(no subject)
[Note: all credit for "Fuel" goes to James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich of Metallica. Please don't sue me.]
“Gimme fuel / gimme fire / gimme that which I desire / oo-ah!”
“Woo!!” Teri cheered along with the rest of the bar as her best friend, Timothy “Moth” Peterson, started the first song of the evening. Their bi-monthly karaoke night had become a tradition, ever since second year of university, and Moth often sang at least half a dozen times before last call. Teri would sing as well, eventually, once she’d drunk enough to get over her fear of standing in front of so many people. Even after coming here for almost ten years, Teri was still petrified to get up on stage and sing.
“Wow, he’s really good!” This comment from Denise, a co-worker of Teri’s. She’d only started a couple weeks ago and didn’t know very many people in town. When Teri mentioned that she was going out with some friends to celebrate the end of the workweek, Denise had invited herself along. Not wanting to put up a fuss, Teri had acted more than happy for the 20-something law clerk to join the group. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“And I burn / churning my direction / quench my thirst with gasoline”
“How long have you known each other?” Denise glanced away from the stage briefly, not quite catching Teri’s look.
“University,” Teri replied, chasing the answer down with another swallow of beer. “We were housemates.”
“You ever hook-up?” Teri almost choked on her beer, and the rest of the table burst into laughter.
“Not those two. Never happen.” Parker leaned in to answer. “Teri doesn’t date friends. No matter how nicely we ask,” he winked at Teri, then ducked as she threw a balled-up napkin at his head.
“Oh. Do you know if he’s seeing anyone right now?” Denise did catch Teri’s eye this time, and raised a hopeful eyebrow.
Forcing a smile, Teri shook her head. “Not that I know of.”
Denise looked back up on the stage. “Cool.”
“Take the corner, join the crash / headlights, headlines / another junkie lives too fast”
Teri eyed the level in Denise’s drink before swallowing down the rest of her own. Close enough to empty. “Hey, I’m out. Help me carry, Denise?” The other girl nodded, her eyes still on Moth. Teri made a face at her back, and grabbed her wrist to pull her over to the bar.
It was easy enough to navigate in the near pitch black. Teri had been coming here long enough, she could have walked it in her sleep. She easily went around the main bar, and pushed Teri into a small alcove just before the kitchen. No servers would be coming out right now, they all watched Moth when he performed.
“Hey, what-“
Teri pushed her arm against Denise’s throat, silencing the girl easily. She pulled her lighter out of her pocket, and lit it in front of the girl’s eyes. “I’m only going to say this once. You’re not good enough. You’ll never be good enough. Forget it.”
Denise struggled, but Teri had the leverage. And the anger.
“Gimme fuel… / gimme fire… / my desire…”
“Go ahead and tell. Who’ll believe you? Teri wouldn’t threaten a soul.” She held the lighter closer to Denise’s eyes, pushing against her throat to keep her from screaming. “Just you stay away. Got it?” Teri raised her eyebrows expectantly. When no response came she snarled. “Got it?” The girl managed to nod, her eyes wide with fear. “Good.” Teri let her go. “Now get out of here.”
The girl stared at her a moment longer, then turned and fled the bar.
Teri went back to the bar and signaled for another round. As she waited she watched Moth, and mouthed along as he finished. “Gimme fuel / gimme fire / gimme that which I desire / oooohh”
“On I Burn!”
“Gimme fuel / gimme fire / gimme that which I desire / oo-ah!”
“Woo!!” Teri cheered along with the rest of the bar as her best friend, Timothy “Moth” Peterson, started the first song of the evening. Their bi-monthly karaoke night had become a tradition, ever since second year of university, and Moth often sang at least half a dozen times before last call. Teri would sing as well, eventually, once she’d drunk enough to get over her fear of standing in front of so many people. Even after coming here for almost ten years, Teri was still petrified to get up on stage and sing.
“Wow, he’s really good!” This comment from Denise, a co-worker of Teri’s. She’d only started a couple weeks ago and didn’t know very many people in town. When Teri mentioned that she was going out with some friends to celebrate the end of the workweek, Denise had invited herself along. Not wanting to put up a fuss, Teri had acted more than happy for the 20-something law clerk to join the group. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“And I burn / churning my direction / quench my thirst with gasoline”
“How long have you known each other?” Denise glanced away from the stage briefly, not quite catching Teri’s look.
“University,” Teri replied, chasing the answer down with another swallow of beer. “We were housemates.”
“You ever hook-up?” Teri almost choked on her beer, and the rest of the table burst into laughter.
“Not those two. Never happen.” Parker leaned in to answer. “Teri doesn’t date friends. No matter how nicely we ask,” he winked at Teri, then ducked as she threw a balled-up napkin at his head.
“Oh. Do you know if he’s seeing anyone right now?” Denise did catch Teri’s eye this time, and raised a hopeful eyebrow.
Forcing a smile, Teri shook her head. “Not that I know of.”
Denise looked back up on the stage. “Cool.”
“Take the corner, join the crash / headlights, headlines / another junkie lives too fast”
Teri eyed the level in Denise’s drink before swallowing down the rest of her own. Close enough to empty. “Hey, I’m out. Help me carry, Denise?” The other girl nodded, her eyes still on Moth. Teri made a face at her back, and grabbed her wrist to pull her over to the bar.
It was easy enough to navigate in the near pitch black. Teri had been coming here long enough, she could have walked it in her sleep. She easily went around the main bar, and pushed Teri into a small alcove just before the kitchen. No servers would be coming out right now, they all watched Moth when he performed.
“Hey, what-“
Teri pushed her arm against Denise’s throat, silencing the girl easily. She pulled her lighter out of her pocket, and lit it in front of the girl’s eyes. “I’m only going to say this once. You’re not good enough. You’ll never be good enough. Forget it.”
Denise struggled, but Teri had the leverage. And the anger.
“Gimme fuel… / gimme fire… / my desire…”
“Go ahead and tell. Who’ll believe you? Teri wouldn’t threaten a soul.” She held the lighter closer to Denise’s eyes, pushing against her throat to keep her from screaming. “Just you stay away. Got it?” Teri raised her eyebrows expectantly. When no response came she snarled. “Got it?” The girl managed to nod, her eyes wide with fear. “Good.” Teri let her go. “Now get out of here.”
The girl stared at her a moment longer, then turned and fled the bar.
Teri went back to the bar and signaled for another round. As she waited she watched Moth, and mouthed along as he finished. “Gimme fuel / gimme fire / gimme that which I desire / oooohh”
“On I Burn!”