A Night at Charlie's
One-Shot
Brian and Zacky exchanged nervous glances. The car in front of them had an A7X sticker resting at an angle on the back window and a Hello Kitty sticker was on the opposite end. The guitarists hesitated and grimaced. “Do you still think we should go inside,” Brian asked the shorter man, “I mean there’s a fan in there.” Both guys were in a severely bitchy mood and had gone out to the local bar to drink; for once, Brian hoped, they wouldn’t be recognized and they could just get wasted without people staring, whispering at them or asking for a photo. Zacky groaned and threw his arms up, “let’s just do this, they have a Hello Kitty sticker on here for fuck’s sake, it might not even be a girl’s car or it could be shared, who knows?!” he whined and pulled Brian in.
The men walked into the rowdy and noisy atmosphere and were greeted by one of the hostesses. “Hi, welcome to Charlie’s Bar, I’m your lovely little host tonight, we do things a bit differently here, I pick your table and get all your drinks and we don’t want any tips at the end of the night,” she explained, motioning them to follow her as they walked through the crowds. It was your typical lighting at a bar but it wasn’t anything like a bar they had ever encountered. On one side of the building there were billiard tables accompanied by roulettes and various other casino-like games, to the left there were a series of private booths with large TVs. To the left of those there were booths with stripper poles that disappeared into the ceiling. The boys passed the arcade wall on the right side of the building, where people were playing their songs in Guitar Hero and quickened their pace to rush past it. In the direction Brian and Zacky were headed, there was an open area filled with tables and booths and around each section of tables, there was a bartender stand and a lovely woman prepping drinks.
The boys took in the atmosphere surrounding them and their eyes landed on a mural near the wall they were seated by. The mural took up an entire wall of the bar and seemed to be the center of attention for all the attendees. Various scribbled autographs, words, messages, pictures and more adorned the wall and it was the most lit location in the bar, so that everyone knew to please come by it. To the side of it there was a picture booth and the boys watched as men and women alike emerged, took one of their pictures and glued it on the mural. “I see you caught sight of The Wall,” their host smiled, pulling her notebook and pen out to take their orders, “make sure you stop by there and take pictures too, all are free!” Zacky and Brian exchanged smiles and gave her their first order; the last thing they wanted was another camera flashing in their faces.
An hour and a half into their arrival, Brian asked their hostess for two more shots of tequila and thanked her for clearing their glasses. At that point, she had probably picked up ten for each guy and returned with two per, but always with a kind smile on her face. “She’s really nice,” Zacky burped and clinked his shot glass against Brian’s. Brian nodded, finally happy for once that he was calmly enjoying drinks with one of his best friends. “Do you think she knows who we are,” he asked after sucking on his lemon wedge. Zack shrugged but pointed in a direction behind Brian’s head. “You see that picture up there,” he motioned, “it looks familiar. It almost looks like it is glowing.”
Mahogany and Emerald eyes observed picture that was resting on the highest part of the mural. Something about the picture made Brian even more at ease; it felt like he was at peace and for the first time since Jimmy had passed away, he felt the emotions that Jimmy had taken with him return. Their hostess returned for a final check-up on the boys and Brian caught sight of her name badge. “That’s a lovely name, James, I used to have a best friend named James,” Brian sighed happily. James looked at him with a smile, “you know, my parents said that they had always wanted me to be named after this guy they both looked up to when they were young,” she answered, tallying up their check. “Oh, really? Who was that?” Zack smiled at her, pleasantly content with the kindness and professionalism she had displayed to him. It indeed had been a successful and calm night for the two.
James pointed at the picture behind her shoulder; it had been the one that Zack and Brian had been observing before. “They told me it was him up there, mom always chokes up when she thinks about him and dad stays quiet when they start trying to explain him to me,” she added and handed them the check. Brian and Zack looked over it and pulled out their wallets. “Half and half?” Zack asked the lead guitarist of Avenged Sevenfold. “Sure thing,” Brian replied and they both dropped their bills on the checkbook. “Thank you very much gentlemen, I hope you had fun tonight,” James smiled and bid them goodbye.
Brian and Zack got up and walked into the photo booth. “I can’t believe you convinced me to do this,” Brian mused causing Zacky to giggle. “Aww, come on, just take one with me and we’ll stick on the wall and go,” Zack replied, punching him in the arm. Brian rolled his eyes and pushed the options on the screen. “Please look into the camera. Ready? 3. 2. 1, SMILE,” the robot voice said and both friends flashed their smiles. “How many is this going to take?” Zack asked him when the voice told them to get ready again. Brian shrugged and made a funny face and Zack followed suit. The machine told them that it would be their last picture, “Last time. Make it Count. 3, 2, 1. SMILE.”
