Never Stop Listening

1.

"$4.75 please."

I held out my hand and took the money from the customer, gave him the change and offered him a warm smile which he returned with a nod. I watched him walk away with his pint to his mates and turned around sighing heavily. How long until my shift is over? 

"You're gonna die here." I half-whispered to myself. How dramatic of me...

The sounds of loud cheering caused me to turn around sharply to find the drunken group in the corner pulling off their usual drunken antics. A loud laugh from across the room at another table made me turn to see what was so funny. Nothing. How could everyone be so cheery and light-hearted?

I began to clean the dirty glasses and put the clean ones back in their rightful places. Next I ran through the few tasks I'd have to complete frequently throughout the day. Check the ice supplies. Check the alcohol stock. Check in with the other staff. Check around the bar for dirty glasses and any inappropriate behaviour. Carrying them out was so tedious. The only changes in my tasks were the order in which they might be completed.

"Raven. Raven. Raven!"

"Huh?" I looked to my left to find the boss stood next to me, his hand on his hip and a weary expression on his face.

"You're slacking. It's not good enough."

"You can't be serious. With all due respect, Sir, I do more than anyone else here. I may as well by the only employee you have. Sorry if I'm not working as hard as you'd like me to but I can fix that. It's just... I'm... I'm so stressed, you know what I've got going on in my life-"

"Yes, yes, yes, I know all about your little worries and struggles" he spat sarcastically. "That doesn't excuse that you're not the employee you were when I first hired you."

"You're right I'm not! I'm better!" I cried desperately. A few heads turned our way at the apparent live performance. Gulping, I met my boss' stern face and looked at him with pleading eyes. A faint whisper left my lips. "Please."

"I'm sorry Raven. There's going to be a new bartender. She has more experience than you, can work more hours and doesn't have as much on her plate. You can finish today, I'll give you your final paycheck and then you should hang up your hat."

With that he walked off to his office out back, leaving me stood behind the bar as if transfixed, staring vacantly in front of me, hands clasped together and hugged close to my chest. A physical nervous wreck. 'Hang up your hat. Hang-! Who does he think he is? He doesn't actually know anything, I barely told him my little worries... and... I...' My thoughts whirred round and round, dizzying and diminishing my voice of reason completely. Anger and anxiety dominated me at the fear of the unknown now that I'd been let go.

"Excuse me?"

Blinking, I slowly looked to the bar to see a man leant against the counter. He must've been somewhere in his thirties, not short but smaller than most men that dropped into the bar. The most noticeable thing was his hair. A clash of purple and blue and red? Or was it pink? The lighting in this place was truly awful. I never really wanted to work here. It's so dingy but I was desperate, more now than ever. Stepping over to the counter I offered him a friendly, professional smile, maintaining all I knew and all I ever did. Greet the customer. Serve the customer. Return to other chores.

"Hi, what can I get you?"

I watched as he began to drum his fingers on the countertop while his eyes scanned the different alcoholic beverages we had for sell. At that moment, another man - much taller - came up beside him and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Hurry up Corey..." he whined. It appeared to be a harmless comment, one that wasn't supposed to be offensive but implied that they really didn't have all day. This Corey guy looked over his shoulder at a booth near the far corner of the bar to a group of men. Their friends I guess.

"Alright, jeez, let a man decide will ya?" Corey rolled his eyes and smiled at me. I tensed up slightly. No customers were like this. They either never smiled or they did so pervertedly, older men smirking at a younger woman, men my age winking filthily at me as they would turn and walk away with their drink... but this smile seemed genuine. Although, when I met his eyes, the smile wasn't reflected. In fact, the complete opposite could be seen, sadness and anger. Well hidden but evident. His friend was now staring at him with worry growing evident on his face.

"I'll take a shot of whisky, please?" A sigh was heard from his friend who now turned and made his way back to the table. The group of men each had a drink already. Someone else must have served them. I poured out a shot from the bottle my latest customer had motioned to and slid it in front of him. Without hesitation, he took it and placed an empty shot glass down onto the counter before I could acknowledge that he had emptied its contents.

"Another."

I poured him another shot. He downed it.

"Again."

I refilled the glass.

"Again."

"Again."

"Again."

As I poured out yet another, one of the men came over and put their arm around him, murmured something in his ear and placed a hand on Corey's arm, preventing him from taking the shot. Corey struggled against him, freeing himself and growling. He snatched the shot and drank it. Slammed it down and glared at the other man. Then he left. The men in the corner stirred, some rose, others could be seen sighing heavily while one buried their head in their hands.

"Here. Thank you." Corey's abandoned companion placed some cash down on the counter and made his way out of the bar, following the whisky-drinker. I looked at the notes he'd left and my eyes widened. He'd overpaid, seriously overpaid. I checked the clock on the wall behind me. Five more minutes.

'Go.' I told myself. I grabbed the notes, ran into the back and collected up my belongings I had brought with me that day and ran out the back. I should have put the money into the register... I'm not a thief. At least, not any more...

As I crossed the street, I halted in my tracks, seeing a flash of colour in my peripheral vision. The customer? When I checked I saw nothing. I was probably imagining things. Yet, why would I be imagining some customer. What's so different about him? Nothing.

Although... there was something really intriguing about those nine guys.

[Okay, this probably really sucks. I needed it to start up but I didn't want it to be really fast but not too slow either. I wanted to introduce some hints on the main character, Raven, and also some familiar faces. This took so long to get round to but I always have so much work on my hands... Forgive me, for my awful update and lack of quick update.]