Tyed - Chapter 47: Chapter 47

"I wonder," Tee says, squinting into the scratched bathroom mirror as he waves a makeup brush around his eyelids, "what the fuck your sugar daddy thinks about this whole thing."
"One, fucking don't," Tyler says without finishing the thought, only swaying a little; it felt obvious to him what he meant. "Two, it's not like going out with friends is cheating so I dunno what you mean."
"Nah, I mean look at this fucking place," he says, gesturing at the wall, which has many pieces of graffiti that he could've been pointing at; the one that draws Tyler's eye says 'fuck bitches get money' and it's scribbled in silver marker over something racist. "Can't fucking see the eyeshadow I'm trying to fix because six hundred assholes decided to key this mirror and the fucking cheapasses at this place can't afford to get a new one. Why the fuck are we still coming to the place with the cheapest beer when we don't have to pay rent anymore and you're officially bougie as fuck?"
"Bougie sounds like it's fake or garbage but also it's not like I have a fucking allowance or whatever."
"Yeah, but even though Nancy and I are buying you drinks we've all got like a few hundred dollars in the past two weeks of rent we haven't had to pay so why the fuck aren't we all treating ourselves a little? Like, I'm getting clymidia just being here. I wanna at least see where Colby parties, you know?"
"You expect me to know that by now?" Then Tyler blinks. "Wait, fuck, I do know that." Then he grins. "You really wanna see it?"
Tee looks over at him with a tilted head. "I mean I was just saying that to mean let's go to fucking Crown or some shit but now I am intrigued."
Tyler grins. "Let's go grab Nance and fucking get out of here. Boy do I have a place to show you."
Tyler doesn't think much when he's drunk. It's great. It's the whole point. He'd be drunk all the time if he could afford it. Wait, no, that's a bad thing he's not supposed to think. Kevin's mother became an alcoholic pretty quick after the good old Copse collapse and yeah Tyler's not keen on repeating patterns of behaviour, especially not ones he's seen end so badly.
Tyler is not drunk enough to eliminate thinking yet. Chappie- he still remembers the name of the bartender there- will need to solve that problem for him.
Nancy is talking, albeit not with the hugest amount of interest Tyler has ever seen her display, to some dude at the bar. Tyler grabs her shoulder. "We're going," he yells over the sounds of the bar, and she turns to him with relief on her face, although a second of thought turns it into disappointment.
"Oh no, I have to go home," she tells the dude she's speaking to, letting herself be dragged away through the dance floor. It's only once they reach the door that she says, "are we really going home? We've barely been out."
Tyler grins. "Nah, we're just getting out of here. You guys wanna see the club I met Colby at?"
"Oh, fuck," Nancy mutters. "I don't have to like, do anything, do I?"
"You can just fucking, you know, browse or see what's up. And there's like. Okay, I dunno if I explained it, let's get on the tram and I'll explain on the way and if you hate it we can come back okay?"
"Nothing is going to stop me from at least seeing whatever the fuck you're talking about," Tee says, and Tyler can't help but laugh.
"Yeah, I know. I think I know you both well enough that I fully expect you to be fucking fine seeing some horny shit."
"Define horny shit?"
The tram ride there is interesting for Nancy and Tee. It's probably also interesting for the passengers around who can all easily hear Tyler's poorly volume-controlled explanation of how it's kind of a BDSM thing but like it's totally chill and all that.
"Sounds wild," is about all Nancy says, while Tee is asking question after question, a lot of which Tyler can't answer.
It's a strange sense of déjà vu, going down these stairs he last went down with Lachlen only a few weeks ago. They look the same, but the night looks different. It feels like the same night replayed again, except he's Lachlen now.
It's not like this club, this place, is going to offer any kind of saving grace to Tee or Nancy the way it did to him. He was looking for a way out of a financial hole the best way he knew how, the safest of all the choices he had on that front, and while he did, ultimately, find that, it feels like the least important part of what he found. Anyone could have money, anyone could be attracted to him, it could've been any random dude and Tyler would've been just fine for a while until his life imploded again.
Instead he got Colby.
"I feel like we might be murdered in a minute," Tee remarks softly.
"It's just because it's a whole secret hidden thing," Tyler shrugs, "but it's hidden because of the BDSM, not the murder."
"Implying there's murder?"
Tyler turns and winks at him. "The owner did say his name was Lucifer."
"Dios mio, if I was still Christian I'd be so mad you didn't tell me that beforehand. Should I call my mum and tell her?" Tee grins.
Tyler laughs out loud. "I wish I had the balls you have to just openly antagonise your parents."
"Ah, they started it."
When they reach the bottom of the stairs, there's the same person here that was here last time. Tyler presumes he happened to catch one of this person's next shifts, rather than what his drunk brain thinks would be funny to believe, which is that this is all this person does. He turns to his friends before saying anything to the clerk.
"So, there's like, three ribbons you can get, right? Which determine how people kind of react to you. Green is like, open for propositions. Yellow is like, something short term or now but not long term?" he looks questioningly at the clerk, who nods. "Last is red which is like, I'm taken back off. Or just I'm not interested back off."
