Chapter 4

Chapter 04

Chris had already stepped into the bar before I did. My eyes wandered around, taking in my environment as I followed Chris slowly, walking over to the barstools near the counter.

A thick smell of alcohol, sweat and cologne encompassed the place. Scattered everywhere were scantily clothed skinny bartenders who paced around the several tables and booths.

Chris sat on a barstool and I took a seat on the one beside him, leaning on the counter. A bartender popped her head out of the counter with a bottle of vodka in her hand.

She flashed a quick smile, "What can I get you guys?"

"Just a beer." I answered her.

Her eyes drifted to Chris, "What about you, handsome?"

"Same." He said to her, referring to my order.

"Okayyy." She dragged on the word as she had her back to us, taking out two bottles of beer from the top cabinet in the shelves.

She handed a bottle to me and one to Chris, after taking the cap off with a bottle opener. I gave her a curt nod as a form of gratitude and drank from it, taking in the bitter aftertaste.

"So, you guys from around here?" She asked, placing her elbows on the counter and leaning on it, which fully exposed her cleavage and the fullness of her breasts.

Chris knew I wouldn't reply her so he said, "No, not really. We just moved down here not too long ago."

"Why?" She questioned, taking out two different bottles of alcohol and began concocting something.

"We go to Stanford." He answered her question.

"Ah, impressive." She said with a smile. "You-"

She couldn't finish her statement when she was cut off by the sound of shattering glass. Our heads drifted to where the noise had come from to see two guys in an argument. It was obvious that they were both wasted. I stared at them for a moment before I drank from my beer and went back to minding my own business.

"Ugh, I hope I don't have to clean that up or those two don't have a fight here." The bartender said, mostly to herself.

I didn't know why, but I chuckled, "Those two are wasted shitless, it might be nice to see two guys beat each other up."

She threw her head back in laughter and shrugged, "It's a normal thing around here."

"Figured." I bit on my lip.

"I'm Tiffany by the way, what's your name?" She asked, directing her question at me and my best friend.

"Christian." Chris replied. "She's my best friend, Grace."

"I see." She smiled. "Nice to meet you guys."

Tiffany had jet black hair with dark blue highlights in it and her eyes were too big for her face. She was wearing a pink and black crop top with a pair of black bum shorts. She had the perfect model figure, she was skinny with full breasts and curves in the right places. She was wearing too much eye makeup and her fake lashes looked like she was accommodating spider webs on her real ones.

She was pretty either way.

"You too." Chris said to her.

She was about to say something when she was cut off;

"Hey! Where the fuck is this bartender?!" The voice was masculine and laced with rudeness.

I scowled at the guy.

"Duty calls." She smiled and walked over to the other people waiting for their drinks to be served.

My eyes followed her to a big muscular guy and I watched her talk to the guy as she served him his drink. He held her hand in place and traced his hand up her bare skin. I saw as she shifted uncomfortably in his hands and he just pulled her closer, dipping his hand into her shirt. She swatted his hand away irritatedly and he let out a bitter laugh as he slapped her bum.

"C'mon Jeremy, cut it out!" I heard her voice shriek distantly.

"Oh Tiffany, that ass would be the death of me." He drank his glass up and must've felt my eyes on him when he looked toward me.

My jaw was clenched tightly when I gave him a murderous glare. Just because she was behind a counter serving drinks and had probably been shagged by a few guys in this bar didn't give him the right to treat her with disrespect. No man has the right to treat any woman with disrespect, especially like that.

"What a bitch." Chris grimaced.

I tore my eyes away from the pig and turned to Chris.

"I know, right?" I rolled my eyes.

"You wanna play pool? The table is free." He offered, smiling.

"Oouu, yeah." I said excitedly as I hopped out of my stool and walked over to the pool table with Chris.

Chris was never one to let anybody win, and I enjoyed healthy competition and by that I mean getting my ass whooped over and over again. Chris was awesome at playing pool, I would call him a pool expert if there was anything like that. Like there was a school for pool and he was the first to sign up. I spent half an hour losing to Chris, then I got tired of continuous ass whooping.

