Chapter Text
As the bus began to slow, my heartbeat picked up in its place, providing the tempo for my racing thoughts.
I’d seen Haven in pictures before, but nothing prepared me for just how colorful it was. Travel guides and brochures usually have to photoshop places to look this vibrant. It felt as though my eyes were being tricked. Nowhere could possibly hold this much scenic value.
But here I was.
The exact contradiction of the concrete walls and graffiti I was used to.
And it was terrifying.
After a few beats I could see the bus driver turn and look at me expectantly.
I shambled out of the bus, my legs almost completely numb from lack of use.
The bus drove off behind me and I remained, rooted to the ground beneath me. I couldn’t see another soul in sight, but I was sure I looked more out of place than anything this town had ever seen before.
He said to meet on the bridge.
It was difficult, but I willed myself to move. Seeing Gabe again was something I was truly excited about. The scary part was Gabe seeing me again.
He has no idea what I’ve grown into. What if I didn’t fit into this picturesque town he was so sure I was going to just love ?
The wood creaked beneath my feet as I crossed the bridge.
The glimmer of the water beneath caught my eye and I had to look.
Unreal. Everything about this place screamed Disney movies and fairy tales. How did a fuck up like me even get here?
“Alex!”
The scene instantly went from surreal to dreamlike.
The face approaching me was overjoyed and familiar, but at the same time so foreign. Gabe was a man now. He was taller, had a defined jawline, and a beard, but somehow he still has the childlike smile my big brother wore at times. The contrast threw me off but I didn’t have time to be weary of it.
Before I could say anything he was hugging me.
I had to struggle for a moment to repress my fight or flight instinct. Hugging was simply something I didn’t do, but I soon became distracted.
There was a deep sadness radiating out of Gabe.
She’s all grown up. I missed everything.
I sighed and prepared myself for what I do best.
Faking it.
Smiling wryly I pulled away and looked up at Gabe.
“Nice… beard.” I said.
Gabe ran a hand over it before squinting down at me.
“Are you hating?”
“No.. Not hating.. I just… I mean are you a cowboy now, or..?”
Gabe smirked.
“Ah, you’re still a smartass. Are you ready for the tour?”
“Ffffuck yeah.” I nodded.
We both paused mid stride to look at one another.
“That enthusiasm is kind of over the top.” Gabe said.
“Noted.” I nodded.
Maybe I could put a little more work into my ‘faking it’.
As it turned out, Gabe could hone his skills as well. Our first stop was the flower store where I found out he was in the dog house with his girlfriend, Charlotte.
This felt very on brand from what I remember of Gabe. I grinned through the entire process wondering what he’d done.
The girl minding the store was pretty, but distracted. Nevertheless she gave me a warm welcome. It seemed as though Gabe had talked up my arrival all around town.
It was like he knew everybody.
All these welcomes and well wishes from strangers were slowly draining me.
I even had an older lady hug me…
“So, normally I’d invite you in but… I should really patch things up first, you know?” Gabe said.
I glanced at the shop front.
The dispensary. Oh shit.
I would have to get on Charlotte's good side, if for nothing else then for discounts.
“Sure.” I said.
“It should only be a minute, but feel free to look around town if you want. Don’t go too far though.” Gabe said.
I nodded. “Put on the Chen charm.”
Gabe winked at me before disappearing behind the darkly tinted glass on the front door.
I sighed and spun on the spot.
This appeared to be the main street of Haven.
It was so small, and there were so many pedestrians. It wasn’t like Portland where you could simply become invisible. People here made eye contact and tried to start conversations with you. Everyone knows each other, and surely everyone can tell that I do not belong here.
I couldn’t understand why this was making me so anxious.
I started reading the store fronts across the street.
One appeared to be a clothing shop. A mining museum.. A post office.
The one that stood out to me was the largest sign. A record store.
Rocky Mountain Record Store.
Finally something I could identify with.
I crossed the street without a second thought and slid inside as inconspicuous as I could.
