Forsaken Below The Tracks

Chapter Six: A Strange Happening

The guys began dancing together, drunk and acting like they were hyped up kids. It was funny, they actually had an audience clapping for them.

Morgan pointed to her ears and rolled her eyes while smiling at me. I pointed to the door, it was about time for me to have a cigarette anyway. We walked towards the back door, I motioned to Erik what our intentions were and he nodded, holding up a finger that indicated that he would be out after the song ended. I ended up going outside but realized I needed my jacket out of the bar. I went back for it.

 Heading past our table I noticed that Liam was sitting alone staring at his cell phone. He had never really been much for this scene, but I gave him credit for trying. Morgan waved her hands to get his attention and pointed toward the back door, smiling at him, he gave her thumbs up and we continued on our way.

Outside, I inhaled, welcoming the chill, fresh air into my lungs. I pressed a Camel in between my lips and sparked it using my favorite Zippo lighter that Morgan got me for my 21st birthday last year. It was engraved with both of our initials, I never went anywhere without it. I inhaled the cigarette smoke, deeply, and exhaled. My head started to spin as the nicotine rush set into motion coursing through my body. I hated smoking but lived for that feeling my blood tingling and my muscles starting to relax.

The back of the bar is where all of the smokers went. Smokers of all types spilled out in the back where in the summer you could actually play volleyball and horseshoes. The autumn and winter time, however, it brought about only those who opted to light a cigarette or joint before heading back in where they could refill whatever it was that they were drinking.

"You ever going to give those vile things up?"

I glanced over at her as she lit up a joint, "hey, you have your vice. I have mine."

She laughed, "I guess you've got me there."

"It really is a nice night. Makes me wish that winter wasn't coming so soon though. God, I hate being cold."

"But winter clothes are cute. I just scored a super cute pair of black leggings with snowflakes on them. Totally let you borrow them if you want, they would be cute with your top."

I laughed, "are you being a smart ass?"

She returned my laugh, "seriously! Snowflake leggings and a thrash punk band top? You could totally rock that."

"You think I could 'rock' anything. But the thing is, you really have too much faith in my actually giving a crap about how I look."

"I have too much faith in a lot of things," she replied.

"Big hearts expect big things, I guess," I said taking another drag off of my cigarette.

"That is certainly one way to think of it. I just hate that I expect things of great people and end up falling short."

I looked at her with curiosity, "what do you mean?"

"Well, my parents for example. My whole life has been set up for me to succeed based upon their standards, and when I go my own route, make my own choices, it seems like I'm only setting myself up for failure. Setting them up with such high hopes only to let them down because I don't feel as if the path that I am walking on for them, is the right one for me. Does that make any sense?"

"Morg, we're all failing our parents. All parents have super high expectations for their kids, but those expectations definitely are not always in the best interests of our own walks of life. That's not your issue, it's there's. Me, of all people, should know that. And it took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I am never going to live up to what my parents expect of me, and I'm cool with that. I make my mistakes, I walk through the issue at hand, shake it off and move on. That's life. Stop putting the brunt of the underlying issue on you. Once you do, you can actually start living your life to its fullest potential, a life that is uniquely all your own."

"Deep," she laughed, "you know, I know you're right. It's just hard. Puts me in a predicament and it's just too much stress."

"That's why you have me," I leaned over and gave her a hug.

The music stopped and we heard the next band starting to set up their equipment.

"You want to go back in? I'm sure Liam's wondering where we're at."

I finished off my cigarette and tossed it in the bucket the pub had outside for cigarette butts but it seemed that I was the only person who actually used it.

"Let's go."

We walked back inside, arm in arm, and sauntered back over to the table where the guys were waiting.

Liam was the first to speak up, "all okay?"

"Yeah, we're good," Morgan replied, sliding into the seat next to him and adjacent to me. She smiled and winked at me, and I returned both with sincerity.

"Good, here, it was my turn to buy drinks," he said sliding two Jager Bombs in front of us, Liam and Erik had already polished theirs off while we were outside.

"Dude. Really? I hate Jager. And haven't you ever heard the drinking code of conduct?" I asked, staring at the grotesque drink that sat waiting for me to chug with ferocity.

He laughed, "there's a code of conduct?"

"Oh yeah. And rule number one is 'beer before liquor, never be sicker.' This is going to floor me, bro."

Erik laughed and egged me on, "come on! That's not the girl I know and love!"

I slammed it with my eyes shut tight and only gagged a little. Did I mention that I hated Jager? Vile stuff. Morgan slammed hers as well, for being not much of a drinker when challenged the girl could drink the biggest guy in the room right under the table.

She didn't gag.

Both the guys laughed and Liam walked over to the bar for four more.

"Hey! So you never said how the movie was or if you even survived it," I poked at Morgan.

"I didn't survive it. They did a preview for that stupid new clown movie and I bailed. We went and saw the new Jennifer Lawrence one instead."

She loved Jennifer Lawrence. Who doesn't?

"Any good?"

"She's always good!"

I nodded in agreement, but my head was starting to spin and I wasn't sure why. I've smoked and drank significantly more than I was at the present moment and it had never hit me like that. Something wasn't right, but I wasn't quite sure what...