Chapter One

Chapter 1: Nosy Bartender

Selena's POV

ONE WEEK LATER

Sanchez Bar

"Another one" I said as I turned my cup upside down over my head and tilting to the direction so the little contents could drop into my mouth.

I looked over at the male bartender as he slowly opened the bottle.

"Just gimme me the…  bowle geez you open and pour slower than my late granmower… mower… mo.. th..er." I giggled  "Rest in peace granny" I smiled at myself for a while but my gaze fell on the bartender again. I squinted my brows in frustration, the smile vanishing almost immediately. He had

I stretched and snatched the bottle from him and the helpless blonde haired man sighed and shook his head in defeat. His fault, he had no idea how this is important to me.

"A bigger …" I raised my cup but my hand couldn't stay up causing it to slip as I almost dozed off but the crashing sound jolted me up immediately " A bigger… cup"

"Miss, I have to see proof that you can pay before I give you a bigger cup. You've broken three now."

"What! You think I'm poor? Uh?" I yelled and rolled my eyes as I drank directly from the bottle instead.

"Miss, you have to slow down." The annoying bartender took the bottle from me. I gave out a slight laugh and slowly tilted my head to his direction and gave him a wicked smile. I took large breaths in and out as I was seeing three of him. 

"The bottle… please."

"I can't miss."

"You son of a bitch, give me that" I cursed and yelled at him but he looked at me like he just saw a ghost. My sudden change of tone must have shocked him. "I'm going to give this place a no star rating and instead complain and complain and complain. Especially. About. You… Umm…" I looked over at his name tag.

My vision wasn't still all clear, so getting his name seemed like having sun burn in the north pole.

"Hello everyone, can I have your attention please"

I looked over at the stage. A middle aged woman in a pair of black jean and red t-shirt waved her hand… no! Hands. How can she have four hands?

I shook my head.

"Ray called in sick and there are no more performers to fill in so we decided to make the floor open today. You can come up here and say anything." The red shirt lady chuckled

'You can come up here and say anything' echoed in my head and my legs stumbled it's way to the front of the stage almost crashing and ruining people's dishes.

"I want to have a go. I want to say a lot of things." I sounded desperate because I was.

"We already have a volunteer. Her name is…"  She blinked at me multiple times with a smile and I just stared at her blankly. What does she mean?

'YOUR NAME.' She mouthed

"Lena!" I replied

"A big applause for Lena, everyone!" She announced and the crowd cheered on.

"Hi… I am Lena. Well… um…That's all you need to know about me. I have stage fright. Just remembered. " I giggled  "I guess I am all sobered up.  Fear is a good medicine…." The crowd burst in laughter. I used the opportunity to take my seat and drew the microphone stand closer.

"A year ago… I stepped back into … into… into a battle field. The battle field of love. I said yes to a man I met at a restaurant, funny but he was … perfect. You'd love him at first sight if you met him. He even helped me find a job three months ago. See… perfect. It was a really good paying job and I did something I loved. It was fulfilling even though my boss gave me the creeps." I chuckled, tugging some of my hair behind my ear.

I took a quick glance at the crowd, and continued "Most of you should understand what I'm saying about creepy bosses.  So… we went on almost ten dates before I finally said yes and stayed together for … um.. I think nine to ten months. We moved in together. Had breakfast and dinner together almost every day. But…slept in separate rooms. I guess that was one of the problems. Well…  That was the longest standing relationship I ever had. My third, boyfriend. Third time the charm. Perfect!" I did a chef's kiss to the air and the crowd laughed again.

"I have had…. Hold on." I covered my mouth with both my palms, turning away from the microphone I bulged in it. "Sorry… after effect of alcohol. Where was i? Ha… Yes! I have had two series of heart breaks and I never thought he was going to be one of them.  But the old and the new gave the same result. Sometimes I think I'm cursed. Who else thinks that way most times… No one?

