Never Get to Heaven • Charles Leclerc

002. BROKEN RULES

Jo and I stumbled upon a bar not far from the restaurant.

The music blared from the speakers as we stood at the bar. Jo had been flirting with the bartender, wrangling a couple of free drinks for each of us. Something she had done quite often during university. I couldn't help but laugh in amazement.

"You've still got it!" I cried over the music.

"Never lost it!" Jo chirped.

We sipped our drinks before Jo suggested we head to a club afterwards. I hesitated, worried about my phone, but Jo just grinned and refused to give it back.

"Not until I see you're actually having fun!" she teased, waving the phone before me.

I rolled my eyes. I knew she desperately wanted me to loosen up, but it was hard knowing Adam would grow increasingly frustrated with each passing minute. I could already imagine the flood of missed calls and texts. I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind, taking another sip of my rum and coke, trying to soothe the anxious knot in my stomach.

"Fine! Let's go to the club, but I need my phone back at some point! What if I lose you in there?" I pleaded, giving Jo my best puppy dog eyes.

"Then you'll just have to stick close to me. I guess!" she smirked, downing the remainder of her drink.

"Come on, drink up!" she urged. I struggled to finish my drink, the burning sensation in my throat almost making me gag. Jo laughed at my reaction to the alcohol.

As we left the bar and made our way to the club, I realised I hadn't really experienced Monaco's nightlife since moving here. Walking through the buzzing streets, I soaked in the electricity and excitement around us. People were out enjoying themselves, laughing with friends, hugging and kissing.

It made me realise how lonely I had been in the past year. I don't think I had had a meaningful conversation with anyone—bar Adam and Mama—since I had left Lyon.

Turning to Jo with a smile, I said, "Thanks, Jo, you know I love you," feeling the warmth of the alcohol in my cheeks.

"Don't get all mushy on me, Bea. We haven't even made it to the club yet! We can do that on the way home!" she laughed, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

I felt a grin take over my mouth as I started to laugh. I grabbed Jo's hand and started to skip down the streets. I felt so giddy, like a little girl.

"There's my little bee!" Jo exclaimed as we approached the club's entrance.

Inside, the club was packed, and the humid air made me break out into a sweat across my forehead. We headed straight for the bar to grab some drinks. Jo beat me to it, ordering shots and rum drinks. I shook my head at the sight of the shot glass she handed me.

"No way! You know how much I hate shots!" I scolded her.

"When was the last time you had one? Maybe things have changed, no?" Jo teased. She lifted her head back, downing the shot in one go. She looked back down at me, a cheeky smile plastered on her face.

Following suit, I felt the burning liquid warm my chest. This was probably the drunkest I had been in a long time. Adam never let me drink, always claiming I was an annoying drunk. Eventually, he 'banned' me from drinking as he apparently couldn't take it anymore. It's ironic, considering how we first met, he was utterly wasted, leaving me to look after him.

Shaking my head to banish thoughts of Adam, I focused on having fun with Jo. She grabbed my hand, pulling me through the crowd to a spot overlooking the club. We sipped on our drinks and danced along to the music playing.