Have you ever gotten so drunk that all you can do is laugh at absolutely nothing?
- That's whatever the hell this is feels like.
Seeing the truck clearly for the first time with a clear head was shocking to say the least. The once elongated front end was now smashed to pieces, parts laid scattered across the ground in front of the truck, the drivers side tire included. The engine block was smashed in towards the cab, completely flattening it. All the windows were completely shattered and the glass laid sprinkled around and in,side the entirety of the front. The back looked relatively unharmed with only a dent on the middle of the back half.
"Woah, this looks bad huh?" Meliodas asked as he walked around the once structurally sound heap of scrap. All I could do is nod in defeat seeing it look like this. There's no way I'm getting my security deposit back now.
"I'm 110% absolutely fucked. My insurance is going to skyrocket after this. I just bought a house, I can't afford higher insurance." I groaned as I sat myself on the ground away from the glass. I put my head in my hands and wondered how I even survived the crash. Theoretically I don't think I should be let alone with minor injuries. A few moments later I heard the squish of the soft grass next to me and raised my head to see Meliodas sitting there, staring at the wreckage.
"I don't think your from here." He said without looking at me. I was speechless but I knew he was probably right. Where was here? How did I have even get here? I sat contemplating that as I looked at the wreck again.
Honestly it would make sense. First I was in Westville and now I'm in some weird hilled area with 14 year old tavern owners and talking pigs. Second there are no tire tracks under or around the truck and by sitting on the ground I could tell that it definitely would've left tracks because it's way soft not to. Third, well… talking pig and kid bar owner.
"So if I'm not from here then how did I get here? I was just driving you know? Nothing about this even makes sense anymore. All I wanted to do was move into my new house. Have the whole white picket fence speil with the dog maybe eventually find myself a man some kids that I adopt because fuck childbirth. Just normal stuff. This is not normal at all." I sighed shifting bring the uninjured leg underneath my body. As if he sensed my rising stress he moved to put his hand on my shoulder. With the brightest smile I've seen from him so far he said, "Don't worry we'll figure it out!"
I was stunned. "We'll? You plan on helping me or something?" I giggled at him. He shrugged before looking the wreck again.
"Come work for me. I'm going to look for my old team and maybe one of them may know how to get you home. I could use some help around the tavern too." He said nonchalantly, still keeping his gaze away from me. Nobody is this nice, there's got to be a catch. Nobody is ever that nice without wanting something in return.
"You don't even know me, why are you being so nice?" I asked feeling both relieved and concerned. I kept watching him, waiting for his answer.
"You remind me of someone that I knew a really long time ago. I couldn't help her but if I can help you maybe I can make up for it in someway." He said looking at me. I must've looked surprised because he chuckled and stood up, holding his hand out to me.
"What do ya say? Ready to be the newest employee of the Boar Hat?" I took a few second to think about it before giving him my biggest smile.
"You know what? I think I am." I said, taking his hand to help me stand. There was a few minutes of relief before I remembered that in this new place I was basically homeless. Fucking hell, it just keeps getting worse even after I manage to land a job.
"Hey know of any good places to stay near The Boar Hat? I'm kind of in between house right now you know." I sheepishly said, putting my hand on the back of my neck. Meliodas grinned like he knew something that I didn't.
"Oh The Boar Hat moves around alot so you can just stay there." he said. I blinked at him a few times. Maybe I should abort this whole situation because he might actually be crazy.
"Bud you know that buildings can't move right? It's not a thing."
"Oh but The Boar Hat is special. You'll see." Oh no he's insane.
Fast forward an hour later after Meliodas and I discussed what was in my truck and we were now moving my things into the room I woke up in into the tavern. I was surprised to see how crazy strong he was as he single handedly moved my bed into and up the stairs. I followed behind carrying the lighter thing as per his request.
"Can't have my newest employee hurting herself move! Gotta have you in working condition for our newest location! Just get the light things and I'll take care of the rest. Got it?" He'd said before pulling out on of the heavier totes full clothes.
I knew that I couldn't take it all, especially after finding out that there was no electricity, so I had crawled into the back and pulled out what I wanted. I left behind the unimportant things like electronics, or furniture that I wouldn't need anymore.
It took about two hours and by the time we were finished moving things in the sun had begun to set. After double and triple checking that I had everything I needed and wanted out of the truck we took a few steps back and looked at it. I reached into my pocket to grab my Juul, that I knew realistically that I wouldn't have much longer because it was either going to die or run out of juice, and sighed.
"Should we just leave the truck or do something dramatic?" I asked after taking a long puff. Wow I was really going to miss Nicotine. Meliodas grinned again and looked at me.
"You ready to completely leave your old life behind for a while?" He asked. Grinning back I nodded.
"I always did want to do the extra and set a car on fire." I told him, basically buzzing in excitement at the prospect of feeling like bad ass action hero.
