Holding On Too Tight
Chapter One
I lay in my bed and stared at the white ceiling. We were supposed to go to the club, but of course Lizzy was running late. I sighed and looked at my phone again, it was already ten. Dammit. I got up and walked over to the mirror so I could get another look at myself. I’ve never liked the way I looked, but tonight I look hot. I tousled by brown hair and looked at the blue eyed girl in front of me.
“Get your ass out here!” She yelled.
“Yeah come on, we don’t wanna be late.” Ana whined. Oh so now I’m the one holding everyone back. I walked out of my bedroom and down the stairs and the two girls were leaning against the front door. We had a two story apartment and there were three fairly sized rooms. They all had a walk in closet but only one of them had an attached bathroom. I got that room because my name was on all of the paperwork but Lizzy and Ana didn’t seem to mind sharing a bathroom that was in-between their two rooms. The downstairs had a living room, dining room, kitchen, and a loft.
“I was waiting for Lizzy to finish whatever.” I locked the door behind us and we walked over to the elevator.
“My face is not whatever.” She snapped her fingers.
“Don’t get sassy,” Ana laughed at us.
“I’m the sass queen.” Lizzy laughed along with her.
“That’s true.” I joined in on their laughter and we finally reached the main floor. It was a warm night in San Diego and we didn’t want to waste this Saturday sitting at home. We were going to a club that wasn’t too popular or crowded and it played a great mix of music. Ana took me to it when it first opened up two years ago when I was 21. Now we were all 23 and we all had some pretty cool jobs. I was a writer on the music and fashion column of a local magazine, Ana worked in a recording studio nearby, and Lizzy was the manager of a concert venue near our apartment. We all did a little singing so when we all moved in together, we started making stupid videos and uploaded them to YouTube. Our group was called S.A.L. because it was our initials the group started out as comedy but started to get a little bigger. We made our way over to the club that was only a few blocks away from the apartment. We always walked because there was no point on driving the short distance.
“What’s that?” Ana pointed over at a crowd of people outside of the club.
“It’s never busy here.” I thought out loud. We walked over to the entrance and showed the bouncer our IDs before he let us inside. We came here all the time and he knew us, but the ID thing was just routine. The crowd of people stayed outside, they looked way too young anyways. We walked over to the bar and got a few drinks. I never really pay attention to what I’m drinking because Lizzy always orders something for me. All I have to say is “It’s good” and she puts it in the back of her mind for next time. She handed me a piña colada and I drank it up quickly. Fruity drinks were always my favorite, it didn’t matter where I was or what season it happened to be. We finished up our drinks and ordered a round of shots. I gulped mine down quickly and felt the alcohol warm up my throat. I turned around to look at the dance floor that was filled with people. I grabbed the girls and dragged them into the middle of the crowd. I bumped into a few people but I didn’t care. We probably looked ridiculous considering that us white girls couldn’t really dance when we were sober so we were probably a lot worse with alcohol.
“Hey!” I heard someone yell over the music. Someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned around to see a pretty cute guy with spiked up hair and adorable dimples.
“Hi.” I said back to him.
“Let me buy you a drink.” I let him take me back out of the crowd, he was cute and he looked familiar…
“My name’s Shay.” I told him once we got back over to the bar.
“Jaime.” He smiled at me and exposed his dimples again. “So what do you want to drink?”
“Surprise me.” I returned his smile. I don’t know why but I felt like I could trust him. We talked about stupid things for a while before he took me back out to the dance floor. He was really funny doing silly dances and making weird faces. I looked around for Lizzy and Ana but they were already dancing with some guys. I guess Ana made her boyfriend Nate come because Lizzy was hitting it off with a tall guy that was covered in tattoos. I looked back at this guy, Jaime, and he just looked so happy. I can’t even remember how long we danced but he brought me back to the bar for a few more drinks. We did some shots and chased them down with a beer. I was about to follow him back out to the dance floor when a hand landed on my shoulder. I turned on my heel to see a queasy Lizzy in Ana’s arms.
“We have to go.” Ana frowned and Nate showed up behind her. Nate and Ana weren’t really drinkers so Nate decided to drive them home. I stayed with Jaime and we had a great time dancing and drinking the night away.
“Thanks for walking me home.” I smiled as Jaime walked me outside of the club.
“I can’t let you go by yourself.” His hands were in his pockets. Another guy was walking with us, Tony I think. I guess Jaime had a thing about not going alone anywhere, I had the same problem. He didn’t want me to go by myself because it was already 2 am and he was a few blocks away from my place.
“Hey can I see your phone?” I asked Jaime.
“Yeah of course.” He pulled out an iPhone and unlocked it for me. I made my way into his contacts and pressed the add button. I typed in Shay Cannon and my cell number along with our landline. It was almost pointless in having one but it came in the TV and internet bundle. I handed it back to him and a smile spread across his face. He did the same for my phone and I kissed him on the cheek. Tony was so quiet that I forgot he was even there.
“Goodnight you guys.” I waved and walked into the building. They waved back and I walked over to the elevator. I pressed the 5 button and I leaned back onto the wall. My feet were aching and my head was pounding. I shouldn’t have drank so much, there was going to be a killer hangover following this. The door opened and I walked over to my apartment door. I fumbled with the keys and stumbled inside; I locked it again and groaned as I made my way up the stairs. I kicked off my shoes and slipped out of my clothes. I flopped onto the bed and covered myself with the sheets. Tomorrow was going to suck.
