Anger Management

Chapter 43: Bar Therapy Vol.2 and Facing Hard truths

So yeah, I didn’t plan to end up in the middle of a dark noisy club on a Saturday night, yet here I was. I yell out another altered curse word sneering back at the guy who had just pummeled me without apologizing. Ok well, he didn't pummel me but it was still a pretty aggressive bump that had me flying into the person in front of me. I finish elbowing through the massive crowd on the dance floor finally seeing the view of a familiar dark oak bar the number of glass bottles lining the shelf on the inside creating its own disco ball effect. 

“What can I get ya little lady.” The bartender standing behind the counter asks as I approach, his hands already busy with another customer's drink. 

“Not a what but a who. Is Andy here?” I ask as I climb up onto the stool that was seated right across from him. The bartender reaches for a napkin setting it down in front of me.

 “He’s pretty busy at the moment. Is it something I can take care of?”  his eyes are never firmly on me as he responds instead he is scrambling around picking up different bottles. I let out a huff my arms crossing my chest in irritation. I know, I probably resemble a little kid but ya girl was going through a crisis at the moment. 

“No sorry. I need him.” I state a little more harshly than was probably necessary. “Could you just try getting into contact with him? Just let him know Sylvie is here and I need his help. Urgently.” He gives me a final nod finally making eye contact before he unclips a walkie-talkie from his waist bringing it to his mouth. How anyone could hear anything in this noise, especially from a walkie-talkie was above me, but I didn’t care as long as Andy got here. 

“Alright darling, he said he’ll be here in a minute. He also said to give you a free drink while you wait. So what would ya like?” He asks, hands perched on the bar counter waiting patiently. 

I contemplate on it for a minute not really sure that alcohol was the best choice. 

“Umm, I’ll just take a virgin Shirley temple.” I eventually decide. I enjoyed the drink last time when there was alcohol in it, but there was no way I was consuming any of that poison tonight.  Also if I remember correctly it landed me in Ashters bed with nothing but my underwear on. Even the reminder of it has me cringing inwardly the memories relapsing through my head. 

The bartender is already setting down the cup on the napkin in front of me by the time I get out of my thoughts and I grab the glass gratefully giving a small thank you. I swivel around on the stool facing back towards the bustling club lazily sipping from the cup. Mmmm cold and fizzy. It was perfect after all the running I had done. 

I take a quick glance at my phone assessing what time it was, trying to make sure I made it back to my house early enough so I could avoid any suspicion or unwanted questions.  Surprisingly I didn’t have any texts or calls from Ashter asking about my whereabouts which I was 75% sure would have happened. I did kind of feel bad for just leaving Ashter in that abandoned parking lot but at the moment the pressure was too much and all I could think was ‘run’. So I did. Granted it was just a few blocks away but I doubt Ashter would follow me after I ditched him. Plus I feel like he knows that I’m here and Andy is a good guy and he obviously trusts him enough to have brought me and Mason here after that almost run-in with the cops. I scold myself before shaking my head free of thoughts of Ashter once again. I don’t know if it was my guilty conscious but for some reason, my thoughts kept drifting back to the notoriously known bad boy. 

Well actually, maybe he wasn’t as bad as I thought having learned tonight that what he did that was considered ‘bad’ was actually pretty tame. Unconsciously, I feel the corners of my mouth inch up at the thought of Ashter not really being a part of anything serious like everyone at the school thought, although there is that one incident with the gun that we never addressed but oh well. I take another sip from my drink turning back towards the bartop and setting my glass down. I place my head in my hands the heels of them massaging the ache behind my brows. I was either going to be getting some of the best sleep I’ve had in ages or my continuation of sleepless nights were waiting for me at my home. I was hoping for the first option.