Back To Life

Butterflies

"Now I remember what it feels like to fly, you give me butterflies"
Kacey Musgraves

"Another round?" Brian asked as he stood from where he sat in the booth and pointed at the three men with him. They'd been at their favorite pub for the last three hours throwing back drinks and challenging one another in game of pool or darts. "Got to get home to the wife and kids." John shook his head at the offer. "I'm always ready for another round." Freddie winked making the four boys laugh in unison. "Got to go home and sleep. Got a big day planned tomorrow." Roger said with a cigarette between his lips. "Doing what?" John laughed at the thought of Roger planning anything ahead of time. "Doing nothing. And I can't be late." He grinned, holding the cigarette between his teeth and lit it. He took a long drag and pulled his wallet from his back pocket, tossing a couple pounds on the table. "Give that to the waitress when she comes back." He blew smoke out and caught her eye from across the bar, shooting her a wink. "And my number if she ask about me."

"If she's got any sense she won't come back until you leave. Been hitting on her all night." Freddie laughed as Brian came back with their drinks and Roger rolled his eyes and rose from the booth they'd been tucked in all night. "Glad you all got to see me tonight." He smirked and put out the cigarette in an ash tray. The remaining three threw balled up napkins at him as he headed towards the door. "And if there are any plans to drink again you all know where to find me." And he left them with that and made his way out the pub and started the walk to his building. He pulled a pocket watch out of his hands and let out a sign, he got out sooner than he needed to. He took a quick turn into the doughnut shop located right beside the pub, that no one knew about, a perfect place for it if you asked Roger. But no one cares about his opinion on doughnut shops and only his drumming and so he kept it his little secret. "Hi, Roger!" He was greeting by the old women behind the counter. They were used to seeing Roger when he was in town and he came by after a night of heavy drinking. So every night.

Truthfully though, Roger wasn't in a rush to get home to sleep. He was in a rush to get back and see her. The blonde girl that lived in one of the apartments above him and had completely consumed his thoughts. And every night around 11:45 she came running through the building, right past Roger's door and to the stairs leading to the floor above his. She moved in while Roger had been out of town on tour and he had no clue until three weeks ago when he heard a loud tumble across the floor outside his door. When he poked his head outside to see who it was, he saw her picking up small bottles of paint before scurrying to the stairs to get to her place. "Sorry!" She would shout once she got to the top of the staircase. Roger didn't even think she noticed him. Then he heard loud footsteps the next night and looked out the door just in time to see soft brown legs going up the staircase. The night after that he left his door open to air his place out and caught a glimpse of her blonde her flowing as she ran for the stairs with small giggles escaping.

Roger never bothered reporting her to anybody, and clearly anyone else in the building who heard her wasn't either. She was causing no harm, except to Roger's ego when she'd ignore him talking to her. So Roger took what he could and would arrive home around the same time she ran by every night. Hoping to steal a glance of the blonde girl who lived above him and didn't care who he was. "The usual." He said to one of the women behind the counter and then watched as she bagged up two glazed blueberry doughnuts. Roger swore by them and would have one every night after drinking and then the other when he woke up to fight off a hangover. Another secret he kept to himself, convinced if he shared it with anyone it would stop working. "On the house. We're just happy to see your face again every night." Roger grinned as he took the bag. "You let me know when you're ready to trade your husband in for a newer model." He winked at her and she blushed. "Bye my loves." He shouted so everyone in the back heard him.