Until I Come Again

Chapter One | Hi!

I don't know why I went there. 

It's not like I wasn't invited - I was. Along with 95% of the people on University of Western Florida campus. 

But no one ever showed up and I don't know what made me be part of the 5% that did. 

These type of things weren't my scene. However, there I was. On a Thursday night. At 7 p.m. Sitting by myself at Beetles and Gin. 

Tonight, the place was relatively busy (which wasn't saying much) in that there were more than one bar stools occupied and a few people mingling on the couches that surrounded the walls. 

Next to me, sat a man in his late thirties drinking by himself, in attire that assumed he had just come from work. His balding head was hung low, close to the dark liquid in his cup, and his eyes were closed. I could practically smell the alcohol radiating off him. 

My back was leaning against the bar counter as I glanced around the room. 

A family was occupying a circular booth in the corner, mostly hidden by the dim lightening. 

A small stage was at the very back of the area, making up just enough room for one small band to fit. A drum was already in place and I could see a girl adjusting the microphone stand in front of her. 

I recognized the girl. After all, she was the reason I was there. 

Earlier today I had been sitting at one of the concrete tables that were scattered around the lawn in front of the Chemistry building when a shadow loomed over my papers. 

I had squinted through the sun to see a girl's face staring down at me eagerly. 

"Hi!" they basically screamed. 

At first I had been annoyed because I had earphones in and it's a known rule that you don't interrupt someone when they have earphones on. 

I'd ignored the question and simply stared at her. More than anything, confused by the sudden interruption. 

"You're Toni Green, right?" the girl asked, her smile growing more annoying to me. "I'm Ilana Wong."

I stared at her. 

It wasn't weird that she knew my name. I was the student body president of a very small college so most people did. What was weird was that she had decided to talk to me. 

She continued. "I don't mean to bother you," (she was), "but I'm actually in a band and we're playing at Beetle and Gin tonight. We're just starting out so we like don't have a name or anything but we're trying to spread the word. Anyway," she reached into her purse and pulled out a flyer, "it would be great if you could make it."

I hesitated before taking the flyer gingerly. It was a few seconds before I realized she expected me to respond. 

I looked at her expecting eyes and nodded once, knowing full well that I would be going nowhere but my bed that night. 

However, it was 7 o'clock and there I was sitting at the Beetle and Giin, waiting for the show to start. 

"Can i get you something, miss?" 

I turned my neck to see the bartender wiping the table in front of me. 

"Gin Tonic," I said, swirling my stools around to face the bar. 

The bartender frowned. "ID?"

I rolled my eyes. "Need more proof? Should I call my doctor here to verify?" I slid my ID across the counter.