Holy crap. I didn't expect the kind of response I got from just one chapter. You guys are awesome. Anyway, enough of me babbling. Onto the story!
Chapter 2
I woke up the next morning to someone pounding on my door. My head jolted up at the sound. Looking over at the door, I saw my friend, Sun, standing in the doorway. He was still pounding on the fucking door!
I reached around my head and launched my pillow at him. He ducked and it missed him by an inch and flew out of my apartment.
"Missed me." he said with a grin.
I turned over on my mattress and pulled my afghan over my head. "Screw off, Sun." I groaned.
"Nope." he said, walking over and sitting next to me. "Come on, Blake. Rise and shine."
"You've known me long enough to know that I don't 'rise and shine'"
"Always sunshine and rainbows with you, huh?" I smacked him in the shoulder for that remark.
Reluctantly, I pulled the afghan off my face. "Alright, I'm up." I said. "But you're making coffee."
Sun shrugged and headed to the kitchen to make coffee. With a sigh, I threw off my afghan and got up. As you could tell, I'm not a morning person. At all.
I trudged over to the kitchen, where Sun was currently brewing coffee. I reach up into one of my cabinets and pull out the only two coffee mugs I owned.
"So, what brings you here this early in the morning?" I asked, setting the mugs in front of Sun.
He gave my a look of confusion as he poured my coffee. "It's almost noon." he said.
"Exactly my point." I laughed lightly and almost downed my coffee in one go. Feeling much more awake due to burning my tongue, I asked the question again.
"Well, Coco called me since you weren't answering your phone. She said she wants us both at the bar at one today."
I cocked an eyebrow. "Why the fuck are we-"
"She's throwing a birthday party for her husband, Blake." Sun asked. "Don't flip out."
I rolled my eyes. Me and my boss, Coco Adel, are good friends. But, she had a really bad habit of leaving things until the last minute. Parties for friends and family, in this case, her husband, Yatsuhashi, were one of those things.
I finished my coffee and set my mug in the sink. "Alright." I said. "Get out so I can get dressed."
"Can't I finish my coffee first?" Sun asked, just now taking a drink out of it.
I groaned and pushed him outside of my apartment. "You can finish it out here." I said before shutting the door.
I sighed and went over to the nightstand drawer I kept my clothes in. With the rent and bills I had to pay from month to month, I couldn't find time to afford a dresser. So, I improvised with the nightstand my mother gave me a few years ago.
I took out a plain purple T-Shirt and black pants and started to get dressed. I usually didn't wake up this early in the day, with my usual shift at the bar starting at eight o' clock at night, so I kinda forgot what the days had in store.
Completely dressed, I grabbed my keys and opened my door. Sun was leaning against the door frame, talking to Emerald when I walked out.
"I think what she did was completely justified." I heard Emerald say. "She was just protecting her sister from that kind of publicity."
"Well, I don't think their manager took the reporter's broken nose too lightly." said Sun.
"What are you two talking about?" I asked, closing my door and locking it.
"Just something that happened with a band we like." Sun said. He then shook Emerald's hand. "Always a pleasure talking to you, Emerald."
"Likewise." Emerald waved goodbye to us as we walked away.
"You need a ride?" I asked Sun as we walked out of the apartment complex. The only reason why I asked cause he walks to work occasionally.
"Yeah" he said. "My legs hurt from walking here."
"Figured as much."
"There you are!" When Sun and I walked into the bar, it was being decorated by the only other workers, Velvet and Fox. Coco immediately walked over to us and handed us decorations.
"Nice to see you too, Coco." I muttered, setting the decorations down on the bar.
"Quit whining and start setting up." she said. "Yatsuhashi's gonna be here at 6."
"That's five hours from now, Coco." Fox said, climbing down from a ladder. "Relax."
"Plus, the bar looks fine with as much decorations we have up." Velvet added, which I had to agree with. The bar had a couple streamers hanging from the rafters, a few balloons here and there, and a banner that read "Happy B-Day, Yastu!"
It looked better than it usually did.
Coco sighed. "Yeah, but-" she started to say, but Fox covered her mouth.
"Shush." he said. "It looks fine."
"Does this mean I woke up for nothing?" I asked, pouring myself a pint of bear.
"Seems like it" said Velvet. "and are you really drinking this early in the day?"
"Just put it on my tab." I said.
The next few hours were spent in silence, up until Yatsuhashi walked in with his work friends. I think I fell asleep during that time because Sun tapped my shoulder to get me up.
"Coco wants you behind the bar." he said.
I groaned and waved him off. I heard him chuckle as he walked back into the bar.
I swear, that boy is infuriating.
Not wanting to get my pay docked for sleeping again, I got up and went behind the bar. There were Yatsu's work buddies, a few regulars, and Qrow. Being the good bartender that I am, I served drinking and started small talk with the patrons.
"...Peter, you can't keep blame yourself for your students' behavior..."
"...that boat's been through a lot, Scarlet. I bet could get pass the Atlas docks by now..."
It was going as well as you could expect. It even started to die down when Coco and Yatsuhashi left around 10. I was washing a glass for a regular when I heard the door open. I looked towards the sound and saw her.
She looked like one of the local punks with was she was wearing, red ripped up grunge flannel, black shirt and beat up black jeans. But, having kicked almost every one of those brats out of my bar, I knew that wasn't the case. She had blood-red hair and silver eyes. She was very good looking, to say the least.
She walked straight up to the bar and tapped on it. "Is there a someone named Qrow here?" she asked in a very annoyed tone.
I nodded and pointed to where Qrow was. "He's over there." I said. "Something wrong?"
"Nothing much," she said, grabbing one of the patron's drinks. "Just that his sister's pissed he's not home yet."
