The Monster You Made Me

Chapter 8

Trigger warnings: Swearing/Blood/Violence/Death/Sex/Alcohol 
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After they finished their drinks at the lounge, Ruby suggested they go somewhere fun. After their serious talk, she felt the need to unwind and let loose. She knew of this nightclub not far from where they were called "The Shadows". It was probably one of the better ones in the city, although there were countless ones scattered throughout. Ruby had remembered Nikky had mentioned it being one of the hottest places for people their age.

Ruby expected Wonho to disapprove and want to go elsewhere. She was surprised to hear him agree to it and followed behind her as they left. The nightclub was only a few blocks away, so she suggested they just walk, to sober up a little before getting more drinks there.

The crisp evening air was warm compared to where they had been sitting earlier. As a gentle breeze raced over them, Ruby could feel her heart racing. She had never been to this club without Nikky. And yet she was on her way there, with someone she had only just met. She had never felt more nervous than was at this very second.

Wonho walked beside her inches away from her. His stride matching hers to make sure she could keep. Ruby could feel a slight chill coming from him. At first, she thought it was just the wind blowing between them. Occasionally, she would brush her arm against his, not intentional, and would quickly bring her arm back from the shock of how cold he was.

With only a block left to go, Ruby and Wonho waited at an intersection. Her rapid heartbeat filled her ears drowning out any sound that surrounded her. She felt suffocated as her anxiety began to rise and in the back of her mind, she swore she had heard someone say something. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm herself.

"Ruby?"

Wonho's voice came through the suffocating loudness of her heart bringing her back to the world. Letting out a few breaths, she smiled and tried to play it cool. Her acting might not have been that great, but it seemed to work as Wonho pointed to the glowing pedestrian sign signaling them it was safe to cross. As they crossed, Ruby prayed that nothing would go wrong and how much she wanted to let loose.

The exterior of The Shadows Nightclub was nothing more than an old building with a few other stores attached to it. However, those other stores were nothing more than cosmetics done by the owner to mask the interior of the club. Near the entrance was a line that stretched for about thirty people. They wore expensive suits and elegant dresses signaling their wealth. Some looked down to their phones as they waited, others talked to one another about some current event. Ruby, hoped that they would be able to get in as the other option was all the way downtown.

Patience wasn't one of Ruby's strong points. She was the complete opposite actually. She hated waiting especially when she was with someone. Still, she tried her best to wait patiently. That was until she saw one of the bouncers checking the IDs of those who stood in line. Ruby smiled widely at the girl who walked slowly toward them.

The girl was young but a little older than Ruby. Her long pastel purple hair was done up in a ponytail that hung just above her lower back. Her black and white suit was clean and kept free of any dirt. There was only one person who had that color of hair in that line of work. Zoey Miller, one of Nikky's good friends. Much like Nikky, Zoey was spunky and honest. Zoey wasn't afraid, to tell the truth, no matter how harsh it would be.

Zoey smiled as she checked everyone's IDs while ignoring the snide remarks about her being a female bouncer. It wasn't common to see a small woman working as a bouncer, but Ruby knew that small girl was trouble if you pissed her off. In fact, it was Nikky that told her about that bouncer, Zoey's, fight with one of the customers.