Labeled

by Jenni Linn

  Bar Brawls

  "Here ya go, handsome." Jade places the bottle in front of me on the bar top. "It's been a bit since I saw you...I assume things went well?" I smile, thinking about the past week. Things have been incredibly great. "Yeah, things have been good."

  She claps her hands, "Yay!" She leans forward and glances around, "Do the brothers know?" her voice is just above a whisper.

  "One down, three to go!"

  "Really?" She asks, surprised, "I guess it didn't go too bad, then? I mean, you’re still here in the Land of the Living." She laughs at her own words.

  "Yeah. It could've ended horribly, but Victor was surprisingly welcoming after the initial shock wore off."

  "Ohh, Victor! How has he been? I haven't seen him in forever!"

  "He moved out to the city and got himself a condo with his girlfriend."

  "Girlfriend? No shit! That's a damn shame, I always had a thing for him."

  This is news to me. "Really?"

  "Oh yeah, he was way out of my league."

  "No way." I find that hard to believe. Jade seems right up Victor's ally--more so than Melissa.

  "I wasn't always this hot." She jokes then waves her hand, a way to dismiss the conversation. She places another beer bottle on the bar just as a hand clamps down on my shoulder, causing me to turn to my right. "My man," Vance greets me.

  "Hey, buddy!"

  Vance has been bugging me all week about going out for a drink, and naturally, I've blown him off to hang out with ‘Nic’. He's blown me off for chicks before, so it's not like he can get mad about it, other than for the fact that it's his sister I'm really with. Obviously, Vance is still in the dark.

  "The pussy snatcher let you out? I'm surprised."

  I cringe.

  "She's a freak, eh?" He nudges me while grabbing for the bottle and I shake my head. The irony.

  "Dude." I laugh.

  "Ah c'mon," He razzes, "When do I get to meet this elusive chick?"

  "I don't know man, we're just seeing how things go. She's pretty focused on school," I lie.

  "Whatever, man." He takes a sip of his beer. "So, since last night was rained out, we moved all the races to this upcoming Friday. You're in, right?"

  "Yeah, definitely. I wanna test out the Z." He nods. Looks like he already knew my answer already. I pick up my bottle and take a swig.

  "I think V's got herself a boyfriend," He relays the information calmly.

  I choke on my beer and end up coughing my head off. When the fit ceases, I manage to croak out a mangled, “What?”

  "Yeah. She claims she's tutoring someone, but she comes home all like, bouncy and shit." He picks at the corner of the beer label on his bottle. I'm not sure what to say. I try to come up with something. "I don't know man, maybe she enjoys it?"

  He laughs. "No one enjoys tutoring."

  "Do you know where she goes?" I ask, curiously.

  "She says the library. I thought about following her," Vance confesses.

  "Dude, that's a bit much." There's no fucking way he can follow her.

  "I know. That's why I haven’t." He sighs, "I don't like it, but I don't know if there's much I can do about it."

  "Really?" I'm shocked at the thought he may just let it go. "So, you're okay with it? If she is seeing someone?"

  "Fuck no!"

  Loud commotion pulls our attention away from the conversation when a group of, maybe, five guys walk into the bar. They're rowdy and loud, obnoxious, and probably already intoxicated.

  “What the fuck they doin' here?”

  “Who're they?” I squint at the group, who seems to be moving our way.

  “Dixon and his cronies.”

  They end up on the other side of Vance, who doesn't seem thrilled. I vaguely remember him from the track a while ago as the douche who was hitting on Veronica.

  “Vance!” Dixon barks loudly in greeting.

  Vance swivels his stool to face him. “Dixon,” he responds. Not too nicely, either.

  “Oh man, I just ran into your sister. Fuck, she's hot. I don't know how she's related to you.”

  “Shut the fuck up, Dixon,” Vance growls.

  “She must get it from your mom.” Dixon laughs at his jab and before I can fully comprehend what is happening, Vance has Dixon pressed against the bar by his shirt, in a vicious grip. Vance is speaking low, almost growling, but I can't hear what he's saying. Dixon doesn't seem fazed by it. A cocky smirk spreads upon his lips.

