The Stage
o4: That'll Make You Wanna Drink
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
My repetitive sound of my t-shirts sailing across the room into my duffle bag was starting to get on my nerves. I picked up a pair of old jean shorts out of the bottom of my closet, examining them. Size 3, denim barely hanging on, patches littering the back so my ass wouldn’t completely hang out. So many good times in these shorts with Sage by my side.
I threw the shorts aggressively across the room when I thought of her name. How fucking dare she do this to me! How selfish can one person be? She’s got her whole life ahead of her, why is she so caught up in this? Tears sting in my eyes and fall to puddles on the floor before I wipe them away.
Frustration and disappointment flood over me, and I realize I need a break. Packing up the past couple years of your life is exhausting.
I throw myself on the couch and grab my phone. To my surprise, I have one text.
You busy tonight? Would love for you to come hang out again. The guys really like you. :-)
Received at 11:57am. I glance at the clock. It’s now 2:13pm. Oops.
I sigh deeply, knowing I should agree. Just to get my mind off of things. But I feel like a parent, worrying about her only child. I open a new conversation and begin typing.
We need to talk ASAP. Call me or come by today. Really important. Love you.
My thumb hovers over the send button, knowing I won’t get a reply anyways. Fuck it, at least I tried. My thumb presses gently on the little blue button and a wave of nerves washes over me. My nerves are replaced with shock as someone knocks on my door. This better be Sage.
I open the door, expecting to see a petite blonde haired girl. Instead, I see three dark haired men, their eyes all scanning my body slowly.
“Oh, hey Brian. I uh, I just now saw your text. I’ve been packing,” I explained as two of the three men squeezed by me, plopping on the couch. Brian laughed apologetically as I stepped back to let him in.
“It’s cool, figured you were busy. Ruby, you remember Zacky and Jimmy, right?” He pointed accordingly.
The shorter of the two, presumably Zacky, looked at me with his devious, sexy grin. His jet black hair stood out in a crowd despite being a neutral color and his contrasting light eyes made him that much more desirable. The taller of the two, Jimmy, smiled brightly and waved. His goofy, free spirit made me a little less tense about Sage and moving across the country. He was undoubtedly the teddy bear of the group.
“How could I forgot?” I rhetorically asked.
“Sorry to barge in on you, it looks like you’re busy,” Brian apologizes. Busy is an understatement. Even if my family was less fortunate, my parents always taught us the importance of hospitality and kindness. Mom would always say ‘you get more bees with honey.’
“No, not at all. I was just hanging out,” I threw out my arms, gesturing to my not yet packed living room. Brian sat in a chair opposite the couch and I sat in the one next to him, turning my body and attention to him.
“So, any specific reason you stopped by?” I asked curiously. I giggled at Zacky and Jimmy play fighting on the couch, which caught Zacky attention. He winked at me and continued. Why did that make me nauseous and swoon all at the same time?
“Yeah, actually we were gonna see if you needed help packing,” Brian replied as Zacky and Jimmy’s ears perched up.
“No!” they said in unison.
“You said there would be beer and Mario Kart!” Zacky pouted.
“Fuck the beer, I just came for the Mario Kart,” Jimmy replied, also visibly pouting. I laughed at their childlike ways. They were definitely not used to not getting their own way. Brian looked at me and shrugged.
“Got any beer?”
An hour later, we were somehow buzzed, sitting on the floor, gathered around the Wii playing Mario Kart. It’s now nearly 6pm, and my shift is fast approaching. I play one more race and announce I have to go to work.
“You guys are more than welcome to come hang out at the club if you have nothing better to do,” I invited. The three boys looked at each other and apparently decided telepathically.
The whole drive to work, I had a feeling of desperation bubbling in my stomach. I was desperate for something, I just didn’t know what. Maybe I didn’t have the most respectable job, but at least it paid well. I had my own apartment, my own car, paid my own bills, didn’t have anyone telling me what to do. What was I so desperate for? To most, I was living the good life.
I snapped out of my deep thought just as I pulled in the parking lot of work. It dawned on me. Driving these same roads everyday, living amongst the same people. I was desperate for change. I was sick of doing the same mundane things over and over again. Seeing the same sleazy men, the same slutty girls. I just now figured it out, but maybe Brian knew it the whole time.
“Hey Alex, I brought you some paying customers,” I smirk as I walk backstage, duffle bag in hand. I plopped down at my mirror.
“You better treat them good, they’re about to be my bosses.” My boss whips his head around and glares at me.That last comment certainly got his attention.
“New bosses? What are you talking about?” he walks over to me, obviously irritated.
