The Hairdresser Diaries (34 page)

I grabbed Peyton’s hand as we walked down the dark, metal steps. The only light in the stairwell came from the blinking red bulb above the door at the bottom that didn’t even have a handle or knob. As we got to the door I was wondering how we were going to get in, but Bambi knocked on the door and another scary bouncer opened it from the other side and when he did, the bass from the music was thumping so loud it was vibrating in my chest. I was trying to figure out how in the hell he even heard her knock when I saw the video camera in the corner and the monitor on the other side of the door. Bambi whispered something to the bouncer and he waved us in.

Inside the music was so deafening, it was almost impossible to hear anyone talk. I took a look around. Upstairs there was a round metal track that went around the entire top with a bar on either side. Four sets of metal steps led the way down to bottom where it was a giant open pit of people dancing like crazy. The ceiling was lined with different colored lights that flashed everywhere.

We walked down the steps and to one of the bars downstairs. Alex and Bambi ordered something that came in a glowing martini glass. Afraid of not knowing what was in them I stuck with water and Peyton did the same.

Bambi pulled Alex onto the dance floor while Peyton and I stood back and observed. I took a look around at what some of the people were wearing and came to the conclusion I was overdressed. All the girls, including Bambi and Alex, were wearing something short, tight, and revealing. The guys varied, some were dressed in suits, some leather, and others just in jeans and a t-shirt.

I found it hard to believe Alex would want to come to a place like this.

I searched for her on the dance floor and she waved for us to join them. I waved it off. Some guy in a suit came up to Bambi and she introduced him to Alex. I didn’t like the look of this guy; he looked like a real sleaze ball. I was about to go up and find out what was going on when some kid jumped in front of me trying to dance with me. I said, “No thank you,” putting my hands up, but I guess he didn’t hear me. He was jumping up and down shaking his arms and his head like he was convulsing.

I looked at Peyton and she yelled, “Scram!”pushing him aside.

I looked back out onto the dance floor and didn’t see Alex or Bambi. “Hey where’d they go?” I asked Peyton.

“They were there a minute ago.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her out on to the dance floor to search for Alex.

I saw her go into a side door with that sleaze ball and Bambi. I rushed over, dragging Peyton with me, and reached for the door.

One of the bouncers stopped me. “You can’t go in there,” he said.

“My friends in there.”

“Sorry, private room.” He stood in front of the door with his arms crossed.

Great, I thought.

Someone else walked over and he let them in and I was able to get a peek inside. There were couches and mirrors, beads dangling from the ceiling, a private and fully stocked bar. Girls were walking around in their bras and underwear, some grinding on guys sitting down. I saw Alex on one of the couches next to the sleaze ball and Bambi dancing provocatively in front of him.

“We really need to get Alex out of there,” I said to Peyton.

“How?”

“Excuse me,” I said to the bouncer tapping him on the shoulder. “Can you give someone a message?” He just stared at me. “Can you tell my friend in there I just need to talk to her real quick?” I smiled flirtatiously at him. He didn’t budge or even look at me.

I looked at Peyton and shrugged my shoulders. She walked right up to him and whispered in his ear. He blushed and signaled for one of the other bouncers to stand by the door while he went in.

“What did you say to him?”

“I just used the old Peyton charm,” she smiled dusting off her shoulders.

I rolled my eyes. The door opened and the bouncer came out with Alex. “Hey guys, what’s up?”

“We’re going home,” I said pulling her by her arm.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said jerking back.

“Alex, you can’t be serious.”

“Bambi was right, she said you wouldn’t understand and you’d think this place was horrible.”

“Alex I…” It was too late. She stormed off and went back into the private room.

“Come on,” Peyton said trying to pull me away. “You tried. You can’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to. Like I said, she’s going to have to learn this one on her own.”

I wasn’t ready to leave her, but Peyton told me if we didn’t leave now, Alex would be the least of my worries. Peyton had about all she could take of this place and so did I. So we left, leaving Alex behind. I called Cole before we left and told him I’d be home early and would explain everything later.

