Vindicated

"Hope dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Winding in and winding out
The shine of it has caught my eye.."
I threw away the last of the beer bottles and cans that had sat in my fridge, urging me to get fucked up and fuck things up. I was trying to cut down all the drinking, smoking, and drug usage; I'd been smoking only a pack of ciggs a day. I wasn't just trying to clean up my act for my baby though. Just because I don't love Cristy like I used to, doesn't mean that I don't care about her. I then got in my car and headed to Bucks; not to drink, but to just find something to do...to keep my mind off things. This town is so boring sometimes. When i got to Buck's, it was only 6 pm and the whole gang was there, drunk as fuck. The girls we're dancing everywhere and the guys were starting retarded fights between each other. I ducked in between certain people and finally managed to make my way to the bar, where Buck was serving drinks.
"It's crazy tonight, huh?" Buck said setting down a beer in front of me.
"No thanks." I said passing the beer back to him.
"What? Come on man your like on of my regulars in here." He said.
"You know how bad that sounds coming from a bartender?" I said and we both chuckled. "Hey you know what they're celebrating?"
"That Breanna girl...she just got married or something. To Jayson Woods. Never heard of that kid before. But he sure is scrawny, and hella quiet. Don't know what she saw in 'im." He said cleaning some beer glasses.
"Huh.." I said looking around. "Hey have you seen Cristy tonight?"
"Cristy? Cristy Anderson? Haven't you heard about her?" he asked.
"Uhh..no? What about her?"
"Well, she's turned into quit the little Avril Lavigne." He said picking up another glass to clean. "Last time I hear she's somewhere up in North Dakota. But she could be gone from there already; she's recording an album, then goin on tour with Cobra something...All Time Low and Fall Out Boy. Lucky little greaser.." He said.
"What? Let me get this straight..my ex-fiance, that's carrying my baby, and has a deathly disease is traveling around the world with some gay guy bands and playing music?"
"Well, when you put it that way.." His voice trailed off as he slowly placed the beer back in front of me. I picked it up and chugged it.
"Screw coming clean." I muttered when I caught my breath from chugging the beer. "So, one more thing. No one at all tried to stop her?" I said. Jamie, Breanna, and Brooke walked up then.
"Cannnwe get two moore rounds of shots pleeeaasee Bucky?" Breanna said, clearly drunk, as her words slurred together. Then she gasped and threw herself at me. "Lukas! How havve you beeeen best whore friend?" Her breath reeked like alchohal.
"Uhh not good at all." I said as I took her arms off from around me. "Did you guys know that Cristy left Tulsa? To go on tour or something?" I said looking at Brooke and Jamie.
"Yeah, she told us she was leaving. And she invited us to go with her, but then just left like that." Jamie said trying to make a snapping noise, but was failing because she was too drunk. Meanwhile, Breanna was sneaking all of the shots on the tray that Buck gave them.
"Lukie, didn't she tell you?" Brooke asked.
"No....she didn't tell me." I said turning back towards the bar counter. Jamie and Brooke eventually pulled Bre away from all the shots, and I was left there' drinking beer after beer after beer. When I was drunk enough, I tried getting out of the bar, but ran into more of the gang instead. This time Bre was with Carson and Dawn.
"Dawn.." I said walking towards her. "You knoww, I think you are sooo pretty. And I really really really.." I said stumbling over my words, and staggering towards her. "Like you." I said then forcefully kissed her. She pushed me away and punched my nose, which started bleeding and Carson laughed the whole time. I stumbled out of the bar, holding my nose.

Somehow I made it back to my house last night, because I woke up on my couch. When I got up, I saw that I had ten new messages and started listening to them. They were all drunk calls from various people last night, except for one. It was Cristy. "Luke...I'm sure you've heard by now that I left Tulsa for a little while...but I'll be back for my birthday. I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you..I didn't really think you'd care to know or anything...but, anyways, I guess I'll see you around October 18th. But, you should call me sometime..it's be nice to hear your voice." Some guy in the background called her named. "Oh I gotta go. Talk to you later...I guess."
I suddenly felt bad for getting mad and drinking because she was gone. Then I went into my bathroom and started one hell of a hangover.
"Slight hope
It dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption....."

