Finding Stars in the City
StephenPBarrett
Adviser
Finding Stars in the City
"I give ya' thirty fer it." the clerk said.
"Forty." I said. The man shook his head.
"Thirty, no more than that." his poker face was set. He held out his hand waiting.
"Fine." I dropped the necklace into his palm and he smiled, baring a mouthful of gold and silver. He opened the register and counted the money twice before setting it on the counter and sliding it forward.
"Pleasure doing business with you." he said and flashed me another shiny grin. Fucking wigger. I don't think I'll never understand the reasoning behind why anyone would cap their teeth with metal. It isn't attractive and I'm sure it probably scares the piss out of little kids. Hell, it scares me. As I'm walking out the door the electronic bells sounds so I can hardly hear him telling me to come again.
Outside the pawn shop the streets are cluttered with shoppers. This isn't unusual for the afternoon but tomorrow is Mother's Day so there are more people about than I would care to count. I don't have a mother, that's just as well though. It just means less money that I have to spend on someone else which is more money for booze.
"Excuse me!" a woman says before bumping into me. I always thought "excuse me was used after an accident, not before an intentional collision.
My apartment is only a few blocks away. I could make it home in ten minutes but there is a liquor store further down the street and I could really use a drink. By drink I mean another night of sitting at home with a few bottles of cheap wine and movies that I've seen at least a dozen times over. Tonight I think I'll watch Radio, that's always good for a laugh. If I fall asleep before its half over then it will be a good night, if I don't it will be a great night but a terrible morning.
The liquor store has that same annoying electronic bell on the door and the woman behind the counter looks up from her laptop as it rings. I see this same woman almost everyday but I don't know her name, nor do I care to learn it. She has a pretty face, almost completely symmetrical with a pointed nose all framed in black curls. Her eyes are an unnatural green shade and I'm certain they're contacts. I'd have asked her for a date if not for the huge, gaudy ring on her finger. It doesn't really matter I guess, she hasn't given me a kind look in weeks. I suppose that's my fault.
It was late in the evening when I stumble-stepped into the liqour store. I almost didn't make it through the door. I was pissed drunk and had depleted my alcohol so with my last few bucks I was going to rectify the situation. The pretty woman behind the counter had been reading a magazine but now had her eyes locked onto me. Maybe she was checking me out?
I started for the vodka and bumped into a burly guy with a buzzcut mohawk on my way.
"Watch it asshole!" he growled at me. I didn't reply but kept walking, very slowly, my mind set on the bottle of Grey Goose.
When I came to the counter I had to wait for the burly guy to check out. He had a suitcase of Natural Lite. It seemed like forever had come and gone before I finally set the vodka on the counter. I smiled at the woman.
"I'm sorry sir, I can't sell that to you."
"Why the fuck not?" I bellowed "I've got the money for it."
"You're too drunk sir."
"Like hell I am!" I said and snatched the bottle off the counter. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a wad of ones and tossed them at her then I opened the bottle and took a swig. I tried to slam the bottle back down but it slid off the counter and I lost my grip so it shattered on the floor by my feet.
"Sir, please leave" she pointed at the door.
"FINE!" I shouted "There's a liquor store down the street that gives a shit! Fuck you bi - AAHR!" I'd slipped on the vodka I'd spilled and hit my heard on the counter on the way down.
"Sir?" she asked "Sir!"
"I'm okay." I sputtered.
"No," she said "you didn't pay enough for that."
I pulled myself up to my feet, slipping a little, and looked into her fake green eyes. My eyes were probably bloodshot, I'm sure one of them was squinted. I could smell nothing but alcohol and it was starting to get on my nerves because I knew I didn't have any more. I took out my wallet and found a five. I slapped it onto the counter and staggered out, grumbling about the pricing.
Tonight it was white wine. I handed the bottle of Fat Bastard to the woman with green eyes. She rang it up, I paid for it and left. There was no talking. No "Have a good evening" or "Come again". That was okay. She could hate me as much as she wanted just so long as she sold me my booze. I made a mental note to think about her when I would be jacking off later.
My bottle was open and a quarter was gone before I left the parking lot. It was getting late but I couldn't see any stars. I haven't seen stars since I moved to the city, not even the north star. I'm halfway home and the bottle is half gone. A voice in my head tells me I need to ease up on the drinking. I ignore it.
A block from my home and I've nearly finished the wine. In the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of a fire licking the air around a group of tramps. One of them walks up to me and I nearly bump into him.
"Watch it it buddy!" I yelled at him.
"You got any change?" he asks "Maybe a buck or two?"
I take a step back and stop to get a good look at this guy. Besides the dirt caked under his fingernails and his developing facial hair he didn't look like your stereotypical homeless guy. He wasn't scary looking or scrawny by any means. I shoved him aside with my empty hand.
"Fuck off!" I kept walking and almost tripped over my own feet so in order to not look like a drunk fool I turned around. I was going to say something along the lines of "Get a fucking job" but instead I caught a right hook to the jaw. Before I could retaliate he hit me again, this time on the cheek. A blow to the temple and I was on my ass. NOW I could see stars. Stars and flashing colors.
I tried to get up but he was kicking me. Then there were more, I guess his fire barrel buddies decided to join in. They kept kicking me in the ribs and stomach for about ten minutes then someone got my nose. It was a nice kick, I was bleeding. I'm sure it was enough to break my nose but I'm not going to the doctor to find out. Fucking tramps.
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