Fly Away With Me (Alex Gaskarth Fanfiction)

Chapter 10

The Roxy. One of LA’s most famous nightclubs, home to Rocky Horror Picture Show and a cesspool of enough drugs and alcohol to kill John Belushi. Slapped right in the middle of the illustrious Sunset Strip, it was not only one of my favorite venues but also the only place within twenty miles of Ray’s where you could not only listen to some great music, but one of the bartenders—Skylar—could make the best Grateful Dead this side of the Rockies.

I wasn’t much for Grateful Deads, but when you walk into a nightclub with your friends, run to the bar to grab a round and recognize the band on the poster as that of your psychopathic ex-boyfriend? You get whatever liquor you can get your hands on, or mix however many it takes—and then you order double.

“I’ll have everything you’ve got behind that bar, Skylar,” I slid into a barstool, elbows resting on the bar, “Even the lime juice. I’ll put that shit straight in my eyes.”

A tall thin man turned around, tanned with jet black hair and a scruffy smile, he let out a laugh when he caught my eye, “Didn’t think I’d be seeing you around here tonight of all nights, Stells.”

“Yeah, well,” I sighed, “I was told it was going to be a battle of the bands, not my ex-boyfriend parading around in coiffed skater hair.”

“Is it true though?” Skylar asked.

“Yeah, his dick is pretty small.”

“No!” He yelled, “I’m talking about your apartment. I heard from a couple of guys the other night that word on the street is he set your apartment on fire. What was that like?”

“Terrifying, death-defying,” I replied, “uncomfortably hot.”

“Shit, whatever the fuck you want,” he threw the towel over his shoulder, “it’s on the house tonight.”

“Fuck yourself, I’ve got a whole flock of ducklings following me tonight. There’s no way anything is on the house.”

He whips out a double shot glass, two slices of lime and pours Patron until it nearly spills over the edge of the glass, “That one is on me, and half the lime is for the shot, the other is for your eyes.”

“I could kiss you.” I laughed, knocking the shot back.

“What’s stopping you?” he asked.

“Down boy,” I breathed through clenched teeth, “I’m gonna need two Jack and Cokes, a Stella, a Sam Summer, and three Grateful Deads.”

“Coming right up,” he smiled.

I turned in my seat, wiping the remnants of lime juice from corner of my mouth with the back of my hand. The place was packed tonight; luckily our rag-tag gang had found a table on the back of the floor with a clean shot of the stage. There was a whole swarm of people gathered around them, either fans or old friends—either way I didn’t do well with reunions or small talk, so instead I picked at the lime between my fingers.

And I’ll blame the pit feeling in my stomach on the tequila.

After all, Alex and Jack had promised tonight would be fun and Rian swore up and down that afterwards we’d go one a drunk adventure down the strip and even stop into Ray’s. Ali had sworn off wedding talk and Lulu was just making goo-goo eyes at Jack the entire car ride here. So there was the potential that this could have been a great night, someone could get laid, and I wouldn’t have to worry about who could possibly be lurking behind my shoulder.

“Want me to get Hannah to grab a few of these or are you good with a tray?” Skylar asked, sliding the glasses onto a round serving tray.

“Is that even a question?” I laughed, “Put it on my tab.”