Punch!

Chapter 8: That Side of Town

Chapter 8

That Side of Town

"Mom, I'm going to be out late tonight with Ivy." It was nearly six on Saturday night and Suzette was just finishing the second coat of her ruby red nail polish. Not that she was trying to impress anyone.

Georgie whipped the inside of a damp frying pan with a soapy wash cloth. "What are you two doing?"

Suzette paused from blowing on her fingernails. "Just hanging out with some friends downtown. There's a local band playing at The Creamer." Suzette mentally crossed her fingers and toes that her mother wouldn't check The Creamer to verify that. Suzette knew there was no band playing.

"Well that sounds fun, Suzie." Georgie cranked the water on and rinsed the pan. 

Rick came into the room from around the corner, scratching his dirty hair with a free hand. "What time are you leaving?"

"7:30." Suzette figured that would give her enough time to get to Port Avenue.

Rick shot her a thumbs up. "Don't do anything risky, okay?"

Suzette wasn't sure she could promise that. "I'll try not to." She used a joking voice to play it off.

"That's my girl." Rick grinned. He looked down at his wrist, as if to check the time, and shook his head. "Damien, have you seen my watch?" He disappeared in the direction of Damien's bedroom, searching for an answer.

"Dinner's a free for all tonight." Georgie announced randomly. "There's left overs in the fridge if you want some."

Suzette waved her hands around as she entered the kitchen, still trying to use air pressure to dry them faster. "What leftovers?"

"Uh, there's spinach lasagna, vegan meatballs and lentil soup." Georgie said, drying her hands.

"No thank you, no thank you and no thank you." Suzette scrunched her face up. "I'll just stick with a good old granola bar." She fished around in the cupboard until she found one.

"Okay," Georgie shrugged. "But don't blame me if you feel hungry later."

Suzette rolled her eyes playfully. "Whatever you say." Suzette inhaled the granola bar and flopped onto the couch. She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep until she heard the sweet syrupy voice that could only belong to her mother.

"Suzie, it's 7:20. Don't you need to get going?" Georgie was shaking Suzette's arm softly.

 Suzette shot up like a rocket. "Oh, uh, thanks mom." Disoriented, Suzette grabbed her faded leather wallet and her Android phone. She stuffed both in separate pockets of her jeans, and slipped on her plaid Sperry shoes. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair in a last minute attempt to brush it, and waved a lazy goodbye to her mother before skipping out the door.

Suzette wasn't ashamed to admit that she didn't yet own her own car. Even though St. Augustine could often times be a sleepy city, not many people bothered with cars. The Jeep her family owned was only used a couple times a week, and besides, if Suzette ever needed to get anywhere fast, she could spare some change for public transit or beg Ivy to take her. This particular night, though, Suzette had opted to walk. The weather was nice enough, and she felt like as long as she was going to a rough area, she should at least face it head on. 

 Not an hour later she passed the street sign reading Port Avenue. Suzette took a deep breath. Rough side of town was an understatement. She knew there was a reason she had never drifted near Port Avenue before. Girls whose mothers managed snobby grocery stores like Health Mart didn't venture to this side of town. 

Suzette skirted around smashed Diet Coke cans and families of rats while trying to keep her balance on the sloping cement sidewalk. Hobos of various shapes and sizes whistled and begged  while shivering under the blinking light of one of the many broken streetlamps. Buildings splashed with mold and mildew crowded the streets as the scent of rotting raccoon corpses wafted through the air. Suzette paused often to gag and cough into her shirt collar. Through watered eyes, she tried to concentrate on her mission. She pulled out the now heavily creased piece of paper that held directions to her destiny: 253 Port Avenue. She prepared herself to start looking for house numbers in the dull moonlight, but as she took a few more steps further, she realized she didn't have to. 

The cheering was loud. She was surprised she hadn't heard it sooner. A large group of seemingly only men crowded around a fat brick building. Lights poured out from the front windows, giving the men a sickly yellow glow. She stood towards the edge of the crowd, craning her neck up to get a better look at the banner plastered across the front of the building. Catty Blue's Fight Club. It read, clear as day. Suzette stifled a laugh. Fight club? Seriously? Or was she dreaming and trapped in some strange Brad Pitt remake?

Suzette pushed her way through the crowd. Men waved tickets in her face as she neared the front door. "Little lady," One man sneered. "Are you a member here? You gotta be a member to get in." He motioned to the ticket, which must of been some sort of member pass. 

Suzette flipped her hair over her shoulder. "No, I'm not a member."

The man laughed. "Well then we can't let you in!"

"Wait!" Suzette hollered, before the man could push her away. "Reed Fields invited me!" Suzette began to wonder if anyone even knew Reed at this place.

The man paused. "Are you being truthful?"

"Yes sir." Suzette replied. 

The man broke out in a huge grin. "Well, well, well. Looks like Reed got himself a lady!" 

Suzette felt her eyes practically bulging out of her skull. "Oh, no, we're not dating."

The man didn't want to hear any of it. "Go on in, sweetheart."

Suzette didn't push her luck any further. She slipped past the skeevy man and pushed the germ infested door open. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it defiantly wasn't this. A cement walled room with a few coffee tables and ratty couches. A hand full of people milled around, socializing. Suddenly, there was a tap on her shoulder. She spun around.

"You're new to the club, aren't you?" The girl had deep skin, and looked not much older than Suzette. Her eye makeup was flawless, and her black hair was curly. 

"Am I that obvious?" Suzette asked.

The girl nodded. "Or I'm just really good at picking 'em. I'm Harmony."

"Suzette."

Harmony nodded. "I was just about to head in myself, Suzette. Follow me, it's just through those oak doors."

Suzette smiled like it was nothing, but she wouldn't have been surprised if Harmony heard the sound of her pumping heart.