Chapter 9: Friday Night Clubbing

Chapter Nine: Friday Night Clubbing



“Darsideria wouldn't mind this,” Lola told her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “She would of wanted me to do this.”

She could imagine Darsideria behind her in the mirror saying, “Go for it, Lo! Have some fun!”

Thirteen years alone was way too much. It was time for her to go out and enjoy herself -- maybe even meet someone. Lola needed to get over herself, block out the sorrow and actually have fun. She needed to move on. Darsy would have wanted her to be happy, not make herself miserable like she was doing at the present -- and had been doing for thirteen long years.

“If anything this is for Darsy.”

Lola checked herself in the mirror again, put on her lucky earrings and applied some more mascara to her eyelashes. She looked good, she had to admit it. Her dark red hair was free from the black diadem for once and her hair fell prettily in her face. Make-up couldn't quite hide the circles under her eyes, but she tried to look past it. She'd put on a new tight top that showed off her best features (or naughty bits as her mum had called them), but she hadn't been able to let go of her worn, grey jeans. She didn't see why it would be so bad to wear them to a gay bar, anyway. She also treated herself to her beloved, black Harley Davidson boots. They too had been stuffed away in her closet far too long.

Lola tried not to think of anything in particular as she drove in her rusty old car to the nightclub called Sisters that was new in town and also the only gay nightclub in Widbode. If she thought too much, she was afraid that her thoughts would turn, as they so often did, to Darsideria and she didn't need any of that right now.

The place was packed and it wasn't even that late yet -- just past ten. It showed how much people craved something new and exciting. What could be more exciting than the newest gay bar in town? People even came from Downtown and Pleasantview to get in on the new action now that the vampires were gone.

Maybe she should get a job here? As a waitress or at the bar? A new job was exactly what she needed. It would distract her from painful thoughts and memories, which was basically what Lola lived on these days. But she'd apply for a job here some other day when she wasn't here to have fun. If the place wasn't quite as busy when she did it, that would help, too.

It was Friday night, after all. Tonight was all about letting loose!

She ordered a margarita at the bar and took a seat. She decided she liked it here. The loud music, the the sweaty bodies moving to the music on the dance floor, the hot girl over there, giving her the eye.

“Hey, gorgeous,” a husky femail voice said from beside her at the counter. “Mind if I take a seat?”

Lola turned around to see a tall brunette leaning on the bar. She had a large martini in her hands, her index finger tracing the rim of the glass seductively. The woman winked at Lola. She was very pretty, about her own age, too.

“Sure.” Lola smiled at her.

The brunette sat down, returning Lola's smile.

“Cheers. So, you come here often, then?” she asked in that same husky voice.

“Not really. I don't really go out so much any more.”

“Me neither.”

Lola smiled again. “What a coincidence. I'm Lola by the way.”

“Ava.”

“One of my grandma's was called Ava,” Lola blurted out before she could stop herself. She immediately wished she could take it back the moment the sentence had left her mouth.

One of my grandma's was called Ava?? What kind of stupid pick-up line was that?!

Ava raised her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth twitching into a bemused grin.

“Your grandma, huh?” It was quite clear she was trying not to laugh. She wasn't doing a very good job of it. “Never heard that one before.”

Lola cringed. “I don't know why I said it. That was so lame.”

“Probably Grandma Ava made you say it, right?”

Lola began to laugh. It felt like the heavy weight in her chest -- the one that had been weighing her down for so long -- was lifted for a few minutes. She hadn't laughed this freely in years. She could keep on laughing like this forever if it took away the pain.

Lola opened her mouth and began to say something funny to go with Ava's joke that had her in stitches, but suddenly froze. She had seen something out of the corner of her eye beyond Ava's shoulder, just by the entrance of the bar. It had happened so quickly, Lola wasn't sure she had really seen it. Could it be...? Or was she just imagining it all?

She was going to decide on the latter -- that it was all in her head, she was just being paranoid -- when she saw it again: A tall, slender, pale figure with knotty, long, black hair stood in the middle of the crowd of people entering the night club. They seemed to keep somewhat of a distance from the pale figure, as she stood deathly still in the middle of them. Deathly still... She was looking for something -- or someone.

