I Want To Know What The People Know

“yeah - but it’s always easier to fight something that you can see…”

a shrug and liam glances toward the window again.  the mist was… intangible.  ephemeral.  dangerous.  and it was a problem that couldn’t be solved by quick thinking or the swing of a fist.  he definitely preferred his chaos in a shape that could be counted and… preferably… punched.

at the question, lima nudges his empty glass over the counter - raises a brow in a question of his own.

“that depends.  if you’re thinking about something that could easily be paired with a small umbrella or sparkler - or perhaps has half a bowl of fruit tossed in then - probably not.  i like my drinks to be wholly non-nutritious.”

a quick grin.  more appreciation for a simple single malt or a bottle of cold beer than whatever was ticking the ‘trendy shit’ box.  and a lot of cocktails had more ingredients in them than liam added to an entire meal.

“what did you have in mind?”

---------------

“i never said i was looking for something easy. i like the challenge.” ariela grinned again. what would life be without a bit of something to work towards? she’d like to wager that it would be pretty boring. the man thought simply. but she did find she was enjoying talking to him the more he answered her.

leaning back against the bar, she laughed a little, scanning the bottles that were up on the shelf. “how about a compromise? i’ll make it wholly non-nutritious and stick an entirely unusual umbrella in it. i’ll let you pick which one though.” she turned over her shoulder to give him a teasing glance before walking closer to the shelf. she leaned up on her tiptoes, fingers wiggling a little before she found the base of the bottle she was looking for. then she looked beside her, another thought crossing her mind and she grabbed that bottle too before turning around again.

“i’ve got reposado and whatever’s left in this bottle of the kraken if you’re looking for something to sip at.” 

***

“See, that’s where you’re tripping up when it comes to pastry selection. You can’t go second guessing yourself or anything like that. Otherwise you’ll be staring at the case all day.” Not that he could really talk. There had been plenty of mornings where he just couldn’t make a decision and had probably spent far too long staring at every flavor possible only to end up with the tried and true. “If Edith doesn’t like scones, I will happily accept hers. Of course, I’ll probably just her a bit for it, but I’ll accept her scones so they don’t go to waste. I’m just a helper that way.”

There was a bit of a smirk on his lips to show the woman that he was just teasing. “I think, at some point, when your body is mostly coffee the way mine is, the crashes don’t happen anymore.” It had been a while since Johnny could remember really crashing from caffeine. Maybe, if he had crashed from caffeine, he hadn’t really noticed it, attributing it to something else instead. “If you’re going to get a backup pastry, maybe a turnover or something? If Edith doesn’t like those, then we’ll know that she’s truly a monster and at that point, what does it really matter?”

---------------

How many times had she heard that advice before? But she was used to it. Ariela was used to being gotten wrong. 

She didn’t second guess herself. At least, to her, it didn’t feel like she did. She was too bright eyed for doubt. What looked like second guessing to everyone else was a smattering of opportunity to her- an endless feast of possibility so that even the smallest choice sent her mind into overdrive. She could think a lot of things in a moment. 

But it definitely felt like too much to correct him on in the middle of a coffee shop that early in the morning. Instead she shrugged and smiled. “You’re probably right,” she said. “Though it wouldn’t be the worst view in the world. And I do appreciate the help. You’re my knight in shining, powdered sugar covered armor.” 

Edith innerly cursed herself upon noticing a frown creasing Ari’s brow. It wasn’t her intention to bring the mood down but the little idealist in her admittedly struggled, it had a hard time revealing itself after having been punished on so many occasions. Ariela, on the contrary, was idealistic by nature. Despite those obvious differences between the two women, they both believed in the idea of some sort of magic existing out there. Maybe not in the sense of bippity boppity boo, but maybe hope– something inexplicable but positive. “I admire your idealism, you know. I think it’s very brave of you, not holding back and letting your imagination run wild.” Edith explained and softly tried to wipe the frown from the other’s forehead with a thumb. “Yeah– and the sequin mermaid tails would have to be on those T-shirts as well.”

