burn my shadow

“Take it as a fucking compliment.” Adelaide could feel her body looking for a fight. That’s how she knew the alcohol hadn’t bode well with her tonight. She went to walk past the other, bashing into her shoulder as she headed back towards the bar.

“I guess that’s why I haven’t seen you. I never venture to the back. I like to be the main event.” Adelaide clicked her tongue and leaned back against the brick wall. “To be honest though, and don’t tell anyone I told you this, I often end up drinking on the job so each shift is a bit of a blur.” She rose an eyebrow at their next words. “Not at all rude. I’d actually agree with you. I would much prefer to look at myself than the sleazes that work in there. There hasn’t been a single one that hasn’t not tried to get into my pants.” Addie pulled a face of disgust and shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong I like the D every once in a while but I have standards.” She took another drag and looked at the sky; it looked exactly the same as it did when she was standing out along five minutes ago. “It’s cool. I have a collection of them. You’re lucky it’s not one of my good ones.” She turned her head to look back at them, a small smirk on her face. “I think I’m good with never seeing the lighter again but I wouldn’t be opposed to you giving me your number.”

“I feel that.” Adelaide gave a small shrug. “I remember everyone’s faces but always forget their names. Doesn’t matter if it was years ago in school or yesterday. Shit, I can’t even remember my high school best friends name now.” This was true. Adelaide had never been very good with names. “That’s fucked. Maybe he has some weird twin fantasy going on with you two and just likes to pretend that he thinks your the other.” Addie looked down at her outfit. “Shit.” She tugged at her top that stuck too close to her stomach for her liking. “I don’t usually jog. I hate running or jogging or any type of movement to be honest.”

“Wow,” Adelaide breathed a small chuckle. “That is SUCH a man answer. Always gotta feel like you’re educating us women or some shit.” She shook her head a little. “Why does every question have to be answered so seriously and honestly with you guys?”

“Obviously pun wise. Unless you wanna be a basic boring bitch?”

Adelaide held the cigarette to her lips, taking a long drag and giving the other a quick eyeing up. “You come here often?” That sounded like some bad pick-up line, so she continued with little pause. “I work here too but I don’t recall ever seeing your face. And I definetely would have remembered.” She rose her eyebrows as they pocketed her lighter. “Don’t worry, I have a vast collection of lighters at home. Was gonna let you keep that one anyway.” She took her hand with her free one and held it with a firm grip.

Grabbing them and hopping out onto the sidewalk, he noticed a car across the parking lot with the lights on. He was thankful someone else was around and could come to his rescue. “Hey!” He yelled out, jogging across the parking lot and catching up to the car before it could drive away. “I’m sorry to bother you,” He began, showing the cables. “My battery is dead… Do you think you could give me a boost?”

Adelaide had the evening off from her usual bartending duties and had decided to go for a random drive around town. It was actually one of her favourite things to do in her down time. Driving allowed her to ‘collect her thoughts’ or whatever that shit is called where you just basically think and reflect on a buch of stuff. Growing up she had never been very good with it, but once she had learned to drive and got behind the wheel, it was as if that part of her was suddenly switched on.

She had stopped in a resonably abandoned car park for a smoke break (she didn’t believe in smoke driving), and had her arm dangling out of the car window, letting the ash fall to the ground, when a guy jogged over to her. Peering out at him, she put the cigarette to her mouth, taking a drag before she gave him a response. “Do I look as if I’m in the zone to give someone a ‘boost?’

Adelaide had been on a light jog in the park when she decided to stop for a breather. She wasn’t usually the ‘exercising’ type, unless sex counted as exercise but that was debatable to some people. But she was trying out something new; mostly because she had definitely been eating too many pizzas and drinking too much beer recently. She decided to stop at the next bench she approached and low and behold, the next bench already had someone occupying it. That didn’t bother her though. There was enough room on the other end to keep that personal distance between the strangers. Pulling out her earphones, she leaned forwards and watched as the world went by for a few moments before a man approached the girl on the other side of the bench. Without making it obvious that she was evesdropping, she listened in and then after he went she turned her head with a raised eyebrow. “I was’t going to say any such thing. I probably would have been rude to him even if I did know him and I was Emily.”

Adelaide couldn’t help but scoff. “Honestly, I don’t know why you’re getting so worked up. I’m simply trying to make a new friend. I even gave you a nickname! I don’t just give anyone nicknames.”

"Okay, well, what would you call an orange nail polish then? Or a green one?” Adelaide rose a single eyebrow as she asked the question.

Adelaide could feel her mouth watering at his words. She was suddenly ravenous. She watched as Cooper went up to order and then returned with the shakes. A smile spread wide accross her face as she took it from him. “Thanks!” She took a sip and it was heaven. “Why does everything taste so much better when drunk?”

“Thanks.” Adelaide took the cigarette from the other. “I’ve got some in my back pocket actually, so I’ll owe you later,” she gave them a wink before pulling out her lighter from her jacket pocket and lighting the cigarette, holding out the lighter to the other. “Kris. They/them.” She repeated with a nod. “Adelaide. She/her.”

“Ohhhhh, okay, I get it.” Adelaide gave the other an understanding smile. “You’re playing out the role of Barbie because that is so what Barbie would say, and do.” She couldn’t help herself, she wanted to see how far she could push the poor girl.

Adelaide watched as the guy began to walk away. She had always been a good judge of character, surprisingly even more so when drunk, and she could tell that there was something off with the guy. It was as if his mouth was saying one thing, but the rest of him was saying the other. “Hey!” she called after him and jogged lightly in the direction he was walking to catch up (she had stood at the door in silence for a few seconds). “If I’m right then why are you walking away? Tonight could be...THE NIGHT! It’s still early...ish.” It was 11.30pm. “What is it they say? The world is your oyster and all that?” Addie’s skill of convincing people had never been her strongest asset, but her drunk ass was sure as heck trying.