The music was loud, something vaguely sensual with a deep bass that thumped in his chest. The whole room was dark and hazy with smoke. Frank made his way to their usual corner in the bar, greeting various people.
“Hey, Toro. Chelsea.” He flung himself in the couch they had claimed as theirs throughout months of frequent visits. “Bob not coming?”
“I don’t know,” Ray replied, “he said something about Chem lab, but I don’t think he’s gonna do homework on a Friday evening.” He shrugged, “I told him we were gonna be here, we’ll see if he shows up or not.”
Frank nodded and slipped a smoke out of the pack in his vest. Lighting it, he took a long drag and let his eyes wander over the crowd.
“What the hell, is it seriously almost 10pm already?” Chelsea suddenly swore. “Jesus, I figured since you only just got here, it’d be, like, I dunno, 8:30 or something. I should get going. Mom will blow a fuse if I’m not home by 10:15.” She grabbed her backpack and jacket and gave Ray a kiss. “See you tomorrow, baby? We have to start working on the senior assignment thing.”
Ray smiled and nodded. “G’bye, babe.”
Frank gave her a half smile and waved his goodbye, but his good mood had vanished at Chelsea’s mention of that goddamn senior assignment. It was like the goddamned thing followed him around everywhere. He took another long drag of his cigarette.
“So, dude,” Ray interrupted his train of thought, “How come you were so late? Usually you get here before any of us.”
Frank shrugged. “Lecture.” His mom hadn’t been too happy with the phone call she’d got from Principal Ellis and had sat him down, telling him exactly how displeased she was with him. He was pretty sure his ears were still ringing. “Stunning really, how she's taken up this role of being "the perfect mom" since she got a new boyfriend. Anyway," he took another drag, "I had to wait till she popped her sleeping pills before I could climb out of the window.”
Ray sucked in a breath between his teeth. “What’d you do this time?”
Frank narrowed his eyes. “Punched Gerard fucking Way in the eye.” He said, his tone steely, taking another drag and blowing out the smoke. “Even though the bastard fucking asked for it. Principal Ellis gave us both two nights detention and called our parents. Mom wasn’t too happy, to say the least.”
Ray whistled and opened his mouth to make a remark but Frank stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and got up. “Look, whatever dude. I just want to not think about that arrogant asshole for the whole fucking weekend, okay? I’m gonna go get a drink.”
He made his way to the bar without looking back to see Ray’s reaction. He was dimly aware that he wasn’t exactly being a great friend, but he’d just had a shitty day to top of a really shitty week. He needed to get some beer and he needed it now.
“Sorry, babe, no can do.” Alicia shrugged at him from behind the bar. “We’ve had a few random checks lately, and I already got a warning. Serving alcohol to minors could lose me my license.”
Frank cursed and slammed his hand on the bar. “Oh for fuck’s sake! C’mon Alicia, I’ve had a fucking shitty day and a fucking shitty week and I want a beer."
"And I've told you, you ain't getting any here, Frank! Jesus, you think I like this?" she snapped. "Three fucking fourths of my clientèle is underage. But I'd rather this for a while than losing my license altogether!"
"Fuck. Whatever, just give me a coke then," he snapped. She twisted around for a glass and seconds later his drink was on the bar in front of him, accompanied by an apologetic smile. He half-heartedly smiled back and was about to head back to Ray to apologize for his shitty behaviour when a hand on his arm stopped him.
