1 DAY UNTIL THE MISSION
The bell above the front door of the Hard Deck jingled as Jenna and Hangman made their way inside the bar. Jenna spotted Phoenix through the crowd of people surrounding the bar and made her way to her friend, Hangman at her heels.
"Hey Nat!" Jenna almost yelled, trying to get Phoenix's attention over the noise. Phoenix turned around, a smile lighting up her face as she looked at both of the pilots.
"Jenna! You made it!" Phoenix replied, reaching over to hug her. Jenna leaned her back against the bartop on Phoenix's left while Hangman did the same on her right. The three chatted for a little while until they were interrupted by Penny.
"What'll it be?" Penny asked as the group turned towards the bartender.
"Just water for all of us, I think," Jenna said, looking to the pilots on beside her for confirmation. They both nodded their heads in agreement.
"So tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Penny inquired as she handed Jenna her water.
"Yep," Jenna replied, taking a big sip, attempting to settle the nervous feeling that fluttered in her stomach at the question.
"It's gonna be just fine," a voice said next to Jenna. She turned and saw Maverick standing next to her in his dress-whites.
"Hey kid," he said, before shouting a greeting to Phoenix and Hangman on Jenna's other side.
"Hey Mav," the three of them said together. Jenna chatted a little bit with Maverick, trying to give Phoenix and Hangman some privacy.
"Penny, I gotta talk to you for a sec," Maverick said, gesturing his head away from the bar.
"Sure, just give me one second," Penny replied, turning to put down the rag she was wiping down the bar with. "You three," she said, getting the young pilots' attention. "I didn't haul that karaoke machine in here for nothing. Get on it."
"Yes ma'am," Hangman replied and then made a beeline for the jukebox. Jenna and Phoenix laughed as they watched him push through the crowd, eager to get the night started.
Jenna turned her attention back to her dad and Penny, who had moved further down the bar to have a more private conversation. Penny was leaning over the bar to hear better, and as Maverick said something to her, Jenna watched the smile drop off of Penny's face, replaced by a concerned look. Maverick had a grim smile on his face as Penny came around the end of the bar and took his hand, following him out the back door.
"Hey, where's Mav going?" Jenna heard a male voice ask. She looked over her shoulder as Rooster appeared behind her.
"I think he's telling Penny," Jenna said, reaching for her glass.
"Oof," Rooster replied. "That's never a fun conversation."
"No, it's not," Jenna agreed with him.
The speakers groaned over the noise in the bar as Hangman connected them to the jukebox across the bar.
"Let's go see what he's up to," Rooster said, offering his hand to Jenna. She grabbed it and pulled Phoenix along with her as the three of them made their way towards the group of people starting to surround Hangman. When they got there, Jenna noticed that all of the pilots from their mission were standing around talking and laughing.
"Hey guys," Jenna greeted them with a smile. Coyote nodded back to her and Payback and Fanboy came over to strike up a conversation. But before they could get started, the microphone screeched over the speakers.
"Testing, testing," Hangman said low into the mic. Satisfied with the sound, he began explain to the gathered crowd the rules for the night.
"How does he know all of this already?" Jenna whispered to Coyote.
"Oh he's been talking to Penny about this for a few days now," Coyote whispered back. Jenna stifled a laugh as she turned her attention back to Hangman.
"Now to kick things off," Hangman started. "I'm gonna be signing one of my favorite songs." He turned back towards the jukebox, hitting the number 86. Music played through the speakers as Hangman began to sing "Slow Ride" by Fog Hat. Rooster snorted next to Jenna as she remembered that Hangman had been playing this song when Rooster unplugged the jukebox a few weeks ago.
Halfway through the song, Hangman pulled Phoenix and Coyote over to him, and the three of them sang together, laughing through the song. As the song finished, the crowd erupted into cheers and Hangman handed the mic over the Fanboy and Payback.
Jenna heard the song start, but her attention was pulled outside as she spotted Maverick and Penny standing together on the beach, facing the water. Her heart sank a little bit as she watched her father embrace Penny, understanding what they were both feeling. Tomorrow, her dad would be leading a near-impossible mission, and her friends and Bradley were going along with him. The reality that some of them may not come back hit Jenna as she unfocused from Maverick and stared at her reflection in the window. She heard the song wind down, but didn't make a move to step away from the window until she saw Rooster coming up behind her in the reflection.
