shit show

[ ALEC CHANCE, HE/HIM, ELLIOT FLETCHER ] is a TWENTY FOUR year old ATTENDANT AT THE DRIVE IN from HAZZARD, WV. They are OUTGOING and DEPENDABLE but also SPACEY and LOUD.

“That bad, huh?” Brigid had never had the displeasure of being a stranger anywhere, though after recent events, she sort of liked the idea of being unknown to everybody she crossed paths with. That said, she still felt a little guilty for accosting the male like that, like he was an outsider, an intruder even. Maybe she was just about every part the stereotype hick she hated. She tried not to dwell on it.

Her breath hitched in her throat, caught like a thorn when Alec uttered her name- or something like it anyway. How did he know it? Why did he know it? She wasn’t sure she wanted the answer, so she didn’t ask. “Brigid,” she provided a slight correction, not that it mattered much.  She couldn’t help but laugh a little at his light sarcasm, it was harmless, “Something like that,” she concurred with a shrug of her shoulders, a small ‘thanks’ leaving her lips as she accepted the beer, “If you like food that’ll give you a heart attack and things that go bang, you’re in the right place,” she noted. 

“So um, you know some people here or just passin’ through or?” she couldn’t help it, her curiosity climbing from the pit of her belly into her mouth. Who was he? Why did he know her? Why was he here?

...

“nah, i’m just used to it by now,” he said lightly. after the past few years of living here, he was used to how the people acted to new comers. he didn’t mind it, in fact, it was kind of nice to live in a place where everyone seemed to care about each other like that. back home, no one gave a shit about each other. he didn’t even know his neighbors in the city. but here? he could name just about everyone on his block just because they’ve shared a beer from time to time in one of their yards. 

“brigid? what did i say?” he said with a laugh, not realizing the difference in inflections because of the difference in accents. he didn’t really think of how odd it must be that he knew her name, he didn’t really think anything if he was honest. he was just a friendly dude and meant nothing by it. “oh but those are my two most favorite things in the world,” he said with a laugh but he wasn’t joking, he really did love artery clogging food and blowing shit up. 

taking a sip of his beer, he didn’t pick up on why brigid was asking him this, always too kind to question. he just assumed it was more of that small town apprehension. “no, i mean, i moved here a couple years back. i’m friends with, like, koda and theo and those guys. i’m surprised we haven’t ran into each other before,” maybe that was a slight hint at the fact that he knew her brother, but he wasn’t going to say it out loud. “shit, where are my manners, i fucked up your name and didn’t even offer my own. i’m alec,” he said with a wide smile. 

“Do I know you?” certainly, Brigid had been somewhat of a hermit over the last couple of months, with good reason but still, she was under the impression that she had a pretty good take on the folk of Lockhorn, she knew just about everybody. “Sorry, that was rude as Hell,” she blushed lightly as her gaze dropped to the ground and she shook her head, taking a breath as she realised that she’d lost a great deal of the ability she’d once had to actually interact with people outside of work.  “Just not used to seein’ a strange face ‘round here,” she admitted “-but I’ll take a beer,” she added, though it wasn’t the first she had had that week and she was starting to worry that it might turn into a habit if she let it.

...

alec looked up when he heard a voice, a familiar yet unfamiliar face looking at him. this had to be the other half to michael. she looked too similar not to be. “nah, you’re fine, i know how yall are like with new comers around here,” he said with a smile when she apologized. “no, i don’t think we ever actually met. you’re bridget, right?” he said the name like the foreigner he was to this small down, not knowing the real pronunciation of her name. he thought to add on that he was friends with her brother, but all things considered, he didn’t think it was his place to bring him up. "yeah, i got you,” he said without hesitation or even thinking about it twice, he grabbed a beer from his stash, popped the top and held it out to her. “you enjoying these fine festivities?” he asked, a little sarcastically. 

@alec-chance​

“I said.” Foot kicked out in front of her dramatically so that the sole could be used for grip, rolling out from under the car to glare at him. “Can you hand me that wrench.” Dirty finger pointed in the direction before grin finally cracked that icy disposition. “I hate to think about how much you smoked to not hear me say that for the past five minutes.” Grin was in full bloom now, head tilting to the side as she watched and hoped, hoped he wasn’t going to make her get her ass up and do it herself.