Cole was sleeping on the couch. I tried not to wake him, but he woke up as soon as I closed the front door. “You’re home. How’d it go?” he asked sleepily.

I walked over, lay down on the couch next to him, and put my head on his chest closing my eyes.

“That bad huh?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“We don’t have to,” he said as he played with my hair. “Let’s go to bed.”

I let out a sigh and followed Cole upstairs.

I called Alex the next day, but she didn’t answer. I guess she must still be mad at me.

On Monday at work I asked Peyton if she had heard from her and she said no. I was getting worried until Alex stumbled in the door, Bambi not far behind her. Her eyes were all glazed over and bloodshot, she reeked of booze, and was wearing the most ridiculous outfit. She had on a white halter top that was completely open in the back with one tiny string holding it together and short black spandex shorts. Her blue extensions now pink.

Everyone stared with wide eyes. “What are you wearing?” Peyton asked.

“You like?” Alex did a clumsy spin. “Bambi let me raid her closet.”

“Are you drunk?” Peyton scoffed at her.

“Nooo…” Alex waved her off stumbling to her station. Peyton had that same worried look I had.

Teresa came around the corner and stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of Alex. “I hope you brought something to change into,” she said to Alex.

“Nope,” she laughed.

“You cannot wear that to work, it’s inappropriate.”

“Don’t be such a prude,” Alex slurred.

“Are you drunk?”

Alex stared at Teresa, trying to be serious and maintain her balance. Both were a loss. She fell over laughing.

“Get her out of here before I fire her ass!” Teresa yelled.

“Relax, we were just having fun, she’s fine,” Bambi said picking her up off the floor.

“She’s not fine look at her…she would have never done this before. This is all your fault, you did this to her.” I said and pointed my finger getting in Bambi’s face.

“I didn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to do.”

“But you helped her.”

“Please…I didn’t force the bottle down her throat, just like I didn’t force your boyfriend to come visit me on a weekly basis. Both were by choice and now I see why,” she said smugly.

I didn’t care anymore and I had just about enough of this bitch. So in the spirit of what I seem to do best, I punched her. She dropped but Jenna’s good reflexes caught her before she hit the floor.

“You bitch!” Bambi yelled and jumped up lunging for me. I stepped back as Peyton stepped in and nailed Bambi in the face hard enough that she fell to the ground. Peyton stood over her, daring her to get up.

Teresa had one of the stylists pull Peyton and me out of the way. “Get your stuff and get the hell out of my salon, your fired!” she told Bambi.

“I don’t need this pathetic job anyway.” She walked towards Alex, but we stood in front of her.

“Take her too,” Teresa said.

“What! No, Teresa, come on. I’ll take her home and she’ll be as good as new tomorrow.”

“I’m done Tatum. I’m not going to tolerate any more crap. Keep it up and you’ll be next,” she growled stomping off. I went to open my mouth, but Peyton stopped me.

“Come on Alex, you can come work with me at my other job, where we’ll be appreciated,” Bambi said to Alex as they walked out the door.

I wanted so badly to go after her, but I knew it wouldn’t help.

“Come on,” Peyton put her arm on my shoulder pulling me to the back.

This was not how I expected things to turn out. I still didn’t want to give up on Alex, but I had no idea how to help her, especially when she didn’t want to be helped. I was not going to let her destroy herself. I told Cole everything that happened and he told me he would help in any way he could, but right now there was nothing anyone could do, except maybe Tyler. I knew Alex had feelings for him still. I could see it in her eyes when she said for me to tell him to stop calling; she didn’t really mean it. I also knew they cared for each other more than they were letting on. I never noticed it before. I was too involved in my own world.

I called Tyler and caught him up on what was going on. He tried to play it off like he didn’t care, but I knew better. He said he wouldn’t help. Until I told him that she does care for him, that she’s just messed up right now and needs his help. He eventually gave in and said he’d try.

Every day we called Alex and took turns going to her house, but she refused to see any of us. It was getting to the point where we were running out of options on what to do to help. Considering she wouldn’t even see or talk to us. We decided to take a break and give her some time hoping she’d come around and eventually talk to us. I had other things to distract me with Kristi’s wedding being a few short weeks away. She was calling me every day with different stuff and driving me nuts.