The boys walked out of the booth and collected their picture strip, laughing at the faces and poses they had made. “Which one are we putting up on the wall then?” Zack asked Brian and they picked the one with goofy faces. Brian dragged a stepping stool next to his feet and climbed up on it, preparing to glue their picture down. “Is it good here,” he called down to Zack who was staring at the picture that James had mentioned. Zacky nodded to him absentmindedly and Brian rolled his eyes and glued it on the wall, signing his autograph on it. “Alright Zee, your turn,” Brian said, handing Zack the sharpie. Zack took it quietly and signed under his face and cleared his throat. “What’s wrong man,” Brian finally asked him, worried when he saw the tears in Zacky’s eyes.
Zack couldn’t muster out any words and smiled when he pointed at the picture from before, tears officially streaming down his pale cheeks. Brian adjusted a light near him and looked up at the picture. There, in the center of the mural, up on the highest angle of the wall, was a picture of their deceased best friend, laughing in the picture, arms around the owners of the bar. A plaque was under the picture that read, “This December 29th, 2009, we pay tribute to one of the greatest individuals to ever walk on this earth. Jimmy came into the bar on our opening night, cut the ribbon and was the first one to sign this wall. Whenever you leave this place content and happy and peaceful, don’t thank us, thank Jimmy for his contributions and suggestions. We were blessed to have such a talented and wonderful angel reach us and we will always love him. To Jimmy “The Rev” Owen Sullivan, foREVer in our hearts and lives you’ll be. –The McDonoughs”
Brian and Zack hugged each other upon reading the inscription, tears fully soaking each other’s shoulders. James watched them exit as they held each other around their shoulders and blew kisses into the sky. She walked over to the picture of Brian and Zack and gasped when she saw their resemblance to her mom’s posters of Avenged Sevenfold. The last time she had heard of them was in 2017, when she had asked her mom why her name was a “boy’s name,” and her mom teared up explaining. Brian and Zack shuffled into Brian’s car and sat in the silence, the sound of the engine was all they could hear.
They saw a door open and watched as James stared, smiled and waved goodbye at them before returning into the bar. “Zee,” Brian finally said breaking their silence, “that’s her car.” Zack’s eyes trailed to Brian, “what?” Brian pointed at the Hello Kitty decal and said, “She has a Hello Kitty tattoo on her wrist.” “And an A7X one on her other hand,” they both said, eyes widening. Brian smiled and started crying again and drove out of the bar’s parking lot. “Do you think she knew it was us,” Zack laughed, eyes still pouring with tears. Brian laughed back and shrugged, “idk man, we don’t look like we used to in our 30s.” Zack frowned at his friend, disappointed that Brian had said those words, “look man, I may be 60 years old, but I still look damn good.” Both stared at each other and burst out laughing again, “good thing we didn’t offer to bang her, huh?” Brian smirked. “Oh no, we’re not THAT hot and SEXY anymore, it’s 2041!” his friend replied, prompting them both to laugh hysterically as they drove off back in the direction of home.
The men walked into the rowdy and noisy atmosphere and were greeted by one of the hostesses. “Hi, welcome to Charlie’s Bar, I’m your lovely little host tonight, we do things a bit differently here, I pick your table and get all your drinks and we don’t want any tips at the end of the night,” she explained, motioning them to follow her as they walked through the crowds. It was your typical lighting at a bar but it wasn’t anything like a bar they had ever encountered. On one side of the building there were billiard tables accompanied by roulettes and various other casino-like games, to the left there were a series of private booths with large TVs. To the left of those there were booths with stripper poles that disappeared into the ceiling. The boys passed the arcade wall on the right side of the building, where people were playing their songs in Guitar Hero and quickened their pace to rush past it. In the direction Brian and Zacky were headed, there was an open area filled with tables and booths and around each section of tables, there was a bartender stand and a lovely woman prepping drinks.
The boys took in the atmosphere surrounding them and their eyes landed on a mural near the wall they were seated by. The mural took up an entire wall of the bar and seemed to be the center of attention for all the attendees. Various scribbled autographs, words, messages, pictures and more adorned the wall and it was the most lit location in the bar, so that everyone knew to please come by it. To the side of it there was a picture booth and the boys watched as men and women alike emerged, took one of their pictures and glued it on the mural. “I see you caught sight of The Wall,” their host smiled, pulling her notebook and pen out to take their orders, “make sure you stop by there and take pictures too, all are free!” Zacky and Brian exchanged smiles and gave her their first order; the last thing they wanted was another camera flashing in their faces.
An hour and a half into their arrival, Brian asked their hostess for two more shots of tequila and thanked her for clearing their glasses. At that point, she had probably picked up ten for each guy and returned with two per, but always with a kind smile on her face. “She’s really nice,” Zacky burped and clinked his shot glass against Brian’s. Brian nodded, finally happy for once that he was calmly enjoying drinks with one of his best friends. “Do you think she knows who we are,” he asked after sucking on his lemon wedge. Zack shrugged but pointed in a direction behind Brian’s head. “You see that picture up there,” he motioned, “it looks familiar. It almost looks like it is glowing.”
