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The tavern was loud and lively when the girl walked in. The sound of laughter and cups clinking filled her ears and she frowned at the happy atmosphere. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. She didn’t drink alcohol, but the bartender knew her and always made her favorite non-alcoholic drink when she was in a sour mood, which happened to be her current condition tonight. She loitered in the entrance for a few seconds more before sighing and making her way to the bar counter.
„Hey, you! Haven’t seen you in a few days, want your usual?“ A pretty girl that went by the name of Sal called out to her as she approached.
The girl nodded and Sal beamed. „One virgin Death After Noon coming right up! Sit tight!“
The girl sat down on the barstool closest to her and sighed, her posture shrinking ever so slightly as she seemed to melt into the chair and the counter. There was an empty seat next to her that she hoped wouldn’t get filled until she left, but as her luck would have it, as soon as Sal brought her drink back, a man in fancy dress and blonde hair waltzed in and plopped down right next to her with a groan.
„Here,“ Sal handed her the drink and then gave a sad smile without a glance to the man that just sat down next to the girl. „Do you want to talk about it?“
The girl remained silent for a few seconds, debating the pros and cons of speaking. The man next to her would hear everything but it’s not like she knew him nor would she see him again and Sal was a trusted confidant. „You remember that one friend I was telling you about? Kali?“
Sal nodded quickly in acknowledgement. „The one who disappeared off the face of the earth and ignored you for like eight months?“
„That’s the one,“ the girl sighed. „She reached out to me again recently and said she wanted to catch up and maybe go for a drink.“ She took a sip of her drink and felt her mood perk up a bit as the bitter taste of lemon juice danced on her tongue. „I’m still unhappy with the way she ghosted me, it almost makes me not want anything to do with her.“
Sal nodded and patted the girl's hand that rested on the counter. „It’s not fair to you, she-„
„Hey bartender! Another round over here!“ A loud man interrupted Sal and she sighed before giving her friend a sad smile.
„Sorry hun, duty calls.“
The girl watched as she walked away and sighed, but took another gulp of her drink.
„Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but if you need someone to vent to about this Kali, I’m willing to listen.“ The man sitting next to her spoke up, his body slightly turned to face her.
„Oh, well… we were friends for a long time, me and Kali. We talked every day. Then she just one day stopped messaging me. I got tired of trying to reach her because obviously she didn’t want to be friends. I thought maybe something bad had happened at first but I saw her posting texts between her and other friends so…“
„That’s just plain rude and frankly uncalled for! A friendship is a two way street- both sides need to contribute equally or else it falls apart. I don’t blame you for not wanting to take her up on her offer.“ He gave a loud sigh. „Trust me, I live with one of the most stuck up, pompous jerks ever to live! I understand completely.“
The girl nodded and smiled, excited at the prospect of somebody understanding. „Yes, exactly! She expects me to just be there for her when she was never there for me! I asked her why she left so suddenly and she said she was having some mental health problems. I felt really bad for feeling so bitter, but the least she could have done was shoot me a text saying she was taking a break for a few months. It just hurt when she started posting messages between her and other friends on the same app!“
„A little communication goes a long way! Ugh if only my roommate and my clients caught onto that little piece of advice. It’s exhausting dealing with people who don’t know how to communicate!“ He slammed his hand down on the counter. „Sal, I need a beer!“
„Coming!“
The girl studied his face as he waited for his beer. She narrowed her eyes, swearing that she knew him from somewhere. His carmine eyes twinkled with frustration, and his hair was held back by tons of pins. His skin was fair and he had the longest eyelashes she’d ever seen on a person. He was, quite frankly, beautiful and it made her feel a little self conscious.
„A-anyways,“ she continued. „I told her yes to hanging out, but forgot and made plans with a friend group. I felt bad about doing that, so instead of canceling with either party, I invited her out with my friends. I wish I could’ve uninvited her and then canceled with her instead. It’s mean and rude and it makes me feel bad, but it would mean bringing drama into my friend group and me not having a fun time.“
„Hmm that is a difficult position. If I were anyone else, I would have told you to cancel with your friends and go see Kali. You made plans with her first.“ He took a big gulp of his beer. „But I’m not a saint.“
„So, what would you do?“
He turned to make eye contact and he smiled. It took the girls' breath away. „I don’t know. Clearly she causes you pain. I personally wouldn’t want to be around that, but I hate making people feel excluded. I guess you can say that we’re alike in that manner.“
„Us? Alike?“ The girl scoffed. „Look at you. I remember who you are. You’re Kaveh the famous architect.“ He was prettier, more popular, and no doubt way nicer than she was. She tended to be a little on the judgemental side and it pained her to be.
He groaned and took another big drink from his beer. „Don’t remind me. I’m here to forget about work, thank you very much! I’m sick of all the complaining.“
„Even so. I’m just a nobody. Thanks for listening, Mr. Kaveh and for telling me you relate, but I’m afraid I should head out for the night.“ She took one last drink and then placed some mora on the counter for Sal. She slid off the stool and was stopped in her exit when a warm hand grabbed her wrist.
„What‘s your name?“
„I told you, I’m a nobody. My name isn’t important.“
„Well, Ms. Nobody, I believe we’re more alike than you think.“ He also placed some mora on the counter and stood up to follow her out. „Let me walk you home. A pretty young woman like yourself shouldn’t be walking home alone this late.“
Pretty young woman? The girl shook her head. „I can walk myself. The last thing I need is a famous pretty man walking me home. My neighbors wouldn’t leave me alone.“
Kaveh laughed and threw his head back. „After hearing my ramblings, you’re the only one who would call me pretty.“ He pulled her towards the exit. „Come on, at least let me walk you halfway.“
The girl sighed and gave a small smile. „If you insist.“
~ fin~