  I slowly come up next to Vance, “Dude, it's not worth it,” I mention low into his ear, my hands on his shoulders trying to pull him away. Vance slowly releases Dixon's shirt and takes a step back. Dixon rights himself. I can see the mischievous glint still in his eyes, and I realize he's clearly not done baiting Vance. Possibly me.

  “Chase, man, you've been spending some time with Veronica, right?” I glare at him, wondering what the fuck is going to come out of his mouth. “Tell us, is she as good in the sack as she is on the track?”

  It happens so quickly. Dixon goes flying; he’s bouncing off the bar and falling into the stools. The pain from striking him goes up my arm, but I shake it out. I’m ready for him to retaliate when his friends are at his back.

  “Hey!” a strong female voice yells from down the bar. My eyes stay on Dixon as he picks himself off the floor, slapping the hand of his friends away. “Take this shit elsewhere!” Jade comes to stand between us.

  “He hit me,” Dixon spits, rubbing his jaw while glaring at me.

  “I'm sure for a good reason, but this isn't a gym. You want to continue the sausage fest, take it somewhere else!”

  Jade looks at me, placing her hands upon my chest and pushing me until my feet move backward. She leads me towards the other end of the bar, and Vance follows behind her. “What was that?” her hands move to her hips. I flex my hand, which captures her attention, “Do you need ice?”

  “No. I'm good,” I tell her and my eyes remain watching Dixon. “He just needed to stop talking.”

  Jade laughs. “Well, that's one way of making him stop.”

  “That was epic!” Vance praises, “You almost got me too, but man, he flew like a sack of potatoes! The Army did you good.” I laugh. “Man, I'd pay to see that again.” Vance carries on. Jade just shakes her head.

  “Are you guys going to behave? Or do I have to kick you out?” she eyes us, wearily. I glance up and over to the spot we were once sitting. Dixon and his group are no longer there.

  “We should be fine.”

  “Okay,” She sighs, “I'll be watching you two.” Jade moves back behind the bar, and we take the nearest open stools.

  “Oh, but sweetheart, I'll be watching you. My damn, the ass on that one,” Vance says watching Jade with interest. “Anyway, man, I'm glad you got my back. Maybe you can strike up a conversation with V and ask her about the tutoring thing.”

  “Sure, but I don't think she's gonna tell me much.”

  “It's worth a shot. What do you guys usually talk about anyways?”

  I laugh, mentally thinking about what we really do. This is so fucked, “Nothing crazy. It's a short drive. School stuff, teachers, college, the Army.”

  “Sounds boring. I guess it's a good thing you won't have to worry about it after this weekend, but thanks for helping her out!”

  I'm taken back by what he just said. What? “What's happening this weekend?” I ask, pretending to be casual.

  “Didn't she tell you?”

  “ I wouldn't have asked if she did, dude.”

  “Oh. Well, the parts for her car came in. They're going to be working on it, so hopefully by Monday she'll be driving herself again.”

  “That's good,” I try to sound happy, and I am, just bummed at the same time, “I know she really wanted her car back.” He backhands my shoulder. “Ah! Now you can sleep in that extra five minutes.”

  “Yeah, but now I have to make my own damn coffee.”

  Vance laughs. We continue bullshitting and putting back bee
rs. I have no idea how long we’re there. I have to admit I miss Vance, but I know putting space between us until Veronica is ready to confide in him is for the best.

  “Last call,” Jade yells loudly, her voice carrying throughout the bar.

  “Oh shit, dude.” I look at my phone, “I can't believe it's already that late.” I throw my finger up to get the attention of a bartender. Jake, who occasionally works the weekends at Sliders, approaches us, “What can I get you, man?”

  “Can I get water?”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Water?” Vance bellows. “Pussy.”

  “Hey Jake, make that two,” I yell.

  “Fuck you, man.” Vance laughs.

  “You need it.”

  “Whatever,” he grumbles.

  “You want me to drive you home?” I offer.

