Tear Down These Walls

by Sarah Kay Carter

  “Hey, you guys made it just in time,” Blake declares. “Brianna is about to go sing.”

  “Oh great. I need a drink!” Teagan exclaims dramatically. “What does everyone want?”

  “A beer,” Isaac replies. “I can go get the drinks if you want.”

  “No, the farther I am away from the speakers the better,” Teagan quips. “Em, what do you want?”

  “A water,” Emily murmurs, putting her hair behind her ear.

  “No adult beverage to drink tonight?” Teagan asks. Emily shakes her head and looks away. “Okay, and Victoria. What do you want?”

  “Cosmopolitan,” Victoria replies.

  “Of course,” Teagan laughs. “I will be right back.” She turns and pushes her way to the bar. It’s all warn metal to match the theme of the place. When she gets there, it is packed. She leans against it and bends over. The bartender is a guy. He is tall with a shaved head and covered in tattoos. Not Teagan’s usual taste. “This will be easy,” she whispers. The bartender puts money in the cash register and then turns around. Teagan bites her lip and looks at him. She leans a little farther over and traces her finger around in circles on the metal.

  The bartender smiles and walks over. “What can I get you?”

  There are protests of, “HEY!” from all the other people waiting.

  Teagan smiles, “I need a Miller lite, bottle of water, cosmopolitan, and a dirty martini, EXTRA dirty.”

  “Extra dirty, huh?” The bartender responds, raising up an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth twitches and looks straight into Teagan’s eyes. Teagan nervously shifts. “Coming right up.” He turns around and starts to grab glasses.

  Very proud of herself, Teagan beams and looks around the bar. Suddenly, there’s a horrible rendition of “Like a Virgin” echoing all around them. Teagan groans and rolls her eyes. The bartender comes back, shaking the martini shaker. “Shaken not stirred,” Teagan laughs.

  “I haven’t seen you around here before,” the bartender says.

  “I come once in a while,” Teagan replies. “I don’t go up there to sing very often.”

  “Chicken?” The bartender quips, grabbing the Miller lite between shaking the martini.

  Shrugging her shoulders, Teagan states, “No, not at all, I just don’t want people to think I’m a horrible singer.”

  The bartender grimaces, “Yeah, sometimes this job sucks on nights like tonight.”

  “I bet,” Teagan snorts.

  “What’s your name?” The bartender asks.

  “Teagan…Teagan Murphy.”

  “Are you old enough to be in here?” He smirks.

  With a chuckle, Teagan nods and says, “Yes, I am 21.”

  “Which college do you go to?”

  “The university,” Teagan replies.

  The bartender pours the martini into the glass. “What are you studying?”

  “I want to get into editing,” Teagan answers. “That is my dream job.”

  “Do you write?”

  Teagan looks to the side and says, “A little.”

  “I see.” The bartender starts to make the cosmopolitan. “So, are you here with a boyfriend?”

  Oh great. “No, my boyfriend is working right now.”

  “What does he do?”

  Not knowing what to say, Teagan pauses. “He is a deep sea crab fisherman.”

  A slightly dumbfounded look crosses the bartender’s face. “Like the guys off of TV?”

  “Mmhmmm,” Teagan replies.

  Blowing out a low whistle, the bartender’s eyes roll around, scanning the room. “Wow. That’s an intense job.”

  “Yeah, but he makes good money,” Teagan sighs. “Spoils me.” She twirls a tendril of hair around her index finger while looking him in the eyes.

  “That’s good,” the bartender mutters as he pours the cosmopolitan.

  It takes a lot of effort for Teagan not to burst out laughing. She presses her lips together and holds it back. “What’s the total?”

  “Here is the beer and water. The total is 20 dollars.” She hands him twenty and a tip. “Let me give you a tray, so you can carry it.”

  “Thanks,” Teagan says, as she grabs the drinks. Carefully, she carries them back over to her friends. “The party is here!”

  “Yeah!” Victoria cheers.

  Isaac reaches over and grabs his beer. “Thanks, I will get the next round.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Teagan counters. At least she knows she can count on Isaac to hook her up with free drinks.