It took a few minutes but soon we were ready to literally send my life up in flames for the second time in the last few hours. All it took was one match and the whole thing was burning. We stared at it for a few moment before I remembered that cars explode.
"Move." I said backing up.
"What?"
"Move! I fucking forgot that they explode! Move! Move! Move! Move!" I chanted turning to limp away as fast as I could. Meliodas seemed to register what I said because soon he was beside me pulling me along as we ran away laughing from the entire mess. By the time we made it to the doors and turned around it had exploded, debris falling just feet away from where we were standing. I couldn't stop laughing even as we watched it burn.
Maybe he was rubbing off on me in this short day we've spent together. Maybe I'm going crazy too. We watched it burn before going inside.
"Are you going to be okay unpacking?" He asked sitting at one of the tables.
I nodded in confirmation. As I looked around the bar that would be my home until we found his teammate I took note that I hadn't seen Hawk since we'd moved my bed in.
"We already have my bed and dresser setup so it should be manageable. A Lot of it is just clothes so I might just unpack those now and head to bed." I told him taking another puff of my vape after.
He nodded and told me to come find him if I needed anything.
"Thanks for everything Meliodas. I really don't know if I can ever repay you for everything you've done for me so far." I said over my shoulder as I drug myself up the stairs.
When I finally made it to the room that would be mine for the time being I stood out the door and looked in. It was decently sized and if I played my cards right it would look really nice with everything unpacked. All my totes stood against the far wall and my luxurious memory foam bed with the white headboard from home was centered in the middle of the room. With the bed in the middle of the room there was enough room away from the window that I could fit my favorite small armchair behind the bed to face the outside world. My wide white dresser stood on the wall to the left of the bed with the tall brown dresser that was already in the room on the opposite side. In my bed laid Hawk who looked like he was having the best sleep of his life. Well looks like I found where he'd been all this time. I felt bad waking him up so I gathered my vacuum sealed bed clothes and opened the seal to remove the sheets to let them breathe a bit.
After I had the bed clothes laid out I saw the tote labeled Family sitting off to the side. All the emotions I'd been burying through the day about my current situation came flowing back. All the dread, sadness, anger, and fear that I could potentially never see my family again hit me full force. I could never see them again. I could never see Adrian get his license, go to prom, graduate from high school, get married, have babies, or any of the other great things in his life. I could never hear mum and dad argue about who makes the better alfredo even though neither of them can cook to save their lives. I'll never officially get the keys to the Lions Den from dad even though I know he'd been looking forward to passing it down for years. I'll never have him walk me down the aisle and threaten my future husband. I'll never see mum cry over some sad video of a puppy she'd seen on the internet. I'll never hear her tell me for the millionth time that she loves to talk to me in Russian because I'm the only one in the family who can speak it properly like her. I'll never visit my grandparents who'd try to set me up with nice boys that they know from a friend of a friend.
With all these things running through my head I walked around the bed to sit in the armchair. This is real, I accepted. This is real and I have to keep my shit together. I kept repeating those two phrases through my mind over and over until I eventually ended up falling asleep with my injured leg propped up against the window frame, my good leg tucked under me and my head buried into the flared sides of the chair.
I woke up sometime in the middle of the night still in the chair. Groaning I stood up and walked around to the side of the bed. Still in my sleepy haze I just began to tap Hawks nose to wake him up and soon enough he was up and glaring at me. I just grunted and lazily pointed towards my pile of bed sheets.
"Let me make my bed and you can sleep at the bottom." I mumbled as I began to shuffle towards one of the clothing totes. I heard him grunt as he got out of the bed and the sound of his hoofs meeting the floor. I opened the totes that was thankfully one with pajamas. I grabbed my moo moo as my grandma called it. I was just a basic black crew neck sweatshirt that was about four sizes too big and reached just above my knees. I made my bed three different times to make it just the way I wanted it while Hawk fell back asleep on the floor. Once it was made I made sure Hawk was still asleep before changing into the sweatshirt. Almost as soon as I was done I crawled into bed I was out again.
Before I fell asleep I wondered if these head bandages needed to be changed.
The next morning the first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I was moving. In fact the whole tavern seemed to be moving. Hopping out of bed I moved around it to look out of the window. To my disbelief we were actually moving, trees passing by us at a decent and steady pace.
Running to the opened clothes bin I grabbed the first pair of pants I could find, a pair of yellow leggings covered in tweety birds, a slipped them on as quick as I could. Limping as fast as my bum knee would take me I forwent shoes and made it down the stairs in record time. Meliodas sat at one of the tables eating a delicious, though I now knew better- looks can be deceiving, plate of eggs and meat.
"Hiya Bean. Feeling better?" He asked before casually taking another bite.
"We're moving. Like actually in motion."
"Mhhmmm."
"The building is movable."
"Yup."
"Buildings don't move."
"The Boar Hat is special, I already told you."
"No fucking way."