result of every attempt I’d ever made to enter any drinking establishment before tonight. I sucked in a mouthful of air and stared back. For a moment, we were two predatory animals, sizing each other up in the wild, deciding who was the alpha. Then he gave a slight nod, lifted the red rope barrier and ushered me and Tim inside.
“It’s a fiver,” he grunted. “Pay on the left.”
I let my breath out with a whoosh as we paid. A pretty Asian girl in the cloakroom stamped my hand, letting her fingers linger on mine for a beat too long. She smiled as I turned to move into the club. Tim gave me a nudge. “Looks like you’re going to be on it tonight mate!” I wasn’t really sure exactly what ‘on it’ meant, but I got the jist. “I hope so.”
As we opened the door into the main club, the bassline hit me like a punch to the stomach. Lasers shone a kaleidoscope of colours in a dozen directions. Ahead a walkway led to a sunken dance floor where a DJ stood in a suspended box, like a musical judge. Granite topped bars ran either side of us. On the far right, giant glass doors opened into a smoking area, where circular wooden tables glowed red underneath suspended electrical heaters. Tall umbrellas protected the huddled smokers from the elements.
The club was busy but not packed. Everywhere I looked girls were laughing and dancing. Their sequined dresses and bright jewellery winked in the lasers like shards of sunlight. In every direction I turned, people had smiles on their faces. Girls screamed as their friends arrived. Guys did manly hugs or hi-fived and navigated towards the bar.
So this is what I’ve been missing.
To me it seemed both incredible and ridiculous at the same time. Either way, I was going to embrace it tonight at the very least. I turned to Tim. “Bar?” “You read my mind.” The rest of the football lads trickled into the club. One by one they marched to the bar. Then the real drinking began.
I was introduced to the disastrous combination of Vodka and Red Bull, which hit my head like a brick. It was followed by more shots and beers.
I was just finishing my third and discussing with Tim why my History teacher got on my nerves, when a girl sidled up to me. Tim nodded behind me and I spun around, almost knocking my drink into her. It was Grace. She’d curled her hair; it hung in cute ringlets around her pretty, heart shaped face. She gave me a hug and a gloss- coated kiss on the cheek. “Alex, how are you babe?” she said in my ear. I nodded and yelled over the music. “Good thanks. Well a bit drunk actually.” She smiled. “I think that’s the idea!”
With a pink and white tipped finger, she pointed towards the dance floor. I turned to see her friends — the ones who’d giggled when she’d spoken to me for the first time. They were all grinding their bodies in time to the music and sneaking occasional glances in our direction. “Want to come dance with us?” she asked. I felt a sudden wave of panic. “I um…I’m not a very good dancer,” I confessed. “So?” she laughed, “It’s not a very good song. Come on!”
Before I could protest, she took my hand in hers and dragged me towards the dance floor. I shot Tim a pleading look. He gave an understanding nod and rounded up the others. Drinks in hand, they abandoned the bar like a flock of birds, heading to the dance floor. Grace led me to the middle and her friends closed in around us. My heart hammered at the thought of making an idiot of myself — that or the Red Bull. I couldn’t tell.
“Let’s see your stuff Alex,” she laughed, as she moved easily and fluidly to the deep thump of a Dubstep song. I tried to watch how other guys were doing it.
I shut my eyes and went for it.
Trying to feel the music, I waited until each drop of base. When it hit, I moved a body part in a particular direction. I kept my movements jerky at the start and then rolled them into a smoother action as the base lifted.
I opened my eyes. No one was laughing at me. In fact, I noticed that I was probably better than a lot of the other guys.
“Not bad,” Grace chuckled in my ear.
The two groups mixed together and we all made a large circle, moving to the music. And then something I didn’t expect at all happened.
Grace kissed me.
She grabbed my waist as I was dancing and pulled me towards her. Our lips connected and she raked her fingers through my hair. Her tongue pushed gently into my mouth and wrapped around mine. It was a strange sensation, but one I could happily get used to. Around me, I could hear the lads cheering. After a minute she pulled away and gave me a foxy smile.
“That was nice,” she whispered. Running a finger along my lip she nodded towards the bar. “I need a drink. I’ll be back in a minute okay?”
I stared dumbly at her.
“Okay,” she laughed and squeezed my waist. Then Grace and her entourage tottered off the dance floor, leaving me with my mouth open, having received my first real kiss. The lads slapped my back and Tim held out his drink. Coming around, I laughed and chinked my bottle with his, then carried on dancing. With Grace gone, other girls closed in. All of a sudden I was a trophy to be won at any cost. Girls I had never met passed me around like a toy, draping their feminine arms around my shoulders and pressing their made up faces against my cheeks, as the bright flashes of cameras made spots appear in my eyes.
Drunk. Very drunk. Head pounding.
When I shut my eyes everything spun around very fast. I’d been sick in the toilet three times. Grace had gone home after I’d made a special promise to text her. I was propped up against the bar, drinking water from a big glass. Tim was with me. I liked Tim. Tim was a good friend. He’d given me a cigarette, when I asked. Strange, I don’t normally smoke.
I gave Tim a hug to show him how much I liked him. He patted my back.
“I think it’s time you went home now mate. You need to sleep it off.”
What a silly thing to say! I’m having fun! Silly Tim.
I tried to tell him he was wrong, but my legs flopped and I fell over. My friend Tim caught me and propped me back up.
What a good friend! Tim is such a good friend! Maybe I should go home. “I’m hungry!” I announced. Tim nodded. “That’s cool, let’s grab your coat. We’ll go eat then find you a taxi.” “Chicken?” I asked, hoping for chicken. Tim laughed. “Yes Alex, we can get chicken. Let’s go.” “What about the people?” I asked thinking of the people. “It’s fine. I told them you’d be going home.”
“I like them. But — you — are — my — best — friend,” I said poking his chest, “I love you mate.” I hugged him again to show him that I loved him and he patted my back again. “That’s why I want you to stay,” I added. I stared at my watch, which was nice and chunky. The hands were blurry. I held it under Tim’s nose. “It’s half twelve Alex.” “Half twelve! See, I’m not letting you leave. No. You stay. Have fun. I’ll get a chicken after taxi. No wait…” “Honestly, I don’t mind-”
“No,” I interrupted. I will be fine Timothy Clement Matheson. That is a lot of M’s and T’s. I will get a chicken and taxi. I’m not ten, I’ll be fine.” I patted his chest and pointed over there. “Go, fun!”
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure you’ll go straight home after eating?”
I nodded, which made me feel sick. “Yes I am giving you my widest promise.”
I gave Tim one more hug and left him. I staggered through the door. I got my coat from the Asian coat lady who was pretty and smelled of soap. She gave me her number, even though I didn’t ask, which was friendly. It took me a long time to get my arms in the holes of my jacket. I kept hitting the wall.
I wandered up the street and saw people I wanted to talk to. They told me to go away because I was drunk. So I fell over.
I saw a place that sold kebabs. Lots of people were outside, eating food from paper bags.
“Chicken?” I asked a girl who looked as if a clown had put on her makeup. She stared at me blankly. I pointed towards the door and repeated the question louder.
“Yeah sure,” she shrugged.
I told her she looked as if a clown had put on her makeup. She slapped me. It didn’t hurt. I was strong now.
I bought chicken wings, which tasted nice. Then not so nice. I threw up against a post box. Afterwards, I staggered to an alleyway and gulped down two bottles of water whilst leaning against the wall. Shutting my eyes, I