  A tall blonde girl approaches the group. She has on very dark eyeshadow, with a lot of eye liner and bright pink lips. Teagan notices her hot pink mini dress completes the look. “Did you all hear me?”

  “You were great!” Blake yells.

  “Like nails on a chalkboard,” Teagan murmurs to Victoria. Victoria giggles and takes a sip of her drink.

  “What did you say?” Brianna chirps snidely, looking at Teagan.

  “It is something I will never forget,” Teagan retorts back, straightening her back.

  Brianna eyes her up. “Yes, well, I would like to see you go up there.”

  “Maybe after I have a drink in me,” Teagan takes a sip of her martini.

  “I will sing tonight!” Victoria exclaims. “I don’t know what I will sing, but I will sing something!”

  “So, how did your midterm go?” Blake asks Teagan.

  “Fine, aced it, how about you?” She sips again from her drink.

  Blake grimaces, “I got a C. I hate physics.”

  “It’s not so bad. I can help you if you want,” Teagan suggests.

  “Thanks,” Blake says. “That would be awesome.”

  “No problem,” Teagan states, smiling. She turns and looks at Victoria. “Guess what?”

  “What?”

  With big eyes, Teagan announces, “My boyfriend is a deep sea crab fisherman.”

  Victoria gets a confused look on her face. “Say what?”

  “I think the bartender was going to hit on me, so I said I had a boyfriend. He asked what my boyfriend’s job was, and that’s what I came up with,” Teagan grins even bigger than before.

  Bursting out laughing, Victoria says, “That’s awesome. Was the bartender not cute?”

  “He was alright,” Teagan replies, shrugging her shoulders. “Just not my type. More like your type. Bad boy to the T.”

  “What is your type?” Brianna inquires hotly. “I don’t think I have seen you with a guy before.”

  “I haven’t really dated anyone seriously in a while,” Teagan replies. Muttering, she says, “Not like it’s any of your business.”

  “What would it take for you to be serious about a guy?” Isaac asks, staring at her. Teagan clenches inside, knowing that he really wants her to say, “Oh YOU Isaac! You are the perfect package.” She knows it will never happen, so she proceed with caution to protect his feelings.

  “I don’t know,” Teagan answers slowly. “Intelligence.”

  Victoria leans in and enthusiastically interjects, “With a sense of humor, killer body, nice car, and good job.” She elbows Teagan a little, and they both laugh.

  “You make me sound so shallow!” Teagan exclaims. “Shut up, Victoria. That is your dream guy.”

  “Oh wait. You’re right; it is.” Teagan and Victoria laugh hysterically.

  Isaac shifts on his feet. “You should give other guys a chance, too.”

  Heavily sighing, Teagan says, “When the right guy comes along, I will know it.”

  “Until then,” Victoria starts. “She will party like a rockstar and be my wingman.” Her eyes drift to the bar and she checks out the bartender. “Or you could be my wingman right now.”

  “You just use me to get numbers from guys,” Teagan laughs.

  “That’s because they flock to you,” Victoria counters.

  Taking a sip of her martini, Teagan hums, “Mmhhmmmm.”

  Suddenly, a hand slides itself across her back. Startled, Teagan’s
heart instantly jumps. She turns to look at the guy next to her. He is unkempt, with greasy hair. She instantly grimaces and pulls away. Her whole body tenses up. “Hey beautiful,” he whispers.

  “Dude, who said you could touch me?” Teagan snaps. Her skin prickles under his hands, and her stomach churns. She does not need this right now, and who is this guy anyway?

  “Me,” the guy replies, putting his hand around her again.

  “Get your slimy hand off of me,” Teagan growls. “Or I will take it off for you.”

  “A girl with attitude, I like that,” the guy purrs. “My name is Harry.”

  “I don’t give a crap what your name is,” Teagan snaps. “Get your hands off of me.” She moves backwards but is pinned against the table.

  “Yeah man,” Isaac says, stepping over by Teagan. Get your hands off of her.”

  The guy looks over at Isaac. “Are you going to do something about it?”

  “If necessary,” Isaac snarls. He puffs his chest out a bit, and for an instant, Teagan is flattered that he would protect her. She knows she can handle this guy.

  “Want to take it outside like real men?” Harry seethes.

