sunflower - h.s.

one

I knew I was overworking myself.

I mean, you'd think a video a week, two gigs a week, four uni classes, and a part-time waitressing job would be enough. Enough to fill my time, pay the bills, keep me busy.

But no.

Ren and Danny just had to have a stupid fucking wrestling match in the living room.

And because they are who they are, the match ended with Danny and Ren tossing things at each other and a window in our apartment shattered. Now we have to pay for it to be replaced.

Fucking boys.

It wasn't like any of us had disposable income, either. We were barely scrapping by as is. Well even now, at least one out of all our meals a week was the free beer I got from the bar Danny and I worked at, and pretzels. We didn't have parents to help us out, aside from Ren's mom - my aunt. She helped when she could, but only in dire situations. Like that time I broke my wrist and didn't go to get it checked out for a week. She came over for dinner and saw me high off pain pills Danny snaked from one of his friends and gave us the third degree. Yelled the whole way to the hospital, but paid my bill in the end.

Holland was cool like that.

But she wasn't around all the time and whether I liked it or not, working some extra hours for the next few weeks would do. Even if I was sleeping in empty classrooms between classes and working all night.

That was what happened today, at least.

It was a Friday, blessedly. My school week was over aside from studying over the weekend, but I had a gig tonight and then serving until close afterwards. I made sure to chug a beer in the break room before going out to the piano.

Danny and I had been working at the same bar for the last three years, since I was sixteen and he was 20. He bartended and I served, up until last year when our boss threw a grand piano onto the corner stage usually used for karaoke. Then I started performing once a week, Saturdays, until more people started showing up to see me play and sing, then it became twice a week. And now here we are, me broke and performing every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night from 8 to 10 to a regular audience of drunk townies and Danny, always behind the bar watching over.

"You know, a coffee could probably help you more than beer right now." Danny said to me as I sat down during my first break of my set. I had downed a shot of something Danny put in front of me and winced when I swallowed.

"You know, usually if I wanted your opinion, I would ask for it." I said louder, trying to speak over the crowd of people accumulating in the bar. Danny grinned sarcastically and I blew him a kiss as he was waved over by a group of guys settling in at the bar. I yawned and let my head fall onto my arms momentarily before groaning and plucking myself off the bar and heading back over to the piano, settling my hands on the keys.

Obviously, I loved piano, it was the first instrument I learned to play. But with uni being all about music, I was usually not in the mood to play outside of school anymore. Sad, but that's life, right? So, by the end of my set, after a wonderfully fulfilling round of applause, I headed back to the bar for another drink.

Danny was busy with customers, a couple of women in nice dresses. I chuckled.

Danny. Always the flirt.

I moved behind the bar sneakily and poured a beer from one of the taps, hoping to get away without anyone seeing me. This side of the bar was rather empty anyways.

"You s'posed to be doin' that?" Damnit. Caught in the act.

I turn and put on my nicest grin, facing the man now leaning over the bar and smiling at me.