Like clockwork, every Wednesday, the Bristol crew chose to decompress at Main Street Music on the rooftop once their shift ended, always staring with Miriam entering the front door first. The bell went off and as expected, approaching 6 PM, Mandy had her tote with a bottle or two of wine, and some snacks from My Little Darling Mart. She was the manager, after all. JP looked up from his magazine and smiled at her,
“Will it be pizza today or burgers?” Probably pizza. They ordered burgers from The Hole last week.
“Burgers!” Mandy grinned, having already placed everyone’s order before getting here.
“It’s unlocked,” JP yawned, glancing at the back door, before adding,
“No one is here yet.” He looked back at the latest issue of Mojo, turning to the next page. It was only a matter of time before his store was lively once more, seeing how it was currently dead and like usual, the crew gave MSM life, time and time again. What he didn’t expect was instead of the youngest of the Bristol crew going upstairs, she came to the register counter where he was leaned up against. Usually by now she was upstairs waiting for everyone. Usually by now she was preparing the bonfire.
“... yes?”Mandy cleared her throat and pushed a strand of hair behind her right ear,
“Do I… look different?”Blinking at the unexpected nerves being showcased by the Darling girl, JP straightened himself and walked around the counter. He scanned her in the most respectful way and smiled,
“You got a little trim, your hair is shorter, and you went home to change. Red lips and a black dress, Ducky? Daring.”“You.. think so? Like, is it eye-catching?”Jericho couldn’t help but feel for the older woman. She had the longest unrequited crush on Nathan Blake, to the point that JP, out of all people, couldn’t understand why she was still waiting to be noticed by him. Still, this wasn’t the time or place to shatter her dreams and maybe, just maybe, luck would be on her side and her crush wasn’t one sided. He couldn’t say since he didn’t know the guy like that but he did know Mandy and when Mandy chose to love, she loved deeply and with all her heart. Friends especially. She loved them more than herself.
“You’re beautiful, Miriam, and if he doesn’t recognize that, he’s an—”The bell rang again.
“Hot damn, someone help me with these beers. I bought too much,” Michael Waters carried too many cases, overestimating his strength.
With his entry, Mandy immediately closed her lips, puckering them tight and turned to her friend, pretending she wasn’t just talking about Nate. She totally was just talking and thinking about Nate but that's besides the point. She didn’t need to get caught red handed doing so. After all, Nate would be in soon enough, tailing his roommate.
JP rolled his eyes and shuffled to the door that led to the roof, holding it open.
“Watch your step.” Right on queue, Nathan was behind Happy, who was obviously carrying way too much than his equilibrium could balance and he was losing his footing. Nate the Great to the rescue again because he made sure to provide support for his roomie, pushing the cooler full of ice that Nate was carrying against his firefighter of a roommate.
“Seriously, Happy, we could have made this into two trips. There was no need to do it all in one go.” Nate let out a deep sigh, knowing it had never been worth it. Michael would protest and protest until Nate just gave up. That and he did buy way too much beer, but better all the bottles be here than in their apartment. Honestly, the apartment still had too many bottles and anytime Andrew came over, there was always a fight about to break out.
Turning his momentary frown into a smile, Nate pressed forward, gripping the edges of the heavy cooler with his knees, holding it steady as he followed Happy’s lead. Nate had never been much for physical labor. He did what he could, but compared to the likes of Hawk and his cousin, Freddie, he definitely wasn’t the bodybuilder type. But he did cardio and some core exercises when he could. Had to be in shape to keep up with the friends he kept.
Seeing JP and Mandy, he gave both of them a smile.
“Soooo where do ya want these?” He would ask for both he and Happy, knowing one of them was one moment from kealing over from the weight in their hands and it wasn’t the fireman with the beer.
“Just take it upstairs, since that’s where you will be chillen. Unless you want to save some for next time, then you know where my uncle’s office is,” JP casually instructed, waiting for one or all three of his guests to go upstairs. He couldn’t help but notice Mandy fiddling with her hands, anxiously and a little disheartened for not getting immediately recognized. Jericho opened his mouth to point out the obvious but before he could do so, Happy spoke up, his manly roar echoing in the music store.
