"Let's partyyyyy"
The crowd roared in response to blaze's thunderous voice. The volume of the background music soared up instantly and the people who had planned to lay their sanity down for the sake of enjoyment began to rock their bodies like it was their last day on earth.
Free endless drinks were popping up everywhere in the dim room and avice had never been so excited. She loved parties. It was either party or death.
When another set of drinks climbed towards her, she drew closer and swept two cups off the tray. Prancing her feet, she walked to the bar counter and sat.
"You're so annoying". She remarked and rolled her eyes when they landed on the guy standing behind the counter in white shirt and red bow tie.
He smiled widely and pushed one of the cups away. "This is your fifth party this week. Did he ruin you that much?" Annoyingly, he still had the smile on his face.
"It's none of your business". She stretched to grab her second cup but he pushed it farther. "What the hell is your problem?"
"You shouldn't mix these two alcohols together. Unless you want me to drag you out of here".
She snorted. "I can handle my liquor". She stretched again but he took it off the counter. "Fine. Have it your way. You win. Happy?" She gulped the only cup in front of her in defeat.
"You shouldn't party too much if you want to keep your new job".
Avice rolled her eyes. " Worry about yourself. This is the fifth place you're working as a counter boy this week". She slammed the empty cup in front of him. "Just do your job and fill my cup".
Brice gave her a long worried stare and took the cup. "How's your friend, Anne?" He asked as he filled her cup.
Avice sighed. "I'd rather not talk about her".
He smiled softly and pushed the filled cup towards her. Avice shook her head, knowing he filled her cup to the brim intentionally. She poked one of the dimples his smile brought, causing him to laugh.
"How do you always smile even when there's lot of shits going on?" She asked and gulped her drink as she felt her heart shrinking. Brice was a very good guy. He was a nice and hardworking cousin as well. He had it all. Skin, hair, smile, eyes, body...just name it. And he was better at doing things even if they were only three years apart. It annoyed her sometimes.
"Girls told me I look better when I smile". He replied.
Avice chuckled and adjusted properly on the stool.
"Do you know him?" He gestured towards the dance floor where Blaze was drunkenly rocking his sweaty body all over sweaty horny half naked girls.
"Middle school. He was the rich cocky asshole". She said as she watched Blaze empty two bottles of alcohol on everyone on the dance floor. "Haven't you gathered enough money for her treatment? You shouldn't be working here". She mentioned when her eyes fell on some men seated round a table in a dark corner. With the familiar tattoo on their necks and the way they discussed discretely, she knew there was something about drugs.
"You're in no position to worry about anyone". He filled her cup again. "You need help".
"I know". She swept her red hair back and sighed. "What about her? Aunt Ammie."
He shrugged. "Still the same".
"I'm sorry. I'd give you some money if I aren't such a worthless cousin". She patted his hand. Avice felt really bad for him. His mom was diagnosed with cancer five months ago and he had been running helter-skelter and switching jobs ever since. His father left them on his eleventh birthday and never showed up so there was no one else to support them.
"Hey, Pretty boy. Wanna drink with me?" A girl who avice guessed came from dance floor chirped and propped her elbows on the counter. Her ears were pierced all round and she had a pink and brown tattoo running from her left elbow down to her fingers.
Brice smiled. "No, thanks".
She chuckled and pulled his shirt collar seductively. "Oh c'mon".
"I suppose you're deaf". Avice slapped her hand off brice's shirt. "And you probably can't see he's standing behind the counter in a bow tie. You can get the hell out of here if you want nothing".
"And who the fuck are you? A jealous girlfriend?" She fired back.
Brice's hand stretched to push Avice who had began to rise from her seat. "I can handle this, Avice".
"Why? Does it feel like a deja vú? I bet you've done this alot of times". Avice retorted and took her cup to drink but suddenly, the content in the cup ended drastically on her clothes. She looked down at her now stained skirt and then at the broken cup lying on the floor. "Bitch, what do you think you just did?!" Avice sprouted from her seat.
"Ops! My hand slipped". She exclaimed in a fake manner and gave avice a disgusting look before walking off.
"That bitc–"
"No, Avice. Please..please just ignore her". Brice gripped her shoulders firmly, trying to stop her from pouncing on the girl shoving everyone out of her way. "Don't make a scene out of nothing".
Reluctantly terminating the thought of ripping the girl's hair off, she blew out a mouthful of air and shrugged brice's hands off her shoulders. "Whatever".
She settled back on her stool as brice walked off to do his job. It was unusual to lose her cool. The past few weeks had been really tough and hectic and she hated the fact that getting drunk was the only way of escaping reality. She got fired from six restaurants in three months and the café job she got some days ago was starting to complain about her.
After a while of pondering about her life, she dragged herself off the stool. She had to leave early unless she wanted an earful from her married chinese boss the next day.
"Bye...goodluck". She waved brice who was mixing only-God-knows for the guy in front of him.
Suddenly as avice was walking through the sweaty crowd carefully to avoid too much body contact, a large arm that belonged to a blue shirt pervert grabbed her ass like a bag of gold and shoved a cup of drink in her face.
"Wan' a drink, baby girl?" He squeezed her ass.
"Get your fucking hand off me you bloody piece of shit!" She slapped the drink off his grip and pushed him far with all her strength.
Avice flounced away, leaving his red lipsticked mouth ajar and everyone around him laughing. She was thankful he stood back and didn't chase after her for revenge. Men she had encountered in parties always did. They'd run after her and try to take advantage of her forcefully and most times, she'd snap their senses back by breaking bottles on their heads.
Yeah, she had done that often.
As she walked towards the door, her eyes fell on the dance floor for the last time to see blaze squandering his money on the girls snaking all over him. She had a brief thought of joining them as the money was enough to pay off her rent but she swallowed the thought, cringing at the sight of the girl licking his face.
About to turn away, her eyes caught something else. The girl she had an arguement with at the bar was stepping out of her shoes to climb the dance pole not far from the dance floor. For a moment, all avice did was watch her curl around the pole but when her eyes landed on her shoes, an idea danced into her head and she smiled at the thought of her idea turning into reality.
^^
^