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Post by MICHAEL CONNER BARTON on Mar 29, 2013 14:23:59 GMT -5
 --- i'll be there when you close your eyes ,. [/color][/size][/font] ( HOLD YOU TIGHT, SAY GOODNIGHT )[/center]
Michael was gingerly sipping his drink as he watched the bartenders buzz about from his perch on a stool. The soft pitter, patter of sound was very soothing on his frazzled nerves and, aside from the clanking of glasses and bottles from behind the bar, the only sound in the establishment. It was late. Probably nearing midnight. Not many other people were here save for himself, the toiling waitress flirting with the only other customer, and of course that other customer. Michael didn't bother to flick a glance over his shoulder to see who it was. He didn't care. His mood was sullen and all he wanted was his drink and to stare into nothing.
Today had been a trying one for the Michael. Michael now had visiting parents to juggle with him suddenly very full and busy work day. Parents who were very much insistent that they become a family that did all that hugging, mushy feeling stuff like family dinners, and movie nights. It was weird and awkward. Yeah, he loved his mother at times. And by proxy he cared for his father. But they had become very clingy since his mother’s retirement and so loving it was nearly suffocating him. He wasn't use to people caring what time he got home, nor was he use to people tackling him in a flying hug the moment he walked through the door. Especially when he had separated brawling youngster going after his brother earlier that day and left bruised all over. It wasn't that he didn't love that he had parents now that cared-because he did-it was just a bit too much for him at the moment.
And then there was Bran. The boy had been living with him, depending on him like he was his actual father and it was overwhelming. He loved him dearly and, in his eyes, he was more like a son to him but moreover he was his parent’s son. Michael was struggling with the simplicities of brotherhood that he was positive his mother would had mastered the moment she held Brandon as a babe. For instance, Michael didn't know that Bran didn't eat white bread but only wheat bread. What kid ate so healthy? He misjudged the fact that his mother before him had raised him the proper, healthy way. He didn't know that Bran was allergic to hazel nuts until he had to drive him to the hospital. He had received a firm phone call from the Doctor for that one. Michael didn't know that Bran couldn't sleep without having been told a bedtime story for at least a week of having the boy under his roof. He didn't know a lot of things, most of those were how to be a good caretaker. He was honestly just trying to fucking survive the struggle of it all. He didn't regret a thing, he loved her brother and he loved that he was so close to him all the time nowadays, he only wished he knew half of what a parent does.
And that was why Michael was here, so late, drinking another rum and coke and people watching. Because his visiting parents were being ridiculously (though admittedly, pleasantly) overbearing. Because his day had been shit and he was stressed the fuck out. Because Brandon had been asleep by the time he managed to get through the door of the apartment. And because his brain was riddled with clouded judgment from his earlier beverage choice of rum and coke. Even with all the buzzing negative thoughts of everything going on that day, a smile crept onto Michael’s face as he thought about his parent’s returning home and being able to spend his future free time without annoyance.
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Post by CASSADEE ILSE BEAUFORT on Mar 29, 2013 14:48:33 GMT -5
 
it wasn't every day that cassadee beaufort decided to hit up the bars alone. as a general rule, she liked to travel in a pack - either a group of girls intent on having a nice night out, or with a beau to take the arm of. sometimes, however, she didn't go out in her usual group of friends - sometimes, all she really wanted to do was go into a bar by herself and drink her woes away. was that such a terrible thing, being as young as she was? as it turned out, dee had become quite accustomed to flashing her fake id and batting those pretty lashes of hers to get at least one free drink out of the deal, though she didn't always stay long.
she'd been feeling particularly melancholy lately, as well; her parents had been enthusiastically digging their claws into her life, sucking out any energy that she might have had. since summer break started, it had been a long stream of 'cassadee, come do this' and 'dee, let's go and look at this' - a constant flurry of summer galas and chatting with people she didn't care to chat with, building social connections that she was expected to upkeep when she would have much rather been doing something else with her time.
and there was really only so much a young girl could take, you know. because when she wasn't being dragged by her mother to those parties that she was supposed to make an appearance at, she was arguing with her - sometimes even at the parties they would argue, and it would always be the same thing. you have a responsibility to be an older sister, was how her mother would start. being a professional dancer isn't going to leave a good impression for your sister - you should try to find a different job. a steadier job. or a wealthy man to settle down with-
it was unfortunate, of course, that cassadee had no intention of doing either of those things - at least not yet. as far as she was concerned, ballet was the only occupation she wanted to try and pursue; marrying a wealthy man and living out the rest of her life as a demure housewife like her mother envisioned was not something that appealed to her.
all of this was getting pushed to the back of her mind when the slender brunette stepped into the bar. it was mostly unpopulated; it definitely wasn't the bustling party scene that she usually attended, but that was sort of what she was looking for. she wasn't sure she was in the mood to party a whole lot anyway.
stepping up to the bar, cassadee shot a quick side-glance at the young man who'd already seemed to make himself quite comfortable. well, she thought as she sat down next to him, he looks a little lonely. and yes, while she hadn't come here with the intention of doing anything but drinking, there was no denying that cassadee beaufort was a social butterfly - and chatting with people she'd never met before was a bit of her forte.
