Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be
**
The question left him rolling around in his sleep. Everyone was allowed to be sad, but she didn't deserve to be sad. Ashton couldn't suspect why she was either. She seemed that she would have a privileged life, and her beauty didn't raise questions of social bruising. What pain was brought upon her?
The next night she entered the bar a minute later. Her hair was pulled on top of her head, threatening a migraine. She took a free stool, beckoning Ashton to be the one to sit with her this time. He left his small table and approached her, placing his hand down on the counter before seating himself.
The bartender smiled at him, wiping down glasses with a yellowed rag.
"Ashton, what can I do for ya?" he asked, tossing the rag behind him and facing his familiar friend. Scarlett quirked her eyebrows and studied Ashton. His stubble was growing back.
"Surprise me?" Ashton countered, not locking eyes with Scarlett yet. She knew
he was ignoring her, making her wait. While the bartender's back was turned, Scarlett skimmed her fingers along Ashton's arm. She had a feathery touch, and goosebumps rose under Ashton's sleeve. Still, he tried to focus on their approaching drinks. The bartender turned around and Scarlett let her hand fall into her lap, a slight grin on her face.
"Here's one for you and your lady friend," he said, winking at her. He was a bald man, large in stature, always equipped with a smile and a lighter. He was married, but he didn't talk about his wife since the bar folk often abandoned him before he finished.
"Thanks, John," Ashton said, taking the shot glasses from the man's hands and holding one out to Scarlett. She accepted it, puffing her cheeks out at the contents. Her face twisted and she took a cautious sniff. "Is there a problem?"
"No," Scarlett responded, quirking her mouth to the side. She locked eyes with Ashton and held her arm out at a crook so he could cross his over hers. She smiled. "Cheers." They downed their drinks in one turn, Scarlett shivering and Ashton responding with a slight grimace.
**
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."
As a smile ran away from his face
"Well, I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place."
**
"Any secrets?" Ashton asked in between another round of shots. Scarlett shook her head, the ends of her ponytail kissing her skin.
"Not yet, Ashton."
**
"John... hates it here," Ashton slurred, pointing to the bartender who was a few feet away. Scarlett squinted at the boy in front of her.
"WhhaAAt?" She shook her head again. "No waaay- He's too happy."
"ASK HIM!" The outburst was enough to call the bartender over to the drunk's spot. John wore a wide grin and placed his hands on his hips, his chest protruding. Scarlett giggled and tapped the fabric of his white shirt with slow, sloppy pokes.
"A-are you happy here, Mr. John?" The grin was swept clean from his features and the bartender fussed around with his hands. He glanced from Ashton to Scarlett, noting their intoxication.
"Well, yes, I am," John said. Scarlett's eyes widened and she made a high-pitched noise in the back of her throat. She booped Ashton on the nose and stuck her tongue out at him like a little girl would.
"Itoldyouso," she whisper-shouted. Ashton glared at her and crossed his arms in disagreement. John chuckled at the two and continued,
"I used to be an actor.. still am, really. I tried to land roles after graduation, but with no luck. Then everything happened in a blur, and I've been here ever since." John looked far ahead into the distance like he saw the scenes in front of his eyes: the sad bartender who couldn't chase his dreams because he was tied down. "I don't know... Maybe if I found a way out of here - they're searching for me, you know? The classic, balding middle-aged man, a little chubby on the edges?" John placed one hand on the side of his head and another on his hip. "Quite a looker."
Scarlett couldn't contain her laughter as she bent forward, her head shaking in her hands. Ashton joined in, but looked at her all the while, how every limb jumped with electricity. She was the sun.
John chuckled to himself and returned to work, though he was fond of the new pairing. Once the hysterics had exited her body, Scarlett sat up, wiping the side of her eye and leaning her elbow on the bar. Ashton didn't say anything, admiring her.
"How about n-now?" he asked, breaking the small silence. Scarlett gave more weight to her elbow, sliding herself further into a slump.
"Now... what?"
"John told his secrets and now you have to speak to me all of your deepest darkest secrets missy," Ashton said, giggling as the words left his mouth. He wanted to unlock all of her little details, but this was a good starting place.
"Okay."
"Okaaay?"
"I absolutely absolutely ab-so-lute-ly hate my best friend," Scarlett dragged, kicking her feet back and forth. "She has NO chest and she doesn't even like me and the only reason I'm even friends with her is because there's no one else to be friends with - except for you I guess if we're friends now but I should dump her since I spend all my time here anyway and I won't see her for a while."
"Huh." Although Ashton was extremely drunk, he could still see that her worries appeared trivial. There had to be something else - she couldn't be this unhappy because of a sorority trouble. There was more than just her secrets.
"Huh?"
"Stop repeating me!" Ashton whined, although the two of them had repeated each other's words. He pounded his fists on the bar and narrowed his eyes at Scarlett. She pushed her lips together to try to look serious; she didn't want him to be mad, or for him to act like he was mad, but another fit of giggles soon erupted from her mouth.
a/n: it's freezing at home
p.s. i really like that ashton gif teehee
