Chapter 15
After about 10 or 15 minutes of tears, Alyssa finally came to the realization that she needed to stop. So, he's with some other girls. So, he's hurt me in the past. So, maybe he's just nothing but a horny jerk who can't seem to keep it in his pants. It's no longer my problem and I shouldn't get upset over it, she attempted to reason with herself. The way she was acting was downright ridiculous. She had no right to be this upset. If Nick didn't want to notice her, she should still have fun, right? There were still four other guys who appreciated her presence.
Izzy is going to call a search party to look for me pretty soon, Alyssa realized as she made an attempt to compose herself. I better get back inside.
When she was sure that she had calmed down, she took a deep breath and rounded the side of building to head back into the club. She'd barely made it two feet when she froze and ducked back behind the corner. Standing near the club entrance, passing around a cigarette, stood Nick and his two new friends.
Shit, she thought. Why is it that every time I try to run away from him, he always manages to find me? She had no idea what she should do. There was no way that she could walk past them without having to do a lot of explaining, yet it was too painful to stand there and eavesdrop on their conversation.
The piercing giggle of one of the blondes over something Nick evidently said was enough to make up Alyssa's mind. She couldn't just stand there and watch the three of them. Maybe if she walked by nonchalantly with her hair in her face she could go unnoticed. With a little luck maybe Nick would be either too drunk or too preoccupied to recognize her. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, so that it would conceal most of her face to Nick, she nervously began her descent with her eyes focused low to the ground.
Please don't see me, she prayed, as she could feel herself walk right past them. Please don't even notice me.
She thought that she had made it past them. Thank God, she thought, but her thankfulness was just a little too soon. All of a sudden, she felt a familiar grip on her wrist and she froze. This can not be happening.
"You know something? You look just like my ex girlfriend," she heard Nick's voice slur out. She slowly whirled around, so that she was facing him and observed his eyes lighting up in recognition. "Alyssa! It is you! How the fuck are you?" he asked as he stepped forward to give her a hug, stumbling from his lack of perceptual skills.
"Whoa there," she warned as she helped to steady him. He'd obviously had more than a few before. This was going to be an interesting conversation.
"Wait a second. Didn't I just talk to you earlier tonight and you were in New York? How'd you get to California so fast?" he wondered out loud as his mind slowly filled in the blanks.
Alyssa could feel the two other girls staring at her contemptuously, as if to ask, who are you? She assumed that she should probably explain herself, but honestly she wondered how much Nick would be able to comprehend in his state. "I lied. I was in California the whole time. You said that I should stop by and visit you on tour sometime, so Izzy, Tristan, and I came out to surprise you and the other guys."
"I did?" Nick asked, sounding as if he couldn't quite recall the conversation.
"Yes, you did," she reminded him between gritted teeth. "Remember... Outside your hotel the last time we saw each other... Before I got into the cab?"
"Oh right! Sorry about that. My minds a little fuzzy right now," he responded with a laugh.
I bet, Alyssa thought to herself, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.
"Nicky," the blonde one his left purred. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?"
"Yes Nick," Alyssa icily replied. "Why don't you introduce us?" The nerve of that girl! she thought. And since when did Nick let anyone get off with calling him Nicky? Usually that would warrant a surefire death glare from him. The only one who could get away with it had been Alyssa and that had only been during sex.
As soon as he opened his mouth, Alyssa realized that her sarcasm had been completely wasted on him because he seemed too drunk to have picked up on it. "Well ladies, this here is an old friend of mine named Alyssa," he introduced as he casually draped his arm over her shoulder, which Alyssa wasted no time in shrugging off. If Nick noticed, he didn't seem to be the least bit phased by her action.
"Alyssa, these are my new friends Tiffany," he continued on, referring to the blonde on his left. "And- What's your name again baby?" he asked, the one on his right with a lopsided grin on his face.
"Cynthia," she replied with a giggle, not at all offended that he hadn't seemed to remember her name. Then again he's never been good at keeping names straight, even mine, Alyssa thought cynically.