"seems a bit sad that you'd be here drinking alone," she commented lightly, smoothing back a lock of mahogany hair and waving for the bartender to get her drink - a white russian, her usual beginning of the night drink, and gave the man beside her an easygoing smile. "i'm cassadee, by the way. you looked lonely, so i thought i'd come see why that was."
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Post by MICHAEL CONNER BARTON on Mar 29, 2013 20:29:51 GMT -5
--- i'll be there when you close your eyes ,. [/color][/size][/font] ( HOLD YOU TIGHT, SAY GOODNIGHT )[/center] Of course, however, because the universe liked to have its kicks with delivering problems at the worst of times, Michael's train of thought was interrupted by a body sliding into the barstool next to him. Eyebrows rising nearly to is hairline, Mike's eyes landed on the spot to where the voice whom is talking to him. If he had been surprised when the younger woman invited herself to the seat nest to him, he is all but completely astounded as she smiles at Michael. He regards Cassadee pensively, trying to make sense of the various emotions battling for dominance in his mind. He loathes the prospect of someone trying to ruin his night, fully and completely... but he is also aware that his reasons for doing so have rather little to do with the girl herself.
Mike had a tendency to act and react in numerous toxic ways before giving people a chance, but as he takes the time now to study what he is surprised to find is actually a rather pleasant face, he supposes there is some truth in that saying 'it takes two to tango'. He knows he dislikes the Earth's way of dealing with things, but it dawns on him only now that as far as personality is concerned, that you truly do get more by using honey rather than vinegar. Metaphorically speaking of course.
It seemed alcohol consumption did help when it came to Mike being more approachable. Again he surprises himself as he lets out a low chuckle at the thought, his gums feeling pleasantly warm in response to the alcohol he had bestowed upon himself over the last hour. ”Seems a bit mean to point it out to a man who already knows,” he replied back. ”,but I agree with you. It is a bit sad.” Mike smiled to show he meant no harm before taking another sip of his drink.
He turned in his seat towards Cassadee before clearing his throat. ”Nice to meet you Cassadee, I’m Michael. Let me guess, you’re from the Academy.” It seemed to be the only logically explanation. Michael found that Maple Hollow was filled with only two large groups: students, and the parents of those students. The town was strictly filled with elemental folks who probably knew about this lifestyle since they were young. Unlike Michael, who was tossed into this crazy comic book type world of powers and secrets right when he entered his teenage years.
As Cassadee’s drink came by, Mike flagged down the bartender in hopes of getting his attention. ”That’s on my tab,” he offered to the bartender. Smiling at his new bar acquaintance, Mike shrugged a casual indifference. ”It’s the least I can do for someone willing to keep me company.” He studied Cassadee for a moment or two while he thought of what to say. She had hinted her curiosity as to why Michael was alone, but he could have asked her the same thing. If she was here besides him it must have meant she came to Blackjack by herself as well. ”I came here to escape my newly suffocating parents. What about you? What motivated you to come here and cheer up lonely bar goers?”
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Post by CASSADEE ILSE BEAUFORT on Mar 30, 2013 12:21:09 GMT -5
there hadn't been many times in cassadee's young life when she'd actually gone drinking alone - she tended to surround herself with people because it made her feel better. this was something that she'd come to terms with a long time ago - she wasn't always social because it was in her nature (which it was) but also because it felt nice to be around people who wanted to be around her. she couldn't really get that at home. she may be the older daughter, who got decent grades and might be able to make a living out of ballet - but she was still the daughter that was, as far as her mother was concerned, lesser in comparison to her younger sister kennedy.
as much as cassadee would have liked to resent kennedy for being the main focal point of her arguments with their mother, she couldn't, not really. oh, there was certainly frustration - she didn't understand how she could do things right and still get in trouble, so eventually she stopped doing some things right and just started doing them wrong. but she didn't think she could ever really resent kennedy for something like that, not completely. she couldn't blame kennedy for the fact that she was not measuring up to her mother's idea of who she was supposed to be.
that's why she took these little moments off - escaping from her usual group of friends, the regular parties she attended, and the pressures from her parents - and decided to go out on her own for a little while. at the very least, it had allowed her to meet this fellow she was chatting with now, and she was beginning to feel like this would be a good thing.
as much as she would have liked to say she looked like she was twenty one, however, she was quite certain she looked a sight younger. she had too much teenage rebellion in her features to truly pass off as legal to drink; however, the bartender - and, as the case may seem, her companion - didn't seem to mind too much.
seems a bit mean, the brunette pointed out to her, and she laughed lightly, taking a sip of her drink when it arrived. "perhaps it was a bit mean," cassadee agreed, giving him a winning smile and taking another sip of her white russian. "but i said it only out of concern for your well-being. besides, aren't you pleased i came to chat with you anyway?" and there was that shining-self-confidence that oozed from her pores - it had to come out eventually, and whether or not it was appealing, they would have to find out. some people liked her confidence; others? not so much.