  “Nah, I'll be fine.” He waves me off. Jake places the waters in front of us. “Thanks, man.” He nods and walks away. I grab both cups, handing one to Vance. “Drink up.” We spend another half an hour at the bar until Jade literally has to push us out the door. “Damn woman!” Vance jokes.

  “Shut up. Drive safe,” she says before disappearing back inside.

  “She's so hot,” Vance mumbles.

  I pat his back. “I know, man.”

  “She turns me down every time,” He says, suddenly sullen. I chuckle.

  “Can't have them all.”

  “Gotta catch them all,” Vance sings, and I burst out in laughter.

  “You sure you're good, man?”

  “Yeah. I think I'm gonna see what Talia's up to.”

  “It's almost...” I pull out my phone, “Dude, it's almost two am.”

  “Even better.”As we both approach our vehicles a shadowed figure appears out of nowhere, followed by a few more. “What the fuck?”

  Dixon takes a hit of a cigarette, inhaling and slowly releasing the smoke from his nostrils. “Did you think I'd let you get a hit on me, and I'd just let it slide?”

  Well, shit. It looks like we've just walked into a jump. “So, what? You just decided to wait outside with your little buddies so you can jump me?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “Well, yeah,” he replies nonchalantly, throwing down his butt, not bothering to step it out. The tip is still burning and causes a small trail of smoke to rise upwards.

  “You have nothing better to do?”

  “Nah, kicking your ass is on the top of my list.” He smiles mischievously, “Second on my list: getting your girlfriend on her back.”

  “The fuck you will,” I bark.

  “Ah, touchy,” he baits.

  I'm about to lose my shit, but I know that if I move first, his goons will be on me. The best thing for us right now is to get out of this. Dixon is full of shit. There's no way he knows anything, and he's baiting us. He knows that talking crap on Veronica is a good way to aggravate Vance.

  “How the hell does he know Nic?” Vance asks from my left.

  “Vance knows you’re fucking his sister?” Dixon's dark eyebrows move up in surprise. “Nice. Wanna send her my way when you're finished with her?”

  “What you fuckin' say?” Vance rushes forward, but I quickly reach out my hand and manage to grab the back of his shirt.

  “I mean, I usually hate sloppy seconds but Veronica's a special girl.”

  The rage I feel in myself is bubbling out of the surface, but I won't allow him to get the best of me--of us. Vance fights against me, “Stop, Vance. He's just saying shit to rattle you. It's not worth it.” I look at Dixon. He’s loving this, his face is lit up with excitement. “Dixon, you're drunk. Go home, asshole.” I pull on Vance’s collar again. “Let's go.” I tug once more, and he allows me to pull him away. I push Vance in front of me to make sure that he keeps walking.

  “Where are ya going, ya pussies?!” Dixon yells. I notice Vance's hands ball into fists. “Keep walking,” I tell him.

  “Fuck you, Daniels!”

  We manage to take a few more steps before I'm unexpectedly shoved forward. It nearly knocks me to the ground. Nearly. I manage to stop myself from eating asphalt, but Vance is off before I can stop him. He dives for Dixon and slams him to the ground. I catapult towards them, but a hand grasps my shirt, causing me to jolt backward. Instinctively, I turn my body. My arm swings outward before connecting with the side of some guy’s head. He flops onto the street like a dead fish. With that guy out of the way, my eyes move towards my friend. Dixon is now on top of Vance and he’s getting a couple of good punches in. The wail of sirens causes us all to freeze.

  “Fuck! Cops!” One dude yells and takes off towards the back of the lot. He’s followed by the rest of Dixon's goons. Some friends. I rush towards the grappling men. Vance gets a blow to Dixon's head which causes him to fall over. Vance scrambles off the ground and sits on Dixon's torso. He's throwing down punches left and right--the sickening sound of skin on skin is loud.

  “Speak of my sister again, and I'll fucking kill you!” Vance has lost all sense of reality, and I have to stop him before he does kill him. In seconds I'm at Vance's back, grabbing his arms and pulling them behind his back, “Dude, stop!” I yell, trying to break through the trance he's in. The wailing sirens are coming closer, and he struggles against my hold. Dixon’s face is covered in blood “Vance, we need to go!”