“Get your ass out here!” She yelled.
“Yeah come on, we don’t wanna be late.” Ana whined. Oh so now I’m the one holding everyone back. I walked out of my bedroom and down the stairs and the two girls were leaning against the front door. We had a two story apartment and there were three fairly sized rooms. They all had a walk in closet but only one of them had an attached bathroom. I got that room because my name was on all of the paperwork but Lizzy and Ana didn’t seem to mind sharing a bathroom that was in-between their two rooms. The downstairs had a living room, dining room, kitchen, and a loft.
“I was waiting for Lizzy to finish whatever.” I locked the door behind us and we walked over to the elevator.
“My face is not whatever.” She snapped her fingers.
“Don’t get sassy,” Ana laughed at us.
“I’m the sass queen.” Lizzy laughed along with her.
“That’s true.” I joined in on their laughter and we finally reached the main floor. It was a warm night in San Diego and we didn’t want to waste this Saturday sitting at home. We were going to a club that wasn’t too popular or crowded and it played a great mix of music. Ana took me to it when it first opened up two years ago when I was 21. Now we were all 23 and we all had some pretty cool jobs. I was a writer on the music and fashion column of a local magazine, Ana worked in a recording studio nearby, and Lizzy was the manager of a concert venue near our apartment. We all did a little singing so when we all moved in together, we started making stupid videos and uploaded them to YouTube. Our group was called S.A.L. because it was our initials the group started out as comedy but started to get a little bigger. We made our way over to the club that was only a few blocks away from the apartment. We always walked because there was no point on driving the short distance.
“What’s that?” Ana pointed over at a crowd of people outside of the club.
“It’s never busy here.” I thought out loud. We walked over to the entrance and showed the bouncer our IDs before he let us inside. We came here all the time and he knew us, but the ID thing was just routine. The crowd of people stayed outside, they looked way too young anyways. We walked over to the bar and got a few drinks. I never really pay attention to what I’m drinking because Lizzy always orders something for me. All I have to say is “It’s good” and she puts it in the back of her mind for next time. She handed me a piña colada and I drank it up quickly. Fruity drinks were always my favorite, it didn’t matter where I was or what season it happened to be. We finished up our drinks and ordered a round of shots. I gulped mine down quickly and felt the alcohol warm up my throat. I turned around to look at the dance floor that was filled with people. I grabbed the girls and dragged them into the middle of the crowd. I bumped into a few people but I didn’t care. We probably looked ridiculous considering that us white girls couldn’t really dance when we were sober so we were probably a lot worse with alcohol.
“Hey!” I heard someone yell over the music. Someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned around to see a pretty cute guy with spiked up hair and adorable dimples.
“Hi.” I said back to him.
“Let me buy you a drink.” I let him take me back out of the crowd, he was cute and he looked familiar…
“My name’s Shay.” I told him once we got back over to the bar.
“Jaime.” He smiled at me and exposed his dimples again. “So what do you want to drink?”
“Surprise me.” I returned his smile. I don’t know why but I felt like I could trust him. We talked about stupid things for a while before he took me back out to the dance floor. He was really funny doing silly dances and making weird faces. I looked around for Lizzy and Ana but they were already dancing with some guys. I guess Ana made her boyfriend Nate come because Lizzy was hitting it off with a tall guy that was covered in tattoos. I looked back at this guy, Jaime, and he just looked so happy. I can’t even remember how long we danced but he brought me back to the bar for a few more drinks. We did some shots and chased them down with a beer. I was about to follow him back out to the dance floor when a hand landed on my shoulder. I turned on my heel to see a queasy Lizzy in Ana’s arms.
“We have to go.” Ana frowned and Nate showed up behind her. Nate and Ana weren’t really drinkers so Nate decided to drive them home. I stayed with Jaime and we had a great time dancing and drinking the night away.
“Thanks for walking me home.” I smiled as Jaime walked me outside of the club.
“I can’t let you go by yourself.” His hands were in his pockets. Another guy was walking with us, Tony I think. I guess Jaime had a thing about not going alone anywhere, I had the same problem. He didn’t want me to go by myself because it was already 2 am and he was a few blocks away from my place.
“Hey can I see your phone?” I asked Jaime.
“Yeah of course.” He pulled out an iPhone and unlocked it for me. I made my way into his contacts and pressed the add button. I typed in Shay Cannon and my cell number along with our landline. It was almost pointless in having one but it came in the TV and internet bundle. I handed it back to him and a smile spread across his face. He did the same for my phone and I kissed him on the cheek. Tony was so quiet that I forgot he was even there.
“Goodnight you guys.” I waved and walked into the building. They waved back and I walked over to the elevator. I pressed the 5 button and I leaned back onto the wall. My feet were aching and my head was pounding. I shouldn’t have drank so much, there was going to be a killer hangover following this. The door opened and I walked over to my apartment door. I fumbled with the keys and stumbled inside; I locked it again and groaned as I made my way up the stairs. I kicked off my shoes and slipped out of my clothes. I flopped onto the bed and covered myself with the sheets. Tomorrow was going to suck.
