The bar was located on a less populated corner of the downtown strip. The seclusion was fitting because it had all the makings of Hipsterville. An entire flock of bearded men in flannel inhaling vape pens littered the outdoor patio. The music escaping the outdoor speakers was pretty much in sync with the singer Seven had on in the car. Seven greeted the hipsters with an uninterested head nod. I mimicked him even though I'd never met any of them in my entire life.
The outside of Beard Brew was definitely a preview to what greeted us on the inside. More dudes in flannel with their lips wrapped around vaporizer pens. And beards. Lots and lots of beards. There was a stage in the center of the small bar, a microphone standing proudly, waiting for a singer to pour their hearts into it. The walls were painted brown and had the logos of all the hot indie bands plastered on them. Dim lights enhanced the hazy atmosphere. Most of the furniture looked like it was made out of scraps scavenged from a junk yard. I liked it.
"Why is there so much flannel," I asked, following Seven to a booth in the corner.
He chuckled. "Every Monday if you have a beard and rock flannel you get free beers."
I nodded. "Interesting."
"Yeah. I'm going to go sign up for the open mic. Do you want me to buy you a drink?"
"Yeah. Surprise me."
He smiled cunningly and trotted over to the bar. I watched him chat it up with a bartender. His smile was wide, matching the woman he was talking to. Clearly, they were friends. From the corner of the bar, where I was sitting, I could tell she was attractive. She had a short blunt bob that complimented her round face perfectly. Her lips had the appearance of being filled with silicone, but it didn't dampen her beauty. She was wearing a tight long sleeved lace shirt, revealing two arms filled with tattoos. After a few more whispers and hushed giggles, they both shot a look in my direction, instantly my eyes fell to my lap. Was he talking about me?
Two minutes later he was back at the booth, drink less. "She's going to bring em over."
I nodded. "Cool."
He sat and scanned me. "What's with the band-aids?"
I contemplated lying like I did to Brie. I settled on honesty. "I got tested today. With my dad. Totally awkward."
His face lit up in disbelief. "With your dad? That's so cool! How did it go?"
"I passed out. But at least I'm HIV negative. I would have died if I wasn't."
"No you wouldn't." he sounded insulted, even though his smile betrayed his words.
I shrugged. "I just really thought I would be positive," I explained, feeling a bit defensive. "That doesn't scare you?"
He shrugged. "My ex-boyfriend was positive. It's not as scary once you do your research."
"Wait, are you positive?"
He shook his head. "No," he mumbled flatly.
"Sorry."
"No, it's fine. You're young, kid."
The sound of glass hitting the aluminum table interrupted any silence that was going to follow. I looked up and the girl from the bar was hovering over us. "One blue long island for Sebastian," her emerald eyes locked onto mine, "and a rum and coke for the under aged boy." She smiled, tucking a piece of black hair behind her ear.
"Travis, Harlow. Harlow, Travis."
She gave me a delicate handshake. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," I agreed, blushing.
"Yeah, she's my lil' roomie. And best friend."
Harlow had a flirtatious aura about her. Her mannerisms were soft and delicate, betraying her bad girl aesthetic. Smokey eyes, professional level contour, super snatched eyebrows, and two arms littered with tattoos. She was a rose with thorns. "I let him believe he's my best friend," she joked.
"Okay, she's right. Because a best friend wouldn't have served me a watered down drink."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever just make sure you tip! Travis, it was a dope pleasure meeting you."
He guffawed, a little bit of his drink flew from his mouth and landed on the table. "Dope pleasure?"
She flicked him off before disappearing back behind the bar.
Three sips was all it took for me to get buzzed. The warm feeling alcohol gifted us with helped conversation flow effortlessly. Any nerves swarming around inside of me was burned by the cocktail. Seven's smile never faltered. Even when I went into a semi-long rant about Tyrique and how much of an idiot he was. He agreed and told me a story about a closet case he dated when he was my age.
Seven's demeanor was always so cool, like he smoked a blunt and never left the clouds. When I told him the about what happened at the clinic, he laughed and slammed his hand against the table. His laughter was contagious; we must've looked drunk out our minds, laughing carelessly in a drunken spur. My arm landed on the table, reaching for nowhere. In the midst of catching our breath, the tips of our fingers grazed one another. The simple interaction ignited a fire in my loins. He didn't move his hand until they announced him to the stage.
"B-R-B."
He walked to the stage; a trail of eyes lustfully followed him. I probably would've felt jealous if I wasn't drunk and the room wasn't spinning. The lights faded to black. A fat guy wearing a security shirt shined a spotlight on Seven, giving him an ethereal glow. Harlow quickly strutted over and took a seat where Seven just was. She greeted me with another gorgeous smile and then turned toward the stage.
"I didn't bring my guitar tonight," Seven stated, through a swivel of static. "I'm just going to do this one acapella. I wrote it not too long ago. It's about you know, fucking heartbreak and shit. This dude I used to talk to—I don't really care 'bout him anymore. But the other night, I got so fucking high, and I realized I never told him how I really felt. And well this is how I feel."
The room fell quiet aside from a few hipster girls cackling in the back of the bar.
"You were the fire that burned inside of me / If it wasn't for you I could not see/ So why did you leave me..."
He didn't need his guitar or a backing instrumental. I felt the sorrow swimming in his lungs. The sullen feeling of abandonment dragging in every note. He went on singing his sad song, and his voice continued to caress me. I closed my eyes and fell inside of his story. I imagined rain and thunder roaring, while a helpless boy cried after his lover left him. The world was black and white. Only the boy's heartbeat was in color. It might've been the alcohol, but I swore at that moment his voice could move mountains. I opened my eyes. Not a single soul had their eyes on their phones, or ducked off in other directions. All eyes were on him.
