5.17

Crowded, noisy. Packed tables, jukebox loud. Bartender working the taps, barely keeping up. Julia at the counter, older than everyone else in the room, already several drinks in. She pushes her empty glass forward. The bartender hesitates, reading her.

Julia fixes him with a look — dry, daring him to push it.

A beat. He pours. Julia downs it, slams the glass down, signals again. The room keeps moving — a jukebox song changes, students laugh too loud, someone hugs someone else by the door. Back to Julia. Another empty glass. Another pour.

Her hand shakes as she tries to steady the glass. She grips it too hard, sloshing beer over the rim. The noise around her grows. Voices louder, music sharper. She’s not tracking any of it anymore. Her stool wobbles as she pushes off. She nearly loses her balance, grabs the counter, then staggers toward the door.