Up until now Edith had never seen Ariela this shy or shaky. The brunette always held her head up high and spoke with certainty but this… Only told Edith how much it pained her. As shocked as she herself was, she did remind herself to be strong for Ariela and did her best to make out what the other was struggling to say. “What did you do next?” Encouraged she gently.

Someone– a respected lawyer, as Edith later found out– had been shot on the shore of Swan Lake. Edith wondered if Dan was familiar with the case and if not, if he’d want to take a look at it. And seeing how much it pained Ari, even after so much time had passed, the brunette herself felt herself becoming invested. It was clear– and Ari said so herself, she didn’t see who they had been. And she hadn’t been in a state to look for clues either– perfectly understandable. It was hard to keep a cool head in such terrifying moments. The rational voice inside her head suggested something though, an option much more dangerous. The mere thought Ariela hadn’t seen the perp but maybe… “Do you think they saw you?”

---------------------

They’d stopped moving on the sidewalk. It was probably a good thing it was two in the morning. They didn’t have to worry about disgruntled foot traffic. Ariela looked up at the other woman as she felt her finger press gently against her forehead. She tried a smile again, though it really only ended up looking like a split between one that only went halfway and a pout. The expression couldn’t decide what it wanted to be on her face so after a few moments she gave up. “I’m- it’s really not that brave. I mean... there are braver things to be in the world. Like you. You go and you do your job every day and that needs a lot of bravery to do.” 

Ariela knew she didn’t have the heart nor soul for it. She’d blanked out for nearly a day after that night at the lake, a husk of a person on autopilot. Even if she’d smiled at people and said things that sounded like herself, if you asked her to repeat any of it she couldn’t. It had all been wiped clean from her memory. She wasn’t brave. If she were then she would have been able to handle it- psychological explanation, the mind protecting itself, or not. “You’re really brave. And I love you for it.” 

A genuine smile crossed her face before she bit into it, having to think hard over the question. What did she do next? It was a good question. One where the answer was a giant blank space.

“I... I don’t know. I guess I did the logical thing. When you bleed you put a bandage on it to make it stop so I... I tried that.” She remembered the mess of a ripped up skirt she’d forgotten she’d hung up in her closet that night- still moving on autopilot. “But it was hard to tell where it was coming from. It was dark and-” and it was everywhere. It was hard to tell where to staunch the bleeding when you couldn’t tell where it was escaping from. “I probably could have done a better job at it,” she admitted sheepishly. Maybe if she had Noel would still have his memories and they could put the whole thing behind them.  

***

Danielle could feel the judgement bubble up to the surface but didn’t make it past her tighly pressed lips, not sure what she or they would be able to do considering the group was growing larger with each passing moment. They could all see the way the sky outside twisted into something darker than before, more dangerous too when the reports weren’t exaggerated about what happened to anyone that was caught out there in it.

She didn’t need to glance at her pocketed phone to see that it had come in a few minutes early or that they’d lost track of time, because none of it mattered if someone were to open the doors or break a window. If they planned to spend the next few hours in there, then so be it, but she could feel the tension spread and wind people up that wanted out especially those with masks. “I don’t know what you think we can do,” she muttered but let the other drag her forward.

They were outnumbered because even those that hung back and were as resigned as her to staying in, they were in the minority compared to the growing number of disgruntled people that wanted out of the doors immediately. “If they open those doors, they’re going to let the mist in.” Or worse, break whatever seal they had which would keep them safe for the time being as they moved around the group until they were near the front and could hear the arguments. 

Hapless, she gazed back towards one of the workers in hopes that they’d be able to keep control over the uneasy crowd but it seemed they were in a similar position as people continue to press them for the keys to let them all out. “We can’t leave yet,” she called out against her better judgement, making a small face as she glanced back at her friend and towards the group once more. “There’s no telling how close that mist is to us and if someone leaves, then there’s a chance that it could get in here withe the rest of us.”

-----------------

Ariela found herself looking up at her friend, the surprise almost clear on her face. Of all the times she’d ever think Danielle would have taken the lead on one of her crazy plans, this would have been at the bottom of her list. But she was thankful for the assisted start. As soon as they had rounded the front of the store where the cash registers were, she was still at a loss for what to do or say. The look on the bright sides and try to make the best out of a crappy situation tactics that were at the forefront of her arsenal worked better when she didn’t have to convince a disgruntled crowd of middle aged shoppers with no alcohol in their systems.