"nice to meet you as well, michael," dee replied after a moment, settling more comfortably into her sat and daintily crossing one leg over the other as she surveyed him carefully. he obviously didn't go to the academy - she would have known him if he did, she was certain - but he couldn't have been that much older than her. "that would be a correct assumption on your part. does that make my company any less desirable?" his guess seemed to bother her very little; so what if he knew that she was in the academy? she'd be graduating soon anyway, and then it wouldn't matter.
her drink was preemptively purchased. that was a luxury she was grateful for - because it happened one way or another, eventually. either the guy was a gentleman and didn't want her paying for the first drink, or he was expecting something out of getting her a drink. michael didn't seem like the latter, so she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he was the former instead.
after thanking him for buying her drink, she laughed when he mentioned his reasoning for being here was because of suffocating parents. oh, wow, did that sound familiar. her laugh wasn't mocking so much as it was a dry humor; what were the chances of her meeting someone who was suffering from the same smothering parental units as she was? unlikely - and yet, here she was, talking with young michael, who seemed to be plagued by some of the same demons she was.
"do you mean to say a girl can't just come in and cheer up a handsome fellow?" she teased, swirling her drink around in her glass for a moment before taking another drink. "but in all reality, i came for basically the same reason you did. my parents are driving me crazy - my mother, mostly - so i wanted to come here and get away from it. wasn't really in the mood to party."
cassadee cleared her throat after a moment, studying her drink and then looking back at michael with a light, easy smile. "lucky that we found each other, isn't it? otherwise, i might have gotten stuck talking to someone boring, and god knows that would have all but spoiled my night."
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Post by MICHAEL CONNER BARTON on Mar 31, 2013 17:27:04 GMT -5
--- i'll be there when you close your eyes ,. [/color][/size][/font] ( HOLD YOU TIGHT, SAY GOODNIGHT )[/center]
Michael couldn’t help but laugh at Cassadee’s response. Talk about confidence. ”No, your company is welcomed so far. But you do look a little young to be enrolled in college courses,” he replied, giving Cassadee a knowing look. And if Cassadee was still in high school she shouldn’t have been able to slip into the bar and easily get a drink. Somehow females always seemed to have it easier getting drinks without flashing an ID. ”Don’t worry, I won’t rat you out. I’m still there for school myself, though my presence here won’t land me into any trouble. We all need to cut loose once and awhile.” He knew it well enough from his time at high school.
He shook his head when Cassadee began to tease him. ”Didn’t say I was complaining. Just curious.” Mike would be a fool to say he was upset with his current company. Of course he had only met her and first impressions meant nothing to him. The more she opened her mouth and spoke through out the night would determine if Mike would be complaining later or not. ”I promise to let you know if that changes though,” he replied honestly. Good appearances didn’t null out certain qualities in his book and if Cassadee turned out to more of a bother than he’d find the first possible excuse out the door.
Pausing before taking another pull at his drink, Mike placed the empty glass on the hard tabletop surface. ”Let me guess…your parents don’t approve of something you do. So naturally, you do it anyway. And then they only complain more.” Of course Michael had no way of knowing what really dragged Cassadee to Blackjack, but there were few options when it involved parents. It was all too common the same story of either over bearing or disapproving parents that drive their kids further away. Reason would have Mike to believe it was either of these options that brought Cassadee before him. ”Am I right?” he asked.
He played with the small straw in his empty glass before bringing it to his mouth and chewing on the end. ”My parents have turned their visit into an extended vacation. My pull out couch has never had to deal with such an extended stay.” Summer vacation was over and the two should have been on a flight back to Florida. ”And my subtle hints of staying at a hotel have been lost on them. My brother isn’t helping by suggesting they stay longer.” Shaking his head slightly Michael rolled his eyes at the unfortunate situation he was in. He had about a half a week’s time left of patience before he predicted he would have to up his attempts at giving them the boot.
This was almost turning out to be like a movie; two lonely souls in a less than crowded bar. Similar stories for the night, sharing a drink as they escape their problems for a brief moment. Almost too corny to be true and yet here they were. Producers made millions out of shittier stories than this. ”You never know Cassadee, the night’s young. I could begin to bore you later down the line.” he joked. ”A spoiled night might be worse than imprisonment with both of our parents.”
Mike flagged down the bartender, this time for himself, pointing at his now empty glass. One more couldn’t hurt him, but he was definitely towing the line between driving home and calling a cab. ”So tell me, do your parents really give you a hard time, or is it a bit of teenage rebellion they can’t quite handle just yet?” How much trouble could a teenage girl cause? Strike that thought, a lot. Mike had a few friends who would have given their mothers’ heart attacks if they really knew what their daughters were up to. Mental note, in the future he’d much rather raise a boy than a girl is karma was going to bite him in the ass and give him a child who was just as rowdy as he had been.
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