Big Mac
There were a lot of people from school sitting around outside by the time we pulled up to the Café. They were all sitting near the small set-up of speakers, microphone, and overhead lights near the restaurant. I took a quick glance and saw it was Flash playing something or other.
Lime put her hand back into her jacket and jumped out the truck, and I could hear the sound of the blacktop beneath her boots as I turned off the truck.
There was more footsteps coming up from the side as I stepped out. "Hey, you two." It was Doo Wop.
"Howdy."
"Hey." Lime's cheeks turned a bit darker as her voice lightened up a bit from her usual.
"I'm about to take off. Want me to get your usual?"
"Yup."
"Sure." Lime's voice cracked a bit before she turned away and coughed into her sleeve.
"Order of fries with basically everything on 'em, rocky road milkshakes, and peach cobbler coming right up." She ran back into the restaurant with a bounce in her step.
Lime watched her as she stepped away before quickly turning back towards the tailgate and opened it with her free hand. I took a seat on the edge as she took a seat beside me and let her boots barely scrape against the ground.
The small crowd was hoopin' and hollerin' as Flash went into a little lick I recognized as he ended the song. It was probably something AJ used to play all the dang time when she was just getting into guitar. I couldn't help but laugh thinking back on that.
Flash was eating it up. We could see him grinning from ear to ear from where we were sitting. He started playing the next song as the crowd quieted down. Again, it was something I recognized. Some blues standard probably. Lime leaned against the side of the truckbed, leaving the setting sun to darken half her face, and she did her snort-chuckle that she usually does as we both watched him go hog-wild on a song that we've probably heard a thousand times. She never stopped glaring at him, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to ask why.
I could hear footsteps getting closer. It was Doo Wop again with our order. "Here you two go."
Lime jumped a few inches off the tailgate.
Doo Wop laughed a bit before saying, "Sorry, dude, didn't mean to scare ya."
Doo Wop was out of her uniform as she handed us our order.
"Mind if I join you two for a bit? I got extra." Doo Wop had already taken one of our fries as she asked.
Lime was in the middle of her milkshake that was just handed to her and tried to say, "Oh, uh, sure," through a mouthful and scooted down to the end of truck.
Doo Wop planted herself right in the middle shaking the truck, ruffled the hair of Lime, and grabbed me by the neck to pull me down and do the same.
"Letting your hair grow out a bit, Big Mac?"
"Yup."
"Looks good on ya'." Doo Wop took took another fry before asking, "So how have you been doing Lime? I keep having to ask your sisters."
Lime tried to not let her body language show, but her head sunk down a bit before saying, "I've been fine," and took another drink.
"Well I don't get to see ya' too much, so you should come around sometime." Doo Wop nudged her while she took another fry for herself.
Lime strained a bit as Doo Wop pressed against her, but I didn't say anything. I did want to, but Lime was looking up at her as she was telling her about something or other.
People were cheering again as Flash finished and began saying something as I noticed the two girls off the side. Sunset and Twilight (the one with the glasses) were standing off to the side, and Flash announced her and waved her up as she walked up to the stool on the stage as the crowd stopped clapping. Twilight said something to her and handed a guitar to Sunset.
That was when my breathing got heavier. There was a conversation happening off to my side, but I stopped being able to hear it. I know why it was happening, and it's so stupid.
It wasn't even Twlight's fault. Just seeing her again got me thinking about the Friendship Games again. Not being able to do anything as I watched others dangle over the portals. Not knowing where the others were. The change in air pressure pulling the doors open and slamming them against the walls. All this happened as a a fallen angel lashed out at the world.
There's a voice in the back of my head that is glad to finally put that school behind me. No more magic bullshit, pardon my language.
Then more comes though. This will probably keep happening, and then what about my sisters? What about Granny? What about my friends? Trixie? Those two, Snips and Snails? That's where this all started today anyways. I don't even know if I do - or can do - anything for any of them, and this is something I don't even know if I can talk about. There's so much I think about and want to say, but then I think about how my sister and her friends keep fighting. They keep going as if things are completely normal.
Hell, my sister is the happiest she's ever been. That's when I noticed Sunset again on the stool. What she did didn't even do the same thing to me. Hell, Sunset is the reason AJ is so happy.
"Hey, you good?" Doo Wop was looking over at me.
Lime's mouth was also open as if she was about to say something, and I could see her brow relax and sink.
"I probably just ruined the night," was the only thing I could think about.
"Some friends convinced me to come play this tonight. I hope you like it." We all looked at Sunset as she made the announcement and chuckled, clearly a little nervous.
I recognized the finger-picking pattern. I felt like I should recognize it. We were completely quiet as she began singing.
The sun was almost completely down, and only the light from the restaurant and the small overhead lights lit up the parking lot
Nobody in the crowd said anything. It was hard to get a read on the atmosphere. Lime looked over at me before going back to focusing on the performance. Doo Wop was just leaning back kicking her legs just taking the song in.
Despite the tone of the song, Sunset was smiling the whole time.
?
I wish I could feel that way about the things I made again.
Big Mac
She was finishing a solo and was wailing her dang lungs out. My focus was back on her as she slowed down, letting the song come to an end.
It was silent. The crowd didn't move. Sunset's face didn't change, but she couldn't move. It seemed like she didn't want to be there. I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what to do. Then a small sound came from beside Sunset. Twlight had sprung up, and it seemed like she wanted to disappear too. But she was clapping quickly. It was so quiet despite how quick and intense it was. Sunset looked over, and a smile crept back on to her face. Flash joined immediately after.
It was clear Sunset no longer cared what the crowd thought.
I started clapping and Doo Wop joined right after with a whistle. Lime let out a "Woo!" before her voice cracked, causing her to turn away and cough.
Sunset was laughing as she turned and waved at us before running off to her friends.
The crowd began to dissipate and talk among themselves as it was clear the music was done.
Doo Wop stood up and patted her jeans before saying, "Hey I'm gonna go check to see if they need anything before I go? See you two later?"
"Yup."
"Yeah."
"See ya' around."
Lime just watched her walk off before saying, "Wanna go home?"
"Yup."