“She’s right,” Ariela said. She hadn’t let go of the other’s hand yet. “We need to look out for each other. And if that means staying inside for a couple of hours, I’m sure it’s something we can all manage. Right?” 

If she of all people could manage staying still, indoors, for a short while, the rest of them certainly could. She sent an imploring look around the crowd, catching the eyes of the haggard cashier who seemed momentarily relieved. She couldn’t say much about the rest of the crowd murmuring to themselves as they considered the proposal. They were harder to read. She found herself searching the crowd for the kindly face of the old woman she’d been talking to. Ariela would feel a lot better if they could at least get one person on board, and she felt like a good place to start as any.

“We all know that this is going to end, and when it’s going to end,” she continued, voice a little stronger. “After that we can all get back to whatever we were planning on doing.” 

Esmeray had been having difficulty sleeping since the individual had attempted to break into the dance studio. 

While her training sessions with Liam had been going well and making her feel better about her skills, it was while she was alone at home that she often felt the worst. Therefore, she found solace at the back of a bar with a drink she hadn’t managed to finish. Her eyelids felt heavy and she almost wished she’d chosen a twenty-four hour dinner to shack up in rather than a bar. Especially since the soft music at the front had begun to pull her back into slumber. 

“Sorry, I’m not….. You’re very good.” She said with a small smile as she shook herself awake by sitting up straighter.

Ariela grinned proudly, sitting up a little straighter at her seat on the bar top. “Thank you,” she said. 

She let her instrument drop to her lap, letting her arms hang loosely over the top of it as she studied the other woman for a beat with a tilt of her head.

There’d been days – weeks, even – where Ella was consumed with thoughts of how her life had gone off course, and how it could trace back to her mother dying. Or, if Ella really wanted to backtrack, even the passing of her father. At what point in her life was her path altered permanently? Was this what fate had in store all along? She couldn’t bring herself to believe that it was anyone’s fate to suffer, but sometimes it seemed that the odds were just … stacked against her. 

“Do you believe that things are just … predetermined?” she asked Ari, eyeing her curiously. “Do you think there’s a universe with a plan, or that it’s more … making the most out of chaos? I mean, I don’t really know what I think, exactly, but …” she gave a little shrug. “Seems like it’s easier to believe that you can be more than your worst choices if you think you’ve got more free will.” 

She rested her elbow on the counter and propped her chin up with a hand, and thought about her own choices. Coming home from college for her mothers funeral, staying behind to help with the presumably grieving stepfamily. Bowing to their demands each and every time. Marrying Brandon. Divorcing Brandon. Taking a job at the Pub, finding Ida and Ariela. 

“I’ve made some pretty stupid choices,” she admitted after a moment’s pause. “But in the end I ended up with you and Ida. So maybe it evens out, in the long run.”

Or maybe Ella was just taking her good fortune wherever she could find it. Either way. 

---------------------

Ariela found herself tilting her head. She hadn’t expected the question to be turned back around on her like it had. Her eyes moved about Ella’s face, wondering to herself just where her mind had led her. Had she struck a nerve? A furrow formed in her brow, blinking a little to get her thoughts together. She shook her head.

“I don’t think it’s predetermined. Well, not entirely I guess.” It was hard to explain. Ariela hadn’t ever really given the idea a moment of true thought and she found herself struggling with the words as she tried to figure out what she actually did believe.

Thinking everything was destined to happen just seemed... sad. And pointless. Like wearing the universe as a ball and chain. Was she supposed to believe that she was always meant to be born into a family that was too far above the clouds for her liking? Was she supposed to believe that she was always meant to be taken from them for money? Was she supposed to believe that she was always meant to have chains strung around her life forevermore after that? 

No. Of course she didn’t believe any of those things. She wouldn’t be sitting on the bar stool in The Midnight if she really believed that. She’d still have been at home, having fought for nothing in her life. If she truly thought things were predestined, she wouldn’t have had a fighting spirit at all. But she didn’t want to write things off entirely. 

