You are not alone

Chapter 13

The sight we met was not what we expected as we walked through the door. Loud music and sweaty bodies dancing vigorously with neon lights overhead. It was in contrast with quiet environment on the outside. It looked nothing like a night club when I stood in front of the building contemplating with Bernard . It had seemed like a normal two -storey building with different shops to let .The club was on the ground floor and it seemed like the people in here were separated from the rest of the world. They seemed to be having the time of their lives without a care in the world. This is exactly what people call , " hiding in plain sight". Maybe they were  an illegally operating nightclub , hence the disguise. None of the shops showed any form of activity on the outside as the whole place seemed deserted . Maybe all the shops were really night clubs on the inside.

I looked at Bernard who shrugged and continued to look around. The sight before us was definitely not for underaged secondary school students. Scaresely clad ladies were  dancing provocatively and shirtless men were  chugging on  bottles of beer. The stale smell of sweat mixed with alcohol clung heavily to the air. I felt like throwing up.

" Can you spot him anywhere?" Bernard shouted over the loud music.

" No. What about you ?"I  returned.

He shook his head in the negative.

This is turning out to be harder than I expected , I thought with a sigh.

"Don't worry we'll find him ," Bernard said to me when he saw my dejected look.

While we continued to look around I noticed two hunky looking men - built  like wrestlers  - throwing glances between  Bernard and I . They were sitted at a table with two girls who looked like they had a whole makeup shop on their faces.  They said something to each other and glanced towards us again. I decided to pay no mind to them and resumed scanning the club for Ben .

"Uuhhh..."  Bernard began . I looked towards the area that held his gaze.

"Are those men coming towards us?" I asked Bernard with a little panic in my voice.

" Maybe. I mean we don't exactly look old enough to be here ."

" Ben's here and he's not an adult either." I pointed out. " I don't see anyone approaching him in order to kick him out ."

He heaved a frustrated sigh and  said ," Just try to blend in ,okay?"

" I think I have an idea!" I remarked . " The dance floor," I indicated , " is fully packed . I doubt anyone can be seen in the mass of bodies packed there. And then there's the dim lights too."

" Genius , Cee . Let's go."

The two men were few paces away from us when we slipped into the dance floor. We moved in  between bodies sticky with sweat and dancing feverishly until something or someone caught our eyes. Sitting comfortably in a corner secluded from the other parts of the club was Ben with some shady looking people. It looked to be a VIP section of some sorts. There were about eight men excluding Ben, and four scaresely clad ladies laughing, dancing and drinking. The table in front of them was lined with several bottles of alcohol and  rolls of white paper. Everyone there was engaged. There were either drinking alcohol, sniffing some white substance resembling a powder of some sort on the rolls of paper or smoking it. Ben sat calmly by a corner and clutched a bottle of beer on one hand with his head bowed. I couldn't see his face clearly  but I could tell  from his bodily expression that he  didn't want to be there anymore.

Why isn't he leaving then ? I  wondered.

From the way the man on dreadlocks had people fawning all over him I assumed he was maybe the gang leader. He offered one of the rolls of paper to Ben who took it . The dreadlocks guy dipped his hand into the tiny metal bucket in front of him and brought out a bottle of wine . One of the other guys rushed to open the wine . Everyone at the table erupted into cheers as they watched the contents of the bottle  spill all over the place. As they began clinking glasses, the guy on dreadlocks said something and everyone's attention turned to Ben. He looked at the paper in his with uncertainty. The people around him cheered him on. Two guys who looked to be around Ben's age , patted his back when they saw his hesitation.

Ben has never been one to be pushed around. If he says he's not going to do something, he wouldn't do it and no one,  absolutely no one could make him change his mind. Mom used to say it was both a good trait and a bad trait. Good , because it showed that he's strong-willed. Bad, because it made him rigid and inflexible. I don't know much but I at least know that it's important for a person to be able to bend a little every once in a while.

He took the paper slowly to his nose and stopped abruptly. He snapped his head back and looked towards my direction. I swiftly slipped behind a plump woman who was dancing in front of me , pulling Bernard along with me.

" I'm guessing this is our cue to leave."

" I think he felt  someone staring behind him. He probably saw us ."

"Or not."

" It may seem like I'm acting paranoid , but I do trust my gut feeling. We have to leave now ." I said in a firm tone.

We pushed through the thick mass of bodies as we made our way to the door. The door that brought us in was - luckily for us - unguarded. It's a little surprising though that a night club ( or an illegal one like this - at  least that's what I suspected ) had no bouncers positioned  at the entrance. Or maybe this was not the main entrance. 

We got out and took to our heels, stopping twice to catch our breaths. In no time , we were in front of my house. I rushed up to my room and changed into the regular house clothes I had on earlier when I got back from school.

" Would you like me to walk to walk you home ?" I asked Bernard when I came downstairs.

" Ouch!" He exclaimed with a hand on his chest. " I feel pained. You're chasing me out of your house now because you don't need me anymore. Not so ?"

" Yep. I'm glad you understand."

" I feel like you just used me ."

" Come on ." I tried pulling  him off the couch . He sat stiffly and refused getting up . He had an amused look on his face. Clearly, he was enjoying this . I let him go and sat down beside him.

"Thank you for today." I said after sometime has passed.

He grinned ." It's good to know that you still remember your manners."

A/N: Thanks for reading!

    "*****Ekwaadoo