Johnny’s Saloon on a Friday night was as inviting as a headache. Those stereotypical chicks gluing themselves to anyone who as much as reminded of a guy, who had held a guitar in his arms were not my favorite breed of human. I let the stiff whiskey fire up my insides as the liquor slid down my throat.

My eyes dropped on a tattoo of a skull, sitting neatly on some guys upperarm. I believed I had seen at least five exact replicas in the past hour in this bar alone. It was as if all these chaps went to the same ink slinger to get themselves branded with the same fucking mark. I mean... Come on, if you want to lay under a needle for good three hours, then at least make your body a canvas on which the artists can express themselves.

If you’re wondering why I’m in a place I hate everything about, I’d tell you to look over the blondie who’s swirling those bottles around tonight. I’ve known her my whole life. That’s Saint. Quite ironically there wasn’t anything saint about her. Johnny himself was her uncle – dad’s brother – so she figured a smart move to make was to start bartending at the saloon.
Yeah, I’d be anywhere else, but here, quite frankly...

I held out my empty glass as I tried not to fall asleep. See, the loud music could’ve awaken even the dead, not speaking about the bloody bimbo screaming in my ear for the past ten minutes, but... there was a humangous ‘but’. I had just arrived from London. My bags were still warming the floor of the stock room in the back and I had promised Saint I’d finally meet her boyfriend.

I won’t play stupid and won’t say I didn’t know who she was dating. Come on, it’s twenty first century, everyone has a smartphone with an internet connection these days. He was dating my ex’s best friend. My fucking neighbor.

I still remembered Matt Sanders as the chubby kid who made fun of my pigtails and tormented my cat in his early days. The true nightmare started when the chap hit puberty, I mean, lord have mercy, if he can’t sing right now then he definitely couldn’t sing back then. Never been a huge fan of Avenged Sevenfold maybe because I started dating a certain guitarist of the band. A complete manwhore.

When I was seventeen, he was twenty, and he figured it was a good call to get into my panties. We broke up on my eighteenth birthday ‘cause I caught him fucking some girl. At my birthday party! I mean, how stupid can you get?

Saint quickly snatched the empty glass out of my fingers. „How ‘bout I make you something that wakes you up, Vex?”

„May force be with you,” I gestured for her to carry on with her delusional thoughts. If she believed something alcoholic could keep me awake, she had another thing coming. I rested my forearms on the counter and laid my head on them.

So why have I returned now? I’m twenty seven. I’m old. And quite frankly I’ll be behind bars if I hear another bloody british person hitting on me. Don’t get me wrong, London was a blast, but seven years is enough, besides my dad couldn’t take me anymore so I’m here. In Huntington Beach. About to get on my mum’s nerves.

„Here.” A glass landed on the counter with a loud thud, before she started poking my forearm. „Hey, no sleeping in the bar, Vex.”

With a loud grunt I boosted my elbow on the counter and rested my head in my palm. „Fine.” My eyes landed on a brownish drink with loads of ice in the glass. I frowned as I took a sip. „What is this?”

„My specialty.” She smiled proudly, „Espresso martini.”

I grimaced in disgust as I took another mouthful, „Tastes like diabetes in a fucking cup.”

„Look at you, you start sounding more american by the passing minute.” She snickered as she went to make herself a drink.

I would’ve shrugged my shoulders if it didn’t ask for so much effort. I had told her – when I develop a british accent – I’ll come home. Took me seven years. Yes, I was a stubborn peach.
„So what happened to Jordan?” She questioned, raising a glass of something to her mouth as I left a cigarette lingering from my lips as I looked the pockets of my jacket for a lighter.

„Who?” I frowned emptying the contents of my pocket. A pack of gum, a chapstick, a ... condom? Where’s the bloody lighter?!

„The... boyfriend... You told me you had a guy back in London...” A deep crease formed in her surprisingly botox free forehead.

I waved her off. „He’s old news.” I said as I checked those back pockets of my jeans. „The dude turned out to be a cheating bastard, besides a two-pump chump, if you know what I mean...” Finally I fished out a lighter. „I’ll be back in five. If something interesting happens, be sure not to tell me.”

As I turned to hop off the high bar stool, I saw Saint shaking her pretty blond head with a roll of eyes, but still a smile on her lips.

You won’t believe it, but I managed to squeeze through the sea of people and somehow, out of pure luck, I found myself alone, leaning against the wall not far from the entrance to the bar, lighting up my cigarette.

As I stood there, smoking my life away, I noticed a group of guys enclosing in on me. At first I didn’t make any notice of them. They were just like anyone else around here, covered in tattoos, blessed with an arrogantly egotistical nature, but what differed from other douchebags around here, everyone seemed to be very eager to greet them. Only then I realized who they were.