The clerk nods. "I see you've been here before."
Tyler grins. "Yeah, I have. Red, please."
Tee steps up, confident as ever. "I'll take green."
"Ooh," Tyler gives him a sidelong glance and a somehow even wider grin. "Nice, nice, nice."
"Is there, um-" Nancy pauses, and Tyler turns to her, reaching out for her hand, held in front of him like he's leading her somewhere.
When she takes it, he says, "you can take multiple and change your mind. Or just use red for now. Then nobody approaches you and it's all on your own time."
Nancy nods. "Thank you. You can tell I'm a little lost, huh?"
That twigs to Tyler as unusual. "Completely fair," he says, though. "It's kinda weird. Tee's just confident in everything and everywhere so it's like, fine." He's too drunk to make much sense right now.
Nancy shrugs. "It's complicated. But thanks."
Tyler leans in closer. "If you wanna go we can go."
Nancy shakes her head. "It's not that. I promise I am fine. It was the thinking of being hit on that wasn't a vibe, but I can vibe otherwise, alright?"
Tyler makes a mental note he'll forget about to ask her about that later. "Alright, well, sick." He turns to the clerk again. "You heard her say red, yeah?"
Nancy struggles to tie her ribbon around her wrist. Tyler's somewhat amused by her struggle, except for the fact that he knows something's up and now he's wondering what it is and that's gonna distract him. It's also distracting that Tee is weirdly into this, but being distracted by everything just means Tyler's distracted by nothing and staring into space.
Tee nudges Tyler and says, "after you."
It's only at that point that Tyler realises the clerk has opened the door and it's time to lead the charge.
Tyler looks behind him, checking on his two friends. He almost trips over a little step he forgot was there.
The music feels quiet in comparison to other clubs, but it's still clear and loud. The lights seem alluring now; the intimidation element is almost gone, although it is strange to look over to a corner and see a fully topless girl just chilling out. Not that strange, in all honesty- it's more like Tyler was expecting something kinkier. It seems half the guests are wearing collars, there's at least one furry, and it sounds like someone is probably fucking somewhere.
"You see," Tee mutters in Tyler's ear, "I was thinking somewhere like, expensive, but this is fucking wild, and I am not mad."
Nancy comes up to grip Tyler's arm on the other side. Tyler gives her a soft smile.
"Oh shit, there's the bar," Tee says, grabbing Tyler by the shoulder to imply he should follow. Tyler sees no problem with that, definitely not when drinks are being bought for him, and Nancy seems happy to follow along, although her gaze tracks around the room, looking anywhere and everywhere, unfocused.
Tyler is oddly pleased to see that the bartender at work today is Chappie. He slides into a chair, grinning widely, as Tee slides in on his left and Nancy, slightly belated, on his right. It takes Chappie a moment to notice him, and Chappie doesn't show any recognition, but it might just be his face.
Tee leans over the edge of the bar, a little too close. "I like your tattoos," he says, gesturing at the wide smile that's tattooed on to Chappie's face, his face which doesn't seem to actually smile.
Chappie nods at him. "Thank you. Can I get you a drink?"
Tee, drunk, turns his head far too far to one side, grinning. "Can you?"
Tyler sighs, leaning on the hand with a ribbon tied around it. "How are you going, Chappie?"
Chappie raises an eyebrow. "I'm good. I hope you can say the same."
Tyler raises his eye at such a strangely thoughtful response. "Hey, man, I can. You remember me?"
Chappie nods sharply. "You asked me about Colby. I would get questions about him every few days. Except you were the last one to ask, because every time he's showed up since then, he hasn't bothered to talk to anyone in the club. He just comes to see Rye, near as I can figure."
Chappie turns to Tee and Nancy while Tyler's processing that. "First drink's free, so let me know what you two want."
"Are you for sale? Just kidding," Tee says, throwing those words out so quick, leaving no room for being misunderstood.
"No, I'm not for sale," Chappie says, deadpan.
"You know it's 'cause of me right?" Tyler's response is delayed enough that it almost seems weird. "Colby and I are dating now."
"Yes, I was hoping it was implied that I understood that. Would you like a drink too?"
Tyler sighs. "I mean, maybe, yeah, probably."
"Give him my free drink," Nancy says quietly.
Tyler finally turns to her. "You need a minute?"
"I promise I'm fine. I just- it's nothing bad, okay?"
Tyler points a finger at her. "You gotta tell me ASAP."
"Well, let's get Tee his drink and let him off his leash, because he seems completely fine in this environment and that scares me."
"Honey, what about this isn't fine? Just 'cause I'm sexy and I do sexy things all the time and you could never understand. Just give me straight absinthe, Chappie, thank you."
Tyler doesn't complain too much about being given Nancy's free drink and turns it into vodka and lemonade, which is quickly gone. "Alright, thanks, Chappie. Sorry to leave you alone with him."
