𝚂𝚄𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚄𝙽𝙺𝙽𝙾𝚆𝙽 ✩ ɢʀᴜɴɢᴇ

𝚡𝚡𝚒𝚒. 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚎

"No, we're not together. Nope. We're here as two separate parties. I'll pay for my ticket in."

"Wait, no, I'm paying for both of us. We're together; we're just having ourselves a little spat."

"I don't even know this man--"

"Look, someone just pay me and you can both go inside and sort your issues out in there. There's a line, you know."

Alex rolled her eyes and started to reach into her pocket for the money, but Andy was faster. He practically threw the cash at the bouncer, who rolled his eyes and gestured for them to go in.

"I hate you," Alex said. "That is exactly why we're not together."

"Come on, stop being like that! We are together. I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

"Oh, that's right. Because saying you're sorry is all it's gonna take for me to forgive you. Wow, I can't believe it was that easy!"

Andy sighed and pulled a chair out for her at their usual table. She rolled her eyes but sat, crossing her arms and looking up at the stage. "Okay, then," Andy said. "What is it gonna take for you to forgive me?"

Alex looked across the table at him and scoffed. "Figure it out yourself."

The performing band took the stage right as Andy was about to say something else. He sighed and turned his attention to the front of the room, unable to appreciate the Led Zeppelin cover being played.

✩✩✩

"Can you not--CAN YOU NOT DO THAT IN HERE? I'M TRYING TO THINK! JESUS CHRIST!"

Jeff and Stone looked up from the piece of metal they were trying to hammer into a ring and rolled their eyes almost simultaneously. "Okay, mom," Jeff said.

Alex glared at him. "I'm sorry, I just didn't expect to have a pair of absolute children doing fun experiments with heavy tools in my living room while I'm busy trying to have an existential crisis."

"Okay, first of all, this isn't a fun experiment. It's work. And second, you're constantly having an existential crisis. You should be used to things intruding on it by now," Jeff said, putting the hammer down.

"He has a point," Stone piped up. "But the crisis is more intense than usual right now. How come?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you," Alex said. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm going to the store. Keep working on your...project."

The slightly chilly April breeze taunted Alex by making her fail to light her lucky cigarette as she walked to the store. That sure didn't help the irritated mood she was in. She went to toss the lighter into a nearby trashcan but hesitated when she remembered that this was her special lighter; her Alex-and-Charlie-forever, pretty-shade-of-pink, given-to-her-by-her-best-friend lighter. Does it matter? It's not like we're best friends anymore. Or even friends at all. She was about to throw it away when she stopped and realized that there was absolutely no way in hell she could go through with it. Annoyed at her inability to let go of the past, she finally got her cigarette lit and jammed the pink lighter in her pocket.