The sights and smells inside brought me so much comfort.
I slid my backpack off in a corner near the front of my shop, out of habit mostly because in Portland, shop owners would assume you were there to steal if you were carrying around anything bigger than a purse.
There wasn’t even anyone at the register, but that made it even more perfect.
I let my eyes roam the walls and it was like I could feel all the anxiety wash away in waves.
All the band stickers and posters.
Crystalline, The Fat Lilies, Treehouse, Firewalk.
I sighed in relief. At least there must be a few people in this town that share my taste.
I spotted a record player in the corner. If Gabe wasn’t done by the time I’d finished checking this store out I'd definitely camp out there.
I meandered slowly around, pursuing the records. The staff recommendations indicated that they seemed really into Indie music. Cool.
They had some nice guitars. It made me realize how much I missed playing. Maybe when I get a job and a little stability I could buy one of those babies.
The song that was playing in the store stopped and there was now a DJ talking.
Interestingly, Haven seems to have its own local radio station.
Not bad. This place was already starting to look a bit more appealing.
“So come on down to Rocky Mountain Records if you want to pick up your tickets to the Traveller show happening down in Denver next week.”
A show… Hmm. Wonder if Gabe would wanna go.
The next song began playing and I finally started venturing deeper into the store.
In the very back they had a beautiful Stratocaster backlit behind glass. I tried to squint to see if I could figure out who had autographed it to no avail.
Still super cool.
When I turned around I was surprised to find a small booth with a window. There was a girl dancing like a fool, insane without a care in the world..
Upon further inspection I could see this was a DJ booth. This was literally Haven’s radio station, broadcasting from a record store.
How fucking cool.
The girl crossed the small room to pick up two records.
I admired her outfit as she eyed the tracklist on the back of the records.
She wore a red jacket over a band shirt with a beanie and it suited the hell out of her.
Our eyes met and I felt my muscles lock into place.
Fuck, she’s attractive
She smiled widely at me before holding the records up to the glass.
Oh, she’s asking for my recommendation..
I obviously went with Zombie Parade. Unicorn Sandwich’s new album was weak at best.
She nodded in approval.
And I stood there like a complete idiot staring at the girl as she worked. As pathetic as it sounds, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. The DJ had intense eyes but it completely relaxed and inviting when she smiled. I couldn’t tell what color they were exactly. In this lighting they looked brown but there was a gleam in them. Hazel, maybe? Green?
Everything about this girl just oozes with confidence.
She prepped the record to play and spoke into the microphone without taking her incredible eyes off of mine.
“And now we have a very special request for…some chick.” The DJ said with a smirk that could have stopped my heart.
I blinked rapidly and shook my head, unable to keep from smiling. Is this girl flirting with me?
What a stupid cliche. I didn’t believe in such things ‘at first sight’. This is sure as shit not I was expecting to find within my first 20 minutes in Haven but at the same time, my mind was racing..
I took a deep breath and willed myself to see if she was still staring at me, but she wasn’t. She was now air drumming all over the booth as if this exchange hadn’t happened, but I knew this wasn’t the case.
The girl was feeling something now. I could see it all around her. A purple aura..
I held out a hand as nonchalantly as I could to get a read on her. I didn’t want to get her attention again since I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
I could hear her voice after a while.
“I don’t think I’ve seen her around before… Maybe a tourist? She’s cute, but… she looked pretty young? “
Ugh.
Please, just because I’m short....
Someone grabbed my hand and it took everything in me to keep from screaming.
“I knew I’d find you here.” Gabe said.
“God dammit.” I punched him in the arm.
“Why are you standing around like a creep?” He asked, completely ignoring my assault. “Oh, did you meet Steph?”
Oh shit. God, no..
Gabe knocked on the glass. The girl, Steph, looked happy to see him. Of course, he knows everybody.
He pointed at me excitedly.
The girls’ eyes widened and she opened the door to the booth, poking her head out.