“Looking gooooooood, Ducky. Don’t tell me you’re running off on a date after this. On our Wednesday! You wound me,” Mikey gave the youngest of the group a gentle smile, acknowledging her effort but not going into it too deep, hoping his compliment was more than enough to get Nate to
look at her.
“Thank you, Michael…” Mandy whispered to herself, avoiding eye contact with Nate, wondering if she should run upstairs.
“Aw shit,” Happy hefted the beer boxes up, the weight getting heavier by the second.
“Off I go, climbing mountains and shit.” He joked, knowing he could use the extra steps today. He ate a heavy lunch that he would surely regret later so putting the extra umpf before guzzling down a ton of beer seemed like a smart move. At least that was what he was telling himself.
The door flew open once more, Celadine’s hand shooting out to catch it before it hit the wall. With a backpack of classic treats like ho-hos and snowballs over her shoulder, she took stock of everyone in the room and her boyfriend’s retreating back before settling back onto Miriam. The younger woman looked gorgeous in her outfit and Cela could tell by the look on the girl’s face that Nate hadn’t even really looked at her yet. How tiresome, and poor JP had to witness it once more. Taking an even more direct approach than Michael did, Cela ran over to Miriam and dropped her bag of processed sweets.
“Ducky you’re lookin’ hot as shit!” Cela hugged her friend tightly, silently supporting the girl’s struggle while also apologizing for how embarrassed she was about to be. Pulling away from her, Cela dropped a hand on her shoulder and called out.
“Hey Nate! Doesn’t Ducky look amazing? I mean, damn, if someone already likes her they better scoop her up before someone else comes along that appreciates her to her face,” Her grin turned sharp on her boyfriend’s roommate, daring him to try and slip away without engaging.
“Right?”The freelance photographer found himself blinking shots at Cela for a few moments. The way she and everyone was looking at him had him feeling confused. He didn’t understand their looks. Why it always seemed to be directed at him. And of course he knew Mandy looked beautiful. She always did, but was it being made into such a big deal that he didn’t comment on it
this time? He just didn’t understand. He gave himself an internal shrug and nodded with a smile, directing it at Cela,
“Of course she does,” then to Mandy.
Before he said anything, whether it was the heat of the moment and carrying the heavy shit in his hands (that he set down on the floor because it was sapping the strength out of his feeble arms), Nate actually took the time to look at Mandy. And just…wow. She was all dolled up. Typically their get-together with the crew was casual. Smart casual if they were feeling fancy. But she was dressed up like she was going on a date or something. As he absentmindedly shook some life back into his arms, he also absentmindedly was staring way too long.
“You do look pretty. Are ya going somewhere after staying here for a bit?” “Nate, no,” Cela whispered, managing to sound both exasperated and despondent at the same time, tightening her grip on Miriam’s shoulders while reaching up to run a hand down her face at the younger man’s response.
“Fucking shit,” Mikey echoed in disappointment.
Miriam had always been good at hiding her feelings in front of Nathan, but everyone knew at that moment, her heart sank and it didn’t matter what she did. She was fighting a losing battle. Instead of showing her defeat, knowing this crush was one-sided for years and holding onto a small slither of hope that he saw her, beyond his best friend, Mandy gave a serene smile,
“I actually wanted to see you guys before I head out. I won’t be able to hang tonight. I, um,” she stared at Nate, feeling ashamed about the words she was going to say, before excitedly announcing,
“I have a date!” Getting out of Cela’s grip, Mandy looked at her and tried to convey she was fine, when she clearly was not.
“When the rest get here, give them my love. I probably should get going,” she glanced at her wrist watch and began retreating from the scene,
“Don’t want to be late!” At this point Michael put his beer cases down and found him stretching his arms and contemplating something.
Grabbing his phone he walked to the counter and texted Mandy, away from Nate’s prying eyes.
To: Little Duck
so I’m guessin you don’t have a date.
If you want one tho, last min
my sis prob knows a guy
could do you good
Pocketing his phone, he glanced back up and nodded pleased,
“well your date is one lucky fellow. Knock ‘em dead, Ducky.”“Never fear, the Condiment King and Queen are here!”At the exact moment the store door had opened, a pair of two gym-birds making their fashionably late arrival, another glamored-up duck passed them on by. Hawk had a bag of condiments in his hand, a momentary smile fading when he realized it was Ducky who walked by him and Dove. The smile faded when he read the room and centered on the trail of gazes and glares that went from Happy to JP to Cela and then to the usual suspect for whenever something went wrong.