What about Noel? Was it luck or destiny that she found him when she did? Was she always meant to have found him? And what about Tyler? What about Jesus, and Javier? Was she always meant to have met them? Was she always meant to have found her way to Grimmbook, someway, somehow? 

She had no idea. 

“I think... the world is full of chaos. That’s what makes it so exciting to live in. But... I also think that the universe listens. And sometimes it can change its plans. If it really has one, that is. A lot of the time it doesn’t. I think that if you ask the universe for things sometimes, you might just get them. If you know how to word the question. Maybe that’s how you ended up with Ida and I. And the same goes for us. Maybe, at some point we both asked the universe for something good to happen and it gave us you.” 

he doesn’t recognise the tune, but at least it’s a little more fitting to the dulled light that filtered through the windows - something muted and grey, mist blocking out most of the sun.  and he’s grateful that it isn’t some forcibly ‘upbeat’ melody.  because sometimes, optimism was misplaced - and realism was the thing that helped you survive in the moment.  whatever that moment happened to be.

but he does admire the skill.  liam is certainly one of those people who was more inclined to appreciate music created or played by others than attempt to massacre something himself.  and he does - appreciate it.  taking a few sips of his drink as the melody echoed across the bar.

only when the last new notes ring out and fall into silence does liam lift his glass in a toasting motion with a quiet ‘cheers’ to go along with it.

“much obliged.  though i have to wonder if the music will stop before the chaos does.”

a smidge more philosophical than his usual casual chat.  but it’s accompanied by a small grin, maudlin though it may sound, it’s more of a random thought than anything altogether too serious.

“i’ll take another drink though - and i’m happy to shout you one if you’d like to join me.  i don’t think the clientele is going to pick up any time soon.”

-----------------------

ariela smiled lightly, taking a bit of a bow from her seat on the bar as she let whatever feeling from having played that song wash over her. it was hard to describe. it was a nameless feeling to her that crept in whenever she tiptoed near the topic of home. it was part nervousness, part longing, part rejection, part something else that mixed to create an odd sort of lump of emotion that settled in her stomach. maybe she’d write a song about it one of these days, if she could ever sit herself down long enough to do it. if she could ever sit down and say what she was feeling out loud. but she wasn’t ready for that yet. she wasn’t sure when she might be.

she shook her head then, a few errant curls of half pink hair dancing about her shoulders. “the chaos and i are going to be in a stalemate for a while then. i don’t intend to give up that easily.” 

her smile grew, her chin tilting upwards with the slightest bit of pride. when did she ever give up that easily? it was something she’d never learned how to do.

***

Danielle shared a small but warm smile with her friend, drinking in the other’s charisma that seemed to exude in spades to the point where she couldn’t help but stop and stare at the other for a moment longer. Not to mention that she watched the other at ease in the place as if she always came here while Danielle was sure that if it weren’t for work that she would have tumbled to her death in the water and drown. It left a slight shiver down her spine at the careless thought, taking more caution down towards the water’s edge just in case.

         "That trick only ever seems to work for you, I hope you realize that. Anyone else would go for a run and find themselves lost in a dark part of the woods, not in paradise,“ she pointed out with a bubble of a laugh before it was clear that they weren’t to stay out of the water as she kicked off her worn out converse. They weren’t pretty, but they were one of the first things she bought when she got her first pay check at the club which meant they belonged to her and only her. "If only that were true about all things,” she murmured quietly as she dropped her bag on top of the shoes and followed towards where the other now stood but inches from the water.

She leaned down to crouch just above the water as her fingers dipped low and caused slight ripples against the mirrored reflection that wasn’t something that she felt comfortable in seeing as she stepped forward to break the image. “Some of us aren’t as comfortable as others in water. We like to go in nice and slow where it’s safe rather than throw ourselves in and know that everything will work itself out,” she replied with a crooked look as she stepped even deeper into the water so that her bare ankles were under water. “I thought everything was taken by the mist, everything that was good about this place.” Until now.