“ That’s your sister?” She asked Gabe before turning to me. “Are you Alex?”
“I am, yeah. Hey.”
I wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. She knew my name. What did Gabe tell her about me?
Steph smiled warmly. “I’m busy now but I look forward to getting to know you Alex.”
I smiled back. Not necessarily because I wanted to, but rather her smile was contagious..
“I.. yeah. For sure..” I said
Steph burned red for a moment.
"Damn, she has a cute smile."
I felt like my face was burning and I diverted my eyes, turning away so she couldn’t see me blush.
Heading back outside it definitely felt brighter in Haven after that encounter.
I wasn’t one to get my hopes up for these sorts of things but…
“So, you’ve met one of my best friends.” Gabe said, he stopped to look down at me. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” I choked.
Oh I must not look okay.. Could he tell I was blushing?
“It’s just a lot of introductions, that’s all. I didn’t expect you to know everybody in town.”
“Well, when there’s not that many people in town it just happens.” Gabe shrugged.
“I guess that must be it.”
“Well, I can promise you booze at our next stop. Does that make you feel better?”
“Yes.” I grinned.
Gabe beamed and walked ahead. His aura turned into a blinding yellow.
“Finally get to have a drink with my little sister.”
He led us almost to the end of the main street before stopping.
“I told you I live above a bar right?”
“That’s… super convenient.” I said.
“Yeah it is, until I wanna take a sick day.” Gabe said, holding the door open for me.
It looked exactly like a small town bar would look. Cozy, and small. The walls were adorned with the history of the town. Pickaxes, mining helmets, and many, many different kinds of firearms.
Because ‘Murica!
“Jed!” Gabe yelled.
We approached a man who I could only describe as having a beard so big that his beard had its own beard.
“Alex, this is my friend Jed.”
“Your boss Jed.” Jed corrected. He held out a hand, I shook it, just glad that I wasn’t being hugged.
“Nice to meet you Alex. Gabe says you have experience as a server? We’re understaffed if you’re looking for work.”
I sighed. “Gabe’s full of shit. But, I would like a job if experience doesn’t isn’t an issue.”
Jed grinned at Gabe. “She’s more honest than you are. Well," He turned back to me, "we’ll give you a try during Gabe’s shift tonight, how about that?”
“Thank you.” I said.
A man approached Gabe for a high five.
“Alex, this is my other best friend Ryan Lucan.”
Another handshake.
“This is Haven Springs most handsome eligible bachelor. “ Gabe said with a smirk.
He nudged me in the shoulder.
Oh god… he wouldn’t try and set me up, would he?
Luckily Ryan looked as mortified as I felt.
“Uh, Ignore him Nice to meet you Alex..” Ryan said.
“Trying…” I said with a small smile.
“Hey, you never know. There aren’t many guys I'd trust with my little sister.” Gabe punched Ryan’s shoulder. “Anyway I’m gonna get her settled in before my shift starts.”
Part two of wanting to sink into the floor and vanish.
I followed Gabe up the stairs and all my weariness disappeared after we entered his loft.
It was incredible. An actual bachelor pad. Spacious, with a view and a foosball table. Video games...
“Holy shit, Gabe.” I whispered.
“Pretty nice, right?”
“It’s perfect.”
“Glad you like it since it’s yours now.”
I stared at him skeptically.
“No, really. I basically live at Charlotte’s so…” Gabe bit his lip and held up a single key attached to a Haven Springs keychain.
I didn’t have words.
I just threw my arms around his neck and I could feel his aura shift.
Why did he feel so sad?
“Better than what you’re used to?” He asked.
“Yeah… there’s no bars on the windows for one thing..” I said.
“It should have never been like that. I can’t even imagine what you went through.”
“It’s honestly not worth thinking about. This is a new start, right?”
“It’s gonna be better this time. From now on… the rest of your life.” Gabe said.
Grief.
It felt as though he was grieving my childhood. Not just grieving… he felt responsible for it.