  Teagan’s eyes dart to Isaac, remembering their prior conversation. “Isaac back off.” She turns to Harry. “I have absolutely NO interest in you. I am so out of your league it’s not even funny, so, BACK OFF, before I get a bouncer over here.”

  Harry pulls his hand away. “I swear girls like you need to be put in their place.” She sees his eyes flash with anger, and his lip pulls up at the corner.

  “Girls like me?” Teagan defiantly puts her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes.

  “Yeah, chicks that think they are so hot and can overlook guys whenever they want.”

  Teagan leans forward. “Maybe if you learned better pick up skills than putting your unwanted hands on women, you would actually get somewhere.”

  “You bitch!” Harry yells. He grabs her arm.

  “SECURITY!” Victoria screams at the top of her lungs.

  A huge guy suddenly appears next to them. Harry quickly lets go of Teagan’s arm, but not before the bouncer sees. “You are out of here!” The bouncer shouts at Harry.

  “Whatever, this place sucks anyway,” Harry seethes. As he walks away, he looks at Teagan. “One day you will be put in your place.”

  “Not by your ugly mug,” Teagan replies. Something about this guy really bothers her. Harry growls, but the bouncer grabs him by the shirt first and yanks him away from Teagan. When they leave, Teagan lets out a heavy sigh. She gets a shiver. “Oh my gosh.”

  “Way to put him in his place!” Victoria exclaims. “That’s my girl!”

  Grabbing her drink, Teagan tips it back and swallows it all down. “You okay?” Isaac asks. He seems shaken and worried for her, but she shakes it off.

  Teagan nods. “Yeah, just a little bit of an adrenaline rush.”

  “Are you sure you are okay?” Victoria asks again, putting her hand on Teagan’s arm. “That creep really had you going.”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Teagan emphasizes. “No big deal, he’s gone.”

  “I know what will put you in a better mood?” Victoria squeals in excitement. She starts to clap her hands giddily.

  “What’s that?” Teagan inquires, with a big smile, trying to forget the creep.

  “Hearing me sing!” Victoria shouts, throwing her hands in the air. “That makes everyone happy!” Teagan laughs and shakes her head.

  Two and a half hours later, Teagan yawns, “Okay, Victoria, I’ve had enough.”

  Victoria giggles and leans over, “Come on, one more drink.”

  “I have only had one drink,” Teagan counters. She looks down at her phone. “Many hours ago.”

  “I know! You need another one!”

  “Victoria, you are stupid drunk. We need to get you home,” Teagan replies.

  “Silliness! I am fine!” Victoria yells as she falters over her feet. Isaac catches her. “My hero,” Victoria giggles, putting her hand across her forehead like a damsel in distress.

  “Wow, okay, we need to get her home,” Isaac states seriously, practically holding her up.

  “I will go get the car,” Teagan sighs. She does not disguise her eyes rolling. “Want to give me the keys?”

  “Sure, here,” Isaac says, fishing the keys out of his pocket and tossing them over to her.

  She catches them. “Thanks, I will meet you outside.”

  “I have to use the bathroom,” Emily says quietly. “I will only be a minute.” Teagan had almost forgot she was there. Emily had a way of blending into the group unnoticed.

  “It will take us that long to get Victoria in the car,” Isaac exhales. “We will meet you out there, too.”

  “Okay, I will be right back,” Teagan declares. She spins on her heel and walks through the bar.

  The streets are dead outside. There are a few people sporadically along the way, but for the most part, everyone is gone. Teagan twirls Isaac’s keys around her finger as she walks. When she gets to his car, they fall off and onto the ground. “Crap,” Teagan mutters, as she bends over. She picks them up and says, “Smooth, Teagan.”

  Unexpectedly, two hands are on her. One is around her waist, the other is tight against her mouth. Teagan screams, but the noise cuts off instantly when she feels something sharp on her neck. Harry walks into view. “Ready to be put in your place, BITCH?” She is quickly dragged backwards into the trees. Harry follows closely in front of her, pointing a knife in her direction. “You make one sound, and I will cut you. Do you understand?”

  Terror rips through Teagan. She jerkily nods. “What are you going to do with her?” The person holding her asks, with a deep chuckle. Teagan’s heart races.

