Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
The following day was Lauren’s first day as the manager of the bar. With Ethan away on a business trip, she was able to run it the way she wanted. The only reason why she took the job was out of spite for Matty, something about him that made her mind click. Maybe it was because of the fact that they didn’t get along. She usually would go after the guys but in this case, she would not have to worry about it.
She walked in around noon and greeted Sammie, who she found out from the other waiters always came on time to work “Hey you.” She smiled at her friend.
Sammie looked up with a grin “Why are you so happy?”
Lauren shrugged her slender shoulders “What’s there not to be happy about? The sun is shining, the gays are singing….I’m running a bar.”
The girls giggled like old times, how Sammie missed the good old laughs they use to have. Suddenly, Matty popped up from behind the bar, he was helping Sammie stack away the booze in the drawers under the counter “Well, I’m glad someone’s happy.” He blurted out with a pout.
“I’ll be more happy if you would stop bothering our bartender. Get back to your station.” Lauren crossed her arms sternly.
Matty let out a laugh “She thinks she’s the boss of ME!” he nudged Sammie amusingly.
Sammie looked at her friend sympathetically “Honey, she is the boss…you need to face reality.” She patted him on the shoulder but he threw it to the side swiftly.
“No!” he shook his perfectly combed hair “If she stays, I go.”
Lauren abruptly clapped her hands “Wow…all this time I thought it would take years to change this club to a heterosexual one.” She laughed when Matty’s faced turned a crimson red color.
He glared at her while his bottom lip quivered “That’s evil! How dare you say such a horrible…despicable thing!” he spat harshly “You’re just a witch aren’t you?!!”
Lauren’s grin suddenly dropped as she shook her head lightly “What did you just say?”
Sammie quickly leaned into her friend and whispered “Run…now…before it’s too late.”
Matty was confused as ever as he looked from the girl ready to attack to Sammie “What did I say.”
“Never mind, just run!” Sammie hissed “Run as far as you can and never return.”
“Oh no, you’re not getting away that easily…” Lauren shook her head “Come on…you, me outside…NOW!”
Matty jumped back startled by her sudden anger “No, the last time some girl told me to go outside, she ended up pulling down my pants in front of hundreds of kid. It’s a wonder I turned gay…girls are just evil.” He crossed his arms firmly and turned to Sammie who was giving him the eye “Oh, except for Sammie that is…” he added sweetly.
Lauren was still upset as she shook her head and took a step towards him. The only thing separating them was the bar counter “Do you know what happened to the last person that called me a witch?” she asked in a low voice.
“He was turned into a frog?” Matty quipped and let out a short laugh but no one else was laughing. Sammie closed her eyes, oh God, why did he have to say that? She wondered.
“That’s it, I’m gonna beat you so hard you’re going to wish you’re a guy so you can fight back at me…” Lauren was ready as she bent down to go under the counter.
Sammie stood between the two as she put up her hand to Lauren “He didn’t know about the teasing, Lauren. Just let it go.”
Matty didn’t seem bothered by it as he crossed his arm and pulled up his right hand to his face to look at his fingernails “And they say gay men are dramatic. What a big baby.” He muttered loud enough for Lauren to hear.
Sammie stepped aside as she shook her head “I warned you Matty…”
He instantly backed away until the bar turned in a full circle “Don’t come near me.” He warned when Lauren smiled her evil smile as she began stepping towards him. He suddenly turned his back and began running in circles around the bar with Lauren chasing him. Sammie stood on the side with her head shaking. Every once in a while Matty would shriek in his high pitch tone when Lauren caught up to him.
After a couple of rounds, Sammie began to step in. She turned the corner of the bar and found Lauren sitting on Matty’s back with her arm wrapped around his neck “Say you’re sorry!!” she cried.
Matty choked out a laugh “You know, if you were a guy, this would definitely turn me on.”
His comment only made Lauren the more upset as she strangled him some more “Apologize, she-man!!”
Sammie began laughing “Come on, Matty…just say you’re sorry.”
“No!” he cried stubbornly “Not until she tell me what I did wrong.”
Lauren looked at Sammie who raised her eyebrows at her. She nodded as she let go of his neck but refused to get off his back, instead she made herself comfortable “Fine, that’s fair enough. Let me ask you…do you have any idea what it feels like to be ridiculed by other people? Your own piers because you were ‘different’?”
Matty turned his neck around “Hellooo!” he pointed his hands to himself.
