Althea

|𝟰𝟮| 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗻

I dropped Karlos back off at the house after I helped him make a little cash by plowing out peoples lawns. He's trying to save up to go to college. (I told him I could pay for him to go but he refused.)

Now, I'm walking down the sidewalk towards the bar. I haven't seen Jack in awhile and wanted to pop in.

I opened the door and when I stepped inside, it was empty. Not even that piece of shit that touched Althea that one time was there.

Movement from the other side of the bar catches my eye and I look to see Jack coming out of the doorway that leads to the back, his head turned whispering something to someone I couldn't see. When he turned back around his eyes scanned the bar as he moved closer to me and then his gaze finally met mine.

I smirked. "Closed?" I asked, walking further into the bar, going over to the couch and flopping down.

I watched him closely. He looked slightly startled that I was there. He glanced behind him and then back at me with...fear? Weird.

Then his face relaxed as he walked behind the bar and grabbed a dirty rag. "Yup. Gotta clean up. It's summer now and you know how them kids are when they get out of college and whatnot. Gotta restock." he says, beginning to wipe off the table.

I cringed. Why was he doing that with a dirty rag? I wouldn't usually care but Althea told me about her concerns when she first came here about that. She also told me she was now a germaphobe. I don't even know if that's a real word or not but if she says it is then I believe her.

"What brings you here, kid?" He raises his eyebrow. He looked over his shoulder again.

"Just wanted to stop by..." I glanced at the door behind him then back at Jack who wasn't meeting my eye as he continued to scrub the same spot on the bar. "who were you talking to?" I questioned nonchalantly, picking at the couch as I got comfortable, spreading my legs.

"N- nothing." Jack stuttered out. He never stuttered. He was always so confident and chill, never having a care in the world and alway mining his bar. He also was never closed. He loved this damn bar to much.

I brushed it off and chalked it up to the fact that he maybe wasn't lying about getting ready for all those fresh out of college kids. I never thought about going to college. It never intrigued me at all to sit in a classroom for another 4 or so years.

"Okay..." I drawled out slowly, watching Jack start to clean off a glass.

"So how's its going with Althea. Good things?" Jack changed the conversation. I don't even realize I'm smiling until he grins and points at me. "aha! Enzo Alveraz smiling?" he raises his eyebrow.

I wave him off. "Shut up."

He chuckles and sets the glass he was cleaning down. "Yeah, yeah..." then he goes quiet. I know what's coming before he even says it. "so...how've things been...you haven't been..."