The bass of you

Chapter 4

"You look great, Mon," Layla says. 

She's in the bathroom standing next to me, applying another coat of her dark-red lipstick as I apply a coat of mascara gently to my eyelashes. I wasn't going to wear mascara, or any makeup, but I've decided to for God knows what reason. I'm only going to regret putting makeup on later when I'm drunk and have to summon the effort to remove it before I go to sleep - that's if I remember to.

I'm dressed in a plain black tank top, dark-blue skinny jeans and black ankle boots with medium chunky heels. Layla is wearing a long sleeve black mesh top with a black vest top underneath, black jeans and black knee-length flat boots. I've pulled my long, curly, light-brown hair into a ponytail, with a curly strand loose down either side of my face.

Layla ruffles up her blonde layered bangs and then makes a smooching sound as she kisses the air at herself in the mirror. She walks around me, exits the bathroom and goes into the bedroom. I hear her turn the TV off and now there are intense butterflies in my stomach. I always get nervous when we're about to go out drinking, but it's so much worse tonight because it's in a city.

When I go into the bedroom, I gaze out the window quickly at the darkening sky outside and the street lights that brighten the surroundings. I hope that no boys or men talk to me, especially not tonight, because I feel like I'm going to act disinterested in the rudest of ways. The first day, whenever I'm staying anywhere, is always stressful, and I find myself on the verge of arguing with someone for the stupidest things at any moment ; sometimes I actually do it, and other times I'm somehow able to keep it under control. I head over to the bed and pick out my black leather jacket from my suitcase, slipping my arms inside the sleeves and pulling out my hair from inside it, letting it fall over the back of the jacket.

Layla slips her arms into her light-blue denim jacket and turns to me with a smirk. "Let's get this party started."

As we come around the corner of the street and into another one, it soon becomes clear that we're on a street where it's a hot spot for bars and clubs. These ones are more stylish than the ones elsewhere and they don't look cheap, the people that are heading inside these bars are over-dressed for any bars anywhere else in Cardiff. This part of Cardiff city centre is definitely upper-class compared to everywhere else and I'm doubting that we'll be able to afford, or even allowed, inside. There are security men outside one bar in particular, and a lot of people approaching the bar are getting turned away. I'm not sure why it's only this bar, but we definitely aren't going to find ourselves in there tonight.

Layla nudges me as we walk past the security men and towards a bar at the end of the street. "Hey, maybe Black Dagger are in there, maybe that's why everyone is getting turned away."

"You think so?" I'm genuinely surprised at what she says because there's a possibility that she's right and it gets me thinking about it with heightening curiosity.

"Meh, fat chance. They're probably in their hotel rooms, or suites, or whatever, and having the times of their lives with some gorgeous girls and lots of booze." There's disappointment in her voice and I instantly pick up that the reason is her thinking of Jackson Ellis with other girls, but Layla knows there's no point being too disappointed, so straightens herself back up and links her arm in mine, pulling me to the side and towards the entrance of a bar. "Now this one looks cool."

The bar we just entered is busy, but not as busy as the cheaper ones. It becomes apparent to me that maybe this is because of the prices here. As I look around at the décor, the furniture, the bar - it soon becomes clear that everything looks expensive. There are more booths than normal tables and chairs. The booths are an olive-green velvet, with glossy black tables, and dim pendulum lights hanging above them. The bar is curved and glossy black, with high olive-green velvet cushioned stools in front of it. There's a large mirror behind the bar with many bottles of strong alcohol lined up neatly in front and around it. The walls have olive-green wallpaper, with silver swirling patterns on them that shine in the reflection of the long pendulum lights that hang from the tall ceilings. The place is gorgeous and spectacular in all its elegance. This isn't the sort of place I was expecting to spend my money first, but I just hope that it won't eat most the money I brought with me for week, or I'm going to have a serious financial problem.

We sit down on the stools at the bar and already I can see two men looking at from the other side of the bar. Becoming nervous, I shrug it off and avoid their gazes as they glare over here. Layla orders us our drinks : a gin and tonic for her, a martini for me. Usually, we'd order a pint of beer or cider, but we always go for these choice of drinks in more expensive places – to 'blend in' - as we say.

Layla is clocking the men looking at us across the bar, she smiles shyly and then turns to me with the same smile. Only now I've noticed the music playing in here : Black Dagger's song. Layla stops smiling, frown and then grins - she's realised the song that's playing.

She slaps her hand on her thigh. "Oh my god, they're playing Black Dagger. Ugh I can't wait to see them!" Glancing over her shoulder at the men, then turning back to me, she says, "They're fit, don't you think?"

"Mm, yeah they're alright, I guess," I mumble as the bartender gives us our drinks and Layla instantly takes hers and sips it. In all honesty, I'm finding the bartender better looking than the men and I just can't be bothered to chat to any boys tonight. "Why don't you go and chat to them?"

Layla giggles and shakes her head. "Oh, I will, when I'm drunk." She raises her glass to me and gulps down three mouthfuls of her gin and tonic.