I wanted to dance while you held my hand / All I wanted was just to be your man...
I needed to know who broke his heart. Who left him abandoned in the rain? Whoever this guy was—he was a fucking idiot. Seven had a heart of gold, he had goals, and from the bit I knew of him, he seemed understanding. So how could someone abandon a person with such passion burning inside of them? I couldn't help but compare him to Tyrique. Tyrique failed on every level. He had no motivation, no future, no love, no passion. The guy of my dreams was singing here right in front of me.
When the song ended the bar erupted with applause.
I felt a tear sliding down my cheek.
"Here," Harlow said, handing me a napkin from the dispenser. "Happens to me every time that boy sings." She wiped the trickling mascara from her eyes. "He's so talented."
"I know."
Seven lingered around, accepting quick congratulatory shoulder taps from everyone. He even posed for a few selfies.
We stayed and watched the other acts. Not everyone was as good as Seven. A vast majority of the people who signed up sounded like cats suffocating. Seven cheered them on more than the singers that actually nailed their performances. It was so commendable. He told me that he knew what it was like performing somewhere and having no one moved by it. He said if he hadn't met Harlow, he would have never stepped back up on that stage again.
It was almost midnight when we left the bar. The dawn of a new school day breathing down my neck. After three additional drinks, I didn't want to leave. I enjoyed the loose feeling that came along with being shit faced. I noticed the reluctance in Seven's stoner boy demeanor as well. He kept giggling as I stumbled to his car. It felt gratifying hearing him laugh at my own expense. He drove at a slower speed than normal through a sleepy Delray Beach. It could've been that he had been drinking and wanted to be extra careful, in case a cop noticed him swerving. I hoped it was actual reluctance. We mostly rode in silence, quietly enjoying each other's company. He finally spoke when we arrived to my empty driveway.
"Sorry again about not going to your lil' party." He turned off his car. The quiet whispers of a sleeping suburbia seeped in through the cracked windows.
I waved a hand at him dismissively. "No I get it. You don't want to be around a bunch of high schoolers. I wouldn't either," I slurred.
He smiled. "So you enjoyed yourself?"
I nodded a little too enthusiastically. "You made me fuckiiiiiing cry."
A bashful smile flew across his face. "Thanks." His amber eyes scanned me for a moment. He leaned over and I thought he would kiss me, but he only unbuckled my seatbelt. Tricked again. "Hey, you look pretty messed up. Is it alright if I walk you into the house? I need to change and head to the club.
"At midnight?" I asked.
The flicker of sadness returned. "Yeah, I'm actually running late." He reached into the backseat and whipped out the backpack from the other night. "I'll be quick."
He exited the car first and opened the door for me. I'm not sure when the current wave of drunkenness hit me, but when I stood, the world became a carousel. "I'm so gone," I mumbled.
Everything that crossed my mind started to pour out. I started randomly talking about school. Brie leaving. My father's depression and our recent bonding moments. I didn't even care when the words, "you're so beautiful." Fell from my lips, as he walked me to the front door. "I like you."
He didn't respond. That didn't stop me from mumbling things I'd probably regret later. "Key under mat," I hissed, leaning against the wall.
Seven opened the door. Darkness welcomed us. The scent of my father's morning coffee still lingered in the air. "Where's your room?"
I looked skyward. "Upstairs."
Seven grabbed my arm and carefully pulled me toward the stairs. Before I could fall backward, he caught me—his hand landing on my lower back. After a hike that felt like twenty minutes, I was in my bed. My eyes were closed, keeping them open made me dizzy. I listened to the sound of Sevens footsteps brushing against my carpet. He was exploring my room, trying to piece together who I really was. When the movement stopped, I opened my eyes.
He was in the center of the floor getting undressed. Underneath the skin of his back were perfectly carved mountains of muscle. I stayed quiet and perversely enjoyed my private show. When he pulled off his shorts, his immaculately round ass was directly in my line of sight. I wanted to die. I was definitely going to need to rub one out the second he left. I kept praying that he'd turn around, just so I could see his dick without the protection of skimpy undergarments. Unfortunately for me, he reached into his bag, hopped into a pink jock strap, followed by a pair of black jean shorts. The shorts intentionally left a bit of his ass hanging out.
I closed my eyes again before he turned around. He walked closer and hovered over me. "Travis?" he asked, lightly tapping my shoulder.
I opened my eyes and yawned. "Yeah? Did I fall asleep?"
He smiled mischievously. "Yeah. I'm just checking to make sure you're okay, kid."
"I'm just really drunk."
"You 'bout to throw up? You need me to stay here?"
Yes, and climb into bed with me while you're at it. "No I'm fine." He raised his eyebrows, not convinced. "I swear, Seven. I'm fine. You can gooooooooo."
"Okay," he reached into his bag and pulled out a water bottle. "Drink this. Try to get some sleep. I feel bad. It's a school night. I'm not tryin' to fuck up your high school career."
"I'll be fine."
He sighed. "Okay, no more drinking on school nights, okay?"
He cared. He fucking cared. "Alright."
I couldn't let him leave without asking, "When will I see you again?"
"What time do you get up for school?"
"Seven."
"Perfect. I'll drive you to school. Make sure you're alright. Now get some sleep, kid. I'll lock the door on my way out."
I nodded.
I waited until the moment I heard the night stalker fading off into the night before I got undressed and jerked off.