It was getting too heavy for me.
I put my bag on the bed and didn’t have words. His regrets were making my throat constrict.
“Anyway, you haven’t seen the best part yet.”
He motioned for me to follow him as he started up the stairs.
The rooftop was better than any backyard could ever be.
“This is unreal, Gabe.”
“Have a seat.” He said.
I sat at the small patio table he had set up overlooking the horizon. The mountains, the lakes. All the trees. All the flowers. I couldn’t imagine what a sunset would look like from up here. I’d never in my life had a place this beautiful I could come to whenever I wanted.
The silence was cut with the sound of a can opening.
Gabe was holding a beer out to me.
I smiled. He really wanted to drink with me.
“Thanks.” I said.
“It’s so weird that you can drink legally now.”
“As if it ever stopped me before.” I smirked, taking a sip.
Gabe opened his own beer and remained silent.
She grew up too fast.
No, I need to change the topic.
“Everyone seems really nice. I’m excited to meet Charlotte.” I said, perking up.
“Oh you’re gonna love her.” Gabe beamed. “Ethan too. Really cool kid. Really smart.”
“It’s gonna be weird seeing you play the dad role.” I said.
“I’m damn good at it.” He said. “What did you think about Ryan?”
Sigh.
“I saw him for like 30 seconds.” I said, “You’re not seriously trying to set us up, are you?”
“Think he’s cute?” Gabe smiled.
“Gabe. No.” I growled.
“You don’t?” He looked genuinely surprised.
“He’s not bad looking. But no.. not my type. He looks like the Brawny man..”
Gabe’s beer threatened to come up through his nose.
He choked for a bit.
“I’m.. so glad you said that. That guy is so cocky. Thinks he’s got dibs on every single transplant that comes through this town. Don’t get me wrong he’s a great friend, but he thinks he’s god’s gift to women.” Gabe beamed.
“So why the hell would you try and set me up-”
He waved a hand dismissively. “I didn’t think it would go anywhere.”
“Right..”
“It would be cool for you to find someone here though. Then I don’t have to worry about you running for the bus.”
“I found you.” I said. “Or rather, you found me. I don’t have anywhere else to go. I don't think you have to worry about me leaving. It seems like a nice place. It’s just gonna take some adjusting…”
“Alright. I’ll buy it for now.” Gabe finally agreed.
We drank in silence for a bit.
“Should we be drinking before work?” I asked.
“It’s super casual. At some point you’ll probably be drinking during work. Jed insists if a customer wants you to take a shot with them that you do it.”
“Sweet.” I grinned.
“I got like 5 minutes until my shift starts.” Gabe said. “But honestly, you’ve been on a bus for 15 hours, if you wanna take the night off and just settle in I’m sure Jed wouldn’t mind.”
“I’m not too tired. And I kind of want to make a good impression.”
“If you insist..” Gabe said.
From the top of the roof I could barely make out the sign on the record store. It reminded me of the girl on the radio.
“So what’s the deal with Steph?” I asked.
Gabe’s eyes lit up. “That’s a cool one! Actually she’s been here about a year and I’m the reason she came to Haven in the first place.”
“How does that work?” I asked
“Well she was in a band I found on the internet and I booked them to play at the Lantern. Her and her girlfriend. They broke up when Steph decided she wanted to stay in Haven and take the radio job.”
Broke up? Still single?
“She was in a band?” I asked.
“Yeah, she plays drums.”
A drummer. Swoon.
“That’s.. really cool.” I smiled.
“When she finds out you play guitar she’s probably gonna wanna jam every day.”
Shame I don’t have a guitar anymore.
I imagined jamming with Steph at the record store after hours…
Just the two of us…
Sharing that intense eye contact while playing a song together. Could anything be more intimate?
“Uh.. Alex?”
I looked at Gabe.
Shit..
“Thought I lost you for a second there.“
“No, I'm good.” I said.
Gabe stared at me for a long moment before downing the rest of his beer and standing up.