...

alec wasn’t really paying attention, cars were not his element. the most he knew how to do was change the tires on his truck, but that’s why they had mechanics, right? “huh? oh yeah, sorry,” he said, snapping out of whatever dumb thoughts he was having. getting up from where he was sitting, he went over to the tool box and grabbed the wrench parish was pointing at. “sorry, i’m just kinda out of it today, and not because of how much i smoke,” he tacked on the end as a joke while he crossed the garage to hand her the wrench. “what do you think is wrong with it?” he asked, kicking the toe of his boot against the tire lightly. 

alec was not patriotic but he sure did love an excuse to get day drunk in public and blow shit up when it came time for fireworks. although, he did that shit most days, but at least it was socially acceptable on a holiday like today. sitting on an old beat up lawn chair with a six pack cans of budweiser by his feet, he cracked one open as the high school marching band did a questionable rendition of the star spangled banner. “i feel like we should make a drinking game out of how many flat notes they make so this is a little more bearable,” he said to the nearest person with a laugh. “you with me?”

“ Oh I am, I know. ” Koda was quick to assure, nodding their head. They were in it to win it. They weren’t backing down. They were fucking force to be reckoned with. But they weren’t competing against Alec. “ And I reckon the others know that too. I didn’t go first for nothin’. ” They grinned, revealing that maybe they were plotting and scheming a little more than they’d revealed to anyone just yet. “ It says somethin’, anyone who’s real competition’s gonna recognise that. ” They said confidently. Whether or not that competition would be intimidated by that was questionable, but they thought at least they’d be seen as someone who was in it.

They chuckled as they were nudged, looking back over at him “ Wouldn’t be much of a party without you anyway, ” They replied with smirk planted on their features. And they supposed they did mean it. As short as their connection was in comparison to others Koda had, it still meant something. They didn’t even think they’d go to a party nowadays if Alec said he wasn’t going for one reason or the other. Weirdly, they were sort of glad to hear he’d gone some other places before settling on Lockhorn. They didn’t quite know what they were relieved by but they were relieved. “ Yeah, I get that, ” They said. Lockhorn was their home. They couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, not permanently. They thought they’d always feel the call of the mountains. Their family. They wanted to stay here, they wanted to be here. “ What about Lockhorn County screamed home to ya? ” They asked, genuinely curious. They grew up here, this place was a part of them. They had to imagine they’d feel the same about anywhere else if they grew up there instead, but Alec didn’t. Why. 

...

“oh definitely,” alec agreed with a nod of his head. “everyone’s going to see that as you asserting your dominance and that they shouldn’t fuck with you.” he personally saw it as brave as fuck. it was easy to go after someone, a lot harder to be the first. but it really said something about koda and how much they wanted this. he felt good about putting his faith in them to win it all over some of their other friends. “what other shit do you guys have to do for this thing ‘sides just jumping off a cliff?” 

“a-fuckin’-men,” he said with a laugh. for how churchy the town was, alec was pleasantly surprised when he found his people here. between meeting riggs his first day to getting close to micheal and koda and meeting the other burn outs, he felt better about picking a place like this to live. sure, he did miss his friends from back home but as time went on with them all traveling around, everyone wanted to go back to chicago and alec knew he could never go back there and risk seeing his dad again. at their next question, alec took a long drink of his beer, deciding how much he should say about the real reason he picked this place. “it was cheap as fuck,” he said off the bat. “no offence, i mean. we were passing through charleston and i saw and ad in the paper for this cheap ass house that just so happened to be how much i had saved and i couldn’t get it out of my mind.” none of that was a lie, but the real reason was that no one here knew who he was. he could start over without anyone knowing where he came from, who he was born as, or what he had been through. it was a fresh start. “i dunno, i guess it just seemed charming from the outside and it wanted some place where i could start a life of my own. and it worked out ‘cause i’m still here,” he tacked on with a wide grin. 

date: after the jump at some point location: alec’s house availability: closed || @alec-chance​

They’d spent the last few weeks after Alec offered to let them move into his place, trying to work up the courage to tell their father they were moving out. Confrontation was the thing that stopped her more than anything. She assumed he’d fight her on it, mention her instability and the trip to rehab the year before. But, as far as he knew, she’d been sober the whole time so he really didn’t have a leg to stand on. Finally, she caught him on one of the rare times he was home and awake and told him her plans. Surprisingly enough he was very receptive to the idea and even mentioned being proud she was making responsible choices now. Which made her feel good but quickly the guilt took over as it was only said because he didn’t know the truth. No one did. Except Nicky, but she was fairly sure he wasn’t going to say anything.

