Thread of Gold [ WLW ]

Part 4

                                     - Maria -

My phone buzzed repeatedly. Fuck this job. Sometimes I wanted to pick everything up and run. I had survived a full day of stupid coworkers and clients who I was sometimes convinced didn't listen to me on purpose.

It was like their utter goal was to stress me out. I let myself sink into the seat I was on. Was it comfortable? No. But it was something. I clenched my fists around the material of my blazer and felt the rough texture of the tampered cotton. Sometimes that helped me ground myself.

I was interrupted by a burst through the door. Lara. Of course it was. She smirked a little and then closed over the door with a click.

'Sasha sent me to-' she spoke before I couldn't hold back from talking over.

'I am not going out..' I groaned as I spoke.

'Oh come on Maria..it's been like since college..Larry's is our usual..' she mumbled, staring down, which made me feel bad. Lara had these like, puppy dog eyes that made me do anything she said.

'Just one drink. Mateo is looking after Lili..' I sighed, having weighed up the options.

'Yes! Just one drink, promise, we already told Matt!' She seemed to gleam with excitement in front of me and I just sighed, picking my bags up and following her out to the car.

She rambled on and on to me as we scanned through every door, about her week, her weekend. I didn't mind rambling, but it did usually irritate me when it went on.

She led me out to her beaten up car and I pursed my lips as she took my bags and I got in. Staring forwards, zoning out a little, my mind was on Lili. Would she be okay without me? She usually relied on me to be able to sleep.

I snapped out of it when Lara started up the engine, flicking on the radio and connecting it through her wire to her phone. She played the first song on her playlist. Some crappy Taylor Swift song. I sighed, pop has no fucking meaning.

She drove us a couple blocks down. I know these blocks like the back of my hand. I went here all the time in college.

We pulled up on the curb outside of Larry's and I sighed, getting out and following through the sticky wooden doors, pushing them open a little.

I was greeted by Sasha's grin, she was clung to a man who I could not identify, giggling like a little girl at his words, which I couldn't hear. Sasha and getting hookups..

Lara interrupted coughing a little and Sasha slid off his lap and he run off to find another woman to fuck around with.

'Maria!' She launched at me, and I hardened my stance. I hated hugs, but she held me tight anyway.

When she finally let me go we went through to our table, where we usually sat always when we came here. It was a wide booth, probably fit about 7, but we never had too big of a party.

I sighed as Sasha got up and asked what I wanted.

'Just cider please.' I spoke. I wanted to be sensible. As much as possible. For Lili.

I made small talk with Lara about her newest boyfriend, Nick, who she insisted was the 'one' like she had done with every last boyfriend.

Sasha slipped back in, shoving my cider over. I turned it a little to check the flavour, mixed fruit, nice enough. I tipped it back with my head, sipping it and letting myself feel it hit me a little.

'So, how about you Maria? Any new people in your life?' I hear Lara speak up as she fiddled with her straw in her coke and vodka.

'Uh. No..' I muttered. 'I'm not-' I was cut off by Sasha, which I was very used to.

'Oh. My. Fuck.' She was staring past my head, towards the entrance.

'It's that-' She continued but I just rolled my eyes and she stopped talking as loud, instead whispering as if a secret to Lara.

'- A super hot blonde girl that followed her on instagram.' She giggled like she was sharing the latest middle school gossip.

They continued to giggle and mutter and I tuned it out, studying the blonde, to understand where she was from. But my eyes released from her as she turned to talk to someone.

The someone that was infuriating me without trying, trying to parent my child.

I gripped my cider bottle tighter and threw my head back, letting the alcohol pour down my throat.

This was going to be a long night.

                                  - Lydia -

Meredith had dragged me to this crappy downtown bar to have some fun and let loose. I mean who was I to say no? I needed a distraction from her.

Her. Maria, the one that I just now locked eyes with across the room. Out of all places, why was she here. I wanted to disappear, the ground to swallow me whole. I felt my face heat up entirely as I saw her down the whole of her cider remaining.

Meredith was dragging me when a girl we didn't know came up to us. She was tall, covered in freckles and had dusty blonde hair. She chuckled, leaning down to Meredith and speaking to her.

'Hey cutie, you and your friend want to sit with us?' She spoke in a husky tone to my best friend.

I wanted to pull on her sleeve,tell her no, tell her it was a terrible idea. But she just turned, smirked to me a little and nodded, following the pretty blonde to their booth.

I was a little awkward and confused on where to put myself before another girl I didn't know patted the space beside her. Right between her and...*her*. I sat myself down to not cause any problems for anyone and kept tight hold of my dress, playing with the rim as I stared at the table.

'Don't mind her.' She girl next to me whispered, gesturing to Maria.

'She's just grumpy because she hasn't got a good fucking recently.' She chuckled lowly and I went a bit red. Maria seemed to have heard because she snapped her head over and glared at her..friend?

I noticed Maria tense at every word her friends spoke of her. Was she nervous? Was she angry..? I wanted to know all of her..I really did. I shook my head. My thoughts were intoxicating my ability to act like a normal human being.

I got nudged from a side I didn't expect. Hers. She stared down at me.

'What do you want?' She spoke stern. 'I'm getting the next round.' I stared into her eyes too deep a moment and she cleared her throat, averting her gaze.

'Oh- I'll just have whatever- whatever you have that is! Yeah..uh..yeah!' I sounded like an idiot!

She nodded and walked away. Going straight for the bar. Meredith was wiggling her eyebrows at me from across the table, but she seemed a little preoccupied with sitting in that pretty blondes lap.

I was doomed.