Chapter 24: Reserved

People describe me mostly as fiercely loyal friend. And when my friends are in a problem, I feel it my job to help them out of it. That day as I looked across the lecture hall, Zoey watching the chairman speak for the second time on the Arcadian's fate, I thought back to a week ago, when I helped the gang out of a recent jam. And I felt no doubt that they would be forever grateful for it.

That night I came back to the bar to see something bad: the gang wasn't in their regular booth. Some girls were now sitting there.

"Carl, why are those girls sitting in the gang's booth?"

"Simple." He replied. "Barney and Marshall were starting a bar fight, and I banned the whole gang for a while. They need to know that bars aren't the place for fights."

"On the contrary, Carl. The first bar David got me a job at, I was in 7 bar fights there. 3 of which I started myself just to stay in practice."

"Ah, David. He was a good teacher." Said Carl. He zoned out for a second.

"Anyways, when the gang is willing to cool off, I'll let them back. But that booth isn't reserved; It's only theirs because it's always free."

I couldn't stand for this. I had seen one of the girls at the booth before. She had been walking by wanting to sit in it for so long for some godforsaken reason. She had been giving the gang the stink eye for so long.

I walked up, and spoke to the girls.

"Ladies, I want to let you know that this booth us reserved, and you will be asked to leave when the regulars return."

"Nice try, man." Said the 'walk by' girl. She gave me a look of loathing you would not believe. It was looked I was staring into the darkest pit in this girl's eyes. "The other guy at the bar said this booth isn't reserved. We're staying here as much as we want." To prove how serious she was, she put her feet up on the table.

"Fuck" I muttered. I ran out of the bar to the sidewalk, flipped out my phone, and called Lily.

"Hello?"

"Lily! It's Ollie."

"Hey, Ollie! How'd you get this number?"

"Long story. Barney passed your numbers onto me. I'm hoping I can do you guys a favor?"

"Sure. We're upstairs right now."

"Great. I'll be there.

I never had been to the apartment upstairs. I had heard that four of the gang had been moving in and out of that place for the past few years.

I knocked on the door, and Robin answered.

"Hey, Ollie. C'mon in."

"Thanks."

She let me in, and I saw the others, minus Marshall.

"Where's Marshall?" I asked.

"He refuses to be around Barney, and didn't want to be here after he heard Barney was here." Said Lily.

"Ok. Sucks that their in a spat, but that's not why I'm here."

"What is it, Ollie?"

I then explained the situation to them as fast as possible.

"Those girls got territorial when I tried to warn them to leave when you got back. There's no way they'll leave."

"Unless..." Said Barney. I could see the gears turning in his head.

"Whatcha got, Stinson?" I asked.

"I have a guy at work. Photo guy, Trevor. I do...certain things to objects I don't want people to touch. He shows pictures for me"

I now wish I didn't say the following sentence: "What kinds of things?"

Barney responded by taking out his phone. "This I did to Marshall's drink the other night." He showed me the photo on the phone. I'm not gonna even try to describe what it was, because it was too sick.

"Goddamn it! Barney, that is wrong!"

Barney grinned. "That's what he said!"

"What does that sick shit have to do with trying to get back the booth?!"

Lily understood. "That's sick, but it could work."

"No!" I snapped, once I saw what Barney intended to do. "I won't allow it in the bar that I love!"

"C'mon, Ollie. You want to get rid of those bitches, this is our best shot." Said Robin.

"Ted, thoughts?" I asked.

"Really, it's not among my priorities. I'm just working on getting ready to declare the Arcadian a landmark."

I groaned. "Dammit! Not you, too! Ted, whatever fantasy ending you think you have with Zoey, it's not gonna end up at the end of an aisle or anything! It's gonna end soon, and it's gonna end badly!"

Ted just got up, and walked out of the apartment.

"Okay, fine." I said, groaning. "I'll unlock the bar after closing tonight so you and whoever else you plan on using to do this sick crap to the booth. Then after you get the booth back, I don't want anything like that done in Maclaren's ever again. You got me?"

Barney nodded. "Got it!"

"God, the things I do to get my regulars back in their booth."

"Hah!" Said Lily. "He's like a nicer version of Doug!"

Robin laughed too. "Oh, yeah! He totally is! And also more hotter."

I shrugged. "Most girls like the Hunter."

"You hunt?" Said Robin.

"Grew up among the best in Port Angeles." I said. It felt sad to mention my family, but I was proud to be a hunter of the Blake family in that moment.

The next night, the girls came and sat in the booth as expected. Even though it was so sick, I was laughing so hard in my head at the fact that they were actually touching the table.

Robin and Lily then stepped into the bar, and after Carl let them in, came up with the stink eye to the girls. After they walked away, a man in a suit ran into the bar, with a big piece of paper, and showed it to the girls. In a flash, they had left the bar entirely. Robin and Lily started scrubbing up the table with disinfectant, and after they finished, gave me the thumbs up, thanking me for helping them take back the booth.

It didn't matter that Carl didn't think the booth was reserved. In my mind, it was. To five of my closest friends in New York.