Black And White [DONE]

Bar

Late one evening, after our group has finished another set of directions, a mission persay, I decide to head down to the bar. There have been a few people attempting to run it without me lately and apparently they are losing customers. It's about fifteen minutes away and there shouldn't be any problems in the street (as unfortunate as that is for me).

I grab my jacket and head out the door of the abandoned factory. I stare at the cracks in the asphalt beneath my feet. It's greeted billions of feet and has never gotten to keep any of them. The asphalt and I aren't so different. I decide not to stare at it.

I hear footsteps running behind me and move to the side so they can pass by me with ease. Oddly enough, the footsteps stop beside me and I look up to see a mop of shaggy black hair atop a smile.

"I hope you don't mind me tagging along. I was actually hoping to ask you something."

I shrug. "Okay."

"Well, I was kind of hoping that you could possibly teach me how to be a bartender like you. You do it all so well and none of the others do it correctly or with as much care as you do and---"

"What is your name?"

"Edward, but everyone calls me Eddie. And yours?"

"Winona."

"That's a nice name."

"So is yours, Eddie. I will show you."

He smiles and his posture becomes more straight. "Thank you very much, Miss Winona!"

"Why do you want to learn this so much?"

His face begins to turn red. "Well, there are lots of reasons. Please don't tease me." I shrug. I have no reason to pester him. "I hate drinking alcohol for one, and everyone makes fun of me for it. My parents used to own a brewery before all of this happened. Also, I enjoy being around you more than the rest. You are kinder to me than anyone else."

He doesn't know what I've done. If he did, he wouldn't want to be around me. Of that much, I am sure. "Those are dumb reasons."

His face falls and so does my heart.

"But," I continue, "since the place is falling apart under the current staff, you are hired. Your training begins today."

"May I ask why you think my reasons are dumb?" He ducks his head to my level, looking at me straight in the face.

"Because you don't know anything about alcohol and you don't know anything about me. You've signed yourself up for two things you are entirely blind to."

He doesn't say anything for a little while. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you're here to teach me."

I guess he's right.