Too Perfect To Change A Thing.

Part 17- "Then you can leave. I'm not holding you here."

Chapter Seventeen

"Kylie!" I hear someone shout my name. We're in a club with loud music but the voice is so loud that it's almost hurting my ear. My friends also turn.

"Brian... he wants you to send everyone out through the back door. ASAP." Mariam says panting. We're all calm and confused until she says the last sentence.

"And.. he has a gun with him." I don't know if anyone can see me but there's so much fear in my eyes. I knew something wasn't right.

"KYLIE!" Sophie yells my name snapping me out of whatever world I'm stuck in. I jump off the barstool and get to work immediately. My ex friends and Justin are still sitting there. It hasn't been long since I gave them a piece of my mind. The music is turned off and I'm standing on stage with numerous eyes fixed on me.

"Hello everyone. We're having a little problem at the moment so we're closing early." I gulp down saliva with tiny rivulets of sweat forming on my forehead. All I can hear are the complaining voices of people as they by pass me to the main entrance.

" I'm sorry but y'all will have to use the back door to exit. With the exception of those who came with cars. Please find a taxi and go home immediately or drive away if you have a car." My hands are clasped together in front of me. Christine is standing at the main entrance, making sure they drive away whiles Sophie is ushering the rest out through the back door. Justin passes by me and to my surprise he grabs my hand. I guess Jenny and Laura don't see him stop because they're in so much of a hurry to get out.

"What is going on?" He asks with a concerned look that I've never seen before.

"I..I don't know." I stutter. He pulls me in a warm hug. I'm laying in his chest inhaling that amazing perfume of his that makes me want to sleep.

Everyone is out of the club. I'm sitting on the stairs of the stage with my hands tucked between my legs. Sophie and Christine are sitting beside me. Justin ditched Jenny and Laura to stay with me and you can't imagine how that makes my heart dance in my chest. He insisted with the excuse that my ex friends are not kids. "They'll find a taxi home." He had said to me. I believe him because those girls were too scared to even notice that Justin wasn't behind them.

"Argh!!" Tears are in my eyes as I scream. Brian and the bouncers are engaging in a gunfight with people we have no idea of. Christine, Sophie and I are hugging ourselves tightly. I'm so scared that I don't even notice Brian hand Justin a gun. He catches it midair and before I know it, he's out there with Brian and the bouncers . Is this the moment where we all die and nobody find our bodies? I should have at least made peace with my mom and other family members. Those are the thoughts that run through my head as I brace myself for the worst. Suddenly, I can't hear any gunshots. I open my eyes to find Justin and Brian catching their breathe. I break free from my friend's side embrace and run to Brian. The look in my eyes is not sympathy. I don't care if he's hurt or not. I need an explanation from him and he must give it.

"So is this your way of handling things?" I glower at him with my furrowed brows. His head is down and he even has enough strength in him to pull himself a chair and sit on it.

" Why're you overreacting? It's all over right? Nobody got hurt and that's what is important." I exhale loudly and drop my left hand on my mouth.

" She's overreacting? Are you fucking kidding us right now?. Do you want any of us to have a bullet in our head before you start speaking up?. Look around you!" Christine has gotten over her fear and she's glaring at Brian with bloodshot eyes. I turn to Sophie and find her still shivering. She has pulled her legs in front of her and hugging them.

"When things got messy, do you see anyone else here with you? Where are the strippers?" Christine is right! Where's Mariam and her counterparts.

"They snuck out with the crowd. They're gone and we're here risking our lives with you. I didn't sign up for this when I decided to work here b...."

"Then you can leave. I'm not holding you here." Brian cuts her short in a soft dejected voice.

"You don't have any right to tell us that." I step in with tears in my eyes. The tears are not just in my eyes, they're streaming down my cheeks. Brian looks up to me but he looks back down. I take a seat opposite him and grab his hand.

"I'm sorry I let you all down but I don't think I can run this place anymore. Not at the expense of your lives. What happened today is just the beginning. They'll be back and it'll be worse."

"Which people? Who are they?" I ask. I know whatever he's about to say will not be something pleasant. I can feel it. I can see it in his eyes. There's so much pain and anger in his eyes. So many mixed emotions, so much so that it's become hard to read. Someone runs into the club but fortunately it's Alex. I guess Sophie called him up. He runs to her and she let herself be hugged so tightly by him.