“I’m quitting. I leave for California on Monday,” I said plainly as I packed my things into my bag from my vanity. Alex stood next to me for a couple moments, disbelief written all over his face. He stiffened up and straighten his shirt.
“Ruby, you are one of our best dancers, if not the best,” he said in a low voice, seeing as he’d already attracted the attention of some of my fellow dancers. “What can I do to make you stay?”
I paused for a moment, thinking of anything that could make me stay in this Godforsaken place. I looked up at him with a blank expression.
“My plane ticket is already bought.”
I finished packing my vanity up and wiped it down for the next girl to use. I stood up in front of Alex, smiling fakely. I went to move around him and out the door, but stopped in my tracks. I turned back to tell him one final thing.
“Oh, and if you happen to see Sage, tell her the lease is now solely in her name and is now her responsibility. Thank you!” I said as I walked out the door and out onto the floor to find my new bosses. As I was walking, a sense of extreme pride washed over me. I can’t wait to go to California.
I spotted the three men sitting at a high top table, front and center. They already had drinks in hand, laughing together drunkenly.
“Hey, you guys wanna go party somewhere? God knows I need a drink or ten,” I said nonchalantly. Brian turned to me, obviously surprised.
“I thought you were performing?” Zack spoke up before Brian could.
“Yeah, well I quit,” I chuckled and sat down on the stool between Zack and Brian. “Might as well spend my last days in town the right way.”
The boys looked at each other, trying to decide what to do next. Jimmy finally had a suggestion.
“I guess we could go bar hop? Where’s all the good bars around here?” he asked me. I shrugged that idea off.
“None of these bars are good here,” I wrinkled my nose thinking about all the trashy, sleazy men in those bars.
“We could just go get loaded at the hotel?” Zack suggested. Brian chuckled and shook his head.
“What’s it gonna look like, three dudes bringing back one girl to a hotel room?” he said, almost like he didn’t want to.
“Uh, the best gang bang of the year?” Zack said, shrugging his shoulders. I slapped his arm, him laughing in reply.
“Who gives a shit, we’ve done worse. You of all people know that, Syn,” Jimmy said. Brian rolled his eyes and smiled. We all got up in unison and headed for the hotel. I flipped Alex the bird on the way out.
My repetitive sound of my t-shirts sailing across the room into my duffle bag was starting to get on my nerves. I picked up a pair of old jean shorts out of the bottom of my closet, examining them. Size 3, denim barely hanging on, patches littering the back so my ass wouldn’t completely hang out. So many good times in these shorts with Sage by my side.
I threw the shorts aggressively across the room when I thought of her name. How fucking dare she do this to me! How selfish can one person be? She’s got her whole life ahead of her, why is she so caught up in this? Tears sting in my eyes and fall to puddles on the floor before I wipe them away.
Frustration and disappointment flood over me, and I realize I need a break. Packing up the past couple years of your life is exhausting.
I throw myself on the couch and grab my phone. To my surprise, I have one text.
You busy tonight? Would love for you to come hang out again. The guys really like you. :-)
Received at 11:57am. I glance at the clock. It’s now 2:13pm. Oops.
I sigh deeply, knowing I should agree. Just to get my mind off of things. But I feel like a parent, worrying about her only child. I open a new conversation and begin typing.
We need to talk ASAP. Call me or come by today. Really important. Love you.
My thumb hovers over the send button, knowing I won’t get a reply anyways. Fuck it, at least I tried. My thumb presses gently on the little blue button and a wave of nerves washes over me. My nerves are replaced with shock as someone knocks on my door. This better be Sage.
I open the door, expecting to see a petite blonde haired girl. Instead, I see three dark haired men, their eyes all scanning my body slowly.
“Oh, hey Brian. I uh, I just now saw your text. I’ve been packing,” I explained as two of the three men squeezed by me, plopping on the couch. Brian laughed apologetically as I stepped back to let him in.
“It’s cool, figured you were busy. Ruby, you remember Zacky and Jimmy, right?” He pointed accordingly.
The shorter of the two, presumably Zacky, looked at me with his devious, sexy grin. His jet black hair stood out in a crowd despite being a neutral color and his contrasting light eyes made him that much more desirable. The taller of the two, Jimmy, smiled brightly and waved. His goofy, free spirit made me a little less tense about Sage and moving across the country. He was undoubtedly the teddy bear of the group.
“How could I forgot?” I rhetorically asked.
“Sorry to barge in on you, it looks like you’re busy,” Brian apologizes. Busy is an understatement. Even if my family was less fortunate, my parents always taught us the importance of hospitality and kindness. Mom would always say ‘you get more bees with honey.’
