11 Chapter 11: It's About Duty

-Micah-

"Hey kid, you can leave now. Thanks for coming in to do a last-minute repair", said my boss. I wheeled out from under the sports car, "no problem boss", I said as I got up and put the tools back into the toolbox. I clocked out and headed home on my motorcycle. It was already six in the evening but the sun was still shining brightly. Just another hour left before the sun goes down and I am on baby sitting duty.

I parked my bike and walked up to my apartment while taking off my helmet. A shadowy figure greets me at the top of the stairs, "I still have another hour to myself you know", I said to Arrow. Arrow just stared at me as I walked past him to get to my unit. I opened the door and welcomed him in, "don't judge the place, I haven't had the time to clean up", I embarrassingly said. "You say that every time", Arrow rebutted as he kicked an empty ramen cup. I closed the door behind me and began to take off my grease-stained shirt and reach for a new one. "Can I help you with something?", I asked. Arrow looked back at me and proceeded to examine my place; I can sense the judgement radiating from him. "It looks like a friend came over. I think they are planning to go out somewhere", Arrow informed me. "Finally, thank God", I said as I let out a sigh of relief. For a whole week Liz have been staying in making my job a bore with nothing to do. I can't believe I fell asleep and fell out of a tree yesterday; that would have been so embarrassing if Liz did see me fall, it's a good thing I enabled my invisibility before she could see me. "Micah, this isn't about fun. It's about your duty…", Arrow started lecturing me. "I know, I'm just saying", I interrupted. He nodded at me and patted me on the shoulder, "okay then". He flew out of my window and allowed me time to myself.

I showered and got dressed within the hour and left before it was my turn to take over as Liz's guard dog. I grabbed my house keys and left for Liz's house. I sat in my usual tree and watched Liz and her friend get prettied up. Liz doesn't seem to be herself today and I wonder why. Just as I was wondering to myself, I saw Liz bring a bottle to her mouth and now I understand why. She was drinking; something she shouldn't do! She blasted her favorite playlist and pranced around her room as she used her hairbrush as a microphone. I've never really seen this side of her and it was enticing. Moments of her off-key singing went by before her friend seated her down and ordered her to do her makeup. I couldn't help but giggle at the relationship between the two of them. It was something I wish I had, something I wanted for myself. Someone to spend time with, be silly with, and just be carefree with.

An hour had passed and the girls were finally done getting ready to go out. They looked a lot more mature in their dresses than they did in their casual attire. The duo could leave many people in awe with their natural beauty. Their volumized hair, plump lips, slender figure, and confidence in their strut can render anyone speechless. They drove away in Liz's car and I flew behind them keeping myself on their tail. About fifteen minutes passed and the girls stopped at a club. Oh goodness gracious, this place? This club is a favorite among youngsters, and it is always jam packed no matter the season. I took a deep breath as I pulled my hair back. I landed in the alley, put my wings away, and stood in the waiting line. There were about ten other parties between the girls and I making it hard to see them even with the few extra inches their heels gave them. I enhanced my hearing to see if they were still in line or if they had already made it into the club. I can hear Liz laugh and joke around with her friend while they waited in line. "Do you remember that one time I puked all over your Jimmy Choo's? Omg, you never wore the latest seasons of anything when we go out anymore because of that", Liz said as she giggled while her friend gave her shit for recalling that tragic moment. I listened in on their conversation until they passed the bouncer and went inside. They were a crazy duo but something about the way they talk to each other was admirable.

Finally, the bouncer checked my ID and I was able to head inside twenty minutes later. I searched for the duo as I enter the crowded club full of hyped, half-wasted adults. I looked around the bar but there was no sign of them. The club is most likely past its capacity but it's no surprise for this place. Bumping and grinding on one another as you pass through was a norm here. No one minds getting in each other's spaces; some even encourages it. I slid past the high table top seating and headed closer to the booths; my eyes bounced from booth to booth until I spotted the girls at the corner booth sipping on their fruity drinks neatly with a straw. I let out a breath of relief as the anxiety dissipates from my stiff body. I sat myself at a small table for meant for two and watched Liz from a distance, the only thing separating us and keeping me hidden from her noticing me is the crowded dance floor in the middle of the club. A waitress came around each table offering water and light refreshments. I grabbed a cold glass of water and thanked her before returning my focus to Liz. She was laughing uncontrollably while pointing out some people on the dance floor. The chatter and bass music made it too loud to hear her from where I was seated. Either way, I could tell she was happy even if it was the work of all the alcohol she was endlessly consuming.

An hour or two had passed and I was at my fifth glass of water; a change in scenery occurred when Liz and her friend got up to join the dance floor. I have never paid attention to the way Liz danced in the past but today I noticed she was really good with her hips. Her silhouette was accentuated by the tightness of her dress and the way her butt perked with the height of her heels. I couldn't stop smiling as I watched Liz goof off as she danced. She was in her intoxicated but raw form; it was nice to see she was being carefree after everything she's dealt with so far. Knowing she was having the time of her life; I relaxed a little and started to wander the place with my eyes. After several songs later, a slow romantic song came on changing the mood of the room. People stepped off the dance floor to make room for couples to enjoy the moment. Aside from apparent couples, there were many girls dancing with each other not having a care in the world on how they looked to others. People may even assume some women duos are lesbians because of the way they position their hands on their friends. I refocused my gaze to Liz and her friend who were dancing with strangers. My brows furrowed at what I was seeing, proving that Liz does unexpected things like dancing with a stranger. Liz was resting her head on the stranger's chest! This never happened when she lived in the city. She stuck to her friend or sat out when slow songs came on. My brain was on alert but the smile on Liz's face softened my glare and loosen my balled-up fists. I came to my senses, what was I doing just now? Why was I feeling this way? I'm just a watch dog who was tasked to keep Liz safe. All these emotions were unnecessary to getting the job done. I headed to the bathroom to splash water on my face to clear my mind and resumed to my duties of watching over Liz with no emotions attached. I returned to my seat and looked for Liz and her friend but they were nowhere to be found. My night just got stressful.