Chappie simply nods, as though Tee hasn't already downed his absinthe and is looking for his money to buy something more. Tyler pulls Nancy aside to an unassuming corner of the club, not too far from everyone, but far enough that the music provides cover for what they're saying. Most of the club is visible from here, including the upstairs where Tyler saw Colby. Looking at that balcony feels nostalgic for like, less than a month ago.
"So," Tyler says, still at least able to speak, "what's, like, up? It's not your parents trying to contact you again, is it?"
Nancy shakes her head. "It's- this is going to sound weird."
"No it's not."
"Well, I suppose you'll be the judge of that. I just- I was hit on at the club we were at before, and I was thinking about how Tee's here for a relationship, and I've just realised... I've just realised I don't want a one night stand or a relationship or anything to come out of this, and it's weird."
"It's totally not. You can just not be ready for a relationship, or want to know someone first, or-"
"No, it's not- it's not that. I've never been the kind of person who needs to know someone before I fuck them, you know? But I do think that when I've liked people in the past I couldn't focus on anything or anyone else. I didn't think I liked anyone, except when I think about it I definitely kind of maybe do."
Tyler leans in close. "How come this is the first I'm hearing of this?"
"Because it's like, routine so far. I sometimes talk to people on this gay Facebook group, right? All kinds of queer people from Melbourne and we just chat about stuff. There was this girl who posted about not being sure if she was ace or not, knowing she wasn't straight but not knowing what she was or where to go with it. I ended up talking to her and basically telling her it was fine whatever the case was but she talked about growing up religious and we ended up concluding she was probably lesbian ace, but then we like, kept talking."
Tyler is listening with rapt attention as she continues. "This was a few weeks ago. I considered us friends and it wasn't a big deal, and it's not like anything has totally changed or I'm in love with her. We haven't even talked about anything romantic or sexual or whatever. We've talked about shitty families and our fears and what we want to do in life and what we want to achieve and I don't know, she's just so weirdly intelligent for her age."
"How old is she?"
"Oh, our age, nineteen I think. She's apparently quiet in real life but she has a lot to say when she's texting after midnight and I don't know. I don't know. I haven't even met her in person. I want to. And I guess I was thinking to myself that I'd rather be hanging out with her than getting hit on by some dude or trying to get a sugar daddy and I'm like damn, am I fucking catching feels? I don't wanna catch feels."
Tyler smiles, and softly asks, "what's her name?"
Nancy's voice doesn't sound real when she says, "Kali."
"What?"
"Oh, shit, I realise what that sounds like. Carly, C-A-R-L-Y. Not Kali. If it was K-A-L-I I'd have told you the second I spotted her name. I mean, she looks like she could be your Kali, but she's talked about her parents before and the way she's described them- like they're religious and it's annoyed her but she still lives with them, and she hasn't said a thing about Darkfilly Copse, and well- I remember when we went looking for her. And it just broke you down, every time we found a lead that went nowhere. I didn't want to tell you I'd found someone who looked kinda like how you described her but the details didn't match, because it would just upset you, you know?"
Tyler leans on his elbow. "Is that why you didn't tell me about her?"
"I mean, no. Partially, but not really. I would've told you the minute I thought it was more than just a random person I was talking to on Facebook- and, well, I guess I did."
Tyler's too drunk to figure out how he's run the numbers he's just run. "Do you have a picture of her?" he asks.
Nancy tilts her head. "Why? It can't be her. Can it?"
"Both of her parents were arrested," Tyler mutters. "She would've went into foster care, got new parents. We knew that. But her name- we could barely read, and if her new parents were white of course they ang-eng-angl- made it English-y, because it sounds the same as C-A-R-L-Y. They probably thought she didn't know how to spell that name."
"Fuck," Nancy mutters, "I mean, um-"
"If you've fucking found her just by being gay I'm gonna-" Tyler rubs his forehead. "Nothing, I'm gonna nothing, but still, fuck."
Nancy's speedrunning pulling up her profile, and immediately shows Tyler the picture.
The Kali in Tyler's memory is a stick-thin Desi girl with thick hair she could barely manage on her own and big, round eyes like a doe's. Her father had been white and part of the initial cult beginners; her mother, Tyler had no idea how she got there, but Kali had always taken after her appearance-wise. Tyler had no idea what her crimes had been to get her arrested, too. Kali had prominent collarbones, a distinctive straight and thin nose, thick eyebrows, and a thin, sharp face.
The woman Nancy shows him has straightened her black hair to death, but it's still clearly thick in curtains around her face. Her eyebrows have been plucked and waxed, but the shape of them is the same thick line. She's wearing makeup, but that can't hide the shape of her nose. In the picture, she's got a forced toothy smile on, her eyes are crinkled up, and it looks like a cropped version of a picture where she's leaning in to hug someone else.
"That's the best picture I could find," Nancy begins, and at seeing Tyler's reaction, she asks, "are you sure...?"
"I'm one hundred percent certain," Tyler says, slamming his hand on the table, heart suddenly racing. "That's Kali."