Xo Novel
18
Me: Are you guys free tonight, I’d like to go out?
Charis: Yeah, I have the social life of a turtle.
Jenny: I’m supposed to hang out with my boyfriend, but we don’t hang out very Often, so yea.Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
Me: Okay, where do you want to meet?
Jenny: What about “The Vegas?”
Isn’t that a club?
Jenny: Oh, yeah… sorry, Ava. We have the option of going somewhere else.
I avoided clubs because they reminded me of where I was sold. But I decided it was time to give it a shot; I wasn’t going to ruin a good time.
Me: No, let’s do it; I’ll be fine.
Charis: Are you sure? We understand what they mean to you…
Jenny: No, Ava, we can change location.
Me: No, we’re going to see the light of our lives.
Jenny: Yeeeee
Me: Can we meet at my apartment at 7 pm?
Charis: That sounds great:)
Jenny: That works for me.
I checked my phone for the time: 10:32 am I had nine hours to kill and nothing to do. I decided to go shopping for an outfit and then watch “Pirates of the Caribbean” when I got home. Veronica usually paid me in cash on Mondays, so I still had about $1, 700. I usually save all of the leftover money at the end of the week, but I wanted to dress to impress, so I took $700 in cash and went shopping.
I wandered the streets of New York looking for something that caught my attention. I entered a store near Times Square and began to look around. I could tell it was a nice store, but not an extravagantly priced one. I was wandering through the store , unsure of what I was looking for, when I came across a stunning red gown.
I grabbed the dress and went in search of a changing room; once inside, I quickly slipped into and was amazed at how beautiful I looked in the mirror.
The dress was long enough to keep me comfortable but short enough to show off my legs, and the neckline was high enough to cover everything while still resting perfectly on my chest. It captured my heart.
Because of my past, I am cautious about what I wear; I dislike exposing a lot of my skin, but I have learned that I must be comfortable in my own skin and that my body belongs to no one but me.
I needed the dress , so I quickly exited and went to the cashier to purchase it. The cashier took the dress and rolled her eyes at me.
“Have you checked the price?” Perhaps I could direct you to another store that is more to your liking,” she suggested.
“I am perfectly fine with purchasing from this store,” I replied.
She scanned the dress and discovered that it was $500. I opened my purse and counted the $500 bills in it.
When I handed her the money, she looked surprised. I knew I didn’t look like I could afford the dress, and I wouldn’t have been able to if it hadn’t been for the Jayson’s, but I was still irritated by how quickly she judged me and her attitude toward me.
She handed me a bag containing the dress, which I grabbed and walked out of the store. I checked my phone and saw that it was 1:32 PM. I walked home excited to wear the dress and show Charis and Jenny. I had about 5 hours until I needed to be ready.
***********************
“Oh my goodness.” Charis stated
“Holy shit, Avy, you’re fucking hot.” Jenny yelled.
“How do you see the dress?” I said while turning in a circle to show them the entire outfit.
“Um yeah duh, we all know red is your color, bitch.” Charis responded
“Thank you very much, Charis.” I responded
“All right, ladies, we’re going to have the best night of our livessss Jenny yelled.
We all walked out of my apartment building and flagged down a taxi.
“Please take us to “The Vegas.” Charis informed the taxi driver
He just nodded a taxi and drove
some money. When we arrived at the bar, I gave the driver some money. I stepped to enjoy the cool New York air, and across the street I noticed purple neon sign that read “The Vegas.”
Charis, Jenny, and I walked across the street to the bar. When we walked in, I was hit with a strong odor of alcohol, there were dozens of people dancing in the middle of the room, and the bar was packed. Jenny and Charis ordered six shots each, while I ordered a glass of water.
I observed Jenny and Charis bringing the shots to their mouths and shooting their heads back. They gulped all six shots before yelling at me that they were going dancing. They didn’t want to leave me knowing how uncomfortable I was in bars, but I persuaded them that I’d be fine and wouldn’t ruin their night.
I sat at the bar, sipping my water and watching Jenny dance and Charis grind on a random stranger. I was glad I went to the bar because even though I wasn’t ‘t doing anything, I felt relaxed and proud of myself.
Jenny came over to where I was sitting at the bar and ordered three more shots.
“You should come dance with us; I promise we won’t abandon you… b -but only if you want to.” Jenny stated.
I took a deep breath, satisfied that I had made it this far. I hadn’t touched any alcohol, so I took another deep breath and nod to Jenny.
“Really? Are you certain?” She inquired, unsure.
“I do want to dance.” I responded
“All right, girl, let’s go.” She said, jumping up and down.
She drank all three shots and then took my hand and led me to the dance floor. When we arrived, Charis was still grinding on some stranger.
“Avy has arrived; get off him and let’s dance.” Jenny yelled
“Oh, Ava, you’re here. Are you going to be alright?” She inquired.
“Don’t worry about me, you know I don’t drink and I can kick anyone’s a$$.” I informed them.
“Right, I forgot you were a total badass who could take on anyone.” giggling Charis said
Clearly, the shots had taken their toll on her.
I began to jump up and down to the music, laughing with Charis and Jenny. I was having the greatest time of my life. After an hour of dancing, I became dehydrated and needed to use the restroom.
“I’m going to the restroom, you guys.” I called out to Charis and Jenny.
“All right, do you need us to accompany you?” Jenny yelled back.
I shook my head and began making my way to the restroom through the crowd. The bathrooms were hidden down a hallway, which raised some red flags for me, but I was completely sober and nothing could happen with Charis and Jenny right outside.
I walked down the hall and, to my surprise, there was no one there; I went into the bathroom and caught my breath. I used the bathroom, splashed some water on my face, and straightened my dress. I pushed open the bathroom door and began walking down the corridor toward the dance floor when a pair of hands touched my back.
“Hello, lovely.” A foreign accent said
I turned around to face the man who had touched me. He was much taller and bigger than me. One could tell how drunk he was by his bloodshot eyes and the way he slurred his words when he spoke.
“Please take your hands off me.” I said. Since three years ago, this was the second time a man had touched me anywhere other than my hands. Even though there was a layer of clothing between Andrew’s hands and my skin, his hands felt warm on me, but when this man touched me, it felt cold and despicable.
“Oh, come on, I know you want this.” He said this while grabbing my wrists.
“No, I’m not getting off of you .” I tried to wiggle free from his grasp.
He snatched my waist and pressed me against him, his hands moving from my waist to my ass.
“I told you to get off.” I screamed, trying to gently push him off of me because I didn’t want to do anything irrational just yet.
He covered my mouth with his hands and pressed me up against a wall, his hands still on my a$$.
“Shut up, I haven’t done anything you don’t like, and I know you like this.” He grumbled
I reached for his neck and pushed a pressure point, causing him to yelp and take his hands off of me. I kicked him in the balls with my knees raised. I dashed over to Charis and Jenny as soon as he hunched over in pain.
“Could we please leave?” I asked because I didn’t want to ruin their night, but I also didn’t ‘t want the man to come after me again.
“Of course Avy,” Jenny said
“I’m going to pay our bill; I’ll meet you guys outside.” Charis stated.