Paige mumbles hopefully, giving me a small smile.

"Being alone is more fun and less awkward than trying to communicate with my parents and them bickering with my brother." I sigh, thinking of how rarely my parents would be around anyway.

"I'm a social mess anyway, so it's safer for me inside so there's no where or anyone to get me killed," I smile, laughing a little. Although funny, it's the complete truth. This past week feels like I've managed to escape death everyday and I don't think I can keep it up without my friends, so indoors, away from people, is better.