She rolled her eyes and nodded “Fine…so you do understand. But were you ever tied to a tree in the middle of camp and was almost burned to death?”
He seemed to be pondering the thought and suddenly snapped his fingers “I almost had a near death experience when I tried to light a candle and the match would not burn. But when it did, I was so scared of the fire that I dropped it on the carpet. Luckily, the fire was put out.”
Lauren turned up to Sammie “Is he for real?”
Sammie smiled crookedly “More than you’ll ever know.”
“I resent that!” Matty argued.
“Anyways…” Lauren said loudly “I was saying. I grew up having people tease me..calling me a witch because my mom practiced the art of spells.”
“So she was a witch?” Matty asked while trying to find a way to get more comfortable from his position.
Lauren shook her head “No…she just liked to brew up new things. More like meditation. But kids don’t know better. I was tortured for years and if it weren’t for Sammie, I probably would have jumped off a building or something.”
Matty turned to Sammie with a disappointed look “So you’re in charge of keeping this monster alive.”
Sammie shook her head in disbelief, after all that talk and Matty wasn’t at all touched by the story. She nodded at Lauren “Give you butt a little hop.” She advised and Lauren jumped up a little and landed on his back with a thump. Matty let out a yelp “Sometimes you can be so insensitive…like a man.”
Lauren laughed when Matty dropped his jaw “May I ask what game we are playing?” Ethan asked from behind the bar counter. None of them had noticed he was leaning on the counter staring at them with curiosity.
She quickly stood up and Matty stumbled to get his back straightened “I claim disability!” he raised his hand at Ethan.
Ethan shook his head with a laugh “Glad to see you two are getting along.”
“I thought you had a business trip?” Lauren asked, trying to change the subject and move the stage light that always seems to be shining at Matty.
“I am…I just forgot one special item.” He replied.
“What is it?” Sammie asked.
He smiled at her directly “You.”
Sammie tried to ignore the grins that Matty and Lauren were giving her “Why me?”
Ethan leaned into the counter “Please, you have to help me. I’m meeting with this business man that might be interested in co-owning a new bar with me out by the harbor. But he wants to meet my girlfriend.”
“You don’t have a girlfriend…” Sammie shook her head “Why would you tell him that?”
“Because he assumed I had a girlfriend…I wasn’t about to correct him.” Ethan rolled his eyes.
“So you’d rather lie?” Sammie asked incredulously.
He laughed “If that’s what you call it.”
“I know what I call that…” Matty muttered only to be jabbed in the ribs by Sammie who was closest to him. He winced in pain.
“Why don’t you ask Lauren?” Sammie asked, trying to change the attention from herself.
Lauren shook her head “Nuh uh! The last time I faked someone’s girlfriend, I ended up sleeping with the guy. No offense Ethan…but you’re not my type.”
Matty stifled a laugh “Yeah, she likes the green, greasy amphibians that she can change into a human.”
Ethan ruffled his brows in confusion while Lauren threw Matty an evil glare “You like pain don’t you?”
Matty crossed his arms and leaned back on one leg with a sly grin “Hmm…depends on what kind of pain. Whips and chains are always welcomed.”
Lauren moved her eyes away with a look of disgust “Great…you just gave me a mental image.”
“So, what do you say?” Ethan asked Sammie.
She looked from Matty, who’s eyes were as big as a headlight and Lauren who only smiled at her knowingly “Um…I guess.”
“Great!!” Ethan said in a second “Come on.” He waved for her to get out of the bar.
“Who will watch the bar?” Sammie asked while she took off the apron.
Lauren quickly volunteered “Matty can. I’m sure he’s capable.”
“But I have to sing!” Matty pouted.
Lauren shrugged “I’ll get a substitute.”
He dropped his jaw in shock “So that’s your master plan.” She knit her brows together in confusion “You’re planning to get someone else in here to sabotage me, so I can never sing again. And I know you’re jealous of my angelic voice.” He pushed his chin in the air.
Ethan and Sammie looked at each other strangely “Uh…yeah…well, I’ll be back in a bit. Promise you two won’t kill each other?” she asked more to Lauren than Matty.
“I don’t promise things I can’t keep.” Lauren snickered.
Matty crossed his arms “Well, I wouldn’t promise that I’d get married before I’m forty, if I were you.”
Ethan reached for Sammie’s arm “Let’s go before they start a catfight.” She quickly nodded in agreement and the two left in fast pace steps while Matty and Lauren battled out in a war of stares.