They always tend to think for me. And make up what's best for me and play it out like I'm supposed to be happy at the end. He was the toughest to deal with because, it didn't stop at a breakup, it ended with betrayal. The saddest thing about betrayal is that it's never comes from those you hate or those you don't know exist. It comes from friends and loved ones, those you trust and cherish." The memories poured down like a rainstorm. It didn't also forget it's best pals; thunder and lightning. A headache was slowly forming. 

*flash back starts*

"What do you think is going on?" Rocky smirked

"Rocky… Why? How? When? " I think I'm going nuts.

"He's rich obviously."

Rich? He had money but I wouldn't say rich. She was obviously trying to provoke me.

"Rocky how about you excuse us?" Daniel spoke to her softly

"Why don't you just break up with her this instant? What the hell are you still waiting for?"Rocky folded her arms and glared at me. Her glare could almost bore holes in my skin.

"Rocky, please explain because it feels like I'm losing my mind right now." I ignored the glare and uttered in a low voice. I could feel a headache crawling up my temples and wrapping itself around my head.

"It's quite a long story. Where do you want me to start from?"

"When… When did this all begin?" I didn't want to believe this was happening, but it really was. It was neither a dream nor nightmare.

"About two months ago."

"Why?"

"He's rich and I love him. What's else don't' you understand." Why didn't she sound a bit remorseful or humiliated? She keeps answering the questions without even batting an eyelid.  Her voice was filled with annoyance.

"Daniel… I…."

"I'm telling her the truth so we can get out of here." Rocky snarled, getting comfortable on the bed as she wrapped the comforter around her naked body. Her actions were done so shamelessly, as though this was her room and she rightfully belonged there.

I turned to Daniel with a blank gaze. I couldn't even comprehend why I was surprised. I can't even tell why I didn't think about this ever happening in the first place. I felt pain, but I couldn't peg it as heartbreak. Rather, I felt betrayed, I felt hurt that someone I trusted, someone I had thought was my sister, my best friend, Rocky, would hurt me so deeply.

Well, I guess that is what you get for placing the entirety of your trust in someone's hands so foolishly.

"It wasn't entirely my fault…You promised me after a year. I kept on asking for us to have sex but you kept on shying away. Gosh Lena. I'm a man. Maybe it was after the first rejection, I stopped loving you."

My mind was about to explode. I stood there frozen and unsure of what to do next. Did he really just say what I think he said?

That was all it had to have been; sex. No love, no feelings, just. . .sex.

How naïve could I further get?

A raging urge to curse and yell at the both of them filled me.  I badly wanted to yank on Rocky's hair until she looked nothing short of a cancer patient undergoing chemo. Hit Daniel so hard, he'd show the scars to his great grandchildren to come. That was the type of vengeance I wanted. I felt like tearing them apart

But, I don't know why I remained on a spot. All I could do was stand transfixed, staring straight at Daniel but my eyes unseeing. My body wouldn't stop quivering in blazing rage.

"If I were you. I'd let him go. He shouldn't even be living in a place like this." Rocky rolled her eyes at me.

I flung Daniel's phone with enough strength to cause a hole in the computer screen behind Rocky, inches away from the line of her head. She finally had an emotion other than mockery on her face. She looked at me with fear.

*flash back ends*

"I was stabbed… in the back by those whom I needed the most. The two most important people in my life at that moment. I got a job and I had a… boyfriend and a best friend. My life finally seemed like it had a bright future." I sighed.

" I took the part of my rent back because we decided to split the rent and paid off a big chunk of my student loans. I was happier than a child getting the one thing the wished for all year at Christmas. But, I caught him in bed with my best friend and found out that he had been paying my salary. He didn't think I needed to know this 'unimportant piece of information'...  I'm quoting him there. Funny right."

I looked up, a drop of salt water threatened to break free. I closed my eyes and got up to turn off the microphone.