For a moment there was an awkward pause until Alyssa decided that it would probably be best to make her exit now, while she still had the opportunity, and before she made an ass out of herself by saying something she regretted. What was the point of trying to talk to him like this? And why should she submit herself to further torture by sticking around? It would be pointless. "Well, it was nice meeting you girls," she replied with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Turning towards Nick she continued, "You look a little uhmm... busy, so if you decide you want to talk or something later, I'll be around." Without even waiting for him to reply, she whirled around and headed back into the club without stopping to look back.
"What's her problem?" she overheard one of the girls ask Nick.
Alyssa just smirked to herself as she stepped back inside, not even lingering to hear Nick's response. If only you knew, she bitterly thought.
Look at them. The way they are all over him like that. Why don't they just have sex right here on the dance floor? Alyssa wondered to herself as she observed Nick and his harem later on that night from her position at the bar. They were dancing (if you could call it that) to Kayne West's Gold digger.
How ironic, she thought, as she raised her shot glass to her lips. They probably are a bunch of little gold diggers.
Tilting her head back, she downed her Kamikaze shot, welcoming the slight burning sensation in her throat from the vodka. It had been her fourth one since she had come back inside after her run in with Nick. She had hoped with the more she drank, the less she would seem to care about Nick's choice in women, but if anything, the alcohol seemed to only be making her even more irrational and bitter.
"Hey, slow down a little bit with those shots. You're going to get yourself sick you know,"Izzy warned her. Izzy was unaware of what had happened outside, but she was perceptive enough to know that Alyssa was obviously upset with Nick's behavior. That and the fact that Alyssa was making it pretty obvious with the way she kept glaring in Nick's direction.
Alyssa rolled her eyes. "I'm fine Izzy! It's not like I've never drank before," she answered, a little belligerently. "Do you think they're twins? Because if they are then that's just nasty."
"Who?" Izzy asked, looking confused.
"Those two sluts that Nick is with," she impatiently explained. "Come on, the only time I ever went to a club and dressed just like my friend, I was 18. It's just not cute."
"Alyssa," Izzy cut in trying to calm her friend down.
Ignoring Izzy, Alyssa continued on her voice beginning to rise. "And who wears black eye shadow? Especially when your skin is already orange. They look like fucking Halloween."
"Alyssa you can't look like Halloween. Halloween is a holiday, not a thing," Izzy reminded her. "People are starting to stare. Maybe you should lay off the drinks for now, okay?"
"I don't care!" Alyssa exploded. "I'm having a rough night. The least you can do is let me imbibe in alcohol."
Izzy leaned back against the bar and sighed exchanging a worried glance with Tristan. She had never known Alyssa to be a nasty drunk, but then again Izzy had never seen Alyssa in this kind of position before.
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger
But she aint messin wit no broke niggaz
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger
but she aint messin wit no broke niggaz
get down girl go head get down
get down girl go head get down
get down girl go head get down
get down girl go head
Alyssa's attention again focused on the trio out on the dance floor while the song continued to play. What she saw made her mouth gape with shock and disgust. Nick was once again sandwiched between the two girls who were grinding up against him. Only this time as the song moved into the end of the chorus, the girl in front of him seductively lowered her body against Nick's towards the floor, seeming to mimic the lyrics in the song. Her head seemed to be literally only inches away from his crotch.
"Oh my God!" Alyssa exclaimed from her vantage point, not disguising the fact that she was practically yelling. "Did you see that? She was practically about to suck hi-"
"Okay!" Izzy interrupted grabbing Alyssa by the arm before she could finish her sentence and further embarrass herself. "Alyssa honey, I think we need to go for a little walk."
"I don't want to," she whined as she tried to pull away.
"Too bad. You're going!" Izzy finally managed to drag her towards the direction of the ladies room. Pinching her arm she explained in a softer voice. "You are making a scene and people are staring at you. Let's go into the bathroom and get you calmed down."
With a sigh, Alyssa gave in and let Izzy lead her into the dimly lit bathroom of the club. Once inside she burst into tears. "I don't get it Iz! Why does he want to be seen with girls like that? What do they have that I don't?"
"Besides gonorrhea, probably not a hell of a lot," Izzy told her, trying to make a joke as she wrapped her arms around Alyssa and let her friend cry on her shoulder. "You still have feelings for him huh?"
Alyssa looked up as she wiped her eyes. "You know you're the second person to ask me that today. AJ accused me of still loving him earlier tonight."