I watched as she walked over to Qrow with the drink. When she got there, she proceeded to dump the liquor on Qrow's head. I had to suppress a laugh as Qrow's jolted up.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he shouted at the girl.
"Nice to see you too, Uncle Qrow." she said with a laugh. Qrow then looked at her and laughed at her. The girl sat down and the two started to have a conversation, but I was busy giving the patron she took the drink from another one on the house.
After a few minutes, the girl came back to the bar and sat down. Looking back at the table, Qrow was asleep again.
"Need another drink for him?" I asked with a grin.
She laughed a little. "Nah, I'll just let him sleep." she said. "Got any good vodka?"
I nodded and took out a bottle of Smirnoff and a shot glass. "Got it right here."
"Nice." the girl rested her head on the bar. "To be honest, I need an entire bottle of that."
"Rough day today?" I poured her drink and slid it over to her.
She caught it and slammed down the shot. "It's been one of those weeks." she said, sliding me her shot glass for another round. "My lead guitarist made a scene in front of my manager, so she fired him. So, now I have to find another one by the time I leave for tour."
"Oh, you're in a band?" I asked, sliding her another shot.
"Yeah, I'm the lead singer." The girl slammed down the shot again. She then reached her hand out to me. "I'm Ruby, by the way."
I reached out and shook her hand. "Blake." I said.
Ruby let go of my hand and gave me her shotglass. "And get this." she said. "Some jackass reporter decided to try and bad mouth me and my sister on camera, so she clocked him right in the fucking nose." She laughed a little. "My manager nearly popped a vessel at that one. But, she can't fire the other two."
"And why's that?" I asked, giving her two shots and setting one up for me. I couldn't help but think something about a reporter getting punched sounded familiar...
"I'm the one who hired them." she said. I sound hear her voice starting to slur a little as she spoke. She took both shots and slammed them.
"Ok, you might want to slow down on the shots." I said. "Or I might have to cut you off."
"Oh, I'm fine." she said, but the slurred speaking said otherwise. This girl could not hold her alcohol.
I sighed and took my shot. The vodka went down warm, just as it should. No flavors or anything. The sign of a good vodka.
"Anyway, " I heard Ruby say. "I'd better get my uncle home." I watched as she got off her barstool.
And immediately fell to the ground.
I shook my head and stepped out from behind the bar. Ruby got up and brushed herself off.
"I'm fine!" she said.
"Yeah, right!" Qrow said, just before we heard his head slam onto the table.
I sighed and checked the time. 1:24.
"Alright!" I called out. "Last call!"
In all honesty, I probably didn't need to call out to the other two patrons in the bar. But, never hurts to just in case they're so drunk they can't hear me.
Ruby sat back down on the stool, holding her head in her hands. "I don't think I can *hic* drive now." she said.
I laughed a little. "I'd say so." I said.
"Hey, Blake." I heard Velvet call out to me. "What do you want to do with Qrow?"
I turned to Qrow. He was passed out with his head on the table with beer bottles littering his area. I sighed at the sight.
I wish I could sleep that peacefully.
"Just leave him here and lock up the alcohol." I said. "He won't try anything."
Velvet shrugged and started closing up. I looked down at Ruby, who was close to passing out.
I sighed. "Alright." I said. "Where do you live? I'll give you a ride."
Ruby looked up at me. "I'm staying at a ho-*hic*tel somewhere in Patch."
I groaned. Patch was at least 20 miles away from the bar and I didn't feel like making that journey.
"Do you have anyone that can come and get you?" I asked.
Ruby laughed a little. "Everyone's probably passed out by now." she said. "No one I know is getting up at this hour."
I groaned. I honestly didn't know what to do with this girl. I couldn't leave her in the bar like I did with Qrow cause I barely knew her. There was really only one other option.
I sighed. "Alright." I said, helping her up. "Come on."
"Where we goin'?" Ruby said, stumbling as she walked with me.
"My place."
I unlocked my door and lightly kicked it open, carrying a very much asleep Ruby in by her arms as Mercury carried her legs. How I got him to help me carry her up three flights of stairs and into my apartment, I have no idea.
"I thought you didn't let friends drink too much." Mercury said.
I rolled my eyes as we carried Ruby over to my bed and laid her down. "I don't." I said. "I didn't even know that she would be this way after four shots."
Mercury laughed. "Some people don't know how to hold their liquor." he said.
"You think?" I said, laughing a little. "Thanks for the help, by the way."
"No problem. Oh, Cinder's out if you want to play tonight."
"Thanks." I watched him close the door and sighed. Of course Cinder would be gone on a night where I have a sleeping guest in my house.
I walked over to Gambol and stroked her neck. A thin layer of dust came off on my fingers.
"Already, Gambol?" I whispered. I reached behind her and grabbed the dusting rag I used for her. I ran the rag down the neck and head of my guitar.
"Get you cleaned up and then we'll play a little, ok?" Yes, I talk to my guitar like it's a person. That is my baby. Got a problem?
With Gambol all dusted off, I rattled my brain trying to find a song that wasn't too loud. Finding the right song, I plugged in my baby and turned the volume down to where it was quiet, but I could still here it.
Mama told me when I was young. Said sit beside me, my only son.
I had to keep my voice low so the red-head currently snoring on my mattress didn't wake up. I looked over as I played and saw her stir a bit, but didn't wake up. I sighed with relief and I went into the chorus.
Be a simple kind of man! Be something you love and understand!
Right before I hit the solo, I heard a knock on the door.
"Please turn that down!" Emerald called from beyond the door. "The walls are thin, you know."
I laughed a little. Emerald was right about the walls, but my guitar wasn't even that loud. I looked over at Ruby and saw that she was still sleeping. I decided it was time to put up Gambol for the night and go to bed.
Only problem was I didn't know where I would rest my head tonight.
