Sequel: Close Yet Far ›
Anything but Ordinary
Advice
(Chad's POV)
“So she's moved down now?” Beth asked as she slid me the beer I'd ordered. “That's a good thing, right?”
I wrapped my hand around the frosty bottle and thought about how Bam mentioned in passing that Kay was living with Aimee now. She also already had a job lined up at a bank down the street from the apartment. I wasn't sure where I'd been to have missed this. Kay was living less than an hour from me and I had no idea.
“I guess.”
Beth raised a dark eyebrow up at my response. “You guess?”
I shrugged and began to drink my beer to avoid speaking. I wasn't known for voicing my feelings so I thought Beth would drop it and let me get drunk in peace. I guess that was too much to ask for.
“So I guess since Kay's living here now, she and Jacaso will get closer.” Beth said conversationally as if none of this would bother me.
My nostrils flared in the overwhelming anger I felt over the thought of Jacaso with Kay. He didn't deserve such an awesome chick as her. Still, I said nothing.
“Who knows what will happen then? Maybe they'll get hitched and Kay will have it all.”
“Shut up already!” I snapped at her, the flood of emotions I'd bottled up rushing to the surface. “Josh won't have the time of day.”
Beth gave me an unsurprised glance. “You barely know this girl, Chad. Why are you so worked up over her?”
“She's too good for Jacaso.” I said through gritted teeth.
“How do you know?” She continued to push, leaning on the counter. When I didn't offer up a response, she rolled her eyes. “At least Bam listens to my advice. He's happily following Aimee around.”
“Bam's an idiot.”
Beth stood up straight and stared at me with an unrelenting expression. “Well that idiot is going to be the only friend you have left if you keep being a dick.”
“I didn't ask you to be my friend.” I said, trying to save face, but knowing I really pissed Beth off for once. For some reason, I didn't feel proud of that.
“I'm not your friend.” She said before leaving me to tend to other customers.
Once she was out of my vicinity, I glanced up and watched as she worked. I really screwed it up with her, but I'd known Beth for nearly ten years. She and Bam had gone to high school together and she'd even briefly dated Bam's close friend, Chris Raab, before the morons were discovered. Bethany had always been a happy human being and no matter how hard I tried to bring down her spirits, she always managed to make me look stupid for trying.
Now that I finally broke through her shell, it was clear to me she put up with my grumblings and pessimistic view on life for Bam's sake. I felt like a total dick. The second Bam found out about how I treated Beth, he'd be on my ass.
Downing the rest of the contents of my drink, I pushed the empty bottle towards the edge of the bar. Grabbing my coat that sat on the stool beside me, I got up to leave. I didn't need to sit at Bam's bar and feel bad for saying shit to the bartender. What I really needed was to hook up or some shit to forget what it was I was pissed about.
I made a trip around the rest of the bar before I realized there wasn't a single chick I'd fuck. Not one and the fact made me feel even worse. Was I just getting too old for this? That could possibly be the reason. I was going to be forty in April. God, it sucked.
With a sigh, I left the Note and walked out into the cool November air. It was hard to believe that Hellview was over and the holidays were coming. Another holiday I'd spend alone because I was too much of a pussy to seriously date. Running a hand through my already messy hair, I surveyed my surroundings. It was quiet for a Friday night. Not many people had been going out lately and it made the college town feel dead. Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, I decided I'd walk to the garage where my truck was parked and drive over to Dico's. At least he and the pirate bitch could keep me occupied. It wasn't much, but tonight it'd be my saving grace.
“So she's moved down now?” Beth asked as she slid me the beer I'd ordered. “That's a good thing, right?”
I wrapped my hand around the frosty bottle and thought about how Bam mentioned in passing that Kay was living with Aimee now. She also already had a job lined up at a bank down the street from the apartment. I wasn't sure where I'd been to have missed this. Kay was living less than an hour from me and I had no idea.
“I guess.”
Beth raised a dark eyebrow up at my response. “You guess?”
I shrugged and began to drink my beer to avoid speaking. I wasn't known for voicing my feelings so I thought Beth would drop it and let me get drunk in peace. I guess that was too much to ask for.
“So I guess since Kay's living here now, she and Jacaso will get closer.” Beth said conversationally as if none of this would bother me.
My nostrils flared in the overwhelming anger I felt over the thought of Jacaso with Kay. He didn't deserve such an awesome chick as her. Still, I said nothing.
“Who knows what will happen then? Maybe they'll get hitched and Kay will have it all.”
“Shut up already!” I snapped at her, the flood of emotions I'd bottled up rushing to the surface. “Josh won't have the time of day.”
Beth gave me an unsurprised glance. “You barely know this girl, Chad. Why are you so worked up over her?”
“She's too good for Jacaso.” I said through gritted teeth.
“How do you know?” She continued to push, leaning on the counter. When I didn't offer up a response, she rolled her eyes. “At least Bam listens to my advice. He's happily following Aimee around.”
“Bam's an idiot.”
Beth stood up straight and stared at me with an unrelenting expression. “Well that idiot is going to be the only friend you have left if you keep being a dick.”
“I didn't ask you to be my friend.” I said, trying to save face, but knowing I really pissed Beth off for once. For some reason, I didn't feel proud of that.
“I'm not your friend.” She said before leaving me to tend to other customers.
Once she was out of my vicinity, I glanced up and watched as she worked. I really screwed it up with her, but I'd known Beth for nearly ten years. She and Bam had gone to high school together and she'd even briefly dated Bam's close friend, Chris Raab, before the morons were discovered. Bethany had always been a happy human being and no matter how hard I tried to bring down her spirits, she always managed to make me look stupid for trying.
Now that I finally broke through her shell, it was clear to me she put up with my grumblings and pessimistic view on life for Bam's sake. I felt like a total dick. The second Bam found out about how I treated Beth, he'd be on my ass.
Downing the rest of the contents of my drink, I pushed the empty bottle towards the edge of the bar. Grabbing my coat that sat on the stool beside me, I got up to leave. I didn't need to sit at Bam's bar and feel bad for saying shit to the bartender. What I really needed was to hook up or some shit to forget what it was I was pissed about.
I made a trip around the rest of the bar before I realized there wasn't a single chick I'd fuck. Not one and the fact made me feel even worse. Was I just getting too old for this? That could possibly be the reason. I was going to be forty in April. God, it sucked.
With a sigh, I left the Note and walked out into the cool November air. It was hard to believe that Hellview was over and the holidays were coming. Another holiday I'd spend alone because I was too much of a pussy to seriously date. Running a hand through my already messy hair, I surveyed my surroundings. It was quiet for a Friday night. Not many people had been going out lately and it made the college town feel dead. Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, I decided I'd walk to the garage where my truck was parked and drive over to Dico's. At least he and the pirate bitch could keep me occupied. It wasn't much, but tonight it'd be my saving grace.
♠ ♠ ♠
Poor Chad :-( more soon!