Shameless - lestappen

8- Memories

But please don't ruin this for me
Please don't make it harder than it already is
I'm trying to get over this

- Conan Gray

flashback july 2020

Charles Leclerc

The lockdown had been a hell of a long time for me. I had been lucky to be able to live it with my family and not alone in my apartment, but still, I felt like a lion locked in a cage quickly.

I tried to occupy my days as much as possible but quickly I had gone around and my daily life was one of endless rehearsal.

I missed my friends and partying.

The deconfinement was announced on 11 May. It had been a real breath of air.

But it was only in July that the clubs began to open normally. So when I saw that the nightclub "Six" in Nice was organizing a theme night for its full reopening I didn't hesitate for a moment.

I had asked my close friends if they were available that night but they had all gone on vacation.

I ended up texting Max that I knew was in Monaco at the time.

We weren't really friends but we'd gotten really close lately and shared some great times. Our relationship was improving and we were getting along and trusting each other. Actually Max was one of the pilots I was closest to now.

Charles: Hi Max, there's a great party planned tonight at the 'Six' in Nice, I'm going to go.Would you like to come with me? There's no one available.

The answer came only a few minutes later.

Max: I see you're only contacting me as a last resort.

Charles: What did you expect from me? So you're coming?

Max: I already have something planned and it's a gay club.

Charles: Come on, there are not only gay people in gay clubs and the evening is going to be phenomenal.

Max: The confinement made you lose your memory, Charles? You're a public figure people will recognize you.  And I can't come anyway.

Charles: I'll have to go alone if you don't come...

Max: I already have something planned with someone else.

Charles: A more important date than me?

Max: Yeah, sorry.

Charles: Very well.

Max: Have fun.

That's how I find myself at one o'clock in the morning in the center of Nice, alone, at the entrance to the gay club.

I had tried to take Max with me, despite the fact that we're not very close, but he didn't seem at all motivated by my project.

Come on, Max, it's okay. We all know you're heterosexual. No one's gonna make a comment because the club is gay friendly. You've been dating a model for several years.

Maybe he's just more reasonable than me.

But it's hard to be reasonable when you've spent several months with very little social interaction.

At the entrance two men make us pass after stamping our cheeks with an LGBT flag.

I'm trying to negotiate not to have it, uncomfortable with the idea but they make it clear to me that it's either that or I'm not going inside.