  “Get what I want,” Harry chuckles menacingly. “You should have given me a chance sweetheart.” She sees his lips curl again, and her insides freeze with fear.

  Her heart races a mile a minute, and all she can think is that she doesn’t know how to escape. The guy behind her moves his hand. “Anything to say, beautiful?”

  “Let me go, please,” Teagan pleads, turning her head from him. His breath is hot on her neck. “Not likely,” Harry laughs and turns his head to the sky. He looks back at her; a menacing glare chills her to the bone. “I am going to show you what kind of man I am.”

  “Please, please, leave me alone,” Teagan cries, almost losing strength in her legs.

  Harry holds up the knife.“I told you to shut up!”

  “Please,” Teagan gasps. Harry backhands her across the face, and she screams.

  “Shut up!” Harry growls. “Take off your pants.”

  “No,” Teagan whimpers.

  The knife is shoved to her throat. “I…said…TAKE OFF YOUR PANTS.” His voice curls around her and hangs in the silent air around them.

  With fumbling fingers, Teagan grabs the button of her pants. She is shaking so bad that she can’t grasp it. “Hurry up, you little bitch!” The urgency in his words causes bile to rise in her throat, but she knows that if she throws up on him, it could only make things worse for her.

  “Please. NO!” she cries. Her fingers fumble around the button of her jeans. She can’t stop shaking.

  The knife tip goes under her chin, and he lifts her head up. “Take….them….off.” Teagan gets the button undone as her first tear falls.

  Suddenly, there is a flash in front of Teagan. Before she knows it, the knife is gone from Harry’s hand. “What in the hell!?” He yells. A figure steps in front of her and grabs the guy’s arms that are gripping her.

  “Get down,” is all that she hears. The guy’s arms are quickly dislodged from around her. Teagan falls to the ground and covers her head. There is a crack and a blood-curdling scream. Something falls to a heap beside her. Teagan looks up. A guy is standing in front of Harry.

  “What in the hell did you do to him!?” Harry screams.

  “I believe I broke his arm,” her savior replies calmly.

&nb
sp; There is moaning from behind Teagan. She quickly scampers away from the guy on the ground. “Dude,” Harry growls, “You will have wished you hadn’t done that.” He steps forward and punches at the guy. Before Teagan knows what’s happening, Harry is spun around and slammed into a small tree with such force the tree actually cracks. He crumbles to the ground and doesn’t move.

  The shadow figure turns to her. “Are you okay?” She vigorously shakes her head and cowers away. “I am not going to hurt you,” he says in a softer tone. “Did they hurt you?”

  Teagan starts to cry uncontrollably. “No…no,” she stutters. “They didn’t….but he almost. Oh my god.” She starts to bawl into her hands. The guy slides off his jacket and puts it around her.

  “It’s getting cold out. I have to call the police, okay?” Teagan nods. The guy pulls out his cell phone and steps over to Harry. “Yes, we need some police assistance at Arrowhead Park. I have two assailants that are down. Yes, they attacked a young woman. I disarmed one. He had a knife. We will need an ambulance for both of them. One is conscious, the other one……hold on a second.” The guy pushes Harry with his foot. There is a moan. “They are both conscious. Yes, I’m unarmed. The girl is not hurt, shaken up though. What? Hold on.” The guy turns to Teagan. “What’s your name?”

  “Teagan….Teagan Murphy.”

  “Her name is Teagan Murphy. Teagan….T…E…A…G…A…N. Teagan, it’s not that hard!” Teagan grabs the jacket tight around her. She puts her face to it to wipe her tears. The leather smells good and helps her relax. “Yes, we are right off of 12th Avenue. The main gazebo is about thirty yards to the right of us. No, I am not planning on leaving. We’ll wait here. Thank you.”

  The guy bends down to her and Teagan gets the first real look at him. “Your eyes….” She whispers.

  “Excuse me?” The guy replies.

  She shakes her head and looks at him. “Do I know you?”

  “Not that I know of,” the guy says. “I have never met a Teagan before.”

  “Sorry,” Teagan mutters, grabbing her head in both hands. “I think I’m just in shock.”