Get Up

"Get up." 

She smiled softly at me, her lips were the only feature unveiled to me through the curls of her hair that showered over her face, or maybe it was the only thing I wanted to see. Her voice had enough amplitude so that I could hear her over the pounding bass of the music, which now seemed to synchronise with the rising tempo of my heart, but was not excessively loud to the extent of intimidation. Her words soothed me. Those lips. Every part of my being was paralysed by her gaze. I couldn't draw breath nor release it, I'd simply forgotten how. The flashing lights appeared to reflect off her face, blue, red, then pink, as her leaning shadow coated me in darkness, I looked up to her light. There was something about her, her aura that was hypnotic. The gentle sway of her hair, the glisten of her ring with fingernails painted a glossy black, a baggy leather jacket, those fucking lips. They parted again but this time I couldn't decipher what she'd said. I couldn't tell if it was a whisper or a yell; her expression was still masked under her hair. As my eyes chased down her, I felt as someone who'd been put under hypnosis, for the life of me I couldn't look away. It was only when I felt the overwhelming compulsion to blink that I finally felt myself fall back into full consciousness.

"Hey, get up" she said again, her tone lacking its prior warmth. Her arm was reached out to mine, prompting me to grasp it. As I did so, her palm was warm but her fingertips were cold. I staggered a bit as I stabilised on my skates, I looked down to her feet and realised she was wearing sneakers instead of skates. She stood firm when I wobbled.

"You can let go of me now," her lips said. She flicked my wrist away like it was a parasite clinging to her and turned her back to me. I still hadn't seen her face. "Wait!" I shouted over the music, but she made no reaction, she chose not to hear. So I chose to grab her arm. She pivoted towards me in a swift motion, her face flickered through her hair as she turned. It was a face of disgust. "Aren't you gonna apologise?" I said, looking her up and down, reciprocating her distaste.

"Pfft, for what?" she laughed.

"You walked right through the middle of the rink, with zero spatial awareness and bashed into me."

"Well, you should have just turned. It's even faster to do on wheels, no?"

"I can tell you know nothing about skating. Just get the hell out of here."

"Oh, I wasn't planning on sticking around in a shit hole like this anyway."

Her eyes suddenly lit up and became fixed on something behind me. Her shoulders barged past mine as she marched intently towards a man who was juggling a glass of champagne, with his phone and a slice of pizza. Without a word, the girl grabbed him away from the circle of spectators he was entertaining with his slurred speech and jerky movements, and began to drag him across the rink. He fell instantly, his phone drowned in champagne in the process, but she was relentless in her heave. Flung him right out of the disco, leaving a wave of gasps and nudges in their violent departure.

"Who the hell is she?"