--------------------

“Okay, maybe I sort of left a few steps out,” Ariela admitted with a playful roll of her eyes. She made a twirl as she landed on the surface of a flat rock nearby, her arms spreading wide and then coming back in towards herself. “You also have to believe in crossing your fingers. And that it makes things turn out okay.” 

She quirked a brow gently in her friend’s direction. She knew how much the words hit home. Maybe it was the truth for everyone, but for Danielle especially. Ariela had seen how dark the other woman’s world had gotten and could get. And though she couldn’t really do anything about it other than take her out for an impromptu picnic in one of her favored hiding places, she could still try to put a little sunshine back into Danielle’s life no matter how small. She wouldn’t ever stop trying. Her heart wouldn’t let her. 

She skipped around a few more rocks, zigzagging her way towards her friend before she was close enough to reach out and grab Danielle’s hands. “There’s always some good to be found. You just have to know where to look for it.”

She squeezed the other girl’s fingers, taking a step back as she kept a hold on her with a warm smile. Ariela knew that from experience. She wouldn’t be where she was right now if she didn’t truly believe in that. Maybe she had more of an eye for it than other people, but in her opinion it was always something that could be learned, something that could be practiced. She knew it was the truth in her case. She’d worked very hard to get there. If people thought she was like this naturally, all the time, they simply didn’t know her. 

But then again, had she ever really given anyone the chance to figure that out? 

 Perks of silly idea sharing with Ari– at 2AM or not—was receiving an actual response. The petite brunette always took some time to let her imagination go wild, she never feared to give her own two cents, shed a new light on the situation. Can you imagine it? The infectious enthusiasm in Ari’s voice triggered Edith’s thinking process as well and she considered it, the possibility of some scientist proving mermaids existed. It would be a splendid discovery, the younger population would certainly be thrilled upon learning the mythical creatures existed. Edith smiled at the thought of their smiling faces. Two worlds would collide, people would be eager to find them. Edith couldn’t help but think it would all turn into a nightmare of masses of loud tourists invading their territory and wickedly indulging themselves at the cost of other creatures’ peace. “The mystery would be lost, wouldn’t it?“ Edith pointed out, giving Ari a look. “Maybe they’re better off at sea, secretly helping us out and saving a lost sailor every once in a while.“

A little bit of magic sewn into the dirt, what a lovely thought that was. Edith wholeheartedly agreed. To her, at least, it seemed so. The town would always have a special place in her heart, no matter how insignificant it seemed on paper. On paper, perhaps but anyone who visited or stayed had been fascinated, one way or another. “For sure, why else would we be stuck here.“ Edith jested. They weren’t stuck in the real sense of the word but they all seemed to come back. After her accident no city or town in the USA could provide such sense of comfort.

Ariela decided to take a dive into her painful memories and Edith took a deep breath as well, as if to prepare herself. What could prepare you for something like that, honestly? A warm embrace from a friend, hopefuly. Edith made sure her arm was wrapped around the other. Ariela’s tale was short but she imagined it all happened so fast in real life as well. Pop, the woman spoke. So I looked around… “And you saw him.“ A frown creasing her brow, dith finished with a nod. “What happened next? Did you see…?“ The man who had done it.

------------------------------

Ariela frowned, feeling the whoosh of logic blow at her back and sink her stomach as Edith spoke. Not that she was truly upset. If anything, it was a good thing. What did they say again? People like Ariela were the dreamers and dreamers needed realists. They kept them grounded. Otherwise the dreamers like her would up and float away into the air, never to be seen again. God only knew how close Ariela’s ideas had brought her to that place. Sometimes they were more trouble than they were worth, though she always tried to see the bright side of things when they were. “Yeah... yeah, you’re probably right. Half the magic’s in the mystery,” she nodded, curling her lips half upwards in the hint of a smile. “Though you have to admit, save the mermaids would make a great t-shirt slogan.”

