27 CLUB

Drugs, Sex, Rock n' Roll

Authors Note: I just want to mention the hint to drug use in this chapter. If you're not comfortable reading about such things, then this isn't really the story for you. Just a warning! It's not a huge part in the chapter but it exists.

The floor boomed of the DNA lounge as the band played and rocked the house. It's not that they were that great, it was just that the place was a small two story venue with thin walls. The bass vibrated off your chest and the drums drove your brain mad.

I sat with my buddy at the bar, his name was Nix, his blue hair was electric, gauged ears with clear piercings, that I did them for him several years ago. He had an elegant air about him, despite the fact that there was nothing elegant about him.

We couldn't hear shit at the bar, but some how managed to have a conversation. "Do You want a bump man?" He asked, something you normally wouldn't shout about where other people could hear, fearing that you would get ratted out.

But in this crowd, it generally wasn't to much trouble, people weren't paying attention. I shrugged my shoulders, we disappeared into the bathroom. Receiving only a few odd looks from the straight edge kids who liked to dress up once a week and pretend to be something different, they wanted to pretend to be us. But the truth was, they didn't have thick enough skin to be us, so on Tuesday morning they went back to their desk jobs and forgot all about it.

We reappeared moments later, looking out at the crowded dance floor, glancing to the off centered spiral stair case that went up stairs, sniffling as we suddenly seemed to come down with allergies.

The best allergies ever.

The lights and music were so much more as our blood ran like it had been shot with adrenaline, the tiredness had gone completely away. We always had a cure for boredom, or tired. Suddenly we were having fun again.

"This is our last song!" The vocalist proclaimed, with a cheering, but sad crowd. Thank God, I thought. I could go back home and hit the hay, as they called it. We never hung out at the lounge, but Kat's boyfriend was the guitarist, so here we were.

He wasn't an original member of our gang, but we had to respect the guy for dealing with the raven haired, cat-clawed, princess.

I stood there in a haze of feeling, time seemed to flash forward, then white lights. I looked about oddly and squinted dilated eyes, DNA was half empty now, I heard a security guard yell, "Alright, everyone move it out side, have a good night."

I adjusted to normality, slightly stumbling in step towards the door, unexpectedly my arm was grabbed;

I was pulled closer to the floor, for a reason I soon found to be obvious. "Oh my God aren't they amazing Bryan!" It was Kat, googly eyes and all for that Band I particularly didn't like so much.

"Yeah, they were good." I told her with a dry tongue, she looked at me with a frown, her sparkling Emerald eyes knew I was lying, I tussled her already teased hair, and tried to dismiss the topic; For Kat and I, there was history here, we wore it on our sleeves, like every Romeo and Juliet did.

I didn't bother help the band pack their stuff into the rented white van, instead I had a Djarum cigarette, and watched with annoyance, though the guitarist watched me with the same annoyance, we had a dislike but mutual respect for one another. Just for Kat.

I watched the van doors slam and was glad the night was over, I was coming down and getting tired, also irritated, I licked my dry pierced lips. "Kat, you coming?" I hollered as I wanted to make my departure, I knew the answer would be no but I couldn't help but rile the feathers of her boyfriend.

She looked back at me as she was climbing into the white van, a confused princess spoke telepathically to me, begging me to not cause a scene, it was so easy to push his buttons, the more I thought about it, the more I hate that guys guts.

"No. Good night Bryan." She said, and disappeared; I thought about the millions of rape cases that started out that way, and then was brought back to the present by Nix.

"Let's go man, forget it." He must have been reading my mind, we started our long walk back home, we walked down the dingy part of 11th street, the night air was cold like it always was, the breeze felt good. Perhaps it was my age that was getting to me but I was ready for the night to be over, though it never was.

I always forget how long of a walk it is from my house to the DNA Lounge, I sighed as I was greeted by a stairwell that three flights of monotonous steps later would be my apartment. I brushed my fingers over my shaved skull, "Come on old man." Nix said taking the stairs before me.

"What?" I called, "Do I need to call your mom and have her come get you? It's far past your bed time." I scolded to the blue haired man that had been a long time friend to me,

we both laughed, though there was a tinge of regret at my decided witty comeback, Nix's mom was dead, resting in Coloma, not to far away. How she died was an awful way to go, every kid's worst night mare. Drug abuse, rape, to say the least it was in the paper for quite awhile.

"Fuck these stairs," I said angrily as I hated walking them every time I wanted to go out of the house which was quite often, though once I reached home I knew it was that,

it was shitty but it was mine.

Stopping in the poorly lit stair well on the small landing that was access to my apartment and the neighbor across the street, I dug in my tight jean pockets for my key, "Hey..."

Nix said looking to the door handle.

"Hey Jude~" I began to sing finally finding my key amongst all the rest of my belongings I kept in my tight pants pockets some how. "Ah!" I said in boast of victory,

pulling the small silver key from my pocket.

"Your door handles fucked man," Nix said cautious to open the door handle, that was indeed in his words, fucked, after getting the best look at it I could, it looked as though it'd been hit with a crow bar.

"Stand back." I demanded, Nix was small and I always felt the need to protect him.

I opened the door it creaked open, and screeched, old brass hinges finally meeting their day of needing replacement.

Taking a step into my apartment, I noticed the lights were off, I always left the lights on so people would assume that I was home and not attempt to break in, this crook was smarter than the rest. I looked around in the dark, deciding not making any swift movements was best.

Nix timidly took a step closer, I reached my hand back and kept him away. As I reached for the light switch that was old and decrepit, I heard a noise and tried to move, but all was to late, the pain I felt in my face was enough to knock me on the ground, and out of consciousness.