HeartBeat

by DemonBrightSpirit

Closing Time

Noisy. If I could describe this club in one word, it would have to be “noisy.” The thumping bass rattled the empty glass in front of me. Though, I couldn’t hear it rattle. I couldn’t hear anything over the music. But I could see the ice cubes jiggle along with the beat.

I didn’t like the lights, either. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to see in the middle of the day, but in here the lights were all multi-colored and flashing. Worse, it was either completely blinding or too dim to see. It made my eyes hurt.

Leaning on the counter, I adjusted my seat. Or I tried to. The stool fell out from underneath me. I tried to catch myself. Instead, I hit my jaw on the counter and fell to the cold floor.

My mouth hurt, but at least my accident didn’t do any real damage. I rubbed my throbbing jaw as I looked over to the overturned barstool. Somehow it had fallen over, but I couldn’t figure it out. I picked myself up and fixed the seat before sitting down again.

I looked over the bar to a clock hanging on the wall. My heart sank as I saw the minute hand reach the top of the clock. I’d been here over an hour, and he was supposed to be here half an hour ago.

I hung my head. It wasn’t all that surprising that he didn’t show up. I mean, it’s not like we really hit it off or anything.

Sighing, I looked down at my empty glass. Just then, a white hoof appeared, pulling the glass away. Looking up, I found a bartender different from the one that gave me my drink earlier. This one was a white mare with a wild blue mane accented with lighter blue streaks. A pair of purple shades hid her eyes from view.

Looking over at me, she stowed my glass behind the bar. Her horn glowed, and she just kept staring at me. She waved a hoof before pointing down. Following the gesture, I found blue letters shimmering on the bar.

HEY CUTIE
WHAT ARE YOU
DRINKING?

I felt a gentle heat spread through me as I looked back up at her. Leaning out over the bar, I tried to talk to her. “No thanks! I’m actually—” No use. Even I couldn’t hear my shouts over the blaring music. I leaned back and thought for a moment. The best I could come up with was to hold a hoof up and give my head a shake.

Thankfully, the barkeep seemed to understand. She nodded at me and turned her attention back to serving the other ponies. Almost as soon as she left, I felt a pang of loneliness again.

Giving a meek sigh, I looked up at the clock again. I watched a few minutes tick away before I couldn’t stand to watch it anymore. Instead I watched the door, as if by some miracle he would actually come strolling in.

He didn’t.

Just as I considered leaving, a bit of motion caught my attention. I saw the bartender giving me a smile as she held out a glass in front of me. Again, shimmering letters appeared on the bar.

MY SPECIALTY
ON THE HOUSE

I eyed the weird drink. Like the barkeep’s mane, it had two-toned blues. Somehow the two hues stayed separated in a brilliant show of stripes held by the glass. I picked it up by the rim and gave it a good swirl. The colors spun and churned in a dizzying display, but they didn’t mix.

I CALL IT A
BLUE TORNADO

Looking back up, I found the bartender grinning at me. She nodded at the drink. Reluctantly, I lifted the glass to my lips and took a sip. A burst of sweet, fruity flavors hit my tongue with just a bite of sour and alcohol. I coughed at the unexpected rush of flavor. As I wiped my mouth, I noticed the barkeep laughing.

PRETTY GOOD, HUH?
BE CAREFUL
THAT WILL KNOCK YOU
ON YOUR FLANK

I smiled at her and nodded, mouthing a “thank you” to her. She smiled back at me and her horn lit up again. I looked down to find more magical letters.

HEY, WHOEVER IS STUPID
ENOUGH TO KEEP A
PRETTY MARE LIKE YOU
WAITING IS A FOOL

Feeling my cheeks heat up, I looked up again to see the barkeep pull her shades low enough for me to see her cerise eyes peek over the lenses. She winked at me before pushing her shades back up. Desperate to hide my reddening cheeks, I grabbed the glass and started drinking.

I managed to get about half of it down before I had to stop. Coughing and sputtering, I all but dropped the glass back onto the bar. I covered my mouth with a hoof as I finally felt like I was starting to breathe again. Daring to look up, I found the bartender nearly falling over with laughter. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling, and the next thing I knew, I was laughing, too.

The whole scene struck me as surreal. Both of us were laughing, but not a single sound could be heard over the noise of that overbearing music. Once we had composed ourselves, the barkeep’s horn glowed again.

IF YOU DONT MIND
WAITING A WHILE
I GET OFF SOON
WANT TO HANG?

I toyed with the glass in my forehooves a moment. Smiling, I looked up and gave her a firm nod. She smiled in turn, and her horn lit up.

COOL! MY NAME IS
VINYL SCRATCH
BY THE WAY
YOU CAN CALL ME
VINYL

Opening my mouth to reply, I realized she wouldn’t be able to hear me. I searched for some other way to give her my name. That’s when I noticed a mascara tube in front of the mare next to me. I grabbed it and a napkin. I scribbled my name on the napkin, and as soon as I capped the mascara, the other mare angrily snatched it back from me. I gave her a smile that I hoped said “sorry” before looking back down at the napkin. Though sloppily written, the lone word read: DERPY.

Vinyl took the napkin in hoof and looked at it a moment. Grinning, she nodded at me. She leaned over and pointed at the clock behind her. Her horn glowed, tracing words on the bar again.

I GET OFF AT
THE END OF
THE HOUR

I had to do a double-take. That wasn’t even ten minutes away. Somehow, I’d spent almost a whole hour talking… or, uh, writing with Vinyl. It hardly even seemed like a few minutes had gone by.

I smiled at Vinyl and gave her a nod. She drew her shades down again, winking at me before giving me a wave and heading down the bar. I gave a contented sigh as I looked down at my drink. I figured it would take me ten minutes or so to finish it. Giving the blue streaks a good swirl, I brought the glass to my lips.

Comments

[Twilight Best Pony]

Interesting.

[Darkmetroidz]

You had my attention
Now you have my interest
Please continue :)

[DuDisms]

I am delighted that this is a thing. So good. I give it a mustache.

[Masterredcow]

I like it already. MUSTACHE!

[Phenoix12]

Derpy X Vinyl

This is new.

This is interesting.

Please continue;.

[nonbinaryduck]

This... Is adorable! I love this unique shipping! Please continue! :D

[Bryan Luna]

6085312 I am thinking kinda the same thing here. I really wanna see more now.

[TheWraithWriter]

I require more.

[Texus]

Nice story, i hope the updates doesn´t take to long, i can wait, but at the last time every story i read stops after a while, it usually takes two- three months for a new chapter, or half a year.

[O1]

Leaning on the counter, I adjusted my seat. Or I tried to. The stool fell out from underneath me. I tried to catch myself. Instead, I hit my jaw on the counter and fell to the cold floor.

OOOOOOH DANG DX

[Dustchu]

I have never seen this ship before... I have to say it is adorably unique, and I like it!
AWWWW

Nice work on this!

[Bookshelf-]

6092091 if you rush your whitening it won't be as good if you take your time.

[Ultimate Ramen]

I honestly hate nightclubs, but you know what I hate even more? Bars that pretend to be nightclubs. GOD. Such an awful experience. Poor Derpy.

[Fervidor]

Haven't seen this one before. Intriguing.

[Alex the changeling]

This was bootiful