48 Days Before.
****
I believed in love at one point. But after countless lovers and flings that didn't mean much to me, I gave up. I went to the one night stands for comfort when I couldn't get it from anyone else.
And I didn't regret it one bit.
I wanted happiness and someone to spent my life with just like everyone else, but I was just so afraid of the thought of being hurt by someone once again that I avoided love at all costs. Tonight would be just like the rest. I'd have a little fun, get taken home by some self-centered guy, have sex, and leave the next morning while they still slept. It was the same every time, and I didn't intend on that changing anytime soon.
I walked down the streets of London with my best friend, our heels clicking against the concrete. I looked to her and gave her a gentle smile, studying her blonde curls. I pulled a box of cigarettes from my leather jacket and pulled one out, sticking it in between my teeth. I shoved the box back in my pocket and grabbed the lighter instead. I lit the cigarette, and felt the smoke enter my lungs. I closed my eyes, breathing it in, then pulling the cigarette away, letting it gently seep from my lips. I stuck it back in between my teeth and looked to my friend who scrolled through her phone.
"Where are we clubbing tonight? You told me it was down this street." I spoke, pulling the cigarette from my lips and letting the smoke escape once again.
"It's up here," She paused and stuck her phone in her purse. "Can I have a smoke?"
"Yep," I handed her the cigarette and she took a big breath of it before handing it back to me. She puckered her lips and gently blew while she tapped the side of her cheek, causing small circles of smoke to escape her glossy lips. I snickered and she did also, letting the rest of the smoke leave her lungs.
I pulled out my fake ID and so does my friend, Holiday. Holiday and I have been friends for 4 years, and I was so glad to have her. She was there when I had no one. Well, no one but her. We walked to the door and showed our fake IDs to security before entering. The sweet smell of a mans expensive Cologne filled my senses, the smell of alcohol following right behind. Smoke filled most of the atmosphere, causing me to feel ever so calm. Music blasted, making it hard to hear Holiday speaking to me.
"Mercury, I'm gonna go get a drink," Holiday spoke over the music, "Wanna come with?" Yes. My name is Mercury. I didn't exactly love my name, but at least it was different and not one of those general names that get used over and over again.
"Of course!" I yelled over the music and we walked to the bar. I adjusted my short, long-sleeved, black dress, pulling it down a bit. I sat at a bar stool, Holiday taking the one next to me. I could feel her small hands playing with my waist-long, straight brown hair. I looked up at the bar tender, a young man with blonde hair and gauges, a nose ring pieced into his left nostril. His green eyes stared into my grey ones for a moment.
"What'll it be?" He asked, impatiently waiting for a response.
"I'll have a long island iced tea," I replied, and nudged Holiday.
"I'll have the same thing," she spoke, staring into her phone. She didn't even know what I got, and she didn't care. She put her phone away and smiled at me. "God I can't wait to be taken home tonight."
"Neither can I," I coughed on the smoke of my cigarette, "I've been waiting for this all week."
I wasn't lying. I had waited since last Saturday to go out like this again. The Summer between college and high school was more busy than I expected. I had a job at a coffee shop slash bakery down the street and I unfortunately worked the night shift Sunday through Thursday.
The drinks were placed on napkins in front of us, and I gulped it down without a single thought. I felt a bit fuzzy, but asked for a 2nd. I chugged it down faster than the first one, setting the empty glass down on the bar, a hiccup leaving my lips, and a laugh following shortly behind. I got a few shots of god knows what before stumbling onto the dance floor, beginning to dance to Partition, in the group of bodies grinding against one another. I felt two, strong hands grip my hips, and our bodies began to grind to the music. The man had a strong grip, causing me to moan softly under my breath. I felt a pair of gentle lips kiss the skin on my neck, and the two hands that were once of my hips beginning to wonder elsewhere. Suddenly I felt the man that I was once dancing with being ripped away.
"Hey!" I whined and began to turn around. I turned around to see a young man, around 6-foot standing there pushing away the guy that was once dancing with and scaring him off. He had eyes that were a beautiful light green color, and curly hair that I so desperately wanted to run my hands through. He was so gorgeous, but he had ruined my chances of getting laid tonight. "Seriously?" I rolled my eyes at the man, and sighed. I walked towards the bar, and the young man followed behind me.
"Come on, I was just saving you from getting herpes." He chuckled,"He's a bad guy and he fucks different girls every night. You're such a nice girl, I didn't want him to ruin that," He explained.
"One, I am not a nice girl and two, you don't even know me. So why don't you leave me the hell alone so maybe I can have a little fun tonight. Thank you." I snapped before grabbing Holiday and heading towards the dance floor once again. I couldn't think properly due to the amount of alcohol I had consumed, so I danced and went home with a guy that grabbed me the second I went out on the dance floor.
And I had fun.
**
I woke up with a pounding headache in the comfiest bed yet, with huge pillows and silky white sheets. I rembered very small things about last night, but from what I had, it seemed pretty good. I smirked and sighed, then looked beside me. In the bed sat a muscular young man with brown hair, who seemed to be very handsome. I rolled out of bed and lazily pulled on my clothing, my hair a mess. My makeup was slightly smeared, and my legs kind of hurt. I fixed my makeup quickly and left without a word.
I walked down the sidewalk, trying to get a taxi as they drove past me. I sighed, loosing hope, and walked into a small diner. It permitted smoking, and I couldn't thank god enough. I sat down at a tabel and orded two blueberry pancaked with bacon and a cup of ice cold water. I dug in, the pancakes and bacon feeling great as they went down. I drank the water, it feeling so amazing on my throat. I finished much faster than I hoped, and soon took out a cigarette from my pocket and lit it. I closed my eyes, and smoked away my problems when I opened my eyes to find my cigarette being ripped from my mouth. There stood the boy from the night before, the one who almost ruined my night.
"Smoking Kills." He said, looking me in the eyes as he leaned over the table.
"Well we're all going to die anyway, right?" I spoke before taking the cigarette and returning it to it's rightful place. I gathered my things and walked right past the young man, and I didn't look back.
Even when I wanted to so badly.
**
(A.N) Hehe yay! First chapter :) I know it's kind of boring right now, but it will get better I promise. Just getting into the swing of things. Most of you probably don't like Mercury from what you've first seen, but you will learn why she is the way she is through out the book and hopefully her hard protective shell will be cracked ;) can't wait to keep writing!
