Fall Away
The Things I Know
“You got this under control, Ellie?” Trevor asked, glancing around the bar.
I followed his gaze. The bar was almost empty. Looking at it now, you never would’ve though that it had been full an hour before. I nodded at Trevor. “I’ll be fine.”
All the drunken boys had left, either by themselves or with an equally drunk girl. There were two girls laughing in one corner and a younger boy was watching them somewhat wishfully. The only other person in the place was Soren.
I casually leaned against the bar in front of him. ‘Why are you still here?”
“You trying to get rid of me?”
I smiled slightly. “Not really. But you’ve been here for, like, 3 hours.”
He shrugged. “Nothing better to do.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “So you’re hanging out here?”
“No, I’m actually at home right now. You’re talking to a ghost.”
I had to laugh at his wry tone. “You know what I mea.”
The girls in the corner stood up, leaving some money on the table before walking out the door. The only other boy in the place looked dejectedly after them, sighing loudly. He gulped his drink, finishing it in a matter of minutes before setting the glass down and heading out the door
Soren looked back at me, a slight smirk on his face. I started laughing as the door shut behind the boy. “Think he’s going after them?” Soren asked.
I shook my head. “I know Tony. He’d rather sulk in a corner than actually make a move and risk rejection.”
“You seem to know a lot about him.” Soren’s voice was bland, with only a slight note of curiosity in it.
I shrugged. “It’s a small town. Everybody knows everybody.”
“So why doesn’t anyone know about you?”
I sent him a sharp look. “Why would you think that?”
The expressions on his face shifted quickly, so quickly I could barely follow them. There was a slight moment of confusion, followed by an expression I couldn’t read which was quickly erased and replaced by a slightly embarrassed smile.
“People talk,” he shrugged. “But no one was able to tell me much about you, other than your basic information.”
“Like what?” I was secretly curious about what people had said about me, how much they knew.
“The obvious stuff – your physical characteristics, your jobs, your school… The fact that you haven’t had a boyfriend since moving here.”
I laughed. “That’s the best they have?”
He smiled, too. “The stuff I know about you is like what you hear in the personal ads. This is Ellie, age 23. She currently goes to college, and has had no boyfriends in the past eighteen months. She enjoys working too hard and studying too much. She's looking for someone to help her relax, and to teach her how to have fun.”
I frowned. “That’s not true.”
He seemed to realize he shouldn’t have said that to a stranger. “I mean, that’s just what I’ve heard. It’s not what I think.”
I rolled my eyes. It might not be now, but it would be, if he was anything like the rest of the town. Ever since I had moved here, I had mostly kept to myself. I wasn’t hostile to anybody, but I didn’t volunteer any information about myself. I didn’t want people digging into my past, my personal business, not matter how much they were dying to know everything about me.
Still, nothing could really discourage these people. It seemed like everyone was watching my every move, waiting for me to slip up and reveal something. For whatever reason, these people were making it their mission to figure me out. And from what he said, it seemed like Soren was just like them.
“Do you want anything else to drink?” I finally asked.
A small grin spread across his face, surprising me. “Am I the last person again?”
I nodded. He glanced around the bar, shaking his head slightly. “Believe it or not, I’m not stalking you.”
“You haven’t shown up at my house yet,” I agreed.
“No, I meant…” He shook his head. “You know what I mean.”
I let a smile slip across my face, slipping back into friendly bartender mode. “Yeah, I know.”
He smiled back, taking a sip of his drink before pushing the glass towards me. “I’m done.”
“You sure? I’m not trying to rush you.”
He chuckled softly. “Isn’t this the same conversation we had last night?”
I shrugged. “I gotta ask.”
He shook his head. “I know. I’m good.”
He stood up, pushing his stool in. “I’ll see you around, Eliana.”
I smiled noncommittally. “Have a nice night.”
I followed his gaze. The bar was almost empty. Looking at it now, you never would’ve though that it had been full an hour before. I nodded at Trevor. “I’ll be fine.”
All the drunken boys had left, either by themselves or with an equally drunk girl. There were two girls laughing in one corner and a younger boy was watching them somewhat wishfully. The only other person in the place was Soren.
I casually leaned against the bar in front of him. ‘Why are you still here?”
“You trying to get rid of me?”
I smiled slightly. “Not really. But you’ve been here for, like, 3 hours.”
He shrugged. “Nothing better to do.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “So you’re hanging out here?”
“No, I’m actually at home right now. You’re talking to a ghost.”
I had to laugh at his wry tone. “You know what I mea.”
The girls in the corner stood up, leaving some money on the table before walking out the door. The only other boy in the place looked dejectedly after them, sighing loudly. He gulped his drink, finishing it in a matter of minutes before setting the glass down and heading out the door
Soren looked back at me, a slight smirk on his face. I started laughing as the door shut behind the boy. “Think he’s going after them?” Soren asked.
I shook my head. “I know Tony. He’d rather sulk in a corner than actually make a move and risk rejection.”
“You seem to know a lot about him.” Soren’s voice was bland, with only a slight note of curiosity in it.
I shrugged. “It’s a small town. Everybody knows everybody.”
“So why doesn’t anyone know about you?”
I sent him a sharp look. “Why would you think that?”
The expressions on his face shifted quickly, so quickly I could barely follow them. There was a slight moment of confusion, followed by an expression I couldn’t read which was quickly erased and replaced by a slightly embarrassed smile.
“People talk,” he shrugged. “But no one was able to tell me much about you, other than your basic information.”
“Like what?” I was secretly curious about what people had said about me, how much they knew.
“The obvious stuff – your physical characteristics, your jobs, your school… The fact that you haven’t had a boyfriend since moving here.”
I laughed. “That’s the best they have?”
He smiled, too. “The stuff I know about you is like what you hear in the personal ads. This is Ellie, age 23. She currently goes to college, and has had no boyfriends in the past eighteen months. She enjoys working too hard and studying too much. She's looking for someone to help her relax, and to teach her how to have fun.”
I frowned. “That’s not true.”
He seemed to realize he shouldn’t have said that to a stranger. “I mean, that’s just what I’ve heard. It’s not what I think.”
I rolled my eyes. It might not be now, but it would be, if he was anything like the rest of the town. Ever since I had moved here, I had mostly kept to myself. I wasn’t hostile to anybody, but I didn’t volunteer any information about myself. I didn’t want people digging into my past, my personal business, not matter how much they were dying to know everything about me.
Still, nothing could really discourage these people. It seemed like everyone was watching my every move, waiting for me to slip up and reveal something. For whatever reason, these people were making it their mission to figure me out. And from what he said, it seemed like Soren was just like them.
“Do you want anything else to drink?” I finally asked.
A small grin spread across his face, surprising me. “Am I the last person again?”
I nodded. He glanced around the bar, shaking his head slightly. “Believe it or not, I’m not stalking you.”
“You haven’t shown up at my house yet,” I agreed.
“No, I meant…” He shook his head. “You know what I mean.”
I let a smile slip across my face, slipping back into friendly bartender mode. “Yeah, I know.”
He smiled back, taking a sip of his drink before pushing the glass towards me. “I’m done.”
“You sure? I’m not trying to rush you.”
He chuckled softly. “Isn’t this the same conversation we had last night?”
I shrugged. “I gotta ask.”
He shook his head. “I know. I’m good.”
He stood up, pushing his stool in. “I’ll see you around, Eliana.”
I smiled noncommittally. “Have a nice night.”
♠ ♠ ♠
This chapter really didn't go the way I planned it to.I'm not sure I like it :\
But it's something, I guess.