Birds of a Feather

1. The Boar's Nest

   Now, I know what you might be thinking. 'Of course a bar fight starts in a bar. That's why it's called a bar fight' but, hey, hear me out.
This bar fight started with an oak tree, just out of town.

   "Dammit, these guys are not slowing down,"
Billy Jones shouted with a big orange Charger on her tail. At that very moment, she realized they were being trailed by the police.
"Well, that just makes sense."
She came around a curve, but not well enough. Had she known this area even a smidge better, she would've known to slow down a bit more. After all, a big 'ol oak tree stood just around the curve, right where her fender was headed.
"Oh shit-" She slammed on her brakes, but that orange blur pushed her right into it. Broke off her mirror, too. Her beautiful 1973 Torino was totaled in a fraction of a second.
Then the police car passed her like nothing happened.
Typical.
She stepped aggressively out of her car. Pulling a hand up with the hood, she knew there wasn't much (if anything) she could do with what she had with her. She turned around and laid her back on the seats. Leather that smelled warm.
And after a minute of looking at steam coming off her hood, she figured the best thing to do is get a drink. After all, she wouldn't be driving anywhere fast.
She swung her little 5'3" frame out of her door and headed into town.
"This race better be worth it, honestly."

   The Boar's Nest. Hmm... At the very least, they'll have whiskey.
The Boar's Nest's walls were adorned with vintage beer signs and taxidermy trophies, – one hanging just behind the 'stage' – creating a rustic, down-home ambiance. A light haze of cigar smoke lingered in the air, illuminated by the warm, amber glow of neon signs advertising various well-loved and well-known brews.
She noticed no one was paying her any attention. For once, that kind of upset her.
Bill found a seat near the bar, in the middle of the floor. A deep, rage filled breath entered her lungs when she decided kicking her Dr. Martens off felt like the move right now. Her dogs started barking about a mile back, now they could finally breathe again.
   "What'll it be?" A lady with big dark eyes asks. She's wearing shorts, stilettos, and a blue baby tee. Her name tag says Sugar. Billy thinks she's very attractive.
   "Whiskey on the rocks, please. With a side of cherries, if it's not too much trouble. Thanks."
She smiles, dropping her notebook to her side. Her hair bounces as she turns and walks away.
Okay, now to find the bastard that killed my baby. Before Billy can really look at the faces of the people in here, Sugar appears again.
"Gee, thanks." She takes a sip instinctively, handing her a couple bucks.
"Quick service," Bill says quietly. She smiles and turns to leave. "Um, s'cuse me ma'am. Who's the smart guy with the big orange car here? Or does he just drive through town?"
She giggles for a second. Sugar has a connection with this guy, for sure.
   "That's Bo and Luke Duke's General Lee, but Bo almost always drives it. He's the fella over there with the tan shirt and blonde hair." Sugar points a pink acrylic'd finger over by the jukebox and Billy turns over her shoulder. She spots someone tall with light wash jeans. Tight, light wash jeans.
He's kinda cute, for a dead man.
   "Um, thank you. How much do I owe you?"
She rolls her eyes and purses her lips.
   "First drinks free for people new in town, especially the ladies."
   "Oh!" That must be that southern kindness people talk so fondly of. "Well, thanks for your help, Sugar."
Billy smiles at her as Sugar turns away to take another order.
I wish I ordered something I like.
Billy grabs an ice chunk out of the glass and chomps on it. A quick flick of her wrist and her glass is empty. Before standing up, she pops a couple maraschinos in her mouth. She then dusts her dark jacket off and walks over to Mr. Bo.
   "-and some jackass was in front of us, going just slow enough for Roscoe to hit the bumper. Lucky for us, he came up on that oak and, boy, he really nailed that tree."
Billy clears her throat but she wasn't quite loud enough so she taps his shoulder. He half turns to her, looking down slowly. His arms are crossed at his chest, a few inches above her head.
   "Yeah, hi. Bo, was it? Yeah. I saw that accident up there, looked rough. I couldn't help but notice you didn't stop and help. No insurance info was exchanged. 'He' probably needed that."
   "Insurance?" He chuckled, looking at the people around him. "That's something we don't really have around here." The guys chuckle a bit.
She smiles sharply, sucking in a quick, hot breath between her teeth.
   "Yeah, well I think 'he' probably did, considering how far 'he' came just to be bumped into a tree."
Bo eyes her weirdly and turns fully around to look at Billy. His hands are on his hips now and his stance is almost defensive.
   "Was he a friend of yours or something?"
I can't stand this shit. She clenched her jaw and fists. Every fiber of her being tenses.
   "No, nothing like that." She folds her hands, placing them on her thighs.
"It's just that-" Her finger pokes her bottom lip sarcastically. She raises her voice. "well, it was my car and now I'm going to punch you because you'll heal but my car won't!" She throws a punch that lands directly on his jaw. She knocks Bo off his feet, onto his ass. He shakes his curls, eyes wide, trying to figure out what just happened.
   "You hit strong for a girl," She wasn't looking, but she could've sworn Bo said it. After all, it's something a car ruiner would say.
   "That is it-" She jumped onto him, immediately pulling at those prized blonde locks of his. He struggled to fight for a moment, fighting with himself on if he should hit a woman. After a very brief moment of her cutting off the blood flow to his brain, he decided it'd probably be in his best interest to fight back.
Everyone else just stood back and watched these two duke it out for a while. They both got in a few good shots to each other. It was actually impressive how evenly matched they were considering her being nearly a foot shorter than him. Crazy what a car accident can bring out in a person. After a moment of them both struggling, a loud, booming voice shook the room.
   "Hey!!" They stop dead in their tracks and both turn to see a man in a blue suit and snakeskin boots.
"Don't kill your partner!"
Mr. Russell Brando. Both Bo and Billy's manager.
They both felt the same surge of embarrassment and frustration effervesce through their chests.
   "Partner?"
Even their voices were fighting.

Didn't I tell you it didn't start in the bar?