The 7th

Chapter 2

The interior of the bar was just the kind of a place you want to be to have a good drink. Dark and cool. There wasn't much in the way of ambience but I mean hell you were at a bar inside of a barn with dirt floors, what more did you need for ambience. Or maybe that's atmosphere. Which ever you get the picture. Behind the bar doing that general thing every bar tender does, drying a glass out with a perfectly white rag, stood Cris. Everybody called him C. C stood about five feet six, on a level with Cami when she was wearing heels or the biker boots she currently had on. He had taken to shaving his head at a young age because for some reason we couldn't place, he had started to go bald at around 16. In his own words he said "Screw it. If I'm gonna be bald eventually why wait right?" He was a bit stocky, barrel chested, and always out for a good fight. Once, years back, he had come to see a band I was in at the time play at some bar or another. Hell, of a fan to have. Loud at all the right, and wrong, times but fun to have there. Always stayed to the last song. This night in particular he stayed until the last song and then until the last drink. I distinctly remember my brother and I having to tote him down the stairs and out to his car. The whole time he kept insisting the stairs were moving in escalator fashion. By the time we got him out to the truck he could stand on his own. It was at this point he challenged me to a head butting duel. Normally I wouldn't have succumbed to his taunts but I might have had a drink or two that night myself. Without warning or verbal acceptance of his challenge I grabbed him on either side of the face and slammed my forehead into his. Not just one time, I didn't even stop at two. Seven times I hit him just as hard as I could. I was rattled by the force of our two heads slamming together. He took the worst of it though. He stumbled back slightly and sat on the seat of his truck. In my head I thought that was that and not a moment after the thought passed through my head C laughed. He stopped abruptly and looked dead at me, grinned, then said "That was a good one. DO IT AGAIN!" I couldn't help but laugh. Thankfully he passed out shortly after.

His face showed a tendency to take on those kinds of challenges. A nose that had been broken at least once or twice, a forehead solid and wide, and eyes that sat underneath a heavy brow. All around though, C was a good guy, a good friend to have.

"What's the deal here Cami?" I asked as we approached the bar.

"I can't really tell you to be honest. C called the station asking for you saying that some strangeness went down last night, so here we are." She said with no notes of concern in her voice. Strange things happening at Stevie D's was common place and I said so to her as we took a seat at the bar.

"Strangeness and masses of wackadoodles happens in here all the time. Like that night your dad got up on the bar and started a strip tease." I said, the memory of that night making her blush in embarrassment and me grin a little.

"You gave him to much tequila. I blame you entirely for that you know?" She glanced at me the light heartedness of the accusation clear from the smirk she was wearing. As we sat down C turned and put out two glasses in front of us.

"Little early for drinks ain't it C?" Cami asked as he started to pour three fingers of bourbon into each glass.

"One, it's never to early to drink bourbon." He stated plainly. "and two you never turned down free bourbon. Besides with the line I'm about to give you you're probably gonna want the drink."

Cami looked sideways at me.

"Hell, I'm always down for a drink, you know me." I said as I raised my glass. "Cheers." We did the ritualistic clinking of the shot glasses and then I turned the shot back and felt the warmth of the liquid fill my chest. I sat my shot glass back on the bar and noticed Cami had only sipped hers. She never had been a big drinker.

"Lay it on me man, what's the deal C? What's got us out here drinking bourbon at nine in the morning? Not that I'm complaining mind you." I chuckled.