The Silence Between Us

The Cerberus: The World's Gate to Hell

Chapter 26:

I couldn't believe that I was actually here right now.

Like I said, the Cerberus was a very scary place. It wasn't my hangout spot of the year that's for sure. With how many booze and drugs were here, I'm surprised that nobody got killed or something bad happen. Well I did mention earlier that a couple years back there were shots fired but no one got injured. That's why my mom would absolutely kill me if she knew I was here. It definitely was not the safest place.

Clara came over to me, lazily putting her arm around my shoulders as she slumped over to the point that I was basically supporting her entire body weight. Her breath reeked of alcohol and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Wait... was she? "Clara! Are you already drunk? We've been here only for thirty minutes!"

She rose her hand to her face, probably chugging whatever she was drinking in her hand. "Lou hon, I'm very tipsy, not drunk. I take a shot or two or three or more to help with the nerves before the concert, you know?" Clara said, hiccupping after her last statement.

"No, I don't know. What if you end up playing worse because of it? And I think you're actually-"

"Not drunk. Geez, Lou, can you not be the voice of reason for one day?" She said, finishing my statement for me and forcing something into my hand. "You should drink that, you need it."

I felt the cold bottle in my grasp and I wrinkled my nose again. "What is this? Beer?"

"Well I didn't want you to start off with vodka that's for sure. Although if you want to..."

"No. I don't even want the beer." I said, letting her know that alcohol wasn't an option for me.

Clara sighed, slurring her next words. "Just hold it then, Lou. We don't want other people offering you things and slipping something in them. Just stay safe, alright. I mean your divine protector Clara Nakamura is going up on stage in less than three seconds."

My eyes widened. Was her entire band going to appear without her there? "Then go, Clara!"

She laughed at my panicked face. "Alright, alright going." Clara took one step and then immediately turned right back around to face me. "You're going to be okay, right Louisa?" Her voice was laced with concern, and it surprised me a little.

"Of course. Don't worry about me and go have fun. Plus I have Mae!" I said, winking at Clara.

As soon as I gave her my affirmative response she slipped away into the very large crowd that was forming right before the stage. But that doesn't mean I couldn't hear her calling back to me from wherever she was now. "I wouldn't be too sure about that!"

And she was right. While Clara was making her way to the stage, I attempted to find Mae in the mass amount of people. I called her name over and over, my voice getting lost in all the cheering. I don't know how Mae found me again but she did and soon enough she was right beside me... except she was worse off than Clara.

"Louisa Olivia Kelley." Mae slurred as she threw her arms around me. What the... "I'm missed you so damn much. How long has it been? Like five...ten...twenty years?"

"Try thirty seconds. And it's Louisa Josephine Kelley, my middle name isn't Olivia." I stated, rolling my eyes at her.

"No it's not!" Mae's voice boomed and I instantly cringed at how loud it was and how much attention it attracted. Mae's voice lowered now, like she was telling me the biggest secret in the world. "I'm sure of it, it's because your mom's name is Olivia, right?"