Royally Fucked

I:2 - The Royal Kiss

KENJI RUSHTON

When I finally regrouped with my best friends, Anthony Cargill and Leona Fennid, they were already getting impatient. The three of us have been best friends ever since we found out that we are part of the lower class of society, and I guess the saying was true. Birds of the same feather flock together. The three of us have been flocking around together.

"Finally, the last dud showed up," Leona said just as I arrived. Leona Fennid was the only girl in our group, and she's quite the tomboy. She thoroughly hated wearing pretty dresses; she doesn't like styling and combing her hair, and even smudging make-up on her face was a big no for her. She says powder always makes her sneeze, and she sneezes really bad. "I thought you were going to ditch us."

"Nah, I couldn't possibly do that. It's my birthday, remember?" I replied, breathing rather heavily.

"Fancy a cigarette?" Anthony Cargill offered me a stick, which I quickly rejected. Anthony was that one friend who's always offering you something to think about, and sometimes they are really good at tricking you into saying yes. He's the bad influence in the group, if that's the right word, but even though he's like that, he's also that one friend who always has your back.

"Alright, here's your fake ID, Mr. Frederick Mercury." Leona handed me the fake ID that she got from her uncle. When I looked over at the name, it really does say Frederick Mercury. What in the Freddie Mercury is going on?

"What in the, Frederick Mercury, really? Your uncle chose that name?" I don't really know if I'm going to laugh or if I have to be worried. "That's the dumbest name; why do I have to be Frederick Mercury?"

"Look buddy." Puffing his cigarette, Anthony tapped me on the shoulder. "I get to be Johnson Lemon, and you get to be Frederick Mercury."

"What the hell, Leona? These names are dumb. Do you really think I look like a Frederick Mercury to you?" I shook my head.

Leona was just laughing under her breath, like this was all a joke to her. "It's fine. You all don't have to worry about anything."

"Are you sure this is going to work?" I asked, staring at the fake ID at hand. I'm already feeling skeptical about it, and I definitely want to have a blast tonight.

"Look, my uncle is really good friends with the bouncer at Underground that we are heading to. These IDs are just for formality." Leona elaborated, seemingly confident that we are going to get inside a club with these dumb names.

To my surprise, this so-called underground party was tucked away at an old abandoned coat factory, of all the possible places. I thought we were just going to walk downtown to a club. When we all got to the place, I immediately noticed how freaking creepy it was. I'm not really expecting something like this. The walls are all vandalized, and there are some scrap cars scattered almost everywhere. Apart from a single guy wearing a hoodie standing in one corner, I really can't see anyone else around the area. Is this really an underground club, or is this a place for murder?

"Are you sure this is the place?" I tapped Leona by the shoulder. I'm really starting to feel creeped out about this whole thing. "I don't want to die on my birthday."

"Kenji, you're such a pussy. You've got to chill. I've been here already, and yes, this is the place. Just follow me." She nodded confidently, leading the way.

I looked over at Anthony, and he just shrugged his shoulders. "You heard her; this is the place. Come on!"

"Haven't you been here?" I asked since Anthony seemed more like the guy who's been in places like this.

"Nope, this is my first time," he replied.

Leona fearlessly approached the guy standing in one corner, and it's as if she's already fairly acquainted with him. Anthony and I just followed in silence as Leona talked to the guy for a while. When the guy asked for our IDs, we just had to show them. At first, I was feeling rather scared about it, but then nothing happened. The guy just compared the ID we had to our faces and then instructed us to follow him all the way to the backdoor. The pathway to wherever he was leading us was really dark and wet, and I'm already getting a bad feeling about it. I just tried to shove that feeling of fear inside. Perhaps I was just overthinking it all.