Saturday evening.
Five days. It's been five days since Jay left for his football game, and even if I'm starting to really miss him, I'm also enjoying spending some time alone. Well for the most part. I have spent the majority of the week bored at home; yet not bored enough to go spend more time in the Christmas hell that my parents' place has become. Brad has been busy with Ashley and has been completely ignoring me since our last conversation at my parents' until he finally texted me earlier in the day asking me if I wanted to go out with him and the boys tonight. Offer that I immediately accepted, especially when he mentioned that Ashley was in London for the weekend, and thus I would not have to stand her drunk self.
Brad's now over at my place, lying on my bed, his phone in his hands while I'm getting ready for our night out. I can't remember the last time I went to a club. Jay's never been a fan, which is why we spent most of our weekends in front of Netflix like an 80-year-old couple, despite my many pleads for him to let loose and have some fun. Never worked though. So I'm more than ready to finally have some fun after months of deprivation. I pick out a black dress from my wardrobe and proceed to put it on. Brad's still lying on the bed, typing away on his phone, not paying attention to what I'm doing. We're so used to seeing each other in underwear that none of us are bothered by the lack of privacy. I wiggle my way into the only club-appropriate outfit I have in my closet, a skin-tight black dress, pulling on its length a little so that my butt would not show, and turn to the mirror next to my bed. I'm not used to dressing that way anymore and feel a little uncomfortable at how short and tight this dress is. I didn't remember it being that way, but again, the last time I wore that dress was over a year ago.
"You're not seriously gonna wear that, are you?" Brad asks me as he looks straight at me, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turn my head to the side to face him, and raise an eyebrow.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"You look like a hooker", he answers looking at me from head to toe with a very judgmental look.
"Excuse me?", I say, looking at him straight in the eyes. It's not true. Well, maybe the dress is a little short, but it's just for one night, who cares? "Are you slut-shaming me right now?", I add, really not liking the way he's looking at me.
"Come on, Em, look at you. I'm not going out with you dressed like that", he answers, making me roll my eyes at him.
"What's the problem? I like this dress", I say as I pull it down again.
"That's the problem!" Brad exclaims in reference to what I just did, pointing at me with his hand. "I can literally see your ass. What do you think's gonna happen in the club? I don't wanna have to spend the night pushing guys away from you"
I roll my eyes again.
"Good thing no one asked you to then", I answer as I put on a pair of earrings. All I want is a night out, a night to just forget about everything and have fun with my friends. Is it too much to ask? "I just want to have fun for once", I say as I touch up my lipstick in front of the mirror. "I'm not a little girl anymore, I really don't need a chaperon. So keep your toxic masculinity to yourself and let me enjoy my night, dressed in whatever the fuck I want". On those words, I walk out the room, ready to leave and get drunk.
"I'm starting to wonder what kind of fun you're looking for", Brad answers as he follows me into the living room, making me turn to him, really getting annoyed.
"Will you stop with the slut-shaming at once? If I wanna have sex tonight, I will okay? Why is it okay for guys to have one night stands, and when girls do it, we're immediately called sluts?", I say and he stares at me, clearly unsure whether or not I'm being serious. "Not that it's what I want", I add before he can answer anything. "But if I did, there's nothing you could do or say to stop it. You are not my dad Brad, so let me be"
"I'm just looking out for you. I don't want you to do anything stupid that you'll regret in the morning", he says, making me roll my eyes at him for the million's time tonight.
"You know me, I always behave", I answer, giving him more most innocent smile as I put my high heels on, already regretting my choice of shoes.
We meet Tris, Con, James and their girlfriends Lucie and Kirstie in a local bar for some pre-drinks before hitting the club. By the time we reach the club I'm pretty drunk, which isn't surprising considering my very infrequent drinking habits. We enter the building from where loud EDM music is blasting and get overwhelmed by hot and sticky air. I knew my hair would soon look like a mess, but at that moment, I couldn't have cared less. The guys find a table where we all sit down, ordering some more drink before I grab Lucie's hand and drag her to the dance floor, the rest of the band looking at us, laughing at how drunk we both are. We dance together, rubbing our bums to whoever is behind us without paying much attention to it. Connor quickly joins his girlfriend, clearly turned on by the way she's moving her body on the dancefloor. I'm left dancing by myself to the rhythm of the techno music as I forget about everything around me. I close my eyes, my arms in the air, moving my hips side to side. The minutes pass by without me realizing as if I'm alone in the club. I feel free, and more alive than I've been in months. When I finally open my eyes, I look over at the table to see Brad staring at me. I smile at him and wave my hand in his direction, trying to get him to join me on the dancefloor. He doesn't budge and instead turns his head away in the opposite direction. I roll my eyes at him, and start walking towards the table.
"What's your problem party pooper", I say as I sit down next to him, half falling on him by lack of balance.
"Can you stop dancing like that?" he says, looking pissed.
"Like what?", I ask and he looks at me for a second before taking a sip of his whisky.
"Like you want every single guy in this club to fuck you", he answers before putting his glass back on the table. I look at him, not sure if I misheard him or not. But judging by the look on his face, I did understand correctly.
"Whoa... First of all that is not true. I mean, seriously?" I start to say before interrupting myself for a second. "Let me tell you something grumpy head. If it were true, I wouldn't be here having this conversation with you, if you see what I mean", I continue, blinking obnoxiously at him. He stares at me, unimpressed."Come on B, why are you being such a Mr No Fun right now? Do I have to remind you whose idea it was to come here?"
"Tris's actually", he answers, taking another sip of his whisky.
"Yeah well you dragged me here, so now you're gonna dance with me. And don't even try to get out of it", I say as I stand up, grabbing his hand. I pull on his arm to make him move but he only smiles at my vain attempt.
"You know that a five year old has more strength than you?"
-"I'll break your arm if I have to", I answer pulling harder on his arm.
"Alright, I'll come before you hurt yourself trying to tear my arm off", he says as he finally stands up and I smile at him, happy that my strategy worked. I hold on to his hand and we make our way to the dance floor, both trying to keep our balance the best we can as we pushed through the crowd. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who had a little too much to drink tonight. I start to dance without a care in the world, quickly imitated by Brad behind me, who places his hands on my hips keeping me close to him. We stayed there for a while, moving our bodies to the rhythm of the music, ignoring everyone around us until Brad detached himself from me.
"Seriously, why do you have to dance like that?" he asks loudly so that I could hear him despite the blasting music.
"What's wrong with the way I dance?"
"Everyone's looking at you", he says, looking pissed again. What's his problem? If his goal is to make me self-conscious, he's doing a great job at it.
"You know what, if you don't like the way I dance, you can go sit back down", I say, pointing at the table we were sitting at a moment ago. "I don't even know why you invited me in the first place if it's to act like such a jerk"
"Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing", he answers before turning on his heels and leaving me alone on the dance floor. The nerves! I can't believe he's acting like that. I didn't do anything to explain his behaviour. What the hell?
Suit yourself, I thought to myself as I watch him walk towards the bar to probably order his hundredth drink. If he's willing to waste his night being all moody and grumpy, I certainly ain't. I decide to ignore him and go back to dancing by myself. Who needs a dancing partner anyways?
YOU ARE READING
FRIENDS - BWS
Fanfiction"Don't even try to deny it", she spat at me. "I see the way you look at Brad, the way you talk to him as if you two are the only ones in the room. You're constantly around him, craving his attention. It's pathetic". "Wow, I'm pathetic? Yet I'm not t...