Chris laughed at my demise.

"Ugh, I give up. You can have your glory." I groaned and rolled my eyes sarcastically as he laughed at me.

"Can I play?" I heard a guy ask me.

"Keep laughing Chris, you know pool is the only thing your dumb self is good at." I scoffed as I forcefully handed my pool stick to the young man who asked me.

I heard him thank me as I strode over to the bar stool where I previously sat. I sat comfortably on the stool and leaned on the counter.

A big looking man probably in his late 20's walked up to me and sat down on the barstool close to me. He flashed a smirk which he definitely thought was charming but was just sickening to see because of his not so white set of teeth.

"Hey baby doll." He bit his lip, thinking he was being sexy.

I gave him a stern look, "Walk away."

"Okay." He looked flushed and embarrassed, maybe he hadn't been turned down like that but I don't know which girl in their right mind would want to spend the night with that. He scratched the back of his neck foolishly as he walked away to another girl.

I shook my head. I've always hated that phrase "baby doll". It rubbed me off in a disrespectful way, especially when it was used in that kind of tone. Men like that provoked me, because they only reminded me of my father.

"Ouch." I heard a deep voice speak, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I jerked my head to my side to see him, laughing softly.

Dean.

I stared at him for a while, "It's you."

"No, it's Brad Pitt." He smirked, obviously trying to be funny.

I think I should tell him he's not.

At all.

My face was kept straight when I said, "You're not funny."

He chuckled softly.

I rolled my eyes, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Um, it's a bar? What else would I be doing here?" He furrowed his eyebrows like I asked the most stupid question ever.

I mean, I did, but still.

"Yeah, I get it, stupid question." I drank from my beer. "You're here alone?"

"Yup, it's how I get my mind off things."

"Things like what?" I asked boldly.

"Just some stuff." He shrugged. "But enough about me, what about you? Are you here with your boyfriend?"

I almost choked on my drink, "Excuse me?"

"That guy you were with the other day." He said like he was sure.

My eyes widened in shock, "You mean Chris?"

"Yeah, Chris." His eyebrows were together now.

"Oh my God, you are stupid." I said incredulously.

"What?" His eyebrows were knitted together now.

"Chris is gay." I looked at him like he was the dumbest person alive.

"What?!" His eyes widened in surprise and I mimicked the same expression on his face which made him chuckle.

"I thought that was obvious man, come on."

He shook his head in disbelief, "Not to me, though. And the way you two were all over each other, I just thought..."

"He's been my best friend since high school, plus it's not mad science, it's easy to tell." I nudged my head in Chris' direction at the pool table and Dean's eyes followed my line of vision.

"Damn, I am good at this!" Chris squealed at his victory of his opponent that it was almost irritating.

Dean looked at me and laughed, "Noted, he's gay."

"Yeah." I bit my lip.

He stared at me for a moment, "Let me-let me buy you another drink."

I finished up the bottle and shrugged, "Okay, sure."

"So, have you decided on your major yet?" He asked me.

"Yup, Literature. You?"

"Business." He shrugged like it was nothing. "Freshman?"

"Yup. You?"

"Sophomore." He said. "Hey, Grace?"

I faced him, "Yes?"

"Still haven't gotten my thank you," he smirked.

I scoffed, "Why should I thank you?"

"Jesus Christ. You should thank me for not running you over the other day." He leaned on the counter staring at me.

I simply shrugged.

"Would it kill you to just say thank you?" He said quietly.

"Would it kill you if I don't?" I smirked. "You just like to be praised for shit."

"Well, thanks to me that pretty face didn't get hurt."

"I do recall you barging out of your car and yelling at me like a madman."

"I do recall you cursing at me first," He smirked. "Talk about ungrateful."

I scoffed, "Trust me, I am not ungrateful."

"Huh, so just tell me thank you." He smiled.