I smirked to myself, blowing a thick cloud of smoke.

Jesus, seven years truly was a long time.

They didn’t even grace me with a glance as they went inside. I guess there were things that in fact did not change. Or maybe I had changed too much. Who knew...

I dropped the cigarette butt to the ground and stomped it out with my boot as I headed back inside.

As my feet carried me over to the bar, I noticed every possible seat around the bar – taken. But of course. Even the one I had been warming up for the past hour. Who had occupied it? My wonderful ex. Brian.

I squeezed between him and some other guy to take my lovely diabetes in a glass and move somewhere where I could get drunk in solitude. But before I even managed to reach for the glass, a scent hit my nose. The scent I remembered oh so well. His cologne mixed with cigarettes.

„Oh, sorry, I didn’t know this place was taken,” He said as he quickly slid off the stool. Did he honestly know how to apologize for something? That was a first.

„Chill, I’ve been sitting for nine hours, I think I’m good.” I replied as I moved around the bar with my drink in hand. Of course Saint was flirting with Matt and she didn’t even notice me standing at the very end of the bar. „Saint!” I yelled over the loud music, trying to rudely interrupt that make out session over the counter. I swear, this chick...

I quickly emptied my glass as I walked inside the cool bartender zone and grabbed her phone from the countertop.

„Intruder alert.” Was that Zacky I heard? He had a naughty smirk engraved on his face. Well at least his warning actually made Saint look at me.

She frowned deeply. „What are you doing?”

„Calling myself a cab.” I replied simply. What did it look like? „Oh did you mean what am I doing here? Behind the bar?”

„I meant -what are you calling a cab for?”

„So it could drive me back to London...” Saint’s frown grew even deeper if that even was possible. I tried my best not to laugh, but the corner of my mouth twitched a bit.

She breathed out in exasperation, „For a moment I thought you were serious.”

I measured her with a patient stare. „Saint... I swear to God...” How did she imagine a cab driving me over the pacific ocean?

„So, are you the new bartender?” Zachary asked as his emerald eyes looked me up and down.

„God forbid...” I laughed, looking up a number for the cab in Saint’s phone. „My bartending days are over.”

„Oh yeah, guys, this is Vex.” She announced as she took the phone away. Hey... What gives?
„Vex?” Brian grinned, chasing his whiskey with a shot of what seemed to be Patron.

He really didn’t recognize me? And I thought I was unforgettable. Figures. „Yea,” I smirked, my eyes narrowing on his features, „I’m told to be quite vexing.”

„So how do you both know each other?” Matt asked taking a sip of his bud light.

I shrugged, „We used to decapitate barbies when we were little.”

For a moment he was silent, seemed like he was thinking. Did he actually know how to think? I’m afraid that skill had not been god given for him. „Have we met? I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere...”

A good gamble was going on inside my head. It would’ve been so much fun if I let them figure out who I was over time, but I just wasn’t that type of girl. I’d like to experience the realization blowing up in their faces right fucking meow. „Well, I’m sure you’ve met Buttons. He was a cat you tormented good twenty years ago.”

The expression that took over Matt’s face was priceless. „Riley?”

„Nice to see you’re not fat anymore, Matthew.” I said and turned my head to look over Brian.
I was close enough to hear the realization punch a crack in his skull as it drilled deep in his brain. Yes. The guy had just offered his seat to his ex which he had damned to all seven hells back in the day.

It seemed a bomb had went off in his head, a sudden time travel into ten years long past.
Brian smirked in his glass, before speaking, „it’s hard to believe the girl who once called me a cunt-licking donkey dick and threw a pan at me now is a calm british chick.”

„The fact that I look calm and don’t swear like a sailor anymore, doesn’t mean my thoughts have changed on you. You’re still a bloody wanker.” I smirked.

„Thank you.” He smiled.

„I think this calls for a round of shots,” Matt spoke up, „Saint, fill us up.”

What was worse than getting drunk with a couple of arrogant rockstars? The fact that they couldn’t hold their liquor.

Notes

Hello all you lovelies.
I know it's been a really long time since I wrote something for this site, since I basically wanted to walk away from writing fanfiction, but hey, I guess it's a part of me. I don't have to put myself in a box and I can do whatever, trying not to insult the actual people involved in the story too much.
Anyhow, if you liked the very beginning, I'm glad, but since I'm writing another story (which is not fanfiction) and out of a pure miracle, you'd want to read further on this one, I'd beg you to be patient with me. Thanks and I hoped you enjoyed this. Have a great day!