“Time to work,” he said. “Remember, you can still take the night off if you want.”
“I’ll just.. unpack and come down probably.” I said.
“Your choice.” He said, turning for the stairs, “Oh, one more thing. Check under the bed.”
What now, I wondered as I listened to his footsteps retreat back downstairs.
What more could he have possibly done for me. With this view. This apartment. Everything… it all felt like too much. Did I really deserve all this?
I remained on the roof a while longer, contemplating how I’d gotten here. Wondering, even as wonderful as this place might be, would I ever feel like I wasn’t out of place?
I took my time finishing my beer. If I was to interact with a bunch of strangers tonight who all knew of my coming, I would need at least a buzz.
After I made my way downstairs, my hand landed on my traveling sack.
I paused before kneeling down beside the bed.
There was a long case that I recognized immediately.
No way…
A brand new guitar?
I opened the case and there was a note laying against the frets.
“Alex,
Here’s a little something to say welcome home.
Can’t wait to hear you shred.
-G”
Damn…
And here I am getting emotional about a guitar.
I pulled it out of its box and sat on the bed. It was the perfect size and was almost in tune. I strummed it blankly with nothing immediately coming to mind to play. I noticed a stereo on the shelf nearby and flipped it on.
It was playing indie music. I smiled thinking this must be the local radio station.
I played along to the older Alt-J song I was already somewhat familiar with.
Steph liked this song? Then I would have to practice it.
I strummed through the entirety realizing that I was way too rusty. Practice was definitely in my future.
“Alright Haven Springs, that about wraps up my time with you today. But don’t worry, we’ll be turning on the playlist and rocking out for the rest of the night.“
I stopped at the sound of her voice.
“Don’t forget it’s not too late to sign up for the larp this weekend! Come see me at Mountain Records during the day tomorrow if you’re still interested in joining!”
A larp? She’s a nerd too?
“Also, I will be heading down to the Black Lantern tonight. Gabe Chen plans on buying everyone a round to celebrate his sister's arrival. Welcome to Haven Alex. See you guys tomorrow!”
I turned the stereo off and stared at it blankly in disbelief.
Well, that just made tonight more interesting.
I found the bathroom and caught my reflection in the mirror. I was absolutely horrified. This ? THIS is how I looked when I met the hot drummer girl?
Fuck..
2 beers while unpacking my bag, a shower, a fresh face of makeup and a change of outfit later, I told myself I was ready to go downstairs.
I held my breath as I descended. The bar was packed . I could see Gabe was very busy at the bar. Jed was at the register.
I approached Jed with a small smile.
“Ah there’s my new server.” He said.
“Ready to go.” I said.
“We’re gonna have you serving and bussing today. “
“Alright.. “
“So you’re gonna be checking in tables and taking orders if people want food. You just bring the orders back to me. I’ll put them in.”
I nodded.
“If you see any empty tables just clean them up, bring everything into the back.”
“Right.” I said.
“We pride ourselves on getting on personal terms with our customers so try and get to know everyone.”
“Okay Jed.”
“Duckie just sat down. I’d check on those miners over there. And Steph over there in the corner could use a refresher. Have fun out there.” He said.
My eyes lingered at the last place he pointed.
Steph was sitting alone fully immersed with writing in a composition book. I didn’t want to disturb her. So I headed to the others first.
Duckie was a real character. An older gentleman who probably could have talked my ear off all night if I'd have let him. Maybe one of these nights I would indulge him, but today I was looking to make a good impression with my new boss.
I cleared 2 tables before checking on the miners.
They wanted another round of beer and my phone number. I told Jed it was probably getting close to cut off time for them, He seemed impressed with my judgement.
As I was taking another girls’ order, I made awkward eye contact with Steph.
Her face lit up as I immediately diverted my eyes. I would have to check on her next. There was no putting it off any longer.
I had to take the girls’ order 2 times before my brain processed it correctly.
I felt pathetic. Girls don’t usually turn me into a braindead moron.