Then their eyes met for a heart beat. The longest heart beat Lola had ever felt before. It felt like the whole world stopped and melted away around them. The pale figure's purple eyes flashed maliciously and her perfect mouth formed into a devilish smirk. Two white fangs glittered in the disco lights.

Lola blinked, and she was gone.

She swallowed.

What did this mean? She was sure she hadn't imagined it. You can't imagine things twice, can you?

“Lola? You OK?” she heard Ava's husky voice say. She waved in front of Lola's eyes to catch her attention. Reluctantly, Lola tore her eyes away from the spot by the entrance and turned back to Ava. She had no idea for how long she had been goggling at the entrance.

“Your eyes unfocused and you seemed to just space out for a second, there...” Ava sounded amused, but Lola caught a glimpse of worry in her brown eyes.

Lola swallowed again. Her mouth was dry and rubbery.

“I... I'm fine,” she mumbled.

She quickly looked back to where the vampire had stood, as if she was expecting her to reappear. She didn't.

Her mind was racing as she fumbled for a napkin on the counter.

“Look, Ava, I gotta go -- Yo, bartender!” she yelled over the night club's loud music. The bartender turned to her, looking irritated. He said something, but Lola ignored him. “You got a pen on you? Thanks.”

Lola scribbled down her number onto the napkin and handed it to a dumbstruck Ava.

“Here's my number,” Lola said quickly. “It was nice meeting you tonight. Call me some time.”

Then she got up and pushed her way swiftly out of the night club. If Ava called after her, she didn't hear it over the roaring dance music.

She didn't know what to do. The most logical thing would be to call Arabella Bibbles. She'd know what needed to be done. Arabella always knew what to do.

As she almost ran to the car, her fingers dialled the well known number to Bella's house. Everyone who was on the keep-Widbode-safe-from-the-vampires-team knew Arabella's number off by heart. They had specific instructions to call if ever they saw anything fishy around town.

“Hello? Bella speaking,” said the scratchy, old voice of Arabella Bibbles on the other end of the phone.

“Hey, it's me, Lola. I -- uh -- think I just saw a vampire here.”

Lola floundered with the keys to her car. She hopped in when the door was unlocked, where she remained seated throughout the rest of the phone call.

“What? Where?” Arabella's voice sounded urgent and slightly eager. Lola appreciated the way Arabella immediately believed her. Other people would have doubted her. (“A vampire? Are you sure you didn't just imagine it? You have been sort of paranoid lately,” she could hear Darren Goth saying to her.) But Bella didn't take any chances when it came to vampires.

“At Sisters -- you know the new night club?”

“Yes. Did you see who is was? Is it anyone we know?”

“Yeah,” Lola panted, “I think it was Ilsa Vella Zograf.”

There was a short silence on the other end of the phone.

“Hello?” Lola was impatient. She didn't want to wait.

“I'm still here,” Arabella snapped. “I was just thinking about what we should do. She could be listening to us right now. Come to my place where we can discuss this further. No vampire can enter here. I've made sure of that by putting up protective and vampire repelling symbols around the place. I guess now it's time to see if they really work.”

“Call the others.” By “the others” Lola meant the Goths'. Teyla and Sage would have been called, too, if they hadn't been on their honeymoon at that time. “I'm on my way.”

She hung up and stuffed her mobile in her jeans. It was time to put the pedal to the metal. Lola could only hope that her rusty, second hand car could take the pressure.


>> Next Chapter

Oooh, Ilsa's out to cause trouble.

Very nice start to a story Muffin. Can't wait to see what happens next! I quite like the children too ... what a bunch. Lissa's quite the drama queen isn't she.

I don't think Tia understood what Wyatt meant by being lonely. There's a difference between that and being alone. But she's twelve, so that's understandable.

I could just picture this scene at Sisters, especially the appearance of Ilsa. *chills up the spine* I hope Ava gives Lola a call.

Oh, I'm glad you saw that! That was exactly what I intended when I wrote that chapter. Those two usually get on so well, but when they're at the Goths' they just drift apart... Much like me and my brother (who stick like glue to each other normally) when we're with our own friends. I think I'm baising Tia and Wyatt's relationship on me and my brother's.