No Pills

8. Tongue bleeds

Mia's P.O.V

I feel a hand tug at my arm, but I can't look away.

"Let's go back now," Loré says just as Oswald catches me staring. His brow scrunches as if to put a name on my familiar face. He loosens his grip on his drink, and the shoulder blades of his mauve-stripped shirt gradually tense. His eyes dilate, flooding tides of humiliation through the wooden cage, shielding my perseverance. Suddenly, I feel exposed. It's not so much about the length of my clothing, but it is about the implications of him seeing me.

What will he do? What should I do? Am I going to get in trouble for letting him see me?

Even as Loré obliviously pulls me out of there, I can't help checking behind my shoulder if he's following me. Loré leaves me on a dark-lit mini-stage at the top of the steps with two punk guys. Wordless, one of the men nudges me back to Earth and gives me a guitar.

"Hey, chill," the other one with spiky hair and a face tattoo cheers, "just follow our lead, and you'll be good."

Twelve minutes later, the band starts playing. I miss some parts of the lyrics because they are going so fast. It's a rush of adrenaline pounding my head, feet, and everywhere. I relish finally managing to play in their rhythm. They are going too fast. The club starts shouting, hooting, jumping, and romping as if the music is not deafening.
My hands are mush by the last note. The crowd applauds. I collapse onto a couch, out of breath. I stay frozen as the band guys send someone to call Loré to come and get me home.

"You're alright?" The lanky, pimple-faced mixed guy sits opposite me. I consider the question momentarily, then nod, realising things turned out far better than I expected. I'm glad that I didn't have to perform for perverts or do anything detrimental. This gig is good. It's too good to be true, especially if I'm being paid a lot to just play for stoned and inebriated - otherwise ordinary - people.

"How old are you?" He asks.

"Fifteen," I reply and instantly regret it. I should have thought first. He turns to his buddy, who shakes his head as if to say, "Well, it is what it is."

"Well, urr," he tilts his head up, still grimacing," that should not be allowed, but I don't know. But in that case, you should be careful around here."

"Ya," tattoo face butts in. The two of them share a look again, and then the former resumes to say," So be careful, ya? Don't hang around strange people. Don't take drinks from -"

"-Dude, she's not nine," tattoo face tries to interrupt him, but he rolls his eyes," Shut up! I'm trying to prevent what happened the last time from happening again." Then his focus ricochets to me again. "Listen, there was this friend of ours. The last time we saw her, she was dancing like crazy with the crowd. The next minute, she was convulsing. Someone had to call 911, and it was all because some guy spiked her drink or something like that, right?" By now, his buddy is plopping down beside him with a water bottle in hand, nodding. "Yeah, it was this drug, some pink pill that could make people paralyse and shit."

My ears tingle at the words 'pink pills'. I scoot closer, neglecting all fears to implore, "What do they look like? The drugs?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. " I slump back to the couch, dissatisfied. If he notices my disappointment, he doesn't say anything about it, but a flicker of confusion flashes in his black eyes. He looks above my head, only for a hand to touch it. I flinch, scared that it's Oswald,

But then, Loré laughs, appearing from behind me. "Chill, kid. I'm just here to congratulate you. You did great."

*

She phones Andres before letting me have my stuff back in the dressing room.

"Listen, he's busy right now," she says while I change into my clothes. "So, you will have to get the bus home. There's a stop not too far from here. If you just follow the crowd, you'll see it. Urm, with the yellow booth or something. I don't know, but you've got to go immediately because, you know, it's getting late." Then she tossed me a polka dot purse before I can say Jack. "The money is in there, so urm, just go now. For your own safety, ya?"