“No, not at all. I was just hanging out,” I threw out my arms, gesturing to my not yet packed living room. Brian sat in a chair opposite the couch and I sat in the one next to him, turning my body and attention to him.
“So, any specific reason you stopped by?” I asked curiously. I giggled at Zacky and Jimmy play fighting on the couch, which caught Zacky attention. He winked at me and continued. Why did that make me nauseous and swoon all at the same time?
“Yeah, actually we were gonna see if you needed help packing,” Brian replied as Zacky and Jimmy’s ears perched up.
“No!” they said in unison.
“You said there would be beer and Mario Kart!” Zacky pouted.
“Fuck the beer, I just came for the Mario Kart,” Jimmy replied, also visibly pouting. I laughed at their childlike ways. They were definitely not used to not getting their own way. Brian looked at me and shrugged.
“Got any beer?”
An hour later, we were somehow buzzed, sitting on the floor, gathered around the Wii playing Mario Kart. It’s now nearly 6pm, and my shift is fast approaching. I play one more race and announce I have to go to work.
“You guys are more than welcome to come hang out at the club if you have nothing better to do,” I invited. The three boys looked at each other and apparently decided telepathically.
The whole drive to work, I had a feeling of desperation bubbling in my stomach. I was desperate for something, I just didn’t know what. Maybe I didn’t have the most respectable job, but at least it paid well. I had my own apartment, my own car, paid my own bills, didn’t have anyone telling me what to do. What was I so desperate for? To most, I was living the good life.
I snapped out of my deep thought just as I pulled in the parking lot of work. It dawned on me. Driving these same roads everyday, living amongst the same people. I was desperate for change. I was sick of doing the same mundane things over and over again. Seeing the same sleazy men, the same slutty girls. I just now figured it out, but maybe Brian knew it the whole time.
“Hey Alex, I brought you some paying customers,” I smirk as I walk backstage, duffle bag in hand. I plopped down at my mirror.
“You better treat them good, they’re about to be my bosses.” My boss whips his head around and glares at me.That last comment certainly got his attention.
“New bosses? What are you talking about?” he walks over to me, obviously irritated.
“I’m quitting. I leave for California on Monday,” I said plainly as I packed my things into my bag from my vanity. Alex stood next to me for a couple moments, disbelief written all over his face. He stiffened up and straighten his shirt.
“Ruby, you are one of our best dancers, if not the best,” he said in a low voice, seeing as he’d already attracted the attention of some of my fellow dancers. “What can I do to make you stay?”
I paused for a moment, thinking of anything that could make me stay in this Godforsaken place. I looked up at him with a blank expression.
“My plane ticket is already bought.”
I finished packing my vanity up and wiped it down for the next girl to use. I stood up in front of Alex, smiling fakely. I went to move around him and out the door, but stopped in my tracks. I turned back to tell him one final thing.
“Oh, and if you happen to see Sage, tell her the lease is now solely in her name and is now her responsibility. Thank you!” I said as I walked out the door and out onto the floor to find my new bosses. As I was walking, a sense of extreme pride washed over me. I can’t wait to go to California.
I spotted the three men sitting at a high top table, front and center. They already had drinks in hand, laughing together drunkenly.
“Hey, you guys wanna go party somewhere? God knows I need a drink or ten,” I said nonchalantly. Brian turned to me, obviously surprised.
“I thought you were performing?” Zack spoke up before Brian could.
“Yeah, well I quit,” I chuckled and sat down on the stool between Zack and Brian. “Might as well spend my last days in town the right way.”
The boys looked at each other, trying to decide what to do next. Jimmy finally had a suggestion.
“I guess we could go bar hop? Where’s all the good bars around here?” he asked me. I shrugged that idea off.
“None of these bars are good here,” I wrinkled my nose thinking about all the trashy, sleazy men in those bars.
“We could just go get loaded at the hotel?” Zack suggested. Brian chuckled and shook his head.
“What’s it gonna look like, three dudes bringing back one girl to a hotel room?” he said, almost like he didn’t want to.
“Uh, the best gang bang of the year?” Zack said, shrugging his shoulders. I slapped his arm, him laughing in reply.
“Who gives a shit, we’ve done worse. You of all people know that, Syn,” Jimmy said. Brian rolled his eyes and smiled. We all got up in unison and headed for the hotel. I flipped Alex the bird on the way out.
Notes
Hi guys. This chapter has just been sitting on my computer for 9 months now lol. I suck at updating. But here ya go! Be sure to comment and sub! Don’t forget to go check out the new chapter of Playing with Fire, if you haven’t already. :-)
Title credit: Easton Corbin "That'll Make You Wanna Drink"
I’m liking this a lot so far!! :)
1/7/18