Being Borrowed • •

[perri alexis baines]

Sometimes, when Perri had been having a difficult time getting her art onto the canvas, she headed out. She went further than O’Malley’s and looked for something different. It was the combination of liquor in the air and people losing their inhibitions that often brought that spark back to her. It was a way of remembering just how alive people could be, how they’d step beyond their comfort zone with the tiniest of pushes from a bottle of beer. It was something she saw all the time in her job at O’Malley’s, but it was entirely different to be on the other side of the bar. She didn’t have to tell someone when they’d had enough. She didn’t need to entertain the patrons she’d rather drank elsewhere. Perri was friendly by nature, but some of them seemed to leer a little too long just because she had flashed them a Cheshire Cat grin or made a cheeky little comment. She did it to everyone; it didn’t matter who they were.

Tonight, away from that, she could hide in the shadows if she wanted to. She could dance until her feet were on fire and every step burnt. What Perri chose to do was lean against the wall, sipping regularly from her second drink of the evening. She paced herself when she went out. Her days in Chelsea Art School had seen enough black out parties to remind her that the hangover just wasn’t worth it. On top of that she had helped bundle too many drunks into cabs when they’d reached closing time at O’Malley’s. She didn’t want someone to have to do the same to her. So, she took her nights out slow, which was fine because Perri didn’t need the booze to have a good time. She created fun wherever she went because if she wasn’t enjoying herself then she didn’t see the point in being somewhere or doing something.

When her glass was empty she returned it to the bar – a habit she had picked up since becoming a bartender – and then made her way to the bathroom. She had just pushed the door open when she heard the unmistakable sound of someone throwing up. Again, as a bartender, it was a sound she was a little too familiar with. Perri’s heels clicked on the tiled floor as she tucked her hair behind her ear and tried to work out what stall belonged to the poor woman who was in such a state. Perri might not be working tonight, but she still had a good heart. She wanted to make sure the stranger was alright, maybe get her back to her friends if they were around. Knocking gently on the wooden door after hearing a sickened cough, Perri spoke loud enough to be heard over any music filtering in from outside. “Hey, are you alright in there? Can I get you some water from the bar?” It wouldn’t exactly be going out of her way or ruining her night. She was planning to grab another drink anyway and no one was waiting on her to get back to a table. “Sounds rough in there.”

• • •

TAGGED! Cassia Jade O'Neill
WORDS! 531!
LYRICS! How Do You Feel? - - - The Maine
NOTES!