Blood Shot

“You need to get out of the house! You’re always in there painting away!”

My best friend, Lila, whines through the earbuds pressed tightly into my ear as I grab my watercolor paints from my dimly lit room and make my way back down the hall.

I push the door open slowly to my only safe haven.

The sunlight shining brightly through the floor to ceiling windows makes the room look calm.

My painting materials are scattered everywhere, on the floor, on the desk, and in cups of dirty paint water.

My various canvases lay around the room, big and small, bright and dark, one that look peaceful, and ones that look like they’ve been through hell.

I come to this room when I’m feeling overwhelmed.

It’s been a week since the news got to me of my mother passing.

Car crash.

I just recently got a call from the hospital, all I could really hear was them rambling on about hospital bills and what not.

When she finally told me the total, I remember my eyebrows shooting up to the ceiling, the obscene price shocking me.

“300,000 dollars is going to be your total, Ms. Sato. Again, we are extremely sorry for your lose, and we wish you the best of luck.”

“Yua...”

Lila’s voice cuts through my thoughts.

“No, absolutely not.”

Sensing the desperation in her voice, I could already tell what she was getting ready to ask me.

“But Yua, you need to get out of the house, this can’t be healthy for you!”

I sigh, shaking my head as I sit down on my wooden stool, dried and chipped paint peeling off the sides.

“The club could be a good experience for you! Maybe you can finally find a man that will take your virginity!”

The cup I’m holding almost slips out of my hands, the brushes inside of it clattering around as they slid around in the dirty water.

“Seriously Yua, you need to get out of your house for a while.”

“But I like it better here, where nobody can hurt me.”

The silence on the other side is deafening.

“Please Yu... I can’t stand to see you like this..”

The sadness in her voice shocks me, as she rarely shows her emotional side.

Lila and my mother always loved each other. My mother always took care of her like she was her own. That’s why Lila took it so hard when I told her that she passed away.

Mom used to hold her when she cried about her dad going to jail, and my mom would always listen to her and squeeze her tight in a crushing hug when she needed it.

I already knew Lila was going to be miserable when I told her.

As I thought about it for a few minutes, sighing as I looked up at the canvas I was subconsciously drawing.

Lines of royal blue stuck out like a deer in headlights on the drawing of bold and bright colors.

Shades of red, orange, and yellow mixed together in streaks across the page create a beautiful ombre effect.

Little accents of gold show in little parts of the background.

Dark green strikes across the page in splatters, little dots of a lighter green poking against the canvas.

It reminded me of my mother.

“Fine.”

I finally mumbles silently, placing the brushes used inside a cup of fresh, clear water, the water instantly turning a beautiful swirl of different shades.

Lila screams into the phone, the sound being amplified in the earbuds as the sound makes her ears ring.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You won’t regret this!”

The calls beeps, signaling its ending.

I stand up, grabbing my phone as I walk over to close my blinds.

As the curtain is about to close, I swear I see a tall figure staring straight at the window from the trees behind my house.

Instead, I just shrug and begin to ascent up the stairs and make a beeline towards my door.

After about an hour of rummaging through my closet for something good to wear to this so called “club”, I decide on these cute skinny jeans with the rhinestones on the butt that I thrifted a while ago.

I also decide on these tall, black stiletto boots that go perfectly over the jeans and make my legs look insanely long.

Pairing it with a sexy, V neck, halter top with a golden buckle in the center and a tie up, sleeveless open back.

Throwing on some plain gold jewelry, my cross necklace and some bangles.

I begin to straighten my hair, shooting Lila a message that I should be done in about an hour while looking at the time.

8 : 40

I finish my hair at around 9:10, my hair perfectly straightened with a little curl at the ends.

Then I start with my makeup, doing a slight smoky eye and medium mascara and eyeliner so I don’t look like a spider just crawled into my eye.

Luckily, my monolids cover most of the eyeliner anyway.

As I finish up my makeup, I grab a hold of my favorite perfume and spray a generous amount all over my body, including my wrists and neck.

