June 21^st, 2010

Tao's Current Age: 15

3:00 pm

"Ahh!" Tao sighed. This is the first perfect day of summer. . . he thought, walking out his front door.

I should visit mom and dad today. . .

Tao called a cab and rode to the graveyard.

Walking through the gates, he confidently strode toward his parent's grave, as he's been there multiple times.

Tao got down on his knees and did his ritual: getting down on his knees, mumbling his thanks, standing back up, and bowing.

He took a couple of steps outside of the cemetery when his phone went off. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tao! Want to go clubbing with me? It's my friend's birthday!" Xiumin said excitedly.

Tao smiled. "Sure. Pick me up?"

6:00 pm

Tao walked out of his house in black skinny-jeans and a black v-neck, black sneakers, and a black baseball cap.

Xiumin saw him and immediately commented. "You're not going to blend in, if that's what you're thinking."

Tao shrugged. "I just like black."

Xiumin huffed. "Fine. Get in the car.

6:30 pm

"Welcome to the club, the Midnight Music," Xiumin said grandly.

And the club was grand. Spotlights glowed on the roof, brightly lighting up the sky. A clean red carpet entered the building, and nicely dressed bouncers guarded the entrance. The walls were scrubbed and shined black, and the windows revealed strobe lights and the cheering audience. There was a long line to get into the place.

Tao gaped. "We have to wait in that line? It'll take forever!"

Xiumin smiled. "Someone's impatient! The friend who's having the birthday owns the club!"

And it was true. The bouncers just nodded when Xiumin flashed his V.I.P passes, and they were in.

Xiumin faced Tao. "I'm going to go find my friends. Why don't you go have some drinks? Here's your card," handing Tao a golden card that read, "Midnight Music Unlimited Drinks Card."

Tao nodded and made his way over to the bar. "What's the best non-alcoholic drink you have?" he asked the bartender.

The bartender laughed. "Non-alcoholic? Water."

Tao blushed and showed him his card.

The bartender stopped laughing and immediately straightened up. "You're. . . the boss's friend?"

"Yeah. . ." Tao said.

"Well, sir, we have juices, sodas, smoothies, and non-alcoholic cocktails and tequilas," he listed.

Tao smiled. "Non-alcoholic apple & grape cocktail, and please make a mango smoothie ready for me."

"Yes, sir," he nodded and bustled into the back room.

Tao smiled. Sir. I like that. he thought.

Tao left, wanting to come back later.

***

The bartender skipped the first orders and finished Tao's drink first, and put it on the bar for pickup. Then he went back into the side room to do the other customer's drinks.

A man came over and sniffed it. "Excuse me, sir," he asked the bartender. "Is this my cocktail?"

"Yes!" was the reply.

The man smiled, picked it up, and left a tip in the jar.

The bartender finished a tray-load of drinks and put it on the counter, including an alcoholic grape cocktail.

Tao came over, saw his drink, and took it, also leaving a tip.

Tao walked around, occasionally sipping his drink, surveying the dance floor.

Xiumin ran up to him. "Hey, Tao! How's it so far?"

"Good!" Tao replied. "I got my first drink, and I'm going back for my second."

Xiumin smiled. "Is it good? I was thinking about getting a soda."

"Show him your card, or else he just says water," Tao said.

"Are you drinking alcohol?" Xiumin asked, concerned.

"No," Tao answered, shaking his head. "Non-alcoholic."

"Good! You know how alcohol-intolerant you are. A single shot can get you drunk! Unlike me, of course! See ya later!" Xiumin said, walking toward the bar.

Tao walked further in, then he started feeling slightly dizzy. Must be the tight space and loud music, Tao thought.

Once he drank the last drops, he walked back to the bar. The bartender was busy arguing with a man who said that his drink had no alcohol, and felt nothing.

Shrugging, Tao put his empty glass on the counter and went to go dance.

***

A gangster-looking guy was sitting in the booth with his girlfriend.

"Oppa! Can I go dance?!" she pleaded.

He took another gulp of beer. "Go."

She lit up. "Really?"

"Don't make me say go twice."

She nodded and ran to the colorful dance floor.

While dancing, enjoying the moments away from her drunk boyfriend, something caught the corner of her eye.

A Chinese guy in a black ensemble, dancing so gracefully.

When he turned, she saw his face. He's cute. . .

She started to dance her way over to him.

***

"Hey there," whispered a feminine voice.

Tao turned to see a pretty girl in black heels and a tight white dress that reached her knees.

"You alone?"

Tao nodded, unaware of his drunked state. The girl nodded and started to dance with his.

Closer and closer.

***

The guy in the booth looked up to see his girlfriend dancing with some flower boy.

With alcohol running through his veins, he pulled out his phone.

"Boys, come to Midnight Music. There's a kid here that needs to be taught a lesson," he instructed, staring at the panda.

9:00 pm

Tao walked drunkenly out into the streets of Midnight Music.

He started in the direction of his house until he found himself in an alley.

"Oops," he giggled. "Wrong. . . way~~~!" he sang, spinning.

Right into a guy in a leather jacket.

"Oops~~! Sor-RY!" he sang.

The guy growled, and more tough-looking guys walked out from the shadows, forming a circle around helpless boy.

Tao spun some more, giggling like an idiot.

He noticed that there were more guys.

"One, two, *hiccup* three," he counted, hiccuping.

Then the guy with the girlfriend snapped his hands.

Two guys in front of Tao grabbed his arms and hoisted him up.

"Put me down!" he drawled, fighting weakly.

Smiling, the guy laid out his palm, and the guy next to him put a baseball bat into his hand.

The guy put a firm grip on the bat, and swung.

1:00 am (the next day)

"Tao, where have you be- TAO!" Xiumin screamed, seeing Tao's bloody state.

Tao closed the front door behind him and collasped, the blood from his face spilling onto the carpet. The dark stain on Tao's black shirt grew larger and larger.

Xiumin grabbed his cell phone. "911?"