Jenn Monty Week 66: Fire and Wind

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Jenn Monty’s Picture Choice: Both

Title: Fire and Wind

Kat and Olivia sat in the back of a dark bar. Kat was there to drink herself into a stupor; Olivia was there to drive the resulting mess home. Kat felt the alcohol mingling with the fire in her veins. It was all she could do to keep the flames from popping up on her fingertips. There were days when being an Elemental sucked, Kat thought.

“Kat, I think you’ve had enough.” Olivia said sternly.

“I don’t. I can still feel the pain.” Kat downed the seventh shot glass on the table. Straight vodka no longer held a taste but Kat still felt the betrayal of Gavin’s kiss, which meant she wasn’t as drunk as she wanted.

“Awe damn,” Olivia mumbled under her breath.

“What?” Kat asked, not truly interested but trying to be a descent friend. Kat followed Olivia’s gaze through the crowded bar. She saw the issue and immediately sucked in a painful breath.

“Awe damn.” Kat repeated the original sentiment. She picked up the beer she’d been using to chase the shots and quickly looked in the opposite direction.

“What are you doing here, Gavin?” Olivia asked. Kat continued to watch the people sitting at the bar-proper.

“I was looking for Kat.” His voice was honey and it stabbed at Kat’s heart.

“I don’t think she wants to be found.” Olivia replied.

“Especially not by him,” Kat added without turning around.

“I think you should just leave.” Olivia said.

“Kat, would you please just look at me?” Gavin asked. “It was just one kiss.”

“Gavin – just leave. Please.” Olivia’s voice had a warning edge.

“And in my defense, I wasn’t really in control of myself; the whole vampire draw and everything…”

Kat’s head swung around and her eyes narrowed with an angry gleam, causing Gavin to stop talking mid-sentence. She glared at him then stood up and began walking toward the bar. She wobbled slightly, the seven shots of vodka taking a toll on her balance.

“Kat?” Gavin and Olivia both said her name with slight alarm. A guy looked over at the sound and Kat made eye contact, flashing her best smile. He smiled back and then shifted his eyes over her shoulder. The man swiveled in his bar stool so Kat could squeeze in next to him. He smelled awful, like cheap cologne and cigarettes.

“Hey there.” Kat playfully touched his knee.

“Hello.” He replied.

Gavin stood between the table and the bar, watching with a jealous vibe.

“Do you think I could bum a smoke?” Kat literally purred at the guy.

“Sure.” His smile widened a little more.

His eyes shot back over to Gavin as he pulled out a cigarette and handed it over. Kat licked her lips slightly and leaned over so the man could light the end. He lit the cigarette, his eyes moving between the woman in front of him and the man a few steps away.

“So, is that your boyfriend?” The guy titled his head toward Gavin.

“Nope.” Kat popped the ‘p’ for emphasis and stood up on the railing of his bar stool.

Shock registered on the man’s face as Kat leaned in and kissed him. Kat pushed all of her anger and pain into the kiss. She wanted Gavin to hurt as bad as she did. She pulled back and the man shot a victorious smile over her shoulder at Gavin.

“Thanks for the cigarette,” Kat smiled and stepped away.

“Can I get your number?” The man asked but Kat was already headed straight toward Gavin.

She knew it was a total bitch move but she just couldn’t seem to stop herself; an eye for an eye, afterall. Or at least a heart. Kat took a long drag off the cigarette and blew the smoke directly into Gavin’s face. Then she grabbed the front of his tee-shirt and pulled his face close. He wrinkled his nose at the sick smell floating off her breath.

“It was just one kiss,” Kat whispered the words.

And then she saw it – her pain in his eyes. She thought it would make her feel better but it just made her feel like a bitch; a very nauseated, drunk bitch. She let go of his shirt and stumbled back to Olivia. She fell into her seat and began flagging down the waitress.

“Gavin, she’s really drunk,” Olivia said apologetically.

“That’s obvious.” His voice was angry.

“And she’s really hurt.” Olivia shot back

“I know,” he sighed. “And I don’t know how to fix that.”

Kat tried to ignore the fact that Gavin sat down at the table. The waitress walked up to aid in Kat’s distraction.

“A shot of vodka and a fresh beer, please.” Kat saw heads shaking out of the corner of her blurry eyes.

“I think your friends are cutting you off,” the waitress said.

“Screw my friends; I’m the one paying.”

Kat pulled a twenty out of her pocket and thrust it at the uncomfortable waitress, who eyed the others before snatching the twenty and darting away. The cigarette Kat hadn’t really wanted was just ash now. She stared absently at her empty hands and started pulling up little shoots of flame, watching the flames dance as she moved my fingers.

“Kat, put the fire out.” Olivia’s voice was kind but urgent.

Kat moved my fingers again, and the flames licked the alcohol off the edge of the table.

“Kat, there’s being self destructive and then there’s just being stupid.” Gavin said as he reached for her hands. She closed them into a fists and extinguished the flames before his fingers could touch hers.

“Gavin, just leave me alone.” All of her anger was gone.

“Would you at least look at me?”

“No.”

“Why not?” She could hear his anger flaring up.

“Because when I look at you all I see is her.” Her statement lingered on the air between them.

Kat watched the bar grow darker and heard the voices fade. Finally, she thought. Finally she was drunk enough.

“Kat,” Gavin’s voice was soft in her ear. “I’m so very sorry. Please forgive me.”

Damn him. Kat’s pain flared up in a dull throb. She sat back in her chair and watched the room begin to spin. She pictured her heart wrapped in titanium and tin but it was no use; her heart melted and she slipped willingly into his arms as her friends took her home.

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Jenn Monty, also known as Brewed Bohemian, is a lover of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror and anything with "Punk" in the name. She is an avid reader and writes flash fiction at www.BrewedBohemian.blogspot.com

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