The Nerd And The Biker

Chapter 8: Stranger

After we got back to my house I made everybody leave. The boys were still somewhere on the way since we took everything. I did my usual bathroom routine and went to bed. When my alarm got me up the next morning the house was super quiet. Nothing was moving, just silent and for this house that was very strange. I shower and put my contacts in and get ready for school quickly. The drive to the school wasn't all that interesting, same shit different day type thing. When I pull into the schools parking lot I see Autumn and Secret going at it yet again.

"Who did what this time?" I say getting outta the truck.

"Autumn stole my phone and won't give it back!" Secret roars.

"I would never do that, I have an android and you have an I phone big difference on appearance and size, dumb ass!" Autumn yells back.

They go at it for a few more minutes and I join Brady and Summer who have been leaning against his car watching the entire thing like it's the circus.

"Who has it?" I ask them.

"Not me." Brady says.

"Or me." Summer groans watching her sister.

"I do," I hear mumbled from behind me.

James strides over to Secret and pulls her off Autumn and kisses her. Not gentle or a peck. Full force, he is in control and not letting her do anything. We all watch in amusement as he slides her phone in her back pocket and breaks apart from kissing her. He leans his head down and whispers something in her ear and leaves. She stands there stunned and all of us laugh at her, including Autumn. She comes out of her daze and flips us all off and walks into school. The day goes by slowly and neither Landon or Axel showed up for school, at lunch everyone is stating at us so we leave and go to the cars.

"Has anyone heard from the boys?" Summer mumbles, seems to me like she has already fallen for Alex.

"No," is mumbled from everyone including Secret.

The rest of the day goes by quickly and before I know it I'm at Allies Dinner working. My shift is boring and at midnight I'm falling into bed. I check my phone and see no missed calls or texts from anyone. My friends know that I work a lot after school, but I was expecting a call or something from my brothers or Axel.

It continues like this for two weeks, the boys and Axel don't text, call or come to school. Summer has been a lot quieter than normal, Autumn and Secret have been a lot moodier and Brady quit laughing, I've quit listening. The group is slowly falling apart and there's nothing we can do. In the couple of days that the boys were here they've affected us.

After a long week at school I stop by the bar I own. The owner died a month before my mom did and he left me it, I used to clean the bathrooms, floors and the bar. He, like Allie, knew what was going on at home and treated me like a daughter he never saw. His kids wanted nothing to do with him after he and his wife divorced. He was left with the bar and the house and she took the kids and left, it was a surprise to me when his attorney told me he left the bar to me. I haven't changed anything and no one besides the employees and the attorney know I own the bar. The employees live in different towns and the attorney was from the major town four hours out.

"Get your ass off the bar and sit down!" Melanie hollars at a customer. The customer climbs off the bar and stumbles to a table in the corner.

"Hey Mel, how has it been?" I ask walking towards the bar.

Most teens were learning how to drive, I was making cocktails, margaritas and martinis, cleaning houses, babysitting and working at the diner. Sometimes, Cole, the owner of the bar, would let me work on the books in the office if I didn't want to tend the bar.

"Great, a couple of newcomers, we need more Corona and grey goose and Marcie has been complaining that she needs one of your margaritas, and I can't do the books and neither can Marcie."

"I'll make you one to take home to your girlfriend Mel, and I'll get the books and put in another shipment of beer. Just come get me before you leave. Where is Ran?" Ran was another bartender that liked to flake.

"He quit, thank fuck," she whispers.

"Okay I'll be in my office!" I call over my shoulder.

I go into my office and start the books and ordering the beer, that took all of thirty minutes. The books don't take long for me, I was taking college level math classes my freshman year of high school much to my teachers amazement. I look at the clock on the computer and see that it's nearly two am and that the bar should be closing soon. I power off my computer and head back out to the main part of the bar. While I was in the back at least a dozen customers had come into the bar, the noise level is tremendous and Mel looks like she's about punch someone. I pull out the bull horn and honk it. They ignore me and resume talking, so I hop onto my bar and honk it again. After about five minutes people quiet down and look at me.

"You have five minutes to pay and get out of my bar or I'll call the cops. Do you understand me?" I yell at them.

"Yes ma'am," is mumbled throughout the bar. A group soon crowds the bar top trying to pay. As they pay Mel and I hand out bottles of water to help them sober up enough to get them home. Slowly the bar is emptying out and Mel shuts and locks the door. She clean the floors and bathroom. I make Marcie a margarita and put in the freezer for Mel to grab before she leaves. After Mel is done we count the money in the bar and talk about senseless things. One topic did catch my attention though.

"Yeah, we had a newcomer come in and offer to buy the bar. He was older and had a bunch of people with him. I told him I wasn't the owner and he offered to give me a check for a quarter of a million for it." She said.

"What'd you do?"

"I told him to go fuck himself and buy something else, but that I'd put in a word with the owner. I did and look where we are."

"Did he leave a name or a phone number?"

"No but he said he'd be back."

We finish and go home around four, Mel with the margarita and I alone. I go to bed but my mind is focused on my brothers, Axel and the stranger who wants my bar.