"Are we right?" Izzy tentatively asked.
"I don't know," Alyssa admitted with a sigh. "I really shouldn't after what he did to me and then after the way he's acting tonight, but I guess I do. Otherwise I wouldn't be this upset over seeing him with other girls like this right?"
Izzy looked sympathetic. "I can't say I didn't warn you about his behavior, but I suppose you can't control your feelings for another person especially someone that you feel as strongly about as Nick. It's really shitty of him to ignore you especially when he practically invited you to come out here to visit. I don't mean to be cold Alyssa, but maybe you're better off without him. He's not going to change his ways anytime soon. Believe me, I've tried myself to get him to come around, but he's going to continue to do what he wants. Honestly I've seen him much worse off."
Alyssa leaned her head back against the cool tile wall. "I kept asking myself how bad could his partying be. Okay, so he likes to drink. So he likes girls. I just never knew it would make me feel this way. Why does seeing him with those girls get to me so much?"
"Because you have class honey and they don't," her friend explained. "Don't give them or Nick the satisfaction that they are hurting you." She stopped to rummage through her pocketbook for some lip gloss. "Here. Fix yourself up and then go out there and pretend that they don't even exist."
Alyssa grudgingly accepted the lip gloss and attempted to apply some onto her lips, but forgot about her impaired senses and missed her mouth by a few inches. Izzy just laughed at her pathetic attempt. "Let me do it," she insisted as she grabbed the tube of lip gloss and applied a coat to her friends lips.
Just as she was finishing up the bathroom door swung open and in walked the last two girls Alyssa wanted to see right then. Her body tensed the minute that the two girls squeezed their way over to the mirror to inspect their makeup and she found herself choking on their way too sweet perfume.
Izzy gave her a look that seemed to tell Alyssa to just ignore the two, so she did. Acting as if they weren't there she pretended to fix her hair for a moment longer. One of the girls had taken out a tube of lipstick and began to apply it in thick coats across her lips. Wet and Wild, Alyssa observed the brand with a smirk. That seems about their style.
Making a pouting face at the mirror to ensure that her lips looked full enough, the girl looked up and caught Alyssa's reflection in the mirror. "You're the girl from outside that used to date Nick. Alana was it?"
"Alyssa," she corrected, biting her tongue to not say more.
"Oh right," she giggled. "So you and Nick dated a long time huh?"
Why are they being so nosy? Alyssa wondered as she noticed the second girl patiently waiting to hear her response. "I guess you could say that, but it was a long time ago and frankly I don't think its any of your business."
Izzy gave her a reassuring pat on her hand. "Let's get going. Tristan is going to wonder where we went."
Alyssa nodded and started to turn away when the girl who she remembered as Tiffany interrupted her. "I'm sorry. You're right. It's none of my business. I was just wondering if maybe you could help us out a little with something."
She was obviously being set up and under normal circumstances she probably would have came up with a sly retort, but due to the alcohol and her emotional state, Alyssa seemed to fall right into their hands. "Like what?" she warily asked.
The two girls exchanged sly glances at each other. "Well, we figured that since you had been so close with Nick and all that maybe you could tell us if the rumors are true?" Tiffany continued, her eyes twinkling in amusement.
Alyssa looked at them with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean rumors?"
The pair just laughed at her innocence. "Well," the other girl Cynthia started, as she exchanged a look with Tiffany. "We've just kind of heard that he was uhmm... pretty well endowed and wanted to know if it was true before we let things go any further. Why waste our time only to be disappointed later on tonight?"
Alyssa's jaw dropped and she could already feel the anger rumbling throughout her chest. How dare they expect me to honestly answer a question like THAT? How was she supposed to respond to that? Her first instinct was to lunge at the two girls, but she reminded herself of Izzy's words just a few minutes earlier. You have class Alyssa, she told herself. They're looking for a bitch fight and you are NOT going to give them the satisfaction.
Substituting for Alyssa's stunned response Izzy quickly jumped to her friends defense. "You know the two of you are really living up to that whole nasty whore image you seem to be going for. Looks to me like you girls and Nick deserve each other, so have fun tonight! Come on Alyssa," she said, as she grabbed her arm and headed for the door. "We don't need to put up with these bitches and their immature questions. We have integrity." Without looking back she guided Alyssa back out into the crowded club.
