"Come out with us!" They said.
"It'll be fun!" They assured.
"You never go out!" They reminded.
"It's just a local pub!" They lied.
I wouldn't call six pound drinks with a one to one ratio of alcohol to mixer, loud trashy music bouncing off the walls, sweaty bodies slapped up against each other, sex in the bathrooms, drugs passed along by snogs and water bottles, long queues and expensive coat check a 'local pub'. As soon as our small group of girls walked up to the queue, I knew we weren't in the right place, or at least I wasn't in the right place.
"Shay," I called, her head whirling around, the length of her blonde ringlets swinging and bouncing as they landed on her shoulders. She was just so pretty. She slowed from the head of the group to meet me at the back. "I thought you said we were just going into town."
"Oh Aerie, I meant downtown," she smiled, cocking her head.
"But... you did say... well... you could have told me we coming here," I breathed. We now stood, as the others walked onwards.
"But then you wouldn't have come," she cooed.
"Exactly," I said under my breath.
"Come now, it'll be fun!" She cheered, linking arms with me, lugging me along. "Don't you worry pretty little head!"
It'll be fun...
We managed to skip the queue thanks to Shay, but I wasn't more eager to go in sooner. Honestly I would have rather waited in line. Even in the foyer, I heard the generic club music pounding through the walls. Shay kept enthusing it was an inclusive spot, but my stomach churned the more she tried to convince me of the layout of our night.
The other girls seemed more geared for this night from the get go, wearing sexy numbers, dark smokey makeup, appealing. Me, having thought we were just going for ladies night at the pub, opting for grey slacks and a long sleeve mock neck. I looked down at my attire, self conscious as the girls walked by in much less than me, but they looked so much more comfortable.
"Shay," I called again. She turned and I barely caught her eye roll. My stomach knotted. "I'm not even dressed right. You all look so good."
"You look good," she assured, but I didn't believe her. "Here."
She pulled me aside and yanked my shirt out of my trousers. I gasped silently, but she tugged it upwards and tucked it in on itself and just like that, my whole midriff was exposed. She tightened my belt until I my ribs felt like they we scraping, and tussled my hair, flipping over one side, pouting, and then flipping it to the other side.
She then rummaged in her purse, pulling out a sparkly pink lip tack. She urged me to take it, so I slapped some on, feeling the thick sticky layer already attracting the hair pieces framing my face to stick to it.
"There," she said almost proudly. "Now let's go, leave your coat."
She turned and strut to keep up with the others. I looked down, feeling overly exposed. I tipped the girl and gave her my coat, wanting to just turn around, take it right back and leave. Even though summer was beginning, the cold was too much. I spied a group of rowdy looking boys coming through the entry doors anyway. I turned to enter the heart of this hell for the night, my heart thumping hard as I caught the eye of a man who stood on the other side of the room. He was looking directly in my direction. I froze and tried to catch his gaze, but our eyes were already acquainted. He was looking at me?
My face immediately went hot, feeling silly and blinking to the ground, hurrying away, but not too obviously, but still as quickly as I possibly could. This night was already a mess.
