After Dark

Two weeks passed before I had the privilege of seeing Gee again. I hadn’t believed he would come back on the grounds that I was just another girl. However, he proved me wrong by showing up at my school and demanding that I come with him to their next show. I, of course, followed him to the show. This time was different. Instead of being in the crowd I was on the side of the stage collecting rather hateful looks from some of the females in the audience.

Gee had tried to tell me before that they were just bitches, but that didn’t cure my feelings of jealousy or hatred towards them. I was still trying to figure out why Gee had invited me back. It became a routine to him to take a girl one night and then forget about her the next night. I wonder who he’ll pick tonight.

They played the same songs, but I wasn’t ever getting tired of it. I watched them perform again, still as mesmerized as the first time. I shouldn’t show my emotions so clearly, but it was already too late. Gee knew that I was transfixed by him, and he enjoyed it. To be honest, I think I enjoy him knowing. I loved being his girl for the night, even if it did give me a bad case of anxiety before.

Gee bent down, touching some of the hands of the girls of the night. They screamed and babbled to be taken with him, but he turned away, walking over to me.

“You picked her last night!” A blue haired girl complained.
“Yeah, and I think I want her again.” He replied not turning to her.

Gee smiled at me, holding out his hand for me to take. This wasn’t Gee, at least not the one I knew.

“Shouldn’t you be picking a new girl?” I asked taking ahold of it.
“You’re just different. I haven’t gotten tired of you yet.”

I felt a red hot blush rolling up my neck. Not because of shyness or my natural state, but of anger. He hasn’t gotten tired of me yet? I didn’t feel like a person to him, I still felt like one of his one night stands. Maybe this was how he worked after all. Maybe he picked a girl, took her out for a few nice nights, before getting her in bed with him.

I stayed quiet the rest of the walk to his car. Of course, he did the gentlemen’s thing and held the door open. I didn’t look at him as I slid in. I was upset and feeling childish. I was stupid to think that I would actually go on to be something.

Although I was upset, I still wondered what he was like underneath his rock-star, ‘I don’t give a shit’ persona. What if he was a nice guy? I doubted I would ever find out, and I wasn’t going to bother asking. Gee looked over at me as he got into the driver’s side.

“What’s wrong?” He sighed turning to me.
“Nothing.” I replied turning to face him.
“Something’s wrong Eva. I’m not stupid, I’ve been with enough girls to be able to tell when your lying.”

“When we’re lying? So your like an expert?!” I snapped.

I instantly regretted it, turning away and facing the window. The blush returned and aggravated tears threatened to escape. I thought of calling Isaac, my best friend, to pick me up, but that felt rude. I really shouldn’t be worrying about what’s rude and what isn’t after what I had just said, but I still felt the little pieces of my own personality pulling me back.

“I never said I was.” Gee turned his body to completely face me, obviously having no intention of driving any time soon.

“You don’t have to come with me tonight if you hate ‘how I am’ so much. I’m not fucking stupid.” He inched closer, his breath fanning over the side of my face.
“I know the talk about me, and I know the talk of your own father. Don’t act so fucking smart.”

I felt nervous now, hesitantly putting my hand on his chest to push him away. He grabbed my wrist tightly in one hand. I stopped, attempting to yank my hand away but his grip increased. His eyes turned dark, same as they had on stage. I tried to again, but he held on.

“You’re hurting me.” I whimper.

The car door is yanked open, someone pulling both Gee and I out. I yelled out in fear, turning to fight back against however was holding me away.

“Gee!” I yelled out.

I watched as a tall man with short brown hair began to pound his face.

“Stop it you’re hurting him!” I tried to kick away from the male, but he continued to hold me tight against him. The tears began to fall fast, ones that I had been holding for awhile. Twenty Four hours ago, I was sitting on Gee’s lap and experiencing a club for the first time. Now I was in the arms of a stranger watching him be beat the shit out of.

I cried out, jamming my elbow into his stomach. Finally, Gee was able to fight back, slamming his knee into the man’s crotch and punching him in the face. He pushed Gee back down, wailing on his face. I ran over, trying to remember any of the self-defense lessons my father had given me.

Remembering my pocket knife, I flipped it open, alerting the men. The one on top of Gee stood up with his hands up.