I looked at him, "Let's keep that for another day, why don't we?"

"Ooh, so you plan on seeing me another day." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh please."

"I am that awesome, aren't I?" He grinned.

I bit my lip and studied him, "You know, I think I've got you figured out."

He raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

"Yeah, you're 19, turning 20 next year. Your favorite color is probably blue, you like your coffee black, you have a lot of friends but somehow enjoy being alone," I started and he stared at me surprisingly. "You're probably a ladies man and you've hooked up with a lot of girls but I'm sure you've had girlfriends here and there. You love yourself a lot but you're not one to gas yourself up any chance you get. You hate your car being dirty but you probably leave your room a dump and it drives your mother crazy. Something's probably  been bothering you recently and being alone is your escape from it all."

He looked stunned.

I chuckled, "Judging by the look on your face, I got that right."

He looked at me for a moment and laughed nervously, "You did. I-I just didn't realize that I was such an open book. How'd you do that?"

"I don't know, it's a gift, I guess." I shrugged. "And you didn't make it so hard."

Well, what I didn't add was that I knew his age when I looked him up the other day. But he didn't need to know that.

"Shame, I can't say the same thing about you." He gazed.

"Yeah, shame." I finished up my beer. I ran a hand down my face and said, "Well, I've got school tomorrow and I should probably get Christian so we can head home."

"Yeah, you do that--"

Dean was interrupted by the sound of broken glass.

"What the fuck? You think you're so tough gay dude?" I heard a hoarse voice speak angrily.

I whipped my head in Chris' direction to see a much bigger and muscular man hovering over him.

Oh God, Chris.

Dean and I looked at each other before we started walking over to Chris.

"Oh, because I'm gay you think I'm not tough? Because you're much more bigger, huh? Well, you know what I think? I think you're a big bag of rotten dicks. I think your mother was so sad when she had you, I'm sure she wanted her period but got you instead, you little piece of--"

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! C'mon Chris, that's enough. Let's not anger the gentleman." I tried to smile. "Chris, what the fuck are you doing?" I whispered to him.

"Stay out of this, G." Chris said sternly.

"I'm gonna beat your ass so bad you little bitch boy!" The man growled, launching for me and Chris when Dean stepped in and held him back.

"C'mon buddy, chill. He doesn't know what he's saying." Dean reasoned.

"No, I know what I'm saying. And I'm not a bitch boy, thank you very much." Chris continued.

"Chris, would you shut the fuck up?" I frowned at him, he was already causing a scene.

The man walked up to me and held my arm aggressively, wanting to push me aside.

I jerked back, "Hey don't you fucking touch me!"

"Seems like I've got two bitches who need to learn some manners." He spat.

"What the fuck did you just call me?" I got all up in his face.

"Move." He pushed me aside and I fell to the floor.

And it hurt.

Bad.

"Ow." I muttered as I got up.

"Your mother didn't teach you how to treat a lady?" Dean said to the man.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, huh?" He shoved Dean's shoulders.

Dean stumbled back before gaining his balance and punching the man hard on his face, causing him fall to the floor.

The crowd which had slowly formed winced.

"Yeah, take that bitch! Who's the bitch now?!" Chris shouted.

Dean was about to hit him again when I held him back, "Dean, it's okay. He's not worth it."

"I mean, he fucking pushed you." He frowned at me.

"Whatever. I'm not some damsel in distress, okay?" I told him, frowning too.

"But, Grace," Chris cut in.

"No, shut up Chris, you have no idea how bad you've just messed up!" I scolded as I pointed my index finger at him. "We'll be heading home now."

Dean stared at me confusingly.

I pulled Chris along with me as we walked out of the bar, leaving Dean standing confused and the angry man with a bloody nose.

I opened the car and hopped into the driver's seat while Chris got into the passenger seat.

"Grace--"

"Don't you even." I stopped him angrily and pulled out of the bar, driving to our house.

_______

Thank you for reading❤️

~Chris xx.