Welcome To The Jungle

Security was heavier than usual, it was Rock n' Roll night, not the usual Chippendale show. The best bands in the city were going to perform rock music all night, the crowds were different. They were rock music enthusiasts, body surfers, misfits, people with piercings on their faces, tattoos, and maw-hawk haircuts, in 1998, they were punks.

Charlie persuaded Brad to take her there for the special Friday night show after their Night Film rendezvous, she didn't want to go back to her apartment and sulk over Tommy incident the night before. She had been avoiding his calls and didn't reply to his texts.

Brad was an unwilling participant that night, he had been avoiding The Silver Tongue ever since he was back in the city. He couldn't let Charlie go there alone, which she said she would if he had refused. Rock n' Roll nights were the best and worst nights in Silver Tongue, depending on your preference.

They came in through the front door, rather than the back where Tommy usually slipped her in without having to queue. The bouncers recognized him immediately, and asked him to change to the VIP lane. "How's it going' Brad? Long time no see?" They slapped their palms and bumped their shoulders.

"Hey," Brad seemed reluctant to be all friendly with them, he didn't want Charlie to know his party boy past which he had grown out of.

They didn't even check Charlie for her ID because she was with Brad. Charlie took out her cam ready to film their experience that night. Brad glanced at her camera as she clung to his arm.

"I could get arrested for this, you know? Bringing a minor to a place like this."

Charlie kept her focus on her camera, it was fully charged, she pressed all the buttons to get it ready for filming. "You have a teacher's ID, right? You can always say it's for a school project."

Brad scoffed, he remembered how reckless an 18-year-old can be, like he used to be. When every choice was as easy as breathing, did whatever came to mind like it was a good idea. Never bother with authority as if it didn't exist, at least not to them.

Charlie nodded, he could see the innocent excitement on her face. He smiled in amusement, "Let's do this," he said and pushed the double door in.

"Do you know where you are?

You're in the jungle ... baby ...

You're gonna die ...."

The song was played on the first floor of The Silver Tongue, everyone was screaming when the laser show started. Neon sticks glowed in the dark, it was 12, that's when the nights began at everyone's place to be.

The place was packed with drunk clubgoers, they could barely move from one point to another, it would be so easy to get lost in the jungle of people. Brad held her hand firmly, hooked her arm around his, "Don't let go ... okay? We'll lose each other in the crowd." He seemed to know his way around the place.

She was already filming her surroundings, she made sure to capture every interesting detail including the couples in the corners making out, the guy who threw himself from the speaker to the crowd. The band, the topless girl on the shoulders of her boyfriend, and occasionally her charming young professor who shied away from her lenses.

"Brad! My man! How are you doing, man?" the bartender raised both hands to greet him. "I haven't seen you in ages! You want the usual? Want to re-open your tab?"

Brad shrugged, the itch was there, he didn't want to come around because he remembered how much he loved the party scene.

"Who am I kidding? It's on the house, man! Let's hear it ... Bradley Roberts is in the house!!" the bartender shouted and blew a horn, the kind they used in sports games. Everyone turned to look and screamed even though they didn't know what it's about.

Charlie's face lit up, the bartender poured them drinks and reminded her that it was free for the whole night, for Brad and his girl. She didn't bother to correct him, who would say 'no' to free drinks?

"Whatever you do ... please don't get drunk," Brad said in her ear. The crowd was getting louder and louder still. "I don't want to have to explain it to your boyfriend ... where is he anyway? Aren't you supposed to be dating on Friday night?"

She took a shot of her tequila with salt and lime before answering, "Not tonight ... we had a fight ... so ... I'm free to do whatever I want, drink as much as I want ... 'cause it's on the house!" she laughed and raised her glass for a refill.

Brad turned to sip his own drink, "Great," he muttered to himself. He didn't want to be there in the first place and now he was stuck with a teenage girl on her revenge night because she had a fight with her boyfriend. It was going to be a long night for Professor Winthrop.

After a few shots of tequila, Charlie went on her way to document the night. Brad told her to come back to the exact same spot where he stood, which was by the bar next to the stage. "And don't get drunk ... if you're not back in an hour, I'm gonna have to call security to find you, okay?"

