We Really Need To Stop // ImAllexx

Mystery

"Orange juice... Can I get an orange juice and vodka please?" I struggled to raise my voice over the noise of all the people around me.

The bartender rudely dumped a straight vodka and a glass of orange juice separately onto the bar in front of me. Wtf was this service? My sleeve then sloshed into something making it soggy. I peeled it off the dark oak bar. Examining the damage, I wrinkled my nose. Ew. It was most likely beer.

​That's when I noticed a tattered, forgotten black and gold box of cigarettes and a translucent blue lighter just sat in a puddle of god-knows-what.

No one seemed to be looking, so I snatched them up and dawdled as unsuspicious-ly as I could, over to the entrance doorway. There were a few low tables with candles and fairy lights strung across them. The bouncers were staring outwards, the bartenders busy with a sea of customers. I flicked the lighter several times waiting for a spark to ignite: kachik kachik. Gone.

As the lighter fell, I knocked one of the biggest candles onto the floor with it. I watched the flames start to glow orange and red, dancing fiercely upwards. I then mixed some of the vodka into my orange juice and chucked the rest into the fire along with the cup. For good measure.

​Trying to seem casual and un-panicked, I started to push through people, balancing my plastic cup of orange liquid in my left hand all the while. That's when I saw them. Alex (ImAllexx), James (James Marriott) and George (Memeulous) were all sat on a couch at the back of the room.

James seemed to be laughing way too hard and Alex was smiling whilst looking at him. George had his hand to his head. At this point in time, I think I could relate the most to George.

I stood still until I realised it must have been very obvious I was staring at them.

As best as I could, I averted my gaze to the speakers and tried to focus on the awful music and forget about how hungry I was. There was the sweet and salty, cheesy smell of pizza wafting up from the table in front of the guys. So desperately, I just wanted to join them and take a bite... or two.

​"And then, and then..." I heard Alex trying to tell some story interrupted by his own laughter and James kept leaning forward also trying to stop him with some inaudible interjections.

​"No, as I was saying," Alex finally caught his breath and brushed some hair off his face, "I really don't get it. James, it's a mystery."

"Alex, many things in life are a mystery, but your lack of a memory is not one of them." James looked knowingly to Alex as George scoffed a laugh. I had to stop eavesdropping and staring. Any minute now and they'd notice me... Or I'd cave in and ask for a slice of the pizza...

​"Guys, where..." I began to ask them about the pizza when Alex shot up and pointed across the room, his eyes getting wide.