I don't really know how it happened. I just started and couldn't stop. I was definitely looking for trouble, trouble with the socs. I walked past huge house after huge house. One getting bigger after another. This was definitely their territory. I wandered around for at least 15 minutes, looking for whatever socs I could find. I finally came across 5 socs, huddled in the street, drinking. The adrenaline immediately started pulsing through my veins when I saw the car they had; a Benz. Some of them we're most likely the same guys that Brooke, Jamie and Cristy fought at the store. My breathing started becoming more rapid as I walked towards them.
"Well, what do we have here." One said, then they all looked at me. I just kept walking towards them.
"Hey man, your gonna want to stop and answer him, or there will be consequences." I kept walking until I was face to face with him. They all surrounded me, ready to fight. My fists we're clenched as I grabbed onto his sweater. One of them stepped forward behind me, I spat out a "Make me" then head butted the guy that I was holding, which broke his nose that started bleeding and he staggered until he fell. I swung around and right-hooked the guy that was behind me. I punched him again from beneath his jaw, kneed his gut, and then pushed him to the ground and kicked his face in. He was passed out. 1 down, 4 to go. This was going to be a tough night. One of them came up behind me and tried putting me in a head lock. I struggled with him for a little bit, as another came and punched me in the gut. I flipped him over on his back and he fell on top of the one that punched me. I went over and punched him and knocked him out cold. 2 down, 3 to go. The other one that he fell on top of tackled me into the ground, my head hit the cement and I was stunned for a moment, another came and helped pin me down, then they started punching me and one kicked my ribs a couple times, I swear I heard a cracking sound from my ribs and pain shot through my torso. I grabbed his leg and twisted it until he fell to the ground then I punched the one on top of me until he fell back. I tried getting up, but staggered and grasped my rib cage. I only saw two guys before me; one lying on the ground with his hand on his face, and the other rubbing his leg. Where had the third one gone? I started walking forward, holding onto the Benz for support. My hands we're bloody and bruised and swollen. I walked past the one holding his face and he tried getting up, but I kicked him back down and continued looking. I finally spotted him, sitting on a curb next to some bushes. He wasn't a "guy" at all. He was a kid, like 13, just maybe 14. He was trying to hide his face from me, but I could tell he was sobbing.
"Please....please don't hurt me! I Just came out with my brother, we we're having a good time. First night we've spent together since our mom died. Please just leave me alone!" he yelled out to me; his voice shaky from crying.
"Which one is your brother!?" I said...suddenly feeling a tiny bit of guilt. He pointed to the one holding his nose, the only one that was still conscious. "You listen to me kid. Take your brother home, clean him up. Spend some time with him or whatever. But don't you ever, EVER pick on greaser kids, or soc kids, or any kids. Don't end up like your brother. Don't end up like these drunk, knocked out fools. It will get you no where in life." I said, practically shouting my words at him. He nodded his head then scrambled to his feet and ran to his brother to help him up.
"You made a big mistake coming here you greasy piece of shit! We'll find you, and we'll kill you when we do!" the older brother said. I just ignored him and looked before me; three unconscious, bruised and bloody socs lay on the ground. I heard dogs barking and some porch light turned on. This was my cue to, well, get the hell out of there.
My forehead was sweaty, my breath was heavy. My hands we're shaking and my heart was racing. I stumbled down the sidewalk and made my way in between two brick buildings.  I fell down on the cold ground, next to a dumpster. I raised my trembling hand and felt my ribs; one-no, two, we're definitely broken. My head was pounding, my vision was going blurry, and my world felt like it was spinning. Yet I was lying perfectly still on the ground. It was well passed 12 at night and I guess I'd just wait til later in the morning for someone to find me. "Happy Birthday to me" I said, then passed out cold.

