12:51 Blaze It ( Julian Casablancas Fic )

Chapter 1 pt. 1

Having just moved from Washington to New York, I go to a bar to get away from my apartment for a while. Smokes in the back pocket of my skinny jeans, hair freshly dyed, and my old leather jacket on my shoulders, I run my fingers through my hair as I walk into the bar. It's dark and smoky, loud music coming from the live band, who aren't all that great. There's sports on the TV behind the bar, and groups of loud people all over.

I take a seat at the bar, eyeing the hot bartender behind it.

She smirks at me. "What's your poison?"

"Jack Daniel's," I reply, sliding her some cash.

She takes the money with a wink and gets me a glass, which I take with a thank you and turn around to look at the rest of the club.

There's a group of punks in the corner, one of them glancing over to me every few seconds. After more eye contact with him, he nods in his direction, motioning me over. I slide my empty glass away and get up, striding over to the guys. "What's up?" I ask.

The guy, tall and lanky with a mess of a hairdo, smiles. "Nothing much. Never seen you around here before, are you new here?"

I nod with a smile. "Yeah, I am. What's your name?"

"Julian," he says, sticking his hand out.I shake it.

"Lizzie. Who're your friends?"

"Oh, this is my band."

They all wave at me.

"You're in a band? Hell yeah, man. Up top."

He gives me a high five with a smirk. "You wanna beer?" he asks, loud over the noise.

I shrug. It's a Friday night. "Sure, why not?"

He walks me over to the bar and buys two beers, one for me, one for him. "Cheers." He clinks his bottle to mine. "Welcome to New York."

I smile and take a swig of my drink, as does he.

A long while later, after talk of music and bands, Julian leans close to me and murmurs, "Wanna get outta here?"

I finish the rest of my drink. "The band sucks. Hell yeah I do."

He smiles and slides his arm around my waist. "Come on."

After we stand up and head out of the bar, both a bit tipsy from drinking, I reach up and wrap my arm around his shoulders. "Should we go back to my place?" I ask, looking up at him.

He shrugs. "Whatever you want."

"Awesome."

After we arrive, I take my jacket off and throw it onto the floor. "You wanna smoke?" I ask.

"Sure, I've got some weed in my pocket."

"Oh my god, that sounds incredible right now."

"No duh. Come on." With a smirk, he takes off his jacket and heads into the bathroom.

I follow him, closing the door behind me as he rolls up a joint. Sitting on the sink counter, myself sitting down on the edge of the bathtub, he rolls a second one. I take my lighter out of my pocket and light his cigarette, mine next.

I take a deep inhale as I ascend into my high, letting my lighter fall to the floor and leaning back against the wall.

Julian starts to lose his balance, so he gently slides to the floor. "Ffuuuuuck," he moans softly.

I start laughing as I take another breath of the smoke. "You okay?" I slur.

He holds up a thumbs-up.

My face flushed, I reach my hand out and run my fingers through his hair, to which he closes his eyes. "You're, like, the coolest guy I know," I whisper.

He lets out a laugh through his nose. "You don't even know me."