Destination 1974

Chapter 10

| I only act upon choices to satisfy another and not myself. |

~***~

We walk into the bar at around nine twenty-one, and once we get inside, I instantly start eyeing the empty booth near the jukebox. Clyde steers me to that very booth, noticing that I was staring at it. I don't want to sit there though, it just makes me feel claustrophobic.

We sit across from one another, and I toss my bag against the wall on the bench beside me. I tap my fingers impatiently, and we sit in silence until the waitress comes with some menus.

"What can I get y'all today?"

"I'll have a Budweiser."

"And for your daughter?" the waitress asks nonchalantly as she jots down his order. Clyde visibly tenses, and I quickly reply.

"A water for me, thanks."

She finishes writing down our orders and walks away to the next booth over. I glance over my menu at the jukebox that's sitting against the wall behind Clyde with an anchored stomach. I place my menu on the table and sigh bitterly.

~***~

Mona slips out of the bar booth, and she strides towards the jukebox. She puts a coin in and picks her song carefully. She turns the volume knob all the way up so that the music takes over the silent atmosphere.

"Here's my story, it's sad but true. It's about a girl that I once knew --" she sings with the song, grabbing the two men from her booth playfully. They grin as she drags them to the centre of the empty bar, "-- She took my love and ran around, with every single guy in town."

Suddenly, the song breaks into an upbeat melody, and she pulls out the handgun that was sitting in the back of her shorts and shoots the bartender in the head. She continues to dance and sing as she eventually shoots one of the men in the head, and the other in the leg. She then shoots the cook from the back, and the drunk dragging himself from the bathroom. Her gunshots fire with each beat, making it sound like it's part of the song. She bends down at eye level with the man with a bullet in his leg, and she shoves him against the wall beside the jukebox. She cages his head between her arm and the jukebox, and his eyes widen as she clicks the gun before easing the cold metal against his forehead.

"I know what you're thinking: 'Did she fire six shots or only five?' Well to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But you've gotta ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" Mona cocks up an eyebrow and the man's eyebrows furrow.

"What the-- wh-wait a minute. Wasn't that was from a movie?"

"Well, congratulations... You're f***ing observant," Mona says sarcastically, waving the gun around like a toy. She presses it against his sweating temple again before continuing, "however, there's one little problem that I think needs to be noted. We're not in a movie," she deadpans, "this is all very real..."

She pulls the trigger, causing the bullet to pierce through his skull. Blood sprays with the bullet from his head, and it paints the jukebox. He falls limp on the floor, she stands up, and she twirls the gun into the back of her jean shorts in one swift movement.

~***~

"Mona, are you alright?" Clyde asks abruptly, his concerned voice pulling me from my trance. I look over at him and I force a smile.

"Never been better..." I reply while folding my hands on the table, and maintaining a false smile. Clyde's eyes fall down to his menu, and I glance down at the gun peeking out of my bag. I steal a quick glance at Clyde before pushing it further inside.

"Here's your beer, and here's your water," the waitress puts our drinks in front of us, "are you two ready to order?" she rests her hands on her hips. I look over at Clyde and nod, and then he looks up at the waitress.

"Yeah, I'll just have a cheeseburger and fries," he hands her his menu, and she collects it before looking over at me.

"Uh, I'll have the same thing..." I mumble. I hand her my menu and lean back against the seat. She quickly scribbles our orders down on her notepad, and she wanders off towards the kitchen. I turn my attention to Clyde, and he's stroking his thumb up and down the neck of the bottle while his eyes wander across the pictures and decorations on the wall. I take a sip of my water and look around at the other people in the bar. I see an old man dancing to no music in the centre of the bar, which causes me to chuckle under my breath.

"Man, that guy's battered," Clyde's remark causes me to turn around and face him.

"He sure is the life of the party, huh?" I add while gesturing to the drunk man with my thumb and a raised eyebrow. Clyde chuckles and takes a quick sip of his beer.

"I saw you eyeing that jukebox. Maybe you should put on a song for him to dance to," Clyde suggests before taking another sip of his beer. I suddenly notice that I started clawing at the immortal hangnail on my left thumb.

"Uhh, nahh...I-I don't really wanna...besides, I might ruin his groove if I turn on something that doesn't go along with his beat," I muster out sheepishly, causing Clyde to raise an eyebrow at me.

"Okay," Clyde drags out the word, "if you won't pick something, then I will," Clyde shrugs before getting up and approaching the jukebox. He takes a minute or so and then turns around to face me before the song starts playing.

"I love this song!" I say as Crimson and Clover starts playing through the speakers of the jukebox. Clyde grabs his drink, and I drag him to the centre of the bar. He awkwardly backs up to the wall beside the dartboard and watches me dance to the psychedelic tune. I smile at him as I sway to the entrancing melody. Every time I glance at him, he averts his gaze to the floor and takes a gulp out of his beer like he's playing some sort of drinking game.

I wonder what's on his mind?

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