To Be A Prize

Chapter 9

Lights overhear pulsate in time to loud pop music. I move my body at the same rhythm, feeling the beat of the song throbbing through my body. My hips swing side to side as I rotate my ass, too drunk to care if I look sexy or not. My arms wave above my head and I shut my eyes absorbing the music into my whole body.

My hair, which was once blowdried and straightened, is now all over my face covering my eyes. My tight blue dress clings perfectly to all the places it should, sucking in my waist whilst supporting my boobs and ass. I know I look good and other people in the club know it too.

I have no idea what the time is but I know that I'm alone. My friends all left the club an hour ago, complaining of various things but mainly saying it was too late and they needed to get home to their respective partners. I- being the only single one of the group- stayed.

I don't mind being alone at the club. When I'm with my friends I always feel an expectation to act and dance certain way but when I'm on my own I feel like I can really let go and release any stress and tension from the weeks work.

They're nice people and good friends and its not their fault I feel this way but its hard to ignore the fact that I've always felt different to them. Not in a 'I'm not like other girls- I'm so prestige' kind of way but more so like I've never really felt I fit in. I've never really found that one person I truly feel comfortable with. Fortunately, I really enjoy my own company so to hang out with someone else requires them to provide me with more entertainment than I provide myself and that's rare.

Feeling the affects of my 6th shot wearing off, I head to the bar to get another. Stumbling towards it, I feel eyes watching me in the back of my head but pay no notice. I've felt people staring at me all night, more so than usual and I enjoy the attention but at the same time, don't want anything to do with the people who the stares belong to. Tonight is about dancing, letting go, enjoying semi-good music and blowing money on overpriced alcohol, not below average men and their predictable pick-up lines.

"Excuse me- sorry- can I just- coming through!" I say to various people and no one in particular as I shove my way through the chaos to reach the bar. A couple of people turn to look at me as I push past and a few try, and fail, to grab my attention.

"Another tequila shot please" I ask the Barman, a handsome asian man in his early 20s. I smile at him as he hands me my drink and he returns the gesture with a wink.

"Here" I say, handing him $4 for the shot. He shakes his head in refusal.

"On the house. You've been pulling in customers all day with your dancing, its the least we can do" he explains. He must see the confusion on my face as he begins to elaborate "people have been asking about you all night whilst ordering their drinks, often getting more than they usually would. Liquid courage, you know." He pushes himself away from the bar, half listening to my response.

"Oh, really? Me? Well, thank you anyway!" I reply, turning around to walk away.

What on earth was he on about? People have been coming in to try and impress me? Thats a first.

Deciding to not waste anymore brain power trying to figure out what the hell had just happened, I forget all about it and down my shot, chucking my head back, feeling the cold bitter liquid run down my throat. Some spills out the corner of my mouth so I wipe my lips with the back of my hand. Grimacing, I realise the Barman forgot to give me a slice of lime.

As if the shot ran straight through me, I suddenly need to pee so I head to the toilets. As I walk there I feel the same set of eyes watching me from before, this time coming from across the room, too far for me to see who they belong to.

Then a hand finds itself on my lower back.

The hand belongs to a short man, maybe only 2 inches taller than me. He's sweating profusely through his dark blue shirt and looks as if he's enjoyed substances stronger than just alcohol tonight.

"I just really needed to tell you how sexy you look in that slutty dress of yours" he bends down to slur into my ear, draping his arm round my shoulder so that I feel the heat and sweat protruding from his underarms "but maybe you'd like me to take it off for you".

Disgusted, I rip his hand off of me and look him square in the eye "I'd rather eat my own shit", I say, before walking away from him.

"You're fucking ugly anyway, as if I'd let you fuck me" he shouts after me, laughing as if he's won in this exchange.

Finally in the safety of the club toilets, I look at myself in the mirror. My chest heaves with anger as I try to cool myself down, physically and metaphorically, by splashing cold water on my face. The audacity of men astounds me. If that is what I can expect from them I'm glad to be single, I think whilst staring at myself in the mirror.

Girls chat and fix their makeup around me, offering each other their lipstick and dealing with friends who are crying.

"You alright, love?" a pretty redhead asks me.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just men, you know?"I reply, not really wanting to explain everything thats just happened and get myself riled up again but appreciating her kindness.

"Not really, I'm very much gay so don't really bother with them, but I understand the frustration. Just remember you are automatically better than them so pay them no attention", she says, smiling, then turning to reapply her lipgloss in the mirror.

"Haha, thank you. I'll gladly take that advice" watching her through the mirror.

"Anytime, want some?" she offers, and I pout my lips in response as she delicately paints my plump lips with the sweet smelling gloss.

"All done, take care of yourself and come find me if you're in any trouble" she says as she squeezes my arm and plants a kiss on my cheek before leaving the toilets to head back to the dance floor.

Now that I'm finally alone, and the music is less loud, I realise just how drunk I am. 6 shots was perhaps too much for one night, the 7th hasn't even entered my system yet and already I can barely think right. Oh well, I think, my perspective clearly altered by the alcohol, go big or go home, right?

This is the last thing of the night I clearly remember.