Somebody Someone (The English Version)

CHAPTER 3

P.O.V. Narrator

Whenever she could, Madison managed to go to the bar to meet the few friends she had. She wasn't old enough to drink since the law required at least 21 years old to be able to buy drinks, but she had been consuming alcohol since she was 16.

Madison told her mother that she would sleep from Saturday to Sunday at a friend's house named Nathaly, already known to Madison's mother since the girls had been friends for years. This story wasn't exactly a lie, as she would meet her friend at the bar and then actually sleep at her house.

The bar was a little bit far from the city center, it was a "hidden" place for the alternative ones who didn't feel comfortable living their style in public. Despite California being known as a very liberal state, dominated by progressive views and a non-conservative lifestyle, a great part of the society was still very reactionary. The young people themselves verbally and even physically attacked what they considered "too weird", there were some motherfucking neo-nazis and stuff out there, as Madison liked to refer to them, as well as groups that simply thought they owned the city. For those who didn't want to find these figures in the nightlife, this pub was the best option.

The girl entered the place, going downstairs, she reached a level below the ground, where the bar really was placed, it was a good way to hide the sound and light, so as not to attract attention from the neighborhood. She looked around looking for her friend and saw her at a table with another friend of theirs and some guys that Madison didn't know. She was approaching the table until and was noted by the group.

- Hi Mad! - the friend greeted her, sliding to the side on the bench - Come take a sit here next to me.

- Hello. - the young woman replied, nodding her head to greet the two boys she didn't know yet.

- These are Thomas and Edward - said Nathaly, introducing the two unknown figures to her friend - we met them last week at the record store, they are very funny guys - she added, making the two boys smile, enjoying the compliment received.

- Nice to meet you guys, my name is Madison, but everyone here calls me Mad.

- Natty - Madison called her friend by the nickname she used to - I'm going to the counter to get a beer. Can you go with me?

- Let's.

They walked to the bar counter and Mad ordered a beer, no one there required ID cards and she certainly wasn't the only one under 21 in the place. She handed the money to the bartender and turned around, her eyes were drawn to one of the tables, more specifically to a person: Jonathan was there with two other guys, engaged in some conversation.

Madison felt her heart pounded with a feeling of surprise, she hadn't seen the boy in a few weeks.

- Shall we go or shall we not? - Nathaly asked, referring to returning to their table, making her friend realize that she was staring at the guys longer than it is acceptable, but fortunately none of them seemed to have noticed this.

They walked back to the table, sat down with the three young men who accompanied them and soon a conversation flowed, making the group talk about trivial matters.

P.O.V. Madison

A silly subject came up in the circle and I took advantage of the gap to look at the table where Jonathan was sitting, he was laughing and constantly playing with his hair. Jonathan had a weird smile and his habit of messing with his dreads was weird, but for some reason I thought that was kind of cute, he seemed like a sensitive guy, I liked weird and sensitive guys...

- Mad? What is it, what are you looking at so much? - Natty caught my attention.

- Oh... that guy over there - I started to answer thinking about what I was going to say without sounding suspicious - I remember he was from our school when we were in high school, he was from some class ahead... I've never seen him around here and we kinda know most of the people who come here, they're familiar faces, but he... Like, the only thing I know about him is that he works in the morgue, that's all. - I lied.

- It's true, girl... He's not a regular here and I only remember him from school. A weirdo, but we all are, this is the weirdos place...

- Are you referring to Jon? Jonathan Davis? - one of the guys, Thomas, asked and I just nodded my head positively - That guy is really a weirdo, I studied in the same class as him, many said he was gay and I think it's true.

I didn't understand what exactly was wrong with being a weirdo or gay, and I couldn't help but cast a judgmental look back in Thomas's direction.

- And? - I just asked that, waiting for him to complete what he was saying because if I said any other word the group mood would get a little cumbersome.

- Not that being gay is a problem... - the boy added, but he seemed to be lying - But like, there were also rumors that he fucked, like... he practiced intercourse with the corpses where he worked.

At first I was kind of shocked and disgusted, wondering if this was real. Maybe it was, maybe that gentle and polite way of Jonathan was just to hide up the shit he used to do.

- Jonathan? Are you talking about the HIV boy? - Edward asked to his friend who had just talked about Jon.

- Yes, he's right there. - He nodded toward the table where Jonathan was sitting.

- This guy is a fagot, they say he contracted AIDS from a corpse he fucked and that's why he's so skinny. He was asthmatic too, remember Thomas? In physical education classes he had those ridiculous crises, the guys said it was AIDS too that made him feel like this... I don't know how far this is true, but I don't like him.

- He wore makeup to school, do you remember that? Completely clueless. - Thomas replied, making me really uncomfortable with that conversation.

- Mad, the only thing I know about him is that he's part of a band - said my friend, who was quiet until then, watching the situation - they were promoting some shows next month, or afterward, I don't remember... It's something underground, I have no idea what their sound is.

- Hey Edward, do you remember that time some kids in our class beat him up in the school bathroom? - Thomas returned to talk about that shitty subject with his friend and I decided to just get away to preserve my neurons.

- Natty, I'll go get another beer... - I said and she nodded in agreement, I knew she wouldn't go with me, she would prefer to hear the story that the two boys started to tell, she's kinda a gossip girl, so I got up on my own and headed towards the counter.

I ordered another beer, handed over the money and waited for the barman to bring my drink and hand back my change.

- Madison? - I heard a voice behind me and as I recognized who it belonged to I felt my body freeze.