“Didn’t you embarrass yourself enough last time?” she asked the man, still pointing. “You had to come back for another gymnastics routine?”
I blurted out a laugh despite myself, the absurdity of the situation hitting me. He really was fumbling around like an acrobat, performing somersaults up and down the sidewalk. He stumbled to his feet again, but between how drunk he was and how much he had been thrown around, he struggled to maintain his balance, earning another laugh from Lilith and me.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing my elbow. “We’re getting busy inside again.”
I turned to the man, still cursing under his breath as he tried to regain his balance. “What? Am I just supposed to leave him like this?”
Lilith pointed at him again. “You remember what I’m always saying? You have to talk to drunk people like they’re babies.” She raised her voice, speaking clearly and slowly. “You’re a mess. Your boss would probably have you killed if he knew what you were doing. Nowgo homebefore you end up getting yourself in more trouble.”
The man jumped to his feet, and I instinctively fell back into my defensive pose, ready for anything that came my way. Luckily for me, however, Lilith was getting to be as good a fighter as she was a bartender, and she had learned every lesson I had passed her way.
“Go away!” she suddenly screamed, her voice piercing through the air. The man startled, taken aback by the sudden, explosive noise.
“Go the fuck away!” I yelled alongside her, pounding my fist against my chest as I hollered. My voice came out like an explosion, the full force of all my pent-up energy propelling it out of my body.
Finally, the man stumbled backward, cursing and muttering under his breath. I couldn’t hear a word of what he was saying, and I could barely make out the angry, frustrated expression on his face as he began to stumble down the block. With Lilith by my side, all I could do was yell.
“Fuck you!” Lilith screamed again, grabbing my elbow as she yelled. “And don’t come back here!”
I let out a guttural, wordless roar, the noise escaping my lungs with ragged breath.
It felt so good to scream. Even as the man disappeared down the block, I didn’t let myself stop. I just kept screaming the pain away and hollering until the fear was gone. My fists were still clenching by my side, but the more I yelled, the more it felt like something was burning away.
Finally, my voice gave out, and our screaming turned into laughter. Lilith grabbed my arm, holding herself up by my side. It was a different kind of release than I was used to, but it was still a release. And standing outside the bar, realizing I had avoided another fight, I just felt happy.
I felt like something new could finally begin.