“He did it again, didn’t he Dovey?” Hawk sunk his head low dramatically with just as much of a sigh that emoted the usual feeling of disappointment. Nate always tried to be good, but how blind could a man who had a keener eye for landscapes than anyone he knew be?
“Looks like it, baby,” Marceline sighed in reply, hip-checking her boyfriend out of the way to fill the void that Miriam had left in her cousin’s arms. Cela hugged her back tight in greeting before releasing her so they could release twin glares onto Nate.
“You. You-” She stepped forward and poked the skinny man in his chest, looking up at him with eyes that made him somehow feel like he was the smaller one.
“You are too oblivious. I’m going to snap soon, you know that? I can’t take this any longer. Hawk figured things out faster than you, turtle-boy.”“Woah, woah, woah,” Mikey interjected, with his arms aching from all that beer he was carrying. He decided to crack one open, stressed at the situation. Might as well start now.
“Feeding him the answers won’t do him any good.” He guzzled down some beer before licking his lips, already feeling soothed by the taste of his favorite drink. The bell rang signaling Mandy’s exit. Rather than bring any more attention to the girl who wanted to go invisible, he looked back at his roommate,
“Is photography all you care about, Nate? Don’t you want something more, like, iunno. Something, or someone, to make you feel less lonely at night.” He slyly slid his hand around Cela’s waist and pulled her close to him, pressing her against him tenderly, emphasizing his point. The woman grinned and rested her arms on his as it wrapped around her waist.
“Oh, that reminds me,” Jericho interrupted, with the sudden thought of his own news.
“Rye and I live together now, and no I don’t mean like how we’ve always been living together at our moms’. I mean… apartment living. Pretty sure it’s at the same place most of you live at? Pleasantview.” “Oh shit really!” Mikey roared loudly, his body finally decompressing from a long day’s work.
“You know what that means? Me and our idiot, Nate the Great, got to host a game night. Invite you and Gavriel. Could be fun.” Was it weird he was okay with hanging out with younger peeps? Nah. They were grown and to be honest, southies just did that. Age was nothing but a number. Hell, they dragged Phil practically everywhere and he was an OLD man. It only gets weird if they started dating them and he, who could only speak for himself, was blissfully happy with a girl that could flip him onto a table when he pisses her off. So hot.
Marceline had turned away from Nate at that news, practically bouncing in excitement.
“Whaaaat?! That’s so exciting for you guys, congratulations!” To those who didn’t know her, the fact that a tablet seemed to appear from behind her back would have been confusing, but everyone in the store was aware that at least thirty percent of Marceline’s gym bag was filled with electronics. She shoved her glasses onto her face and her eyes were immediately glued straight to the screen and she had several tabs pulled up to different stores and trade sites.
“Game night is great but you guys need a housewarming party! Do you need any appliances? What about curtains or dressers? Hawk and I were getting rid of our couch since Piper’s spending more time sleeping over and we’re getting her something more comfy. Oh! Have you gotten your wifi yet? I can beef up your-”“Dove, you’re getting flighty,” Celadine called from her place still wrapped in Mikey’s arms. Marceline’s head shot up, lips pursed in concentration and glasses sliding down her nose. She pouted at her cousin while sheepishly sliding the tablet back into the pocket of her bag that rested against her back.
“Don’t look at me like that, you can do your older sister mother-henning on your own siblings.”“I’m just trying to help,” She muttered, sticking her tongue out at Cela when all she got was a teasing grin in response. She turned back to JP and in a few large strides she was in his personal bubble and sweeping him into a tight hug, rocking back and forth excitedly with him in her grasp. She sniffed dramatically.
“All the babies are growing up. Bernie’s next, Cela! I swear all of you were like twelve just yesterday! JP, am I getting old?,” She asked it in a whisper, not letting the boy go.
“I can’t be getting old, I’m not ready for Phil levels of responsibility!”“Flighty~,” Cela called out again, laughing at the bird Marceline flipped in her direction.