Later that day Theo brought the remainder of her things over to her new home, thankful that Alec had a truck and was willing to help load it over. It wasn’t much, enough to fill a room. Once everything was moved in she flopped next to him on the couch. “Thanks for everything, dude. I can’t believe this is all real.” They would leave the organizing and bed set up for later. For now it felt good to have everything inside. “Now I just have to figure out how to put that bed back together.” They laughed and followed it with a sigh looking around. Somewhere new, a new home, no more family trailer and lonely empty space. “Wow.” The word came out under their breath, somewhat amazed.

...

ever since alec moved to hazzard and bought his house, he had hoped to get someone willing to put up with his bullshit enough to want to be roommates with him. sure, half the burnouts have crashed there from time to time, but it always felt extra lonely when they went back to their own homes and he was stuck in the house all by himself. it was part of the reason he almost always had someone over, even if it was just for some beer and a couple joints. so to have theo agree to move in, alec was ecstatic. they had already been crashing at the house since he offered the room, but now that they were able to tell their dad, it was official. once everything was in the house, he already felt good about this. taking a break on the couch, alec wasted no time to pull out a baggie of weed and some rolling papers from the drawer in the coffee table so he can roll them a celebratory joint. “dude, of course. honestly, you’re doing me a favor here, it was way too lonely here all by myself,” he said with a wide smile. “it can’t be that hard right? i mean, we took it apart, now we just do it backward.” easier said than done, but, hey, they probably had about two brain cells between them, they could figure it out. sealing the joint and digging in his pocket for a lighter, alec lit it up, took a hit, and held it out to theo. “i know it aint much, i’ve been trying to fix the place up but it’s home.”

Koda was only teasing, but they did feel like a bit of a dick that what they said earned those words in response. “ That’s not what I meant, ” They said, voice edging on genuine and apologetic, offered with that relaxed smile that almost never left their features. Soon followed by another laugh at the notion that they should be thanking him. “ You’re so right, ” They mused sarcastically, “ If only enough of those other bastards cared about me enough to drop out and make this shit a walk in the park. ” They grinned. They didn’t even think they wanted that. They wanted to feel like they earned the prize money. They won because they deserved it. Because they wanted it the most. If it was easy then they just got lucky, they didn’t earn it and there’d probably be some bullshit guilt that came with that. They smiled, a huff of a laugh exhaling through their nose as they laid down in the sun. “ Well that’s real kind of you, ” They said, arms folding over their stomach as they wondered for a moment how true that was. They hadn’t known Alec for all that long, not in comparison to some of their other friends, but they felt closer to him than they did many others. When he spoke again they turned their head to him, grin tugging at the corner of their lips when he said he’d bet on them. “ Nice to know you got some brains left up in there, ” They teased before they could tackle the actual question. What would they do with the money? They knew. Or, they knew they had two choices. Neither of which they were all that willing to talk about. Because talking about it would mean admitting it and admitting it meant accepting its reality. “ I dunno, ” They started, still thinking on their answer as they looked back to the sky, “ Probably throw a party like it’s my last night on earth with some of it, ” They chuckled lightly at themself and at that answer. Was that what people expected of them? To blow the money on stupid shit? “ Maybe go on a great American road trip, go visit the West coast. See if it lives up to the hype. ” They said. Lying in the sun by the Devil’s Mouth, they thought they could imagine what it would be like to lie on a sunny beach in California. But that image was swiftly interrupted with the thought of how their mother was supposedly on the West coast. Unlike her, they’d come back. “ Did you ever travel much? You know, before you decided to move here? ” They asked, turning their head once again to look at him. Wondering if they’d be allowed a peak into the things he’d been through that they apparently had no clue of.