As I slide my black purse over my shoulder, I check the time on my phone.

9 : 25

I pick up my keys and put a little bit of food into my cat’s bowl.

Before my foot even fully lands outside of my door, a horn honks from in front of the house.

I hear rapid footsteps approaching me and snap my head up to look at the person sprinting straight for me.

Just as a scream is about to erupt from my throat, arms wrap around me and a laugh cuts through the air.

I look up at the person hugging me and realize that it’s Lila.

I squeeze her back just as tight, wrapping my arms around her neck.

A chuckle comes from my chest as she finally steps away and I get a view of the outfit she’s wearing.

An obnoxiously short mini skirt clings to her waist, dangerously high up to the point where you can see the bottom side of the bright pink thong she’s wearing.

Which clashes with the bright red shirt she has on that looks a little too close to a bra for my liking.

“Do you like it?” She questions, doing a little spin.

“Well, not really, but it seems to make you happy so sure?”

Her arm wraps around my waist as she begins to guide me towards the car parked close to the driveway.

“I bet all eyes are gonna be on you, sexy butt.”

She slaps my butt as we strut down the driveway towards the car.

I giggle as she opens the door for me and gestures towards the car.

Just as I slide inside, the feeling of multiple pairs of eyes bearing into the back of my head make me turn slightly to look behind me.

My breath catches in my throat as I notice that same tall figure staring at me again from beside the house, expect this time, 5 other shadows creep from behind him.

I stutter out a breath and my heart pounds, grabbing Lila by her wrist and pulling her inside the car then slamming it shut.

Hairs on the back of my neck stand up as Lila whispers to the driver where we are going.

The driver just mumbles under his breath then start driving.

“What club are we going to anyway?” I ask Lila, who is scrolling on her phone with her legs crosses.

“Diamonds and Dancefloors.”

My head snaps to her, eyebrows raised in question.

“That place is crazy expensive, how would we even pay for that?”

“I have my ways, girly, don’t worry, I’ve got our bill.”

She winks at me, then goes straight back to her phone.

I chuckle at her, putting together the puzzle pieces as soon as the words fall from her lips.

The shining lights flash in the distance, the neon pink and blue lights so bright that they become an eyesore as we get closer.

We tip the driver about 10 bucks then grab out purses and scramble out of the car.

The wind shifts through my hair, pieces falling forward and towards my eyes as I stare up at the club.

Lila squeezes my hand, then yonks me towards the entrance of the club where 2 burly, bouncers stand in the front, looking at our I.D.

As we step closer, I can see one of the guys eyebrow raise as he seems to be listen to something in his ear.

Then, before we even get to them, they grab the red, velvet ropes and pull them aside for us to step inside.

I turn to Lila and she just shrugs, dragging my by my arm inside like nothing is wrong.

The bass hits me immediately, the floor seeming to move underneath my feet as various colored lights flash and blare on the floors, ceilings, and walls.

The floor in the center of the club is insanely packs, with people humping each other at ever turn, making out, and just dancing.

I can already feel eyes on us.

I feel Lila tug at my arm, so I turn to face her.

“I see a cutie by the seats over there,” she points towards behind the dance floor, where a man, man spreads on the couch in the very back. “I’m gonna go say hi to him.”

She tells me with a wink of her right eye.

Then she hugs me.

Like an actual bone-crushing hug.

I crumble into it, wrapping my arms around her.

“Thank you, Yua.” She whispers into my ear then departs from me and begins to strut over to him.

I turn towards the bar, walking towards it, then plopping down on a small stool near the middle.

“What can I get for you today, hon?”

I look up and meet eyes with sunken, deep brown eyes.

“Sex on the beach, please.”

She nods her head while smacking on her gum, then turns to make it.

After waiting for a little while, she brings me my drink, placing it in front of me.

“That’ll be 25-”

“Put it on my tab, Donna.”

A deep, sultry voice pierces the air.