just_darkjazz

  The night went by slowly, and uneventfully. Drinks were had, ughs shared, fuckups made. That was the quintessence of the life. Themis wouldn't trade it for the world. Minhua and Carmen almost started a fight, but Dinah, ever the adult, stepped in to split them before things got out of hand. Katrine and Rita had mysteriously disappeared, the bar girl was probably getting fingered in the bathroom, while Odin talked shop with Artie, probably about something that she would bring to the table the next day. That girl always had her mind set on business. Themis considered taking up the President’s ear herself, asking about Tracey. But she was too drunk to care.

  Little by little, the party died down. The first to go were some of the bar girls, signaling the beginning of the end for the night without Rita to keep the flow of alcohol intact. That woman’s hands were magical, both when mixing up cocktails and popping beer bottles open, and apparently when jerking off lonely women in the parking lot. Though that st one Themis had not found out for herself, and Carmen was far from trustworthy when it came to gossip. Before Themis knew it it was just her and Raven at the bar.

  “Hey,” the girl drew her attention from the… something-th beer. She wanted to say tenth, but she had lost count after the fourth one.

  “What’s up?” Themis asked, her jaw feeling loose.

  “You about done here? I’ll be off in a little, I want to show you something.”

  Themis cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah, man,” she slurred. “Fo’ sho’.”

  “Good, you can wait for me outside, if you’d like.”

  “Okay.”

  Her head hanging low, Themis got up and drained her beer. Carmen and Minhua had made up, and were drunkenly dancing together near the entrance to the clubhouse. Themis almost stumbled over them, sending all three of them tumbling down, but she made it past close enough to alright.

  She went outside through the back door and took exactly four steps, before the efforts of a whole evening were violently wrung out of her by the nastiest barf Themis could remember. It was a miracle it didn’t spsh all over her, or, worse, on any of the club’s bikes. Though, now that she was a member herself, all she would have to do to fix it would be to apologise and clean up after herself. Hurling made her feel a lot better, and she felt like going back to the bar to fill that void on her stomach with more beer. Before she had the chance to, though, she saw Raven at the door.

  She had changed, from her usual sweater and overalls to a mini skirt over fishnet stockings and a crop top. She walked on heeled boots, her feet click ccking through the echoey strip as she approached Themis.

  “You need any help?” she said as she saw her reeling in her daze.

  “I can- I can walk,” Themis slurred.

  “Good. Don’t ask me to help you up if you fall,” Raven chuckled.

  She led her back inside, to the stairs behind the bar’s counter. Upstairs wasn’t as fancy, there was only an office space, mainly for Odin, and a few rooms for club members to crash if they are too drunk to drive. Raven pulled her inside one and flipped the switch, Themis groaning as light assaulted her eyes. The room looked like the background of a terrorist ransom video. Pin walls in an inoffensive cream color, a nightstand and a low bed on its own by the corner.

  Themis straightened her back, the room around her spinning as Raven let her go. She looked around, half recognising the room in her drunken stupor. A bad feeling started brewing in her stomach, a feeling she was almost certain was not another vom sesh now that she had expelled most of the poison. A feeling that was validated when she heard the door behind her close, and lock.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, not daring to turn around.

  Suddenly she felt hands on her back. In an instant she sobered up, blinking the haze away. Muscle memory woke up and survival instinct kicked in, her body springing to life before she even had the chance to think about it. In the blink of an eye she ducked under what she thought was an incoming choke hold, turning on her heel and lunged at Raven with her back bent. The women tumbled on the floor, struggling for a moment before Themis got the upper hand, flipping the goth on her stomach and twisting her arm behind the back.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” she demanded, breathing heavy from the exertion.

  “Dude, chill, Jesus!” Raven shouted as the pain made her head ring.

  “Talk! What the fuck is this?”

  “Fuck! You’re hurting me.”

  Themis sobered up for the second time, reason breaking through the anger. Raven had defted underneath her, shivering and groaning from the pain. She twisted her body, trying to break free, not in the calm manner of someone that knew what they were doing, but in the desperation of a terrified girl that felt like her arm was slowly being ripped from her shoulder. If she wanted to hurt Themis, she could have done so when her back was turned and she was wide open. Or she could have slipped something in one of her many drinks earlier, while Themis had her guard down.

  She loosened her grip, letting Raven go and helping her get up. “Dude, what the fuck?” Raven said, tears going down her cheeks as she rubbed her aching arm.

  “Sorry, I’m just…” Themis started, finding the words harder than she thought they would be. “I haven't…”

  “I get it, it’s okay,” Raven sighed. “I just wanted to surprise you. The girls put me up to it.”

  “Odin?” Themis raised an eyebrow.

  Raven shook her head sideways. “Your sister.”

  Themis pinched the roof of her nose and sighed. Of course Artie was to bme. “Well, shit, I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m really sorry. You know I’d never hurt you like that.”

  “I know…” Raven sighed. “It’s okay. I’ll… I’ll live.”

  “I’ll make it up to you, somehow,” Themis said, dodging her eyes.

  “I can think of a few ways.”

  Themis cocked an eyebrow. “What did you say my sister asked you to do, again?”