Lt. Taylor (Swift) Grace has known Bradley (Rooster) Bradshaw since they were just two years old. They had done everything together since, she even moved herself back four years when Rooster's papers were pulled out of nowhere in the academy. But, w...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I pulled up to the Hard Deck today with a certain lightness in me. Somehow it had never crossed my mind how much I really missed this place. I honestly never thought I would with such a small town like Miramar, California, but that goes to show that I need to listen to my heart a little more. Being there brings me right back in time, as if I had never left. I slowly slip back into my old customs with ease, the first one being checking my phone before stepping out of the old charcoal gray ragtop jeep I drove here for the first time just three short years ago. I have only one notification, from Rooster.
bird man🐓:
Jesus, thanks for leaving without me🙄
swiftie:
no problema that's what best friends are for 😁
bird man🐓:
now I'm gonna be late
swiftie:
well that's kinda what you get for taking a nap when i told you that you didn't have time
bird man🐓:
i was tired !!!
swiftie:
okay okay you need your beauty sleep i think we get it
bird man🐓:
just don't pick any fights with hangman until i get there capeesh?
swiftie:
I'll try but I can't promise you...
With that I leave my phone in my glovebox, per Penny's 'no phones in the bar' policy, and head on into the pub.
The second I step foot into the bar, all the memories come flooding back. I can't count the times I've come in here just to watch Hangman have to buy us all drinks because he lost to Nat in pool for the hundredth time, or all the obliterated drunk guys Rooster had to beat some sense into because they were trying to get with me. One guy even tried to touch my ass and let me be the first to tell you that was a bad night for all of us. I walk around the bar, finally finding Penny. She gives me a huge hug before greeting me.
"My little boy magnet is back!!" she picked up a tendency to start calling me this after I had started attracting almost every new guy that either Bradley or Jake hadn't beat up or smacked some sense into once before. "How did Hawaii treat you? You and Bradshaw still attached at the hip?"
"Pretty much," I respond "one thing's for sure I'm really glad I was close enough with Iceman to make that work out. I don't know what I would've done without Rooster for three years."
Growing up with Iceman around was crazy awesome to say the least. I mean he's the head of a good chunk of the navy for crying out loud. We're close enough that I sometimes refer to him as my uncle, and whenever we were getting assigned to our first military stations after Top Gun, he made sure that I ended up with some of the only family I had left.
"Well, I think I'm going to go find Phoenix since I haven't talked to her in ages." I tell the woman "have you seen her around yet?"
" Ah, talking to her is gonna be a toughy for that firey temper you have with Jake" she quickly responded "they're playing pool again. Odds are your beers are gonna be free tonight." She laughed as she pulled out a BudLight for me.
"I think I'll manage today. Catch up with you later Pen." I said as I made my way to the pool table.
"Well, well, well if it isn't good 'ole Swiftie!" Hangman sassed the second he saw me making my way over to where he was standing.
"Bagman" I quickly shot back, sending a glare his way and taking a swig of my beer. He simply chuckled at my witty attitude.
Jake is a character I'll give him that. He might have my back when it really comes down to it, but that doesn't mean I can't hold the grudge against the guy. My grudge isn't half as big as Rooster's but I didn't necessarily enjoy the guy's company. His ego is bigger than the state of California and if he finds out one little thing about your personal life, he'll hold it above your head and use it to blackmail you for the rest of eternity. He even gave me my callsign, Swift, in the crudest way known to mankind. I remember it like it was yesterday...
Bradley always told people I could sing like Taylor Swift a couple years ago, due to my 'sweet tone' and southern accent that popped in every word I sang. Around that time I had a pretty brutal breakup with one of my past boyfriends and was really upset about it. To take my mind off of it, Nat and Bradley took me to karaoke night at the Hard Deck. Hangman, of course, was there too. When Nat and I got done singing our song Jake walked up to me. His only comment was 'wow Tay you really are exactly like Taylor Swift, amazing voice but scares off every single guy within a three state perimeter'. After that, Rooster gave him a fight. I let him get in a couple of punches before I stopped him. Somehow the Taylor Swift comment stuck, but that was easily one of the worst nights of my life. At least Hangman learned somewhat of a lesson that night.
I was pulled out of my thoughts by Jake's cocky voice once again "Bradshaw, as I live and breathe."
My best friend had appeared in the doorway, late, just as he said.
