Gridball and the Beasts

A night with the girl

The night of the moonlit jellies was upon the sleepy small town and most people were buzzing with excitement. Most people, except for Shane, who was never excited for anything unless it was free beer. On this particular day, he felt the cold breeze of fall beginning as he zipped up his blue hoodie and made his way to the saloon. 

Outside the Saloon stood an already almost drunk Pam with sweet young Penny, Robin and the Burnt Sisters. The scene was emotional as Pam and Penny were in tears as Robin and the two farmers showed them the project they'd been working on together, a house just for them. 

Shane couldn't help but feel a bit of pride in Maree and Alyss. They'd put so much work into the town and now had built the town's poorest residents a real home. He listened to Maree explain all the features that she had installed specifically for Penny, and how Alyss had stocked the fridge with fresh produce from their farm's greenhouse. 

How rad was this chick? She liked beer and pizza, never asked him to dress up for her, paid for all of their food and drinks when they went out, and didn't ask for anything in return, except that Shane stay the evening with her playing video games until she passed out, which happened more often than he'd like to admit. She really was something else as he watched the way her almost white hair glowed in the sunlight, as if like a reflective mirror. The pale beauty was destined to break his heart when someone worthy of her time would actually fall in love with her. She deserved the world, especially with what all she had done, but he could never give it to her. 

As the five women walked into the newly built home, Shane turned and went into the Saloon with a sigh. This was all he could do. Lay around Marnie's house or hang out at the bar. Ever since the Joja Mart shut down, he'd been out of a job, and worse, he hadn't been able to pay Marnie any rent. Though, she didn't pester him about it, in fact he couldn't recall her ever asking for rent after the Joja Mart left. As if she already knew that he'd be broke. 

Shane ordered his usual beer from Gus, then stood in his spot next to the unlit fireplace. This was the warmest spot in the bar in the winter, and the coolest in the summer, because of the open-air escaping into it. He'd finished his beer and went to order another one, when he noticed Maree standing in the doorway with a large plate of pepper poppers. No doubt ones that she had harvested and cooked herself, and Shane felt envy course through him towards whatever person was about to receive that gift. His bodily reaction to seeing her was the stand up straighter and to suck in his gut, though, since he'd cut down on his drinking, there wasn't much of a gut left. Maree made eye contact with him from the door and rushed to him with the gourmet plate outstretch towards him. "Here," she said as she pushed the plate into his arms and his eyes filled with an uncontainable joy that seemed to spread across his face in a toothy smile that Maree was unaware that he could have. "Alyss harvested the peppers and then made too much cheese to fit in the fridge, so I made these." Maree wasn't even looking at him as she spoke, she'd already turned to the bar and ordered two beers from Gus before sitting down in the stool next to Shane. 
"Thank you, Maree. These are my favorite?" He began putting the pepper poppers into his mouth and chewing rather haphazardly with the heat from them being freshly made, couldn't have been more than ten minutes before. 

"No shit, Sherlock," said Maree taking one of the beers from Gus and chugging it as quickly as she could before wiping her face on her sleeve and beginning the chug the next one. Once both glasses were empty, she turned back to him. "The Moonlit Jellies are tonight," she stated rather bluntly. "Take me." 

Shane starred at her for a moment, his mouth full and his eyes wide as if someone had just shined a flashlight at him. "I... uh... Okay." He finally managed to get out, Maree starring him down the entire time he was trying to think of what to say and swallow his food. "What time should I... um... pick you up." 

"No need," said Maree adjusting her backpack and standing from the stool. "I'll meet you there." As soon as she came, she had left. Shane was standing there in a state of disbelief as he held his pepper poppers, starring at the door that she had just exited through. 

--

In the house behind and diagonal to the Saloon, were Alex and Alyss. Alex was lifting his weights and performing his usual workout routine while Alyss sat on his bed, flipping through various magazines and skimming articles about gaining muscle and carb dieting. "Jellies are tonight," Alyss stated nonchalant as she flipped a few more pages. 

"Yeah," said Alex through breaths, "happens-every-year." He dropped his weights and looked at the watch on his wrist before picking them back up. "It's some sciency- stuff- that makes- the jelly fish- glow- it's kinda-boring." Dropping the weights again he looked over at her. 

"Aren't you going to ask me to go with you?" Alyss eyed Alex from over the magazine, raising her eyebrow with her question. 

"Why?"

"Because I've never seen the Jellies before in real life," Alyss folded the magazine she was currently flipping and looked up at Alex. "This is the only place that I've heard of this happening at. It's probably a once in a lifetime experience and some amazing discoveries for Marine Biology could be made tonight." 

"Sciency stuff," said Alex picking up his weights again and beginning his next set. 

"Okay, fine. If you don't want to take me, I'll ask someone else to take me. Maybe Sam or Elliot." Alyss reopened the magazine and began to flip through it.

"What, wait, no," yelped Alex as he dropped his weights once more and moved closer to her, "I'll take you." He sat down on the bed next to her and kissed her on the forehead, "Besides, no other man can take my girl to make new discoveries and get famous."