Chapter 9 ~ The Strange Guy

I sit at the bar, not ready to mingle with the crowd, yet. The music is so loud and doesn't give room for me to think of my sad life.

Maybe the club is actually a good start, after all.

Clara on the other hand, left me few minutes ago to meet a friend she recognized and hasn't been back to her loner friend since them.

So, yeah I'm sitting alone. Currently finishing my third shot of liquor, I turn to the bartender. "Another please." I point into the cup. He gives me a weird look before turning me around round of the liquor. I look away from him only for my eyes to come in contact with a strange guy sitting at the other side of the bar.

I furrow my brows and look away as a guy and his drunk girl walk to stand before him to get a drink. I could no longer see him.

I stare at the funny dance steps of drunkards and sober people in the dance floor as I take from my liquor.

Unconsciously, my eyes move to the strange man again. The guy and girl were no longer there, so I could see him now. He keeps staring at me as he empties his glass of drink into his mouth, before grabbing his bottle of drink on the table and walk towards me.

I move in my sit uncomfortably and look away to continue my drink, ignoring the fact that he's coming to meet me.

Another relationship is the last thing I want right now. Except that's not his motive.

"May I?" He says.

I look at him swiftly and shrug my shoulders. I hear him chuckle at the impolite attitude I just gave him, but I just sit there and watch the crowd, ignoring his presence. Not totally, though.

It should be up to two mins now I guess but I haven't heard a word from him. He does nothing but stare at me and drink from his glass.

I roll my eyes and move my head to look at him.

"Ok, firstly, you continously stare at me from over there..." I point to where he was sitting before. "...then you leave your comfortable spot to sit next to me and do nothing but stare."

"Are you upset that I'm staring at you or that I haven't started flirting with you yet?" He asks with a light smile.

"I'm upset that you are continuously staring at me. Like, what are you? a staring contest champion?"

"You're beautiful."

"Oh, thank you and no, I don't need you to flirt with me."

"You're a tough one."

"I am."

"I would have considered withdrawing..."

I scoff. "You should."

"You didn't let me finish." He scoffs out a laugh. "I was going to say, I would have considered withdrawing, but I love the attitude you give."

"You shouldn't."

"Are you always like this? Have you never been flirted with before?"

"I'm more than you know." Is all I say.

How do I explain to a stranger that I'm not usually the tough type but I'm just a woman trying to protect her heartbroken heart from more damages.

I'm just here to drink away my worries, dance away problems and have fun but all I've been doing since I got here is just drink, drink and drink and watch people party party and party.

"I would like to know you more then."

"That's not happening."

"What's your name?"

"No. You. What's your name?" I say in a drunken tone. The liquor is slowly taking it's effects and I'm not even close to ending my drinking session anytime from now. .

"I'm James."

"James." I nod. "Nice meeting you." I sloppily grab my bag and liquor bottle. "That's my bestfriend over there." I don't point at her. Making him furrow his eyes at the crowd, wondering on who the bestfriend I talk of is. "I have to go."

"Come over here." Before I could stand, Clara runs to me and pulls me into the crowd for a dance.

"Bye." I stretch the words as I follow her into the crowd.

I swear I saw his soft face change into something else as I left the table.

One could say someone like Clara only remembers the courtesy rule once in year, which is definitely not today. With the way she dragged me away, disregarding that man, what's his name again?... Whatever.

"How dare you leave me?"

"Saw you had company, uh. Who was that."

"A guy I wanted to escape from."

She chuckles. "Yeah, the dance floor is better than those terrible men and damn, isn't this dj of much better company than him."

"You don't have to tell me, girl." I stretch the last word as I wiggle my hands in the hair. Flying my hair over from side to side. I don't miss pouring my drink into my mouth every little minute.

Just what I planned to do. Drink, dance and have fun. The combination is ecstatic.

"There he is." She points behind me. I turn and struggle to look at the man at the far end of the room, who she points at.

I look back at her. "Who's that? He's...handsome?" Handsome and familiar.

"He is, right?" She squeals with excitement as she stares at him from afar with a smile.

"He is. Who's he?" I ask again.

"Sophie's brother." I turn to look at him again. They do have some physical traits. Like full brows and curly full hair. They must be hairy in their family.

Sophie is the girl Clara left me to meet. She was one of Clara's close friends while they were children and stayed in Clara's neighborhood until Clara and her family moved to a different area.

I can't lie. I do get jealous atimes when Sophie comes over and they talk for hours. She happened to Clara before I did. I moved here when I was 21, met Clara and since then we've been best of friends. It's been three years, so it kinda justifies my jealousy but I can't stop her from making friends. I just really love my best friend and can't bear losing her to her childhood friend.

"Ooh." I raise my liquor to drink but pause as the realization hit me. "Wait, George?" My eyes widen. She nods shyly. I've never seen Clara this shy before.

Well, it's expected, we're talking about George. The guy Clara has had a crush on for years. I would call this love. Yes, love. It can't be a crush. It has to be love. For more than ten years. It has to be a childhood crush, turned into like, then classified as obsession. But come on. This is love.

"Tell me he looks better than his i*******m pics."

"Do I need to?" We both squeal and laugh out loud.

"He likes me. I think he does."

"I don't need to be convinced. You are a hottie."

"I know, right." She laughs. "He kept staring at me while I was with Sophie and then later approached me. Goddamm he's so sweet. He's still the same. But his friends ruined our moment. Maybe if they hadn't, we would have kissed or something. Gosh?" She covers her face.

I guess this explains why she ruined the stranger's moments with me at the bar.

"Look at you. I was there mending my broken heart and you were somewhere having the time of your life with your childhood crush. Damn. You're one hell of a bestfriend." I playfully push her shoulders.

"It was so unexpected. Trust me." She smiles widely. "But I don't regret a single moment. Fuck it. I don't regret leaving you."

"Ouch." We laugh at each other. "Permit me to enjoy my time with you now, cause soon. Hmm."

She chuckles. "I'm not even sure of how soon."

I chuckle too and continue dancing with her.

The club is never a bad idea.