"Just Friends"

9

I want to thank you all so much for the supportive comments! It's made me really really happy to read them all and see all the vote and views my story is getting :))
As a thank you, this chapter is extra long and another normal chapter will be out soon after.
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(2951 words) (Warnings: violence)
 Bars are typically simple.
A bar is normally filled with the dull yet loud sound of chatter and the clinking of bottles, maybe someone laughs a little too loud here and there. A bar is not normally Brandon's favorite place to go. A bar does not normally have, disco-tech lighting, lasers, a large stage in the center with a large screen and microphone for 24//7 karaoke. Yet here we are.

This one group of girls sang very loudly and very poorly for a full rendition of American Pie, why I do not know but they were having the time of their lives and I was living for it. It was hard to make my way through the place to get anywhere and it was even harder to get the bartender's attention. I finally got four ~artisanal~ ciders and squeezed my way through the crowd back to my group. We had sat at a sticky table in the corner and it took all my strength to ignore the flllltttt sound my shoes made after every step, but I had to give credit where credit was due. It was a pretty awesome bar, Brandon had good taste.

To no one's surprise, he was planning on singing a song and was busy attempting to rope Calvin into it when I set the bottes down with a small clatter.

"Drink up, boys." I said, taking a swig of my own. The carbonation itched the back of my nose.

"Thanks," Jake said, snagging one. "I'll sing with you Brandon."

"Jake you know I love you but if I wanted to be serenaded by a seal I'd go to the zoo. Pleeasssee Calvin you're such a good singer." Brandon begged.

"I'll sing with you Brandon." I said. He looked at me surprised.

"Since when do you sing?"

"Ash has been singing since high school, she just ~doesn't like doing it for crowds~." Calvin teasing was on unsure footing, clearly not knowing what was okay.

"Oh god, I was such a bad singer in high school." I cringed.

"You should see the songs Ally wrote when she was a teenager," Jake said.

"Trust me, we have. We were Ally's first audience," said Brandon, mimicking war flashbacks with a dramatic face. Then he turned to me. "Okay wait you sing first then I'll go, if you go first I won't need Calvin up there with me." He clapped decidedly.

"I don't know about that Brandon." I said, shrinking bad in the seat. The whole building was loud and packed with strangers, and I was not one to sing for others. If I was up there with Brandon it would be easier, being alone is a whole different story.

"I bet you a blowjob you won't do it!" He stuck out his hand to shake on it. I sighed.

"You know what? I'll do it, I'm no more tone deaf than the rest of these people. I'll go cue our songs with the DJ." I said and then laughed as my friends cheered. Calvin raised his cider to clink mine, which I obliged.

I got back up and pushed through the crowd to make it to the DJ. They seemed pretty done with life, I'm sure they heard the same few songs a million times a night. Riptide had been sung at least 3 times since we'd arrived.

"Hey, how long is the wait?" I yelled over the speakers.

"Long. It's shorter for 5 bucks." They responded. Yeah, that checks out. I fished in my pocket for a fiver and handed it to them. "Alright, name and song?"

My song choice was still undecided, I quickly ran through the music I knew I was good at, trying to imagine the least embarrassing to botch in public. From the other side of the bar I saw Calvin smiling at me. It was a nice smile, soft and fragile. I can't explain why it angered me.