"Come on," Rooster said, grabbing her hand softly. "We're up next."
"What?" Jenna started. "I did not agree to this at all," she said, trying to avoid going with Rooster.
"Too late," Rooster smirked at her and they walked to the front of the crowd. Instead of selecting a song off the jukebox, Rooster settled down on the piano, playing a few scales to warm up. Payback handed Jenna the microphone and she turned to Rooster.
"What song are we doing?" she asked.
"Put the mic on top of the piano," Rooster said, gesturing in front of him. "I'll sing the first part. You'll know it, I promise."
"Okay," Jenna said nervously. Rooster flashed her a smile as she placed the mic on the piano and stood leaning against the side of the instrument, watching him as he flexed his fingers as the bar quieted down.
(AN: The song is "Next to Me" by Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler if you want to listen as you read this next part.)
"Didn't even want to go out, why'd you call me?" Rooster began singing. "Had a long day and still got laundry. Two, three, four, make me drink more, then you walk through the door."
A grin broke out on Jenna's face as she recalled playing this song for him in the car when he took her to play paintball.
"All my friends are buying blow in the bathroom. There's people climbing up the wall 'cause it's a packed house. "Who are you? What's your name?" I ask. Surprised she answered fast. " Rooster sang as Jenna moved from her position next to the piano and sat down on the bench next to him.
"I think there's too many random bodies dancing near us, if three's a crowd, what would you call this?" Rooster looked at Jenna as he began singing the chorus. "Yeah, we should go somewhere. You choose, I don't care. As long as you're right here, stay next to me. Yeah, we can barely stand. And we both don't know this band. I'll move, just hold my hand, stay next to me."
Rooster continued playing the notes of the song as he gestured to the microphone. Jenna picked it up off of the piano, ready for her part in the song.
"The cigarettes and the burn of your whiskey, I can taste on my tongue when you kiss me," She nudged Rooster with her shoulder and winked at him as she stood up from her seat on the bench, getting into the song. "Down your drink faster than me. You ask if you can see," she sang as she trailed her hand across Rooster's shoulder, walking around to his other side. "my bedroom and the place that I grew up, my life goals and the times that I threw up. Said you're down to take a ride, so let's grab a cab in five."
Jenna sat back down next to Rooster, holding the microphone for him as he sang the next part, "I think there's too many random bodies dancing near us. If three's a crowd, what would you call this?"
Jenna and Rooster leaned both leaned towards the microphone between them to sing the chorus together, "Yeah, we should go somewhere. You choose, I don't care. As long as you're right here, stay next to me. Yeah, we can barely stand. And we both don't know this band. I'll move, just hold my hand, stay next to me." The two took a quick breather as Rooster continued to play the piano.
"Time is standing still," Rooster sang.
"Throw a couple twenties on the bill, I can't waste another second here, how 'bout you?" Jenna looked at Rooster. "We're turning down your street,"
"And you've got your hands all over me," Rooster looked back at Jenna and shot her a wink. Jenna blushed slightly, and joined back in with him. "There's no place on earth I'd rather be than with you (with you, yeah)."
Jenna stood back up off the bench, and Rooster stood with her, abandoning the piano and the crowd in the Hard Deck sang along with them. "Yeah, we should go somewhere. You choose, I don't care. As long as you're right here, stay next to me. Yeah, we can barely stand. And we both don't know this band. I'll move, just hold my hand, stay next to me."
As they sang the chorus for the final time, Bradley grabbed Jenna's hand and pulled her close, just the microphone between them. Keeping their hands entwined, Jenna looked into Bradley's eyes as they sang, the words like a promise between them. "Yeah, we should go somewhere. You choose, I don't care. As long as you're right here, stay next to me. Yeah, we can barely stand. And we both don't know this band. I'll move, just hold my hand, stay next to me."
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AN: FINALLY!!! I have been waiting to share this scene with you guys for so long. I've listened to this song more times than I can count, imagining Jenna and Bradley in this scene. Let me know what you guys think!!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the song or lyrics of "Next to Me" by Quinn XCII and Chelsea Culter. All rights to them.