Ashley~
Bullet Street... It's a pretty nice neighbourhood when compared to where I grew up. Sure, there were burning rubbish bins, smoke hanging over the sidewalk, and the occasional gunshot mixed with domestic dispute in the apartment buildings. But places like this... they're home to me.
I entered Building 147 to see a large woman smoking a cigar and reading a magazine.
"Hello, I-"
"Oh yeah. You're the bloke who's picking up Cumberland." she popped the cigar out. "She told me to tell her. One second, Sweet Cheeks."
I watched as she picked up the phone on her desk and began to dial. I looked at the photos on the wall. They were pictures of Italy. I figured she must like the idea of seeing it in person.
"HEY!" the beastly woman screamed. "Giddown here! You're lover's in the lobby." She slammed the phone and grabbed a cigar from her purse and held it out to me. "Here you go, for... you know." She winked.
I reluctantly pocketed it, and watched as Sarah Beth ran down the steps. "Ashley!!" she yelled as she hugged me.
"Uh oh..." the woman at the desk said again. "Those earrings won't go far outside."
Sarah Beth quickly put the earrings in her pocket and followed me out.
The show was rather good. She cried quietly at the sad parts and sang the best songs with me while we smiled happily at each other.
Later, we were sitting outside the local fast food place.
"Ashley, are you sure this will be okay?"
"I swear. It'll be fine. I eat here all the time-"
"But the food on the picture. The food looks... so greasy."
"That's your flavor. Come on." I helped her out of the car.
"Welcome to Wimpy's." a teenage girl with a name tag reading "Kathy" said behind the counter. "What will it be?"
"Er, yes. I'll have a Bacon and Cheese Quarterpounder. No onions. And Sarah Beth?"
"Er, I... er... that one!" she points to the Bender in a Bun.
"The Bender?"
"It looks cute."
"Cute. Okay. So, she wants a-"
"Wait! What all is on it?"
Kathy sighed. "Processed cheese, a Wimpy Bender, tomato, dehydrated onions, and tomato ketchup between two white, oat-topped buns served with chips."
"Does that sound fine?" I asked
"Er, I'm not sure what a Wimpy Bender is, but I'll try it! And make sure the chips don't touch the Bender." Sarah Beth replied.
Kathy looked extremely agitated. "What to drink?"
"I'll take a Coka-Cola. Sarah Beth?"
"Er... what... I'll..."
"TWO COCA-COLAS."
I paid Kathy and recieved the food. We sat out in the car and ate the food, talking quietly. We drove back to Bullet when I heard Sarah Beth groan.
"What is wrong?"
"Ashley..." Sarah Beth turned to me. SHe was as green as spinach.
"Whoa. You look positively green."
"I don't think I like Kathy's Wimpy Bender..." she gagged. I slammed the breaks and unlocked the car door. Sarah Beth jumpe out and lay on the ground, vomiting. I sat, wide-eyed, as my date retched and coughed up the fast food.
She got back into the car. "Ashley. Could you get some ginger ale?"
"But the market will be closing."
"Could you hurry?"
I let out a breath of anxiousness and hurried to the local marketplace. I could see my good friend, Paige, locking he door.
"PAIGE!"
"Hey, Ash." he smiled. "Just locking up. Hey, how-"
"Please let me get something! Really quickly." I pleaded withmy arms on his shoulders. "I promise."
Paige looked at me through his red hair. "Oh... fine. But just this once. You're my friend, but Mr. Howell won't make exceptions. He could cut my pay, or worse."
"Thank you so much." I hurried in and grabbed a giant bottle of ginger ale. Paige rushed to check me out and watched as I left in the car before locking up. He had been by friend since we were seven. He was never an outspoken person, but he was a true friend, even if he had to do things reluctantly.
"Good thing we caught Paige, huh?" I said, pouring some ginger ale into a cup. Before I could finish, Sarah Beth swiped the bottle and began to drink at least two cupfulls of it.
"This is so good..." she murmured. "Thank you, Ashley."
"Er, no problem."
We got back to her place. "Ashley. This was a great night. I don't want to eat at Wimpy's ever again (or any fast food place,for that matter), but it was truly memorable." She threw her arms around my shoulders and wasted no time to get out of the street and into the safety of her flat.
"Resilient, that one." I said jokingly to myself. Sarah Beth was the true example of a "character." Pulling onto the road, I began to drive back to my own place, ready to sleep after the events of that night.