Two weeks had gone by and no one had heard from Alex. I told Peyton we should try getting a hold of her again. So we did and still nothing. Landon said he’d go to the Club where Bambi worked to see if he could maybe find something out. When he came over to the house later to tell me, I hammered him right away with questions.

“Was she there? Did you talk to her? How does she look?”

“Tatum, I think you should sit down,” Landon said.

“I don’t want to sit down just tell me what you know,” I demanded.

He took a deep breath and told me everything he found out. “I saw her…and it’s not good,” he looked at me with worried eyes.

“She looks…horrible.”

“Horrible how? Like she hasn’t slept, she’s stressed, sad?” I pressed him.

“Horrible as in drinking and doing drugs.”

Now I sat down. “How do you know for sure, did you talk to her?”

“Yes.”

“And what did she say?”

“She was so out of it she didn’t even know it was me…she offered me a lap dance.”

“She’s working there!?!”

“Yes and when she finally realized it was me she was talking to, she told me to tell you guys to leave her alone. That she wants nothing to do with us, she’s perfectly fine.”

I put my hand to my chest. I was terrified for her more now than ever.

“Thanks Landon,” I whispered before he left. I sat on the couch staring at the floor not believing what I just heard. Cole pulled me into his chest and told me he was sorry that I had to find out this way and that things took a turn for the worse. I started to cry not knowing what else to do and Cole just held me.

Later that night I had a dream or at least I thought it was a dream. I only heard voices, but I didn’t see anything. Everything was black and I heard my sister and brother talking.

“You think she’ll ever wake up?” Trina asked.

“Of course she will, just as long as you don’t lean on her oxygen tube again,” Tyler said.

“One time, and it was an accident,” they both chuckled. “Well, when she does, at least her nails will look pretty, see?”

What are they talking about? And why can’t I see them?

“Tyler, why don’t you take Trina and go back to your place and get some sleep, we all don’t have to be here.” I heard my dad say. But where is here?

“Tatum,” my dad whispered. “Please, if you can hear me…we really need you back. I’m not ready to let you go.” It sounded like he was crying. I tried to tell him I was right here and I’m not going anywhere, but there was no sound…just silence.

I woke up suddenly, gasping for air.

Cole jumped up. “What is it? What happened?”

I looked around trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

“Tatum?”

“Sorry…I’m fine…just a bad dream, go back to sleep.” Cole held me tight as I lay down in his arms almost feeling an instant relief. I came to the conclusion that it was just that, a bad dream. Probably from all the stress with Alex and Kristi’s wedding.

After Landon confronted Alex at the club, Tyler went there every day to try to get her to quit and get help. She was so far gone she wouldn’t listen to reason. She told one of the bouncers Tyler was harassing her and had him kicked out.

After three weeks of trying to reach Alex and getting nowhere, Cole suggested I stop for a bit. I was getting too stressed out and it wasn’t helping the situation. He offered to take me and all my friends out for dinner and drinks to help get our minds off of Alex for a while. I called everyone up and they thought it was a great idea.

After dinner, I wasn’t in the mood for drinks, knowing it wouldn’t help me keep my mind off Alex so Cole and I went home and called it an early night.

Sometime around midnight, my phone rang on my nightstand. When I picked it up there was no number, it was unknown.

“Who is it?” Cole asked.

“I don’t know, says unknown caller.”

“Don’t answer it, let the voicemail get it,” he said as he lay back down.

I never did listen well. Cole let out a sigh as I said hello. I didn’t hear anything except loud music.

“Hello?” I said again.

“Tatum…” someone whispered. “ He…p…eee…” I could barely understand anything.

“Alex?”

“Ta…um…hurry.” Her speech was slurred and unclear, but I knew enough to figure out it was Alex.

“Alex where are you?” I said in a panic. I heard someone yelling in the background and sirens go off. Then the phone clicked and there was silence.

“Alex! Alex!” I yelled.