the jazz bar | s.zender

Chapter 1 | best friends

Best Friends.
—

AS OF NOW tallulah was crouched behind the bar, praying it would somehow make her shift go quicker. when she was younger her mum always told her that customers were her biggest fear. but constant arguing and baffling requests seems to be no different to the average middle age relationship, so who was she to tell her that. and tallulah was definitely not scared of either of those things. well, maybe a bit scared. yeah maybe a lot.

it was currently 11:57pm and her shift ended at midnight. most nights were usually the same, an old creepy man would come in trying to flirt with her and there was nothing she could do about it but wait for that big dumb clock to strike midnight. and in her head she wanted to punch them, man she really wanted to punch them. grab their collar and break their nose for thinking they can harass women. but she knows if she did, she'd be fired. and then her best friend aurora would seriously hate her.

oh sorry, 'who's aurora' you might've asked. tallulah's best friend, of 9 years to be exact. if she had to pick a word to describe her it would be loud, and maybe messy too. but aside from that shes really the most amazing friend anyone could ask for. they met in school and have been inseparable ever since. maybe it was something about how tallulah needed someone to get her out and be social and that aurora needed someone to calm her down. but for whatever reason it was, they just fit.

she was also the reason tallulah got the job a few weeks back, their job was pretty horrible and the pay even more. so if it wasn't for each other and the great music, they'd be gone. and aurora thinking most of the guys are hot, which is a plus for her. tallulah often sees her leave work early and not come home until the next morning.

"tallulah sweetheart you really need to find your beautiful self a man," aurora said. their shift had finished and the two were currently walking back to their shared apartment, the joys of living in new york.

"you dont think im trying?!" she replied. aurora always said this, tallulah hurry up and get married so i can be the cool aunty to your kids. yeah right, kids are useless. they shit all over you then spend all your money for 18 years until they leave.

"when you told me about this job you told me hot guys and good music. i think i've been harassed by customers at least six times today. oh and to add to the list our boss has groped my ass at least 20 times."

"hey wait no listen, i did warn you about him so thats on you for taking the offer."

"i didn't have a choice it was this or the streets."

"well having a perv boss has got its benefits."

"yeah like what?" tallulah questioned as they began walking up the stairs to their apartment. they reached their door and tallulah searched her bag for the keys. she found them only to look up and find aurora standing in front of her.

"im really struggling to pay rent this week, i promise ill suck your cock if you give me a raise."

"ewww aurora thats so gross!" tallulah pushed her face away with one hand and mimicked the sound of throwing up before unlocking the door walking inside the place. "no way that works, you're full of shit."

"it does, done it before." aurora smiled, looking so proud of herself.

"well how much'd he give you?" tallulah questioned peeling her large and heavy demin jacket off and slumping it on the entrance coat hanger.

"50 dollars for 5 minutes." aurora did the same but missed the hanger, her jacket falling to the floor instead.

"you're always so full of shit!"

"no im so genuine!!" they both laughed falling into the wall and knocking a tiny spider-man figurine off a shelf.

their apartment was a reflection of the both of them. it smelled of cheap perfume and incense because the both were too broke to buy air fresheners. band posters, obnoxiously large paintings and cheap colourful trinkets filled the emptiness on the walls. they had a small tv and a small couch, a small kitchen and small rooms. it wasn't much, but they still loved it. oh and they weren't on the streets so that was always a bonus.

"well then dont be surprised if i come home with an extra three hundred dollars tomorrow." tallulah said.

"okay now thats gross." aurora paused furrowing her eyebrows and thinking hard, "god tallulah thats 30 minutes of cock sucking!"

"yep, i'd do it just for you." tallulah winked making them both laugh hysterically. they had made their way over to the kitchen and tallulah opened the fridge. inside was a packet of cheese left open, a jar of olives and two bottles of lactose free milk. she sighed and closed the fridge. "we need food aurora, you cant keep buying those cute ceramic bowls if we have no food to put in them."

"oh hah yeah, also i forgot to tell you a friend from work made us spaghetti but i left it in the staff fridge so..." aurora said.

"im so hungry you wanker!" tallulah flipped her off and stormed into her room slamming the door in a hangry fit.

"im so sorry i love you!!" she heard from the kitchen.

she hesitated to say it back before taking off her pants leaving her in a shirt and underwear. her room mostly consisted of queen merch and fashion magazines she'd stolen. but her favourite would be the vinyl corner. she'd began collecting them on her sixth birthday when her dad gave her frank sinatra: the world we knew. the music ignited something inside of her, it made her feel good when nothing else could. she fell in love with music.

often tallulah would lay awake at night softly singing the words to any record she owned. tonight she laid listening to queen: a day at the races, one of her all time favourite albums. it reminded her of childhood, when she saw freddie for the first time she was in complete awe of him from the way he moved to the way he sung.

somebody to love began playing and like usual she sang quietly to freddies voice. but she couldn't stop thinking about what aurora had told her earlier.

"tallulah sweetheart you really need to find yourself a man"

the song continued, 'can anybody.... find me..... somebody to..... love.'

tallulah couldn't help to stay awake thinking about it. maybe her friend was right about it. she only wanted the best for her after all. the next song begun to play, and the memories of her parents past relationship looped in her head instead. she remembered the countless nights she stayed up listening to the yelling and screaming. the countless times she heard "i dont love you," or "i wish i never met you."

she had spent all of her childhood alone until she met aurora, the most lovely girl in the world, the girl that picked her up off the floor and put her back together. when she met her, she knew had fallen in love for the second time.

except two was enough for tallulah, so on that day the girl vowed to herself that she'd never fall in love again.