Punishing the Brats

“Who wouldn’t be?”

But when Sara had left the bathroom, she saw that the girl had deserted her, and so she began to make her way back to the table on her own. Her brother had been right. Just seconds later she was being talked to by a couple of guys, both of whom were drunk, though not nearly as drunk as she was.

She laughed and chatted with them, and they led her to the bar.

“We’ll buy you a drink!” the tall one had said, and Sara giggled and accepted the offer.

“So,” the short one said. “You study here?”

“Oh, no,” Sara replied, flinging her wrists carelessly around. “I’m just visiting my brother.”

“You’re his younger sister?”

“Sure am!”

“What’s your brother like?”

“Oh, he’s great!” Sara gushed. “I should probably get back to him, though. Thanks for the drink.”

“Um, what?”

“Huh?” Sara sounded, looking toward the tall one. The atmosphere had suddenly grown a little tense, and she didn’t know what she had done wrong.

“Look, lovely, we just bought you a drink. How about you stay and chat with us for a while?”

“I really can’t,” she replied, and she reached for the drink, but as she did so, a second hand came in from over her shoulder to pull the drink out of her grasp.

“Yeah,” she heard from over her shoulder. “Chat with us for a bit.”

“I really can’t!” Sara felt the cold fingers of panic take hold of her heart. Her head span, and suddenly she was no longer allured and enticed by the seething crowd of people. Now she was scared by it, and confused by it. “I really should go.”

“Come on, sweetheart. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“No,” she whispered. “I need to go.” But the two wouldn’t let her leave. As she turned to walk away, one of them stood in front of her, grinning at her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, shrugging. Sara felt her heart rate quicken, and felt adrenaline course through her body. What the hell was going on? That’s when she noticed Nick, easily the tallest person in the bar, steaming toward her.

“What are you doing to my girl?” he demanded of the two boys.

“Nothing,:” came the defiant response. “Just buying her a drink, that’s all.”

“Well give it to somebody else,” Nick growled, and then he turned to Sara. “Jesus, you’re drunk, aren’t you? Come on, we’re going home.”

“Oh, so that’s your brother,” one of the boys remarked.

“Fuck off!” she hurled at them as Nick led her away. She stumbled and nearly fell, but was caught and swept up into her brother’s arms. “You said I was your girl,” she mumbled.

“Of course you are.”

“You said I was your girl,” she repeated.

“We’re going home.”

* * *

Sara woke up as she Nick lowered her onto the sofa. “We’re home?” she asked, her head spinning.

“Yes, we’re home,” he confirmed, his voice dark and with a hint of anger trembling in his tone.