Free Territory - Prequel by Susan A. Bliler

watching the bartender leave, “Hey big spender, you just gave her like a four dollar tip.”
    “Keeps ‘em coming back.” Marissa lifted the bottle to her lips and took a long swallow before righting the bottle, “So,” she sobered, “how you doing?  How’s your mom?”
    “Fine,” Chloe took another drink of her beer.  “We’re both fine.  I’m just…”she sighed eyeing the bar, not sure what her problem was. 
    “It’s gonna take some time.  I know you’re not big on patience Chlo, but you can’t force this.”
    “I know,” she droppe d her chin to her upraised palm, “I just feel…off.”
    “Well, your worlds been tipped.  It’s gonna take you a while to get right again.”
    “It’s not just Donnie, it’s…”  God, how do I talk about Dell without sounding like a narcissistic asshole ?  “Do you remember Dell Blackbird from school?”
    Marissa leaned forward bracing both elbows on the table and resting her folded hands under her chin.  “Sure.”  She studied Chloe, “I saw him at Donnie’s funeral.  I can’t believe he had the nerve to show up.”
    “Right?” Chloe barked.  “My mom’s been acting like I shouldn’t have been offended by it, like it wasn’t out of line.  Then he showed up at her house…”
    “What!” Marissa dropped her hands, “He showed up at your mother’s house? ”  Her lip curled in derision, “That is so fucking classless.” She kept her eyes on Chloe but lifted a hand and signaled the barmaid to bring two more beers.  “Please tell me you put him in his place.”
    “I didn’t have to.”
    “No!  Y our mother wouldn’t!”
    Chloe smiled at the mental image of her mother cursing out Dell.  “No, she didn’t either .  When I answered the door, he got sick or something.  He just fell and was holding his stomach.”
    The bartender set two more bottles on the table and Marissa slid her another ten without looking, “It was probably guilt eating away at his gut!” Her mouth twisted adding emphasis to her words.  The bartender left Marissa’s change and walked away.
    “I don’t know what it was but,” she stopped to stare at Marissa unsure how much she wanted to divulge.
    “Oh don’t you fucking dare look at me that way.  You know I’m good for it.  Spill!”
    She smiled then it faltered as she lowered her voice and took a healthy drink of her beer.  “Then I ran into him again at the grocery store.”  She blushed, “It was so fucking embarrassing!”
    “Why?  What happened?”
    “Honestly, I still have no idea.  He was talking to my mom when I found her and I was going to hide, but I’d already been seen.  When I shook his hand ….Christ, I don’t know if it was anger or exhaustion or what, but I…” her cheeks grew redder, “I passed out.”
    “WHAT!” Marissa shrieked drawing the attention of half the bar as she burst into laughter and grabbed her temples, “You passed out?”
    Chloe started laughing at her friend’s reaction, “God shut up!”  She eyed the bar, “Everyone is staring.”
    “Fuck ‘ em !”  Marissa had Chloe pinned with her gaze, “So come on,” she motioned rapidly with her hands for Chloe to continue, “did you hit the floor, did you fall on your face, did you…”  Marissa rose up out of her seat and curled her feet underneath her in giddy anticipation, “Oh God, please tell me you didn’t land on Dell!”
    “Worse!” Chloe moaned.
    “WORSE?” Marissa shrieked again and inched closer to Chloe snatching her hands up into her own, “What?  Tell me, I’m dying to know ! ”
    Chloe eyed her friend over her bottle after she jerked a hand free to finish it off before wiping her lips with the back of one hand, “He caught me and carried me to my mom’s car.”
    Marissa’s eyes widened and her jaw fell open, “Are you shitting me?”
    Chloe shook her head.
    “Not for no thing Chloe, but he is one fine , and I do mean fine , piece of ass.”   Marissa threw back