Passing Through

Chapter 7: A Stranger Walks into A Bar

September 1st, 2017- A One Week Jump

A week has passed, and everything felt like it was going better than you expected, you have managed to stay employed at Duck Tape regardless of your tiny lies and making good money as well. Even with that, you and your gang have hit a couple of snags on the base of getting only money for the part. After two days of working the graveyard shift at Pearls, both Maya and James decided they needed money for alcohol to get them through it. As well as the couple who own the Rv finding out what an Airbnb was and demanding that you pay them for letting the group use it, you all ended up sitting down with them and settling on a 50 a night fee. The last snag you all hit was based on common sense; you brought the attention to the group that they would be able to get out of there soon but with less money than they originally came with. You said it would be a good idea to continue working till the group could even out the funds to be at least equal to what they came there with. A few hesitant remarks and yelling matches later, you all agree to stay. Upon other things you have also managed to go have coffee with Clyde every day even on the weekends, him and you would talk about everything from star constellations to movies that would be considered a guilty pleasure. You even manage to get him use to the idea of helping him buy some new clothes to wear at the bar.

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That night at the bar seemed like any normal night, with the same faces but enough to keep both you and Clyde busy with something. The tip jar was getting filled and finally you manage to convince Clyde to take his portion of it. You've also managed to convince Clyde to play something other than sad Patsy Cline songs, so you both settled for a sad Loretta Lynn song.

There's no reason to look at me that way
Old memories won't let my love stay
Your touch just leads me to an open door
And when he touches me, I can't feel you anymore
When he touches me, I can't feel you anymore
He touches me with so much love, I never felt before

You hear the bell above the front door first and turn around to give the greeting to the new customer. "Evening." He looks up at you and says nothing as he sits in the middle stool in front of the bar. He is wearing a button down red shirt and tan pants with buzzed hair except the blonde hair that is a little longer on top. Just as you were going to head over to the man, you feel a hand around your arm and Clyde's eyes firmly on the man in red.

"No worries Y/n, I got him... he's an old friend." He doesn't give you the opportunity to let you answer or ask questions about this guy as he continues his stride towards this new face you've never seen before. You get one last look at this guy before Clyde's wide shoulders block the way. You know you shouldn't but for some reason you got a weird feeling about this. You haven't thought about it in a while, but you remember the 90 days that you chose to not ask about and wonder if this guy has anything to do with that. Pretending to wipe the counters you can't help but listen in to their conversation.

"Evening Joe, what can I get ya?" Clyde remains perfectly still with his hands to his side.

"How bout you just get me a beer, hm." You no longer can see this guy, but when Clyde leans down to get a beer from below you could finally get another glance of this stranger, he is looking at Clyde with a calm but firm demeanor. In a snap the guy goes from looking at Clyde to glancing in your direction, which makes you quickly look away to not show your very apparent eavesdropping. You're still looking away in fear that you've been caught, but you can still hear the beer being opened for him and a large sigh coming from the stranger. "How's your brother?"

Brother?! All the times you have sat with Clyde and Mellie, they've never once mentioned a brother to you. You wonder if the reason they haven't mentioned him is because they are estranged with him. Did he have something to do with the 90 days as well?