“He was hurting you. Real men don’t hurt women.”
“You don’t know anything.” I testified, scared and anxious.
“Just give me the knife and we’ll go.” He said.
“No! This is my knife. Leave. If I need your help I would ask for it. Now go!” I yelled.

“Give me the knife.” The man stepped closer alerting Gee.
“Don’t touch her.” He growled.
“I won’t if she gives me the knife.”

The four of us stood in a tension filled silence. Everyone was on edge, me with my knife, Gee and the man and the other one who was slowly backing away.

“Be smart like your friend and leave.” Gee spoke up.

Slowly, they backed away, not before giving the two of us a sinister smirk. I dropped my knife, running over to Gee. He wrapped his arms around me, muttering sorry only once and looking at the men.

“I’ve seen them before.” He says quietly.
“You have?”
“From High School. They were assholes then and they still are.”
“Come on. Still up for going out?” He asks.

I was shaken up, but right now, all I wanted was something to drink. So, I went with Gee. On any normal occasion, I would have refused the offer and went home. But tonight, all I felt like doing was staying with Gee. Around him, being safe wasn’t exactly my option. Having spent the last eighteen years of my life in safety, I was ready to do something reckless.

“I’m Sorry.” I apologized.
“For what?” Gee asked sliding into the driver’s side.

I followed after him, getting into the passenger side.

“Over-reacting. I know the score and-“
“Stop it Eva.” Gee turned to me completely. “I’m the one who fucked up. I over-reacted and nearly got the both of us killed.”

Gee turned away from me starting the car and driving off. I wondered where we were going once he passed the club. I knew Gee would most likely have the most information on the best stops in town. I watched in silence, feeling slightly awkward.
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Music pounded all around us, Gee standing across from me as he trained his hazel eyes on me. He had taken me to another bar which housed live music. He mentioned before that it was his favorite, but so far I hadn’t found any qualities that made it the best.

“Relax, loosen up. This is your life and don’t let the schedule of school fuck it up.” Gee tossed his arm around me, shoving a tall glass of something into my hand.

“It’s not as hard as the last.” He tipped his head back, taking the rest of his down.

I watched in fascination. Gee was like a whole new person, someone who went way beyond his persona. Talk travels fast, and so far, I’ve found that almost half it is true. I’ve spent all my life around well behaved teenagers, and now I’ve been spending my last few days around Gee. He probably wasn’t a good influence, but for some weird reason, I couldn’t care enough to stop hanging out with him.

I don’t think I wanted to leave him in all reality, I think I want to stay as long as I can. I liked being around Gee, even if it did bring some misfortunates. Life brought bad things, and before I was only seeing the very least. With Gee, I see it all. The world is a very different thing with different people.

Being with Gee was like waking up and see a whole new world of colors actually. I hadn’t realized how boring my life had been before Gee. The only excitement happening in my life was because of Gee’s concerts.

“I like being with you.” I said finally.

A smile stretched out onto Gee’s face, a small chuckle spilling out of his lips.
“I knew you would. Life’s pretty boring without any excitement. You really need to open a bit.” He smiled.

“I want another.” I said finishing the drink.

Gee smiled, pulling me over to sit with him on the bar stool. This bar was a lot different from the last one we were at. This one wasn’t as colorful or bright, it was dark and a low murmur passed out amongst the crowd. At the club, everyone was talking and dancing. It was calm here, a normal bar. In a strange way, I felt safer here then I did at the bar.
Finally, I understood why Gee loved this bar so much.

“Do you like this place so much because it’s more low- key?” I asked, turning in his lap to face him.

“Pretty much.” He answered. “I like it because not everyone in town knows about it and it isn’t so drown out. It’s the perfect place to relax. At clubs you can’t relax. I like taking girls here because it’s a better environment to sit and actually have a conversation. You’re the first girl to be here.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yeah. All the other girls knew what they were getting. They wanted sex and moved on. With you, it doesn’t really matter.I feel like I can have an actual conversation with you opposed to some of the more idiotic girls.”

I smiled at Gee’s comment.

Tonight, I experienced a lot more of Gee’s persona. He could be mean, rude, scary, and dangerous. At the same time, Gee could be a caring person, one who’s just looking to make it through in life.

“You aren’t really that bad are you?” I asked, facing him completely, my chest to his.
“I’m glad you finally understand, the first.” He smiled, nuzzling his face into my neck.

Notes

This is the longest chapter I've ever written and I'm quite proud of it. :) x