Charlie rolled her eyes, "Yes, Professor." Then she disappeared into the crowd. That's where the angle would look best, between the push and pull of the audience. Behind the jumping heads, where the laser light shot through, the sweats, the scream, the off tone singing, and the little things she could find among them. The trivial things they did for fun while the other part of the city were asleep and the unlucky ones crawled the city streets to look for something to eat.

It didn't take long for someone to recognize Brad who stood alone with his drink. It was unlike him to come alone without his entourage with girls dancing on top of tables and an open bill until sunrise. The new Brad was calm and quiet, kept to himself and didn't really want people invading his space. But he couldn't shake his own image, they thought he was still the same Brad, the heir of Maxine Roberts empire.

Club conversations were not his favorite, he could barely hear what the other person was saying under the loud noise of the music and the crowd. He nodded along to be polite with a simple 'yes' 'no' 'I don't know' answer. They bought him drinks that were already free, and he drank them all. If there was anything he could do better than film making, he could hold his alcohol like water.

Before he knew it, the other guy's speech was slurred, face down on the bar counter, and Charlie was nowhere in sight. He looked at his watch, it was almost 2 AM. "Shit!" He raised his hand to the bartender, then pointed to the guy who was flat on his face, "You might need to take care of him," he said.

He rushed to the crowd to look for Charlie. He tried to recall what she wore that night, it was useless, it was too dark to see what people wore. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. But he had the advantage of knowing every bouncer who worked there, he asked around until he found someone who recognized the girl he was with.

"I saw her go upstairs just now ... with some guy ..."

"Thanks, man," he said and cursed, "Shit."

He climbed up the stairs with more urgency this time. To lose a girl in a place like that would be dangerous, a student least of all. The second floor was quiet, he scanned the room for a familiar face, he spotted her walking towards the stairway going to the third floor, in a stranger's arm.

"Charlie!" he shouted from across the room.

Everyone turned to look, including Alex, the second floor bartender. "Charlie? Where's Tom?" it was his immediate response.

Charlie looked like she had had too much to drink, she had been drinking the whole night filming her video, and ended up asking the guy with the leather pants to go see what's on the third floor. "I don't know ... who cares? Fucking Amber Stewart probably," she replied carelessly.

The guy laughed, "Who the fuck is Tom?"

Brad arrived just in time to hear what she said, "Charlie ... it's time to go."

"Whoaa ... who the fuck are you? Is this Tom?" the guy was intoxicated, he smelled like a pint of beer and he was on Brad's face.

Brad held him back with his hand, "Back off, dude, I'm taking the girl home."

"Brad? How you doin' man? You know Charlie?" Alex recognized him immediately.

"Hey, Alex ... yeah, can you tell this guy to back away from my face? Charlie ... let's go," his voice firm.

"Hey ... I was just about to show her what's on the third floor, she wanted a little tour ... you better mind your own fuckin' business 'cause I'm gonna get some tonight," the drunk guy kept pushing forward.

"You're not getting any from her tonight, buddy, she's coming home with me ... from the way you smell. you won't be getting anything tonight," Brad pushed him harder because he was heavy.

"Did you just fuckin' push me, man?" the guy's posture straightened, he was challenging Brad for a fight.

"Hey ... that's my teacher!" Charlie pulled the man's arm to back away from Brad. "I'm going home with him ... I don't want that tour after all."

"You're not going anywhere, honey, except the third floor ... I promised you a tour and you shall get one!" he pulled hard at Charlie's arm, she screamed.

"Get your hands off her ... back off, asshole, you're drunk, you don't wanna mess with me ... trust me," Brad said.

The room was heated. Alex jumped over the bar to get between them. "Okay ... break it off boys, it's time to go home ... no more drinks for you, buddy, ... Brad ... are we good?"

Brad stepped back, he was ready for a fist fight if needed, but he didn't want to be in the newspaper again like the last time. "Yeah ... I'm good," he reached for Charlie's hand and pulled her away from the drunk guy.

"I'm not done with you yet, pretty boy, why don't we take it outside?" he didn't want to let it go.

"Let it go, man, you're done here ... he's right, you don't wanna mess with him," Alex raised his hand for security, the drunk guy needed to be contained.

Brad was still staring at the guy before security walked in and finally took him away. Charlie clung on his arm, she didn't realize the trouble she had caused.

"Let's go," Brad looked annoyed. "Thanks, man," he patted Alex's shoulder and walked out of the place with Charlie in his hand.