Awakenings: Joanna

Worst Evening

It was a terrible night. Rain, hail, wind, you name it; it had everything. I squeezed my jacket closed tightly with my hands and tried to keep myself as small as possible against the punishing wind. My umbrella had given up at the very start, and my hat was probably somewhere halfway to Australia. And I live in Europe!

Just a short while ago my hair looked good, it was tied up in a really beautiful bun that the hairstylist spent almost an hour doing. I had a single pastel pink stripe running through it, and it contrasted really well with my black hair. Now it was just a mess of strands flying any and each way possible. My dress under my jacket was probably ruined, as well. It was a beautiful black dress that had one silver highlight on the left shoulder, opposite of my pink stripe on my hair.

I didn't even want to think about my face and makeup!

It all started so well, so what went wrong? Was I really stupid enough that I hadn't seen that coming? Everyone else seemed to have known, and I saw looks of pity everywhere I turned. I hated it. Why hadn't any one of my friends said anything? For six months? Six months... So almost from the start... He never took me seriously, then.

I felt like crying, but I was too numb to care. I was cold to my bones and I could probably shake hail off myself for weeks to come. I just wanted to go home and forget the last year or so. Completely.

I wondered if I should start drinking. A full bottle of strong alcohol sounded pretty inviting right about then.

I steered away from my path and started to head towards the bar that's near my place. At least it was closer than my place, and warm. I'd never drunk much before, so if the stories were to be believed, I could get drunk cheaply.

I stepped into the bar. It was dim, there was loud music playing, and the smell of alcohol lingered in the air. It was surprisingly clean though; from the inside it looked more like a nightclub than a bar. There was even a dance floor, although only one couple (who were hopelessly too drunk to dance) was dancing there. I tried to shake all the water and hail from me with little success.

I walked to the bar and sat down. Three people were sitting nearby; a woman and two guys. The other guy looked like... him, and it set my heart on fire again. I tried to fight the tears, but I had to give up and shed a few. I wiped them off and asked the bartender for a strong drink. I didn't know any names, so I just asked for a strong one.

He looked at me with his eyebrow raised and asked me if I was sure. I nodded at him. Then I felt a touch on my shoulder. I glanced sideways and noticed it was the woman who was at the bar just a minute ago.

"Give her a Blue Angel, Jake," she said. "On me."

Her voice sounded beautiful. Full, warm, and bright. A voice fitting her. She looked striking, almost painfully beautiful. Her blonde hair framed her thin face like a painting. Her clear blue eyes glittered in the multitude of lights. Her beautiful, bright red lips were smiling a warm, genuine smile along with her eyes. She seemed to be slightly older than me; maybe five years, maybe ten, but no more. She looked at me with concern in her eyes and sat down.

"You look like shit, darling," she said. "That's a look people have when they've had their heart broken," she continued. "Grab your drink and come to sit with me. I can share an ear and a shoulder. And maybe a paper towel for your makeup, may it Rest in Peace."

I forced a grin on my face and looked at her. "Is it that bad?" I asked, fully knowing that it was. Probably even worse. I did have on waterproof makeup, but that rain and wind would go through steel and bone. A couple of layers of eyeliner, waterproof or not, was no match for it.

She looked at me and silently shook her head and closed her eyes. She put her hand on my shoulder.

"No," she said and leaned in. "It's much worse. Come now, darling. Gently," she added and grabbed my hand, pulled me up from the chair, and led me to a secluded table at the corner of the bar.