Kelsey?”
Well, this might get ugly. Should I take a stroll? I say yes. Alec turned away from the group, and went to his brother, Brian, in the back office. The office door hung slightly ajar, and Alec stumbled into the wall next to it.
Brian was speaking to Erica, his voice quick and quiet. He’s upset about something.
“You don’t get it,” Brian said impatiently. “The bar is draining money. You think I left it empty for them on purpose? No one drives down here. Those wealthy bastards up the hill all go to sleep early. I’m losing it, Erica. I’m losing it all fast. No, I already lost it. Let them drink it all.”
“I’m here for you, okay? We will figure this out.”
“How? How can we figure this out? Do you know anything about running a business? Tell me. Please, if you have the answer, tell me.”
“You don’t have to be a jerk, Brian. You know I care for you, right? I’ll do whatever you need.”
“Aren’t you still seeing Tommy?”
“Aren’t you still with Morgan?”
“Yeah, but, Erica, what are we doing? How has everything gone to shit so fast?”
I avoid drama only to stumble into more. Great. I need a drink!
The two lovebirds bickered a few more moments before Erica, fed up, saucily told Brian she had invited her actual boyfriend Tommy to come to the party. Brian coldly said he didn’t care.
Am I the only one in a normal relationship? It’s not that hard to stay in one vagina.
The door to the office swung open, startling Alec. Erica moved past him, her head lowered, embarrassed.
Poking his head into the office, Alec said, “Hey, brother.”
“Hey, get the door, yeah?”
Alec closed the door and sat in front of Brian’s desk. Inside the small office there were some cabinets, a desk, file folders tossed here and there, and a large rickety air vent that Alec and Brian had once crawled through when Brian first got the place. It led up to the roof. Silly shenanigans. Good times.
“You okay, Brian?”
Rubbing his temples, Brian said, “Ugh, let’s not get into it. This is your night. Don’t worry about me.”
“You know,”—Alec burped—“you know you can tell me anything.”
“I know, but enjoy yourself tonight. We can worry about it tomorrow.”
“All right. Well, Kale and Scot are here. Jeff will be here soon. They would all love to see you.”
“Whole gang again, yeah? Maybe I’ll join.”
Alec stood, leaned over the desk and touched his brother’s wrist. “We’re going to be fine.” He noticed something in Brian’s lap that surprised him. “Is that a gun?”
Brian nodded, revealed a shotgun.
“Jesus, what are you doing with that?”
“I like to load it and unload it when I’m stressed. That’s all.”
“Please tell me I won’t hear it go off while I’m out there.”
“Alec!” Brian laughed. “Life might be a little shitty right now, but I won’t kill myself.”
There’s no way he would. Alec pulled back, finding the door to balance himself against. “Come out soon?”
“Deal.”
Alec returned to the table where his friends were sitting, just in time to hear his lovely Nicole speak. “So Alec is a firefighter. Scot is almost done with college. Jeff is in the Navy,” she looked at the last of the four friends. “What about you, Kale?”
“Kale is master zombie slayer!” Howard cheered to his feet with made machine gun sound effects. No one responded. Sulking, he sat back down and muttered, “Wow, tough crowd.”
He’s a funny little thing. What wasn’t such a funny thing was the dark look Scot and Kale exchanged.
“Kale is still trying to save the world,” said Scot.
“Go screw yourself.” Kale faced Nicole, ignoring Scot. “I’m still young and figuring it out.”
Switching the spotlight off Kale, Nicole asked Scot, “What are you doing now?”
Scot cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. “Trying to find a
Well, this might get ugly. Should I take a stroll? I say yes. Alec turned away from the group, and went to his brother, Brian, in the back office. The office door hung slightly ajar, and Alec stumbled into the wall next to it.
Brian was speaking to Erica, his voice quick and quiet. He’s upset about something.
“You don’t get it,” Brian said impatiently. “The bar is draining money. You think I left it empty for them on purpose? No one drives down here. Those wealthy bastards up the hill all go to sleep early. I’m losing it, Erica. I’m losing it all fast. No, I already lost it. Let them drink it all.”
“I’m here for you, okay? We will figure this out.”
“How? How can we figure this out? Do you know anything about running a business? Tell me. Please, if you have the answer, tell me.”
“You don’t have to be a jerk, Brian. You know I care for you, right? I’ll do whatever you need.”
“Aren’t you still seeing Tommy?”
“Aren’t you still with Morgan?”
“Yeah, but, Erica, what are we doing? How has everything gone to shit so fast?”
I avoid drama only to stumble into more. Great. I need a drink!
The two lovebirds bickered a few more moments before Erica, fed up, saucily told Brian she had invited her actual boyfriend Tommy to come to the party. Brian coldly said he didn’t care.
Am I the only one in a normal relationship? It’s not that hard to stay in one vagina.
The door to the office swung open, startling Alec. Erica moved past him, her head lowered, embarrassed.
Poking his head into the office, Alec said, “Hey, brother.”
“Hey, get the door, yeah?”
Alec closed the door and sat in front of Brian’s desk. Inside the small office there were some cabinets, a desk, file folders tossed here and there, and a large rickety air vent that Alec and Brian had once crawled through when Brian first got the place. It led up to the roof. Silly shenanigans. Good times.
“You okay, Brian?”
Rubbing his temples, Brian said, “Ugh, let’s not get into it. This is your night. Don’t worry about me.”
“You know,”—Alec burped—“you know you can tell me anything.”
“I know, but enjoy yourself tonight. We can worry about it tomorrow.”
“All right. Well, Kale and Scot are here. Jeff will be here soon. They would all love to see you.”
“Whole gang again, yeah? Maybe I’ll join.”
Alec stood, leaned over the desk and touched his brother’s wrist. “We’re going to be fine.” He noticed something in Brian’s lap that surprised him. “Is that a gun?”
Brian nodded, revealed a shotgun.
“Jesus, what are you doing with that?”
“I like to load it and unload it when I’m stressed. That’s all.”
“Please tell me I won’t hear it go off while I’m out there.”
“Alec!” Brian laughed. “Life might be a little shitty right now, but I won’t kill myself.”
There’s no way he would. Alec pulled back, finding the door to balance himself against. “Come out soon?”
“Deal.”
Alec returned to the table where his friends were sitting, just in time to hear his lovely Nicole speak. “So Alec is a firefighter. Scot is almost done with college. Jeff is in the Navy,” she looked at the last of the four friends. “What about you, Kale?”
“Kale is master zombie slayer!” Howard cheered to his feet with made machine gun sound effects. No one responded. Sulking, he sat back down and muttered, “Wow, tough crowd.”
He’s a funny little thing. What wasn’t such a funny thing was the dark look Scot and Kale exchanged.
“Kale is still trying to save the world,” said Scot.
“Go screw yourself.” Kale faced Nicole, ignoring Scot. “I’m still young and figuring it out.”
Switching the spotlight off Kale, Nicole asked Scot, “What are you doing now?”
Scot cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. “Trying to find a
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