I brought the table’s order back to Jed when Gabe intercepted me.
He handed me a small tray with a beer and 2 strange green shots on it.
“Take this to Steph.” He said.
“Okay.”
I took a deep breath and walked the tray around the bar. She looked up as I approached her table.
“Hey.” was the best I could come up with.
“You’re Alex right? I’m Steph.”
“Nice to meet you.” I smiled.
She smiled.
I suddenly remembered I was holding a tray and started putting the glasses onto her table.
“Thanks.” She said, “I didn’t realize you were Gabe’s sister earlier. Sorry I didn’t have time to talk.”
“That’s okay.”
“Sit for a minute.” She said.
I took a small glance around realizing I’d mostly helped everyone in the restaurant recently. I could afford to sit for a minute.
I slid into the chair.
“So, I have something important to ask you.” She said.
“..Oh? Go ahead.” I said.
A grin came over her. “Would you like to participate in the city wide larp this weekend?”
“Ah.” I chuckled. “I’ve uh, never done that before. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
“That’s no problem! I’ve got a lot of first timers signed up. If you want, I could come by after work and we could build your character.”
“I mean, I’m a total noob though. You’re gonna have to teach me everything.”
“That’s okay. I’ve been doing this since.. Forever really.” Steph smiled. “I’ll hard carry.”
I smiled too.
She’s fucking infectious.
“You know what? Alright. It sounds fun.” I said.
Steph beamed. “Sick. I have some cool ideas for you. You’re staying up in the loft right?”
I nodded.
“Cool. I’ll come by at closing time.” She said.
“Great.” I said.
She's so forward... I subconsciously started creating scenarios in my mind.
Some time passed but it was like I didn’t realize it.
“So..” she said.
I wondered how long I’d been staring at her.
“Right. I should get back to work.” I said, standing up and turning to leave.
“Wait.” She said.
When I turned back around she had placed one of the shots near my end of the table and was holding up the other one.
“Cheers?”
“Uh..” I picked up the shot glass and looked at it. “Is this nuclear?”
Steph only shrugged and shook her head.
“Cheers.” I said.
We took the shots but I instantly recoiled. What I was expecting to be something light and fruity but this was almost herbal. It stung my sinuses when I tried to breath. The aftertaste was.. Licorice? But definitely not Jäger…
I put a hand on her table and doubled over.
I was not going to throw this shot up in front of a hot girl but it simply wouldn’t go down.
When I finally managed to swallow, I glared up at her.
“What the hell was that?” I choked.
Steph took her shot minimal reaction. She leaned her chin on fist, licked her lips and grinned like a fox.
“Absinthe.“
“What the fuck.” I stood upright and brought a hand to my forehead.
“Welcome home, Alex.” She said, sweetly.
“Yeah, nothing says welcome like poison.” I half chuckled.
The joy evident on Steph’s face was accompanied by a bright golden aura.
I didn’t even have to try hard to read it.
“Old enough to drink. And really cute. Really, reaaaalllly cute.”
I was blushing again. I turned quickly and returned to the bar.
Gabe seemed to have a moment of respite. I set the empty tray next to him.
“How are you holding up?” He asked.
“Was that really absinthe?” I asked.
He grinned down at me. “She actually got you to drink it?”
I scoffed, shrugging, before looking over to where Steph was. I could feel Gabe follow my gaze.
Steph was back to happily writing in her composite book, but as though she sensed it she looked up at us.
Her smile was only for me. Her eyes drew me in like a magnet. And though I couldn’t tell from this distance, it looked like the corner of her mouth was being held in place by her teeth.
That alone, that look on her face being directed at me made me… feel things.
“Alex in the back there’s a few tables that need to be bussed.” Jed’s voice flipped a switch in my head, sending me crashing back into reality.
“On it.” I said, turning quickly to head to the back room.
I ran face first into Gabe’s chest.
His eyes moved slowly from Steph to me before I darted around him.