Once they were a safe distance from the bathroom Alyssa collapsed in Izzy's arms. "I want to go back to the hotel," she cried. "I can't stand to be here another moment."
Izzy nodded. "I understand. Let me just find Tristan and we can leave. God, I can't believe how cruel those girls were. I've seen a lot of nasty girls hanging over Nick throughout the time I've known him, but they were pretty ballsy."
"I know I've never had that kind of experience with even the rudest of his fans while we were dating," she confessed as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"The girls that he chooses to consort with just get worse and worse all the time," Izzy murmured. "I wonder when the fuck he'll just grow up and snap out of it."
By the time they had reached the hotel, not only was Alyssa feeling emotionally drained, but the Kamikaze shots were starting to take their toll on her. I should've listened to Iz when she told me to slow down, she thought miserably as she clutched her stomach. "I don't feel so good," she groaned as the threesome reached the hotel lobby.
Izzy sighed and looked up at Tristan as they made their way to the elevator. "I'll get Alyssa settled into her room and make sure she's okay and you can go onto bed. I'll join you as soon as I can."
"All right," Tristan agreed, as they got into the elevator.
As the elevator traveled upwards, Alyssa sank to the floor in a little ball with her knees drawn up to her chest. "I think I'm going to be sick," she sniffled. She hated throwing up and did absolutely everything she could to prevent it. Very seldom did she physically get sick from drinking.
"Well, try to wait a few more minutes. We're almost on out floor," Izzy told her in a soothing voice as she stroked her hair.
When the doors opened, Izzy and Tristan helped pull Alyssa up to a standing position. Dragging her down the hall to her room Izzy grabbed Alyssa's wristlet from her and took out her hotel key to open the door. As soon as she managed to pry it open Alyssa made a dash for the bathroom and locked herself inside.
Feeling sympathetic for her friend Izzy went into Alyssa's suitcase and pulled out a pair of pajama pants and a thin camisole tank top for Alyssa to sleep in. Very tentatively she knocked on the bathroom door. "Can I come in?"
"Yea, hold on," Alyssa weakly replied as she cracked open the door.
Izzy found her Alyssa sitting in a fetal position with her back leaning against the wall, staring at the toilet as of it were some sort monster. Her skin looked pale and her eyes glazed.
"Did you throw up?" she asked.
"Not yet, but I think I might any second now," Alyssa answered.
Without another reply, Izzy headed towards the sink and filled a plastic cup up with cold water. "Drink," she commanded as she thrust it towards Alyssa.
Alyssa slowly took a tiny sip of the cool water, feeling slightly relieved as she swallowed it down. "Why didn't I listen to you when you told me to stop?"
"Because you were too pissed off at Nick to care," Izzy explained as she sat down next to her. "I bought you some clothes to change into for later."
"Thanks," Alyssa said. "You're going to be a great mother."
Izzy shrugged. "If taking care of my drunk best friend is any practice for motherhood then I'd hope so."
"If you want you can go now. I'll be okay. I'm sure you don't want to see me throwing up my guts anyway," she told Izzy.
"Are you sure? Just a few moments ago you were acting as if you were going to die."
"I'll be fine, Alyssa assured her. "I have my water and if I need you I'll call."
"All right," Izzy reluctantly agreed as she stood up. "I'm sorry tonight turned out to be so shitty for you."
"Me too," Alyssa responded. "We should've known this trip was going to be a disaster from the moment we had all those mishaps at the airport."
"Try to get some sleep," Izzy told her before she disappeared out the bathroom door.
Alyssa listened for the moment she heard her hotel room door close. God, tonight has been one hell of a night and not in a good way, she thought to herself. All of a sudden a wave of nausea swept over her and for a moment she was almost certain that she was going to vomit. Taking a sip of water and a deep breath, the feeling slowly subsided. I think I'm going to be okay after all.
She managed to strip off her clothes and put on the pajamas that Izzy had left for her. The unsettling sensation in her stomach, although still present, seemed to diminish. She thankfully realized that she was not going to get sick tonight.
Thank God for that at least, she cynically thought as she stumbled towards her bed and threw the comforter over her head. At least if she slept she wouldn't have to think about Nick or his two skanky companions any longer.