Mahogany and Emerald eyes observed picture that was resting on the highest part of the mural. Something about the picture made Brian even more at ease; it felt like he was at peace and for the first time since Jimmy had passed away, he felt the emotions that Jimmy had taken with him return. Their hostess returned for a final check-up on the boys and Brian caught sight of her name badge. “That’s a lovely name, James, I used to have a best friend named James,” Brian sighed happily. James looked at him with a smile, “you know, my parents said that they had always wanted me to be named after this guy they both looked up to when they were young,” she answered, tallying up their check. “Oh, really? Who was that?” Zack smiled at her, pleasantly content with the kindness and professionalism she had displayed to him. It indeed had been a successful and calm night for the two.
James pointed at the picture behind her shoulder; it had been the one that Zack and Brian had been observing before. “They told me it was him up there, mom always chokes up when she thinks about him and dad stays quiet when they start trying to explain him to me,” she added and handed them the check. Brian and Zack looked over it and pulled out their wallets. “Half and half?” Zack asked the lead guitarist of Avenged Sevenfold. “Sure thing,” Brian replied and they both dropped their bills on the checkbook. “Thank you very much gentlemen, I hope you had fun tonight,” James smiled and bid them goodbye.
Brian and Zack got up and walked into the photo booth. “I can’t believe you convinced me to do this,” Brian mused causing Zacky to giggle. “Aww, come on, just take one with me and we’ll stick on the wall and go,” Zack replied, punching him in the arm. Brian rolled his eyes and pushed the options on the screen. “Please look into the camera. Ready? 3. 2. 1, SMILE,” the robot voice said and both friends flashed their smiles. “How many is this going to take?” Zack asked him when the voice told them to get ready again. Brian shrugged and made a funny face and Zack followed suit. The machine told them that it would be their last picture, “Last time. Make it Count. 3, 2, 1. SMILE.”
The boys walked out of the booth and collected their picture strip, laughing at the faces and poses they had made. “Which one are we putting up on the wall then?” Zack asked Brian and they picked the one with goofy faces. Brian dragged a stepping stool next to his feet and climbed up on it, preparing to glue their picture down. “Is it good here,” he called down to Zack who was staring at the picture that James had mentioned. Zacky nodded to him absentmindedly and Brian rolled his eyes and glued it on the wall, signing his autograph on it. “Alright Zee, your turn,” Brian said, handing Zack the sharpie. Zack took it quietly and signed under his face and cleared his throat. “What’s wrong man,” Brian finally asked him, worried when he saw the tears in Zacky’s eyes.
Zack couldn’t muster out any words and smiled when he pointed at the picture from before, tears officially streaming down his pale cheeks. Brian adjusted a light near him and looked up at the picture. There, in the center of the mural, up on the highest angle of the wall, was a picture of their deceased best friend, laughing in the picture, arms around the owners of the bar. A plaque was under the picture that read, “This December 29th, 2009, we pay tribute to one of the greatest individuals to ever walk on this earth. Jimmy came into the bar on our opening night, cut the ribbon and was the first one to sign this wall. Whenever you leave this place content and happy and peaceful, don’t thank us, thank Jimmy for his contributions and suggestions. We were blessed to have such a talented and wonderful angel reach us and we will always love him. To Jimmy “The Rev” Owen Sullivan, foREVer in our hearts and lives you’ll be. –The McDonoughs”
Brian and Zack hugged each other upon reading the inscription, tears fully soaking each other’s shoulders. James watched them exit as they held each other around their shoulders and blew kisses into the sky. She walked over to the picture of Brian and Zack and gasped when she saw their resemblance to her mom’s posters of Avenged Sevenfold. The last time she had heard of them was in 2017, when she had asked her mom why her name was a “boy’s name,” and her mom teared up explaining. Brian and Zack shuffled into Brian’s car and sat in the silence, the sound of the engine was all they could hear.
They saw a door open and watched as James stared, smiled and waved goodbye at them before returning into the bar. “Zee,” Brian finally said breaking their silence, “that’s her car.” Zack’s eyes trailed to Brian, “what?” Brian pointed at the Hello Kitty decal and said, “She has a Hello Kitty tattoo on her wrist.” “And an A7X one on her other hand,” they both said, eyes widening. Brian smiled and started crying again and drove out of the bar’s parking lot. “Do you think she knew it was us,” Zack laughed, eyes still pouring with tears. Brian laughed back and shrugged, “idk man, we don’t look like we used to in our 30s.” Zack frowned at his friend, disappointed that Brian had said those words, “look man, I may be 60 years old, but I still look damn good.” Both stared at each other and burst out laughing again, “good thing we didn’t offer to bang her, huh?” Brian smirked. “Oh no, we’re not THAT hot and SEXY anymore, it’s 2041!” his friend replied, prompting them both to laugh hysterically as they drove off back in the direction of home.
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This story was a one-shot. I will not be updating this at all.