  Vance's chest is heaving, a groan passes through Dixon's bloody lips, giving me a bit of peace. “We have to go!” I repeat, and this time, I’m yanking on him with all of my upper strength. Red and blue lights approaching seem to get Vance moving, so pushes himself up, and we both take off towards my truck. Within seconds, we're peeling out of the parking lot and into the alleyway. I glance in the rearview mirror just in time to see Dixon's body being tossed into a car. I don't turn on the lights until we come to the end of the alley. Vance is quiet despite his heavy breathing.

  “Dude you okay?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” his voice is rough.

  “What the fuck were you thinking?”

  “I wasn't.”

  “No shit!”

  “What the fuck was that?” He goes on a coughing fit, “Ah. Fuck.”

  “You wanna go to the hospital?”

  “Nah. This isn't my first brawl, cowboy.” Vance laughs. “Ah. That hurts.”

  “What?”

  “You've been gone a while.”

  “Where am I taking you?”

  “Talia's. She's expecting me. “

  “Dude, you'll scare her. You're looking gnarly.”

  “She's studying to be a nurse. She'll baby me and then fuck me silly.”

  I laugh. “Alright, man. Just tell me where to go.”

  After about twenty minutes we arrive outside of Talia's dorm, where she waits outside in her robe. “I am going to kill you, Vance Michael Russo!” I hear her stern voice as she helps him from the truck.

  “Oh baby, you love me. Plus, this is practice.”

  “Thanks, Chase.” Talia waves and then shuts the door, leaving me to the silence of the cab. The clock on my dash says it's nearly three am, and I know this is not the smartest thing for me to do, but the adrenaline has me wide awake. I unlock my phone, and select the phone icon, pressing on the second name in my history.

  “Hello?” her voice is just above a whisper.

  “Hey, you. Did I wake you?”

  “Yes, but I don’t mind. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I want to see you.”

  “You miss me?”

  “Yes.”

  She laughs breathlessly, and it's such a hypnotizing sound. “What time is it? Where's Vance?”

  I cringe a bit. “It's almost three, and I just dropped him off at Talia's.”

  “Three?” she groans.

  “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you. It was a crazy night, and I just wanted to see you. I'll call you in the morning.”

  “No, No!” She sounds more alert. “Park down the block and I'll meet you out front.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah
.”

  “I'll be there in fifteen,” I tell her.

  “Okay, see you soon.”

  I end the call and speed towards my dream girl.

  Late Night

  I jump out of bed, throw on a sweater and rush to my bedroom door. I pull open the door, slowly, only to be met with darkness. Just what I wanted to see. I peek my head out, looking at each door for any signs of life, but all is black. I creep down the hall, avoiding the creaky spots that I've memorized. I know that sneaking Chase into the house is insane--my heart is pounding wildly--but this is also so exhilarating.

  I pace the front foyer and wait for any indication that he's near or here. After an agonizing seventeen minutes my phone chimes in my hands and a squeak of excitement passes my lips. The light from my phone blinds me as I look at his text. My legs begin to dance, and I have to remind myself to be quiet. I excitedly move to the door, whip it open, and wait upon the threshold until I see a figure walking down the driveway. I jump in place until I can't keep myself together any longer. I rush towards him, throwing myself in his arms. He laughs into my neck, “Someone did miss me.”

  I pull back to look at this face, and I'm greeted by his beautiful smile. “I did.”

  He gives me a small peck on my lips. “We should probably head inside.”

  I nod in agreement, and he releases me onto my feet. We make our way into the house and up the stairs.

  “Stay towards the wall,” I whisper. Once we reach my door, I hurry in and lock it behind us. That's when I notice the blood on his shirt. A gasp escapes my lips, I rush towards him and grab onto him. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  He looks down confused but, strangely, his face relaxes when he sees the blood. He places his hands over mine. “Yeah, I'm fine. Vance is a bit roughed up though.”

  “What?” I gasp, my jaw going slack.

  Chase pulls me to my bed, sitting down, and having me sit next to him. “He'll be fine. There was an incident at Sliders.”

  “An incident?” I ask sarcastically.