There was a raincloud gathering over MSM, downpouring over it, causing all the joy and love to sap away from those under it. But nobody could see it. Nobody could feel it take away what was once there. Nobody but Nate. Because it was his raincloud. Or at least, the effects of him remaining quiet for the most part that kept a smile on the surface as it was not to show face to something even greater. More damaging that might ruin the vibe, but maybe Nate did that himself. Happy’s words clung to him like a bad ache that just wouldn’t go away. While everyone had been talking about JP’s announcement that he and Rye moved in together, which he was genuinely happy for and smiled when it was stated, it was Michael’s words that lingered.
Yet again, he opened his mouth and let words fly from it that somehow ruined things. Thinking back of the many times, had it always been when Mandy was trying to do something to get his attention? Maybe. But why did he never see it in a way that everyone seems to see it? Maybe there was something broken in him…well there was. You can thank Brooke Torres for that one. Just that one encounter with her prior to the storm and whatever progress Nathan Blake made of being out of her clutches, it was redone and restarted. Ever since then he had been experiencing more frequent moments where he’d zone out. Moments that would be random. He’s been meaning to get back into sessions with his therapist, but everything’s been moving so fast that he hasn’t been able to schedule an appointment.
“Guys..and birds, I’m sorry.” Nate spoke up finally after several minutes of not saying anything, not since Mandy left.
“I fucked up big time, didn’t I?” He forced himself to half-smile but this was nothing to smile about and he sure as hell didn’t feel like it.
The music store was silent in response. Nathan’s friends could read him like a book. Even after all this time, he still let his ex control his happiness. They knew the signs, from his mannerisms to little inflections, that informed them why he failed to appreciate what was right in front of him. The answer was clear as day for them. They just didn’t want to admit they were wrong. Although they hoped the two would get together, it was becoming abundantly clear they were the fools for continuing to see hope when there was none. Maybe they should stop meddling and let the damage be done. At least then they could feel useful and give support where it’s needed. Nathan would forever use his ex as an excuse, to hold him back and hurt the one person who loved him through it all. Ducky didn’t deserve that. She deserved to be happy. She deserved to move on. Ducky deserved love and she would never get it, for as long as she gave her heart, time and time again, to a man that didn’t know how to handle it.
“What do you think?” Michael broke the silence, holding his can of beer in one hand and his woman in the other. The bell rang and his eyes went past his roommate, seeing the one soul that knew how to break the tension and slap sense into everyone. The one soul they all looked up to even if they called him an old man all the time. The one soul that could be real but in the most loving way. The one soul that glued them together and kept things going. The one soul they shared a great love for. The one soul they needed.
Phil Bristol.
“I think trying to play matchmaker only works when both matches are ready to strike,” Phil spoke over the quiet room, eyeing each of his friends and crossing his arms at what he saw, giving them the slightest shake of his head.
“We want what’s best for everyone, not just what we think is best,” He looked over to JP, who was still smushed against a clingy Marceline. He made his way over to the two and grinned down at the young man as Marce released him, reaching out to ruffle his hair and drop a hand on his shoulder in congratulations, having heard most of the commotion as he ran through his notifications on his phone just before entering the store.
“Congratulations kiddo, bring that car of yours by for a full tune-up, on the house.”This was a lot to process in a short amount of time. Usually the Bristol crew would be upstairs drinking by now but instead, Nate’s shortcomings led to them being downstairs longer than Jericho had anticipated on any given Wednesday evening.
“Thanks, Phil,” JP gave an appreciative smile, not one to argue with Phil’s generosity. His car was long overdue for a tune up anyways, so who was he to deny a gift? Giving Marceline a proper answer from her earlier flighty tangent, JP responded,
“Also yeah, that’s fine. To both the game night and housewarming. I’m sure Rye would love that. I’d say to talk to him though, about that stuff. Since he’s better at knowing what we want, need and just unpacking in general.”“Wait too long, fear will continue to hold you back from playing the game. You’ll never know how a homerun feels if you stay on the bench,” Mikey muttered, releasing Cela from his hold and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Grabbing his beer cases once more, he shuffled to the door where the stairs were and marched up, leaving his friend group behind.
