Half (2)

I felt like I was betraying Emmy’s trust by following her but I was curious. Never before had she not at least asked if I wanted to join her. I’m sure Aaron has a friend I can talk to, I thought to myself. I left the house and headed in the direction of the nearest pub, Emmy hadn’t said which one she was going to but I had a good idea of the type Aaron would visit- one with dim lights, sofas and soft demon rock. I sniffed the cold air, Emmy’s perfume was sweet and I knew I was going the right way.

2

I stopped for a moment and pulled out my phone, scrolling down my contacts until I found Rusty’s name. He picked up on the third ring,

“Yes?” he drawled down the phone,
“You busy?”
“I don’t think so,”
“You’re with Beez aren’t you?”
“I am, what do you need?”
“Emmy stalking,”
“Again?”
“She said Serp,”
“Shit,”
“Exactly,”
“Where are you?”
“Now,” I paused to look around, “I’m near the Ice Bar,”

I heard the dial tone as Rusty cancelled the call and I sat down on the curb to wait for him. After a few long minutes I pulled out a cigarette and cupped my hand around the end as I lit it. A woman tutted at me as she walked by, I made sure my eyes flashed in light just to disgust her further as I blew smoke her way. She walked faster. I checked the time on my phone. Rusty must be really stoned, I thought, he was taking forever. I took another drag on my cigarette and watched the street empty as people hurried home before everyone went out for the night. I glanced the other way and saw him striding towards me, his leather jacket flapping in the air as he walked, his crisp white t shirt stood out in dark street, it clung tight to his toned body.

He looked like something out of an action film, shaved head, mirrored sunglasses on, a dangling cross earring in his right ear and a snake tattoo on his pale neck. He looked too bad ass, like he tried too hard, but Rusty really wasn’t putting on an act. I stood up to meet him, brushing my blonde hair down from behind my ear; he immediately tucked it back when he reached me.
“She really said Serp?” was the first thing he asked, I saw myself, reflected in the half light, in his mirrored glasses.

“Yep,” I said finishing my cigarette, he took it from me before I tossed it on the ground and drew hard on the small butt, there was still a red lipstick mark on it from my mouth. It glowed orange again then dimmed, thin smoke pluming around Rusty’s shaved head. I smiled. “I reckon she’s gone in the Ice Bar,” I continued,

“She wouldn’t get in there,”
“Why?” I asked as we began to walk in that direction,
“She’s too…you know…blonde,” Rusty said waving his hand at my long hair.
“I’ve been in there,” I said.
“Yeah, well, you look the part,” he said “and you’re a Demonic,” he added. I frowned, glancing down at my ripped tights and frayed black shorts, a baggy Iron Maiden t-shirt and cropped leather jacket. I shrugged,
“I’m a Partial Rusty, but yeah I guess,” I replied, tugging my hair from behind my ear again, he didn’t notice.
“That’s what makes you so special,” he said, he didn’t look at me but began walking towards the bar. The Ice Bar was not an obvious building, you entered it through a grey door on the high street, situated between two shop fronts. Most people passed it every day without even realising it was there.

It was a place for Paras, mainly Demonic ones, who went to shout about how downtrodden they were in human society and how they planned to re open Hell and go have a party down there. It was the place for drunken bullshit and a chance for most to hide away from the glaring eyes of the general human public. The bar owners had made a deal with the local Guards to stay away and they seemed to. Why Emmy was going there I didn’t know but I was drawn to that grey door. Rusty glanced at me as we pushed it open and came face to face with a tall bouncer.

“Demonics?” he asked glaring at us.
“What do you think?” Rusty replied, lowering his glasses and flashing his eyes, I did the same with mine.