... 

alec wasn’t being serious. the kid didn’t have a serious bone in his body. so when koda interjected that they didn’t mean it like that, he just waved a hand with a dumb smile like it was nothing. “yeah but where’s the fun in that? you gotta show them that you’re in it to win it and not gonna back down.” he thought about some of the people he saw jump the other night, most of them were his friends so it felt a little wrong to be saying all this. but he felt is kinship to koda. even if they didn’t know the things that alec had gone through, he knew they would understand. at least more than any of these other cis, straight, country folk. “haven’t smoked all my brains away just yet,” he said with a laugh, taking a sip of his beer. 

glancing over at them as they finally answered the question. he couldn’t help but wonder if this was an honest answer, not that he cared one way or the other, he was just curious how everyone would spend it. 30k was a lot of money and as someone who has spent that much before ending up here, he wondered how everyone else would. “that would be one hell of a party. i expect an invite to the party,” he said, nudging them with his elbow. traveling sounded cool too, he wondering how many other people would use it to get away from this place. a place he now called home. would he be saying goodbye to one of his friends by the end of the summer? he didn’t want to think about that. “yeah, a bit,” he said, looking out at the water. “not the west coast, but around this area. ohio, kentucky, even stopped by myrtle beach for a couple weeks. it was fun, but i just wanted a place to call home, ya know?” 

Koda laughed again, shaking their head. Sure, they thought Alec probably could’ve made decent competition. But as he said, he was a city boy. It’d get too hard. And Alec moved here, on his own. Didn’t really strike Koda as the sort to be desperate enough. “ You’re mighty confident about a city boy like yourself bein’ able to out-scrap the rest of us. ” They noted with amusement, their tone pointing out how they thought that was totally foolish. “ Us country folk play dirty, and from what I hear Panic brings out the worst of the worst in people so you’d be double fucked. ” They paused, taking another swig from the can in hand. Tipping head back and holding can over to get the last dregs of it. Crushing it in their hand before they continued, “ And if you did somehow win, and you felt that bad about showin’ us up, I would’ve gladly accepted a donation of 28 or 29 thousand dollars. ” They grinned widely as they looked to him again, “ Ease your mind and, you know, reparations. ” They finished, stupid chuckle finally tumbling from their lips at their own stupid words. 

...

alec took a swig of his beer, laughing at how confident koda was in him not being able to keep up with them just because he wasn’t from here. “i may be a city boy, but you have no clue the things i’ve gone though,” he said, too focused on trying to prove something to even think about how he shouldn’t bring up his past. “i think i could’ve gone head to head with you if i tried. really i’m doing you a favor by not being competition for you. you should be thanking me,” he teased, knocking the toe of his shoe to koda’s. “oh you know i would have thrown you some sympathy money your way. i wouldn’t be a heartless asshole no matter how rich i was.” of course, there was a point in time, right before he moved to hazzard, when he did have that type of money and he used all of it to restart his life and start living as his true self. he wondered what koda would do with that type of money. he wondered if they would use it in a similar way as he had spent his money. “when you win, and i’m saying when ‘cause if i was a betting person, i’d bet on you, what are you gonna do with the money?” he asked, the teasing tone slipped from his voice, turning a little more serious as he looked over at them. 

Koda scoffed, smile tugging at the corners of their lips even as they lifted their own drink. Taking a large swig and allowing him the time to get out his opinions on the entire thing. They wondered momentarily if he felt left out to some degree, something they would only make fun of and laugh about in this setting rather than treat with any genuineness. “ Anyone could have done it, that’s the whole damn point. ” They said back with a laugh on their lips. Anyone could could have it, and anyone fucking did. As proven by the number of surprise that had walked their asses up the cliff that night. They laughed again, “ Yeah, man, I reckon you’re a little fucking crazy. ” They grinned, taking another swig before they continued. “ And I reckon you’re full of shit too. If you wanted to do it so bad, you would’a got a stupid number on your hand and walked on up there, but no, you didn’t, ‘cause you’re chicken. ” They teased brutally, looking over at him with stupid grin spread wide on their features. 

...

“okay, okay, yeah,” alec conceded. of course anyone could have done it. he even defended everyone’s choice to darby by saying that it was just some cliff jumping. people different it every day. but there was still an air of danger to the whole thing. not to mention, alec had fear of the drowning. one bad jump and any of them could have slipped under the water and never came back up. it was impressive. he was impressed even if it was just jumping off a cliff because, as he’s learned, it gets hard than that. “i am not a chicken!” alec said with a laugh. “i could have done it but i didn’t ‘cause it wouldn’t be fair on y’all for an outside to win,” he said confidently as if he even had a chance to win the thing. cracking open another beer, he took a swig before continuing his own teasing, “how embarrassing would it be for you if some city boy came in and took that 30k from you guys? ain’t there something about country pride and all that yada yada?”