“This beer waits for no one.” Sometimes even words in passing struck a chord with the right people. Those indirect words, whether meant for him or not, he understood the neon signs disguised as words from the group. Mikey was less subtle than everyone else. Message understood. He had to make this right. Not because they were dropping feelers his way but because it was time he stopped running away. Because that was what he has been doing since he was a teenager: using the crutch of his ex as a way to excuse why he wasn’t able to truly see Mandy for everything that she was to him.
A constant beam of light. The support he always had but, in a lot of ways, took for granted.
“I think I might have to dip out earlier than planned. I made a fool of myself and a fool of…I just have to make it right.” Easier said than done. How could he? What right did he have?
“But…I don’t even know how.” He was at a loss. Making the decision to take his friends’ words to heart was one thing. Listening and making them into action was something a mile ahead of him than he ever thought he’d end up at.
“Acknowledgement is always a good start,” Phil answered Nate, crossing his arms and tilting his head towards the door.
“You don’t have to be ready just because these guys are nosy, either.”“Phil!” Marceline called in betrayal while Cela, who had her arms crossed much like Phil, dropped her hands to her sides and rolled her eyes. She knew where this was going.
“Fine, Phil can play wiseman, I’m going after Happy. I already missed my chance to grab his ass as he went upstairs, I’ve gotta make up for it somehow before you guys get up there too.” With that, she turned around and headed up the stairs that her boyfriend had previously ascended.
“I’m serious,” Phil responded to Marceline, frowning at the woman. He knew this situation was frustrating for everyone, but these were the love lives of two of their closest friends. More hurt than love can come out of this if things aren’t done right.
“I didn’t even let you and Hawk actually meet at the shop until I knew he wouldn’t hurt you with any of his immaturity. Being aware of and acknowledging feelings is a great first step, but if there’s no more work or thought put into it past that, if you just do what people around you want, you could come to regret it later. Y’all are stuck on this rose-tinted viewpoint, I’m just making sure to maintain the pragmatic approach,” His serious eyes turned to the source of the conversation, staring the lanky man down to make sure he was paying attention when he asked his question.
“Nate, do you think you can handle what you might see if you go searching for answers, for her? If you can, or if you feel you need to see it, then go. But if you can’t, you won’t be the only person that ends up hurt tonight.”Marceline sighed, making her way back over to her own love and wrapping her arms around his middle, resting her head on his chest and whining,
“Phil’s being realistic again, Hawky, it’s hardcore ruining our rom-com lifestyle.”Walking further and further away from MSM, Miriam’s mask began to dissolve. Her eyes saddened as she found it incredibly hard to smile, coming to terms that what she and her best friend had was strictly platonic. Part of her hoped they could be something more. There were times Nathan gave her mixed signals, which ultimately kept her from looking the other way but after her mother pointed out her flaws at the recent family dinner, she knew she needed to do something. She was stagnant, waiting on her family when it came to the business and waiting on Nate to reciprocate her feelings. Being cautious was one thing but she knew deep down she was afraid to take any major risks. She loved the thrill of roller skating and rock climbing and anything really to get her adrenaline going; that was different though. Those were hobbies she could grasp and understand. When it came to affairs of the heart however? She was so incredibly lost. All she could see was him and unfortunately, she was only a placeholder for Brooke. A temporary band aid until he’d go running back to her. Nathan wasn’t the only person out there for her, right? She had to believe someone else would care about her just as much as her best friend did (even if it was strictly platonic). And maybe someone would notice her but the sad truth was she only wanted him to see her. Really see her.
No matter.
It was time for a change.
Looking down at her phone, Ducky deeply stared at the text from her friend, and Nate’s roommate. Michael. A blind date? That would be spontaneous of her. Inhaling and exhaling, she shook the negative thoughts creeping up, of how this could all go terribly wrong and the fear of failing.
Change.
She needed a change.
She needed to change.
Change.
Hesitating, her thumb was inches away from the send button. Swallowing, anxiety spinning in the pit of her stomach, she breathed,
“Just fucking do it already.”She pressed ‘send’.
To: Happy
Ok. Sure…
And she quickly sent another one right after:
To: Happy
I’ll be at the Hole waiting.
Gasping for air, she placed the phone against her chest.
She did it.
She said yes.
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. It's actually hilarious because Polo is the only other member of Where Giants Fall. 