"What happened next?" I looked at the crowd to look for where the voice came from but I got nothing. Someone was actually listening to me. I was more than surprised.

"I became a loser." I said into the microphone and subconsciously I hit my head on the microphone wanting to cry but it caused a loud noise and I jolt up, covering my face as I exited the stage.

"Another cup now!" I found my way back to the bartender.

"So your boyfriend broke up with you and you are turning yourself into a drunkard?"

"Do your job and give me a drink stop being nosy." I searched my pockets for tissue or handkerchief.

"I'm afraid I can't give you any other cup until you've paid for the drinks and damages" He sighed

"We aren't familiar so don't talk to me in that tone."

"You need fixing… In all aspects." He rolled his eyes.  Isn't that unprofessional?

"Excuse you." I slammed my hand in the counter and stretched to pick a glass. "Mind your business." I warned.

"Hey! Robby… One minute." A man pulled him back and I scoffed rolling my eyes.

I looked around and got into some kind of trance staring at a couple who seemed like they couldn't live without each other.

"Hey! Today is your lucky day I guess." Nosy Robby snapped me back to reality.

"What?"

"Someone just paid for all your drinks and one more …but—"

"I don't need someone to pay for me. I have money and I'd pay." I cut him off

"Well, he has paid and um…"

"Fuck you and Fuck him." I snorted and stood up. All that was in my mind was to leave this annoying bar. I looked sideways at the man beside me who seemed glued to his phone and I downed the contents of his cup. He looked at me confused but I stared at him unfazed for a while?

What was in his cup? It's a really strong one.

"Give him… him my free drink." I ordered and dashed to the exit, picking up my coat and luggage from where dumped them.

I stared at the door for a really long time and blinked multiple times because I was now seeing like six doors. Is that even possible? Next time I'd listen to the rule of not taking things from strangers.

I groaned in frustration and at that moment someone walked past me and I hurriedly followed the person but stopped when I noticed I was seeing two of the person now.  Gosh… What's wrong with me.

I caressed my forehead and rubbed my eyes.

"Ouch" I turned sideways and unconsciously sniffed in a sweet mix of dryness and freshness and a little citrusy with vodka.

"I'm sorry." He turned away faster than he looked back and spoke. His voice was husky and flat and he walked really fast as he checked the time.

He's lucky I'm a bit tipsy today or he would have had a huge piece of my mind.

I shook my head back to my situation and stared at the door once again, it was clear as glass. His scent must have sobered me up.

A few blocks away from the bar, my legs were begging for a break. I paused and looked around.

Where am I? Gosh I'm lost. I retrieved my phone and pressed the on button waiting for a miracle to happen. It had died a day ago. I can't use GPS to navigate my way back.

"Hello!"

I turned back and saw three half naked men smiling like fools at me.

God please… Where exactly am I? I can't handle perverts this night too.

I turned away trying to ignore them and looked around for another living soul. The road was empty and so were the sidewalks. Did the government place some kind of curfew? Why does this place have to be deserted?

"Hey! My brother called you… Aren't you at least supposed to acknowledge his presence?" One of them held my shoulders and I nudged it off taking three steps forward. 

I tried to look calm and indifferent but in my head I was really freaking out. Increasing my grip on my luggage, I tried to create more distance. 

"There are no taxis on this road. You seem lost. Let's take you back." He didn't hide his lecherousness in his tone. His voice sent goose bumps deep into my veins. Everything in me was definitely trembling, it's a real miracle I can still stand and move.

They took two steps if I took one. What am I going to do now?

"Don't come near me." I really tried not to sound scared and one of them suddenly ran to me and tried to grab me and I landed on the sidewalk my right arm first kissing the floor.

"Ha! Toni…. I told you the other way not this way. I've been driving in circles for a while now. What are you doing on the floor? Who are these guys? Hey! What do you want from her?" A lady squatted beside me.

Is she some kind of guardian angel?