Drag Race and Soc Trouble

After I collapsed on Bre at Cristy's house, Cristy was completely pissed at me for showing up at all. She pretty much told me that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with me, or at least until the baby comes around, which shell be expecting child support for. I don't know why shes freaking out so much lately. But, oh well. That was pretty much the last straw. I mean I was going to try to get her back and all because I still loved her, and it'd be better for the baby, but...I'm just done with it now. I don't love her anymore. Oh, and supposedly shes dating Steve now? Oh well. hope you have fun with him ;) So I was honestly in a really great mood after that was done with..I needed to do something reckless, and hunt some action. I went to the bar hoping for a good fight and some pretty girls but things were going really slow. So I wondered to the back streets of Tulsa, and sure enough, right there was exactly what I needed. A drag race. And what do you know, one of the drivers got drunk off his ass and couldn't race for the night. My luck (: I walked up to the guys that were standing around the driver and the car. They were arguing about who would drive, because they had all made bets, and if they forfeited they'd have to pay twice as much as they bet. It took quite a bit of negotiating, but I told them that I could win the race easily, and they would get the profits. I was just in a need for speed. which, by the way, I took some speed before I raced. It put me in a great mood. I was so ready to race. We lined up at the starting line and some hot girl came out and held up some sort of material, I could really tell what it was. I was too hyped up from the speed. We we're all parked in neutral, and started revving our engines. She waved the "flag" down and we barreled forward into the dark night. We raced around the back roads of Tulsa for a while, every now and then into a back alley, but making sure we didn't go too far into town so the cops couldn't catch us. I think at one point I heard some sirens off in the distance, but we were going way too fast. There was no way they could catch us. After a while of ramming into each others cars, speeding up, slowing down, speeding up again, and passing each other, we finally made it to the end. I just barely passed the guy right beside me and made it to the end, winning the race. The guys acted like they were in shock at first that I actually won the race, but then they took off with their drunk ass friend and car, probably worried that id take back my offer on not wanting any money out of it. Eventually I heard police sirens and soon enough a red-blue blur came glaring through the alley-way that we were all kind of, together at. I started running away quickly, and I really mean quickly because the speed was boosting me so much.  I eventually slowed down, my mind was spinning, and just kept walking with my head down. I had no clue where I was going, and I had no clue where I wanted to go. I just kept going. I eventually reached the south side of town, the soc territory. I saw a couple of girls that took one look at me and ran. I had no clue what I looked like but I'm guessing I was pretty tweaked out from the drugs. I kept walking and eventually saw three soc guys talking to each other. I thought about attacking them at first, but I decided to see what they were talking about. I hid behind a bush and peeked through. there was one big soc, a little soc, and...and who I swore was Bob Sheldon. The two other socs muttered something about coming across a guy and a pregnant girl greaser after some wedding the other night. Those were the guys that scared Cristy and Steve! I thought. Some other words were exchanged between them, then Bob walked away. Right when I ran out from the bushes to jump the two other socs, a girl walked by them on the sidewalk and was crying pretty badly. They started walking up towards her and one tried touching her and when she tried swatting his hand away he grabbed her arm. I sprinted over to them and punched the bigger one, that had grabbed her arm. He turned back around towards me and tried punching me at the same time but i hit his nose with the bottom of my palm, breaking it. He jumped back and grabbed his nose that was gushing blood. I ran towards him and kept punching his gut. I finally finished with one huge swing and knocked him out. the littlest soc was just standing there. I took a step forward and he back away, then started running. I walked back to the girl who wasn't really crying, but more trembling with tears on her face. I finally got a good look at her, and realized it was Evie. I asked her what she was doing out here, on the south side. she said that she couldn't tell me, and that id just have to ask Brooke. But she seemed pretty upset. I shrugged off my jacket, then took off my shirt and cleaned the blood off my hands. I then handed her my jacket and she put it on. We walked home in silence then, she was still pretty upset. And I wasn't going to push her to talk to me. When we  reached where she was staying I told her sorry for whatever it was, and she said it was okay and thanks for me saving her. I said I'd be there for her anytime even when she just needs someone to talk to and she muttered a thanks, then we just kind of stood there staring at each other. She then looked down and told me I'd probably want my jacket back. And I said no, keep it. Then walked away. I ended up staying at a friends apartment that night because I was kicked out by Cristy. What a crazy night. The end (:

Wedding

Tiffany and Andrew's wedding was beautiful, and the after party was a blast. It was everything I would've hoped my wedding would be like. If only I would've had a wedding, if only I didn't cheat on Cristy. I was almost not going to go to the wedding, because I thought it would hurt her to see me there. But I went for Andrew and Tiffany because it was their special day. Everyone looked nice during the wedding, haha we clean up pretty good. The after party...now that was insane. Not as crazy as some of our other parties, but it was up  there. I had a few drinks and when I was buzzed I starting dancing with some of the girls on the dance floor, I couldn't see Cristy anywhere. So I kept dancing and soon enough little miss Bre came and danced with me for a while, which was fine with me because we're friends and all, but I don't know if Cristy got the wrong idea or not. Then Bre turned her head and mouthed something and I asked her what was up and she said that Cristy was leaving. I thought that I had to follow her, so I tried making my way through the crowd but when I reached the door I saw her and Steve walking together away from the parking lot. I got kind of angry....not AT any of them, but more jealous. So I left the party and walked to a nearby bar to get some silence and have a few drinks. I just kept drinking and drinking and drinking and I couldn't control anything I was saying or doing. The next thing I know I'm in a fist fight with some huge like biker dude and I'm being thrown out of the bar. I was highly intoxicated at the time, so I stumbled my way to the closest place I knew, Cristy's. I don't think I've ever rang a doorbell more in my life lol. Breanna opened the door and the last thing I remember was Cristy waking up on the couch, saying my name, then...I think I fell on top of Breanna. Fun times haha.
-Luke