“nah, nah, i get that it looks all scary and shit, but i bet i could have made that jump,” alec was talking a little too loudly, his words slightly slurred as he knocked back another cold budweiser, tossing the empty can on the ground. it was a nice summer day and while the dark, mucky waters of the devil’s mouth was no where near as nice as a beach or something of the like, there was something about sitting next to a body of water with some beers and a good friend that made the summer heat worth it. “i mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s super impressive that you did it, but i’m actually kinda jealous. am i crazy for thinking that?” he was looking up at the devil’s tooth where he had watched twenty or so of his peers jump from just a few nights ago. he had his reasons for why he didn’t and shouldn’t take part in the games, but he still thought the idea of cliff jumping was pretty damn cool. 

“Yeah, last name this thing happened was about…” Riggs thought on it. He was still a child when news of Sheriff Campanella shutting it down for good was making its way through Lockhorn. “15 years. Give or take. Yeah, ol’ Lee wasn’t one to be fucked with. Guess now that he’s gone, people ain’t waiting till the dust settles on his grave. Back to business.” He shook his head. Classic move from this county but Riggs wasn’t mad about it. He needed this lifeline. It was fun too. “Where’d you move from again?” He asked. Riggs wasn’t the type to remember details like that. In fact, when he first met Alec, he never expected the two of them to get along as well as they did. Now they were a regular occurrence in each other’s lives. Funny how deciding to scope out the new kid turned out those years ago. “You must be some kind of crazy too because West Virginia is probably one of these worst states to be. You coulda picked fuckin’… what Florida? New York maybe?” He let out a soft chuckle. “Speakin’ of Theo… they ever hit you up about maybe takin’ up one of them empty rooms you got? We were chattin’ ‘bout how she needed a new place during the Solstice.”

...

“damn, these people work fast,” he said, glancing out at the others around them. the story matched up with what theo had said about the whole thing. 15 years dormant because michael’s dad had shut the thing down. it made him nervous for the things that were to come. clearly it had to be more than just some cliff jumping if it was enough to get shut down by the sheriff and the second he dies, it comes back. not to mention the prize money. that was a lot of money which means they had to do a lot to get it. it worried alec since all of his friends were in the game now. he just hoped nothing too crazy happened that none of them got seriously hurt. “what type of stuff are you going to have to do?” he cared about these people more than he’s probably cared about anyone even if he’s only been here a short few years. “illinois,” he answered easily, but never wanting to give away that he was actually from chicago in case someone would be able to connect who he was or who his father was. of course that was impossible, but alec was quick secretive about his past. “nah, new york is too busy and florida is too hot. i don’t mind it here and the weather is nicer than back home. plus my house was super cheap.” definitely not in good condition but as a guy in his 20′s with no where else to go, he’s put a lot of work into the cheap place over the past couple years. he nodded when riggs brought up theo and needing a place to stay. “yeah, we talking about it and i think she’s gonna move in. i think it’s going to be tight, plus it’s pretty lonely living there all by my self.”

CLOSED STARTER / @alec-chance

Fuck, fuck, fuck. The last thing she had time to do was chase this goddamn dog. A full shift at the garage and a few drinks was the recipe for bed, but instead she found herself relying on adrenaline to keep her from stumbling while playing a game of leap frog with what was supposed to be man’s best friend. Truly? It didn’t feel like it right now. Right now, it felt like this little hellspawn, whose life she was responsible for, was sent here for no reason other than assured destruction. Either way, she spotted Alec out of the corner of her eyes and yelled.

“If you catch her, I will literally owe you one.” She didn’t really know what she was offering but it sounded right. “I don’t know what I have to offer but I’ll write the fuckin’ IOU right now.” She reassured, as if that was going to make the offer sound better than it had before. Okay, so maybe half drunk and half exhausted wasn’t the best for her creativity, but one could hope.

...

alec was a little out of it, though, when wasn’t he? his brain was almost always fried from the ditch weed he smoked 12 hours a day. so he didn’t notice parish running after her dog until she yelled for his help. nothing more sobering than someone calling out for help. his head snapped around to see the dog that was running away from her. “shit, yeah!” he called out, starting to run after the dog. he didn’t care what she would owe him, alec wasn’t one to turn down helping someone, especially when it came to helping out a pet. “i’ll take this way, if you come up behind, we can corner her,” he gestured vaguely in the direction he was going to go, hoping to cut off the dog in the process.