Whatever joy had been in her face faded as she leaned into the other woman’s grounding touch. Her eyes traced the toes of their shoes as they walked. She shook her head lightly. “It took me a little bit. It was dark and he was-” already on the ground by that point, easy to miss. The words didn’t leave her lips though as she continued on. “I went looking for... for a while maybe? Or maybe it wasn’t that long but then he was on the ground by the shore and you know me, I’m not ever opposed to a late night dip in the lake but it just... it looked wrong.” She swallowed, taking in a deep breath. As fast as she’d spoken without the need for air, now it felt like there wasn’t enough to get them all out. “And then when I got closer there was this really awful noise. Like he was choking, but he wasn’t choking... he hadn’t even gone swimming.” A frown scrawled itself on her lips, dismay clearly written on them. “He was the only other person there by that point so I didn’t-”

I didn’t see anyone leave. 

———

Chuffed by Ariela’s accusation–and that her detective friend had attributed her as having such power–Ida shook her head, grinning as she did so. “Between you and Ella, I’m surprised the two of you haven’t come back to me with full details on her upbringing and her social security number,” Ida ribbed. Maggie had gained someone of a reputation at the bar for being one of the few regulars to get a genuine smile out of Ida even on her worst days, but that spoke more to Maggie’s personality than it did Ida’s feelings.

At Ariela’s explanation, Ida nodded, understanding it completely herself. “By the time we’re off of work most of the time I feel like even if we had the incentive to date we’d never have the energy,” she lamented, rolling her eyes in annoyance at one Noah Cameron’s insane shift demands of the three of them. Besides, Ariela was a smart, capable girl, even if Ida worried about her sometimes and her recent entanglement with Noel. 

“You’ll know when you’re ready. Don’t rush yourself.”

----------------

Ariela shrugged, trying to make the gesture as nonchalant as she could. “Maybe we already have it and we’re just waiting for the right time for you to get on board so we can tell you.” She cast a glance over Ida’s way, a teasing glint in her eye as a smile returned to her lips. But as good as she was at wheedling out information from people sometimes, she drew the line at social security numbers. And trying to put two people together by force. With her social circles being what they were back home, she’d almost been in that situation herself and she’d despised the lack of freedom. She hardly wanted to be a hypocrite, so she didn’t press the issue any more than she already had.

“I don’t know. I find people energizing.” She shrugged again. Who needed coffee or energy drinks when you could feed off of the conversations of other people? Even coming off of a long shift after work, Ariela still felt ready to go with the need to do something. Maybe that’s how she ended finding a little bit of trouble more often than not. She scoffed a bit, shaking her head with a smile. “You sound like-” 

Well, she wanted to say her mother. But when was the last time she’d ever talked to her mom about any such thing or the interesting people around town? When was the last time she’d spoken to her mother? 

“You sound like Sebastian. I’d be careful if I were you.”

It was nice to sit outside with his work left inside at his desk. It was nice to get fresh air, to get some sun. If he had work to do, he would stay holed up inside until it was complete. He still had work to do, a lot of work to do, but Ariela had dragged him out. He was grateful for her doing this. If he didn’t get a break, it was easy for him to fall into a funk. It had been a long time since he felt he was care-free, but at this moment, it was easy to pretend.

He did keep his expression neutral as he watched her, listening to her confession. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it, but he didn’t want to let her see that. When she said it, the only indication he gave that he was upset, was the way he clenched his teeth. “Oh.” He didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t yell or want to say harsh words and upset her. Daniel took a deep breath, making sure he was calm and rational when he spoke. 

“Is that a good idea, Ari? You can always come to stay with me.” He didn’t necessarily want a roommate, but he didn’t want her to be stranded. He couldn’t sit by while she lived at a dining establishment and not real living quarters. 

------------------

Okay, so maybe he had a point. No it wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had. Honestly, it was barely even a great idea. But under the circumstances she’d had to think fast and she was allowed a few bad ideas or two every once in a while when she had to. Her usual arsenal was packed with great ideas.

She’d been at work when the news of the mist hit. It was amazing how fast information spread among drunks, when they weren’t spending their time gossiping over the things that didn’t matter. And then she’d been asked what she was going to do and in her patented Ariela Lopez way, she’d merely shrugged a shoulder and said ‘guess I’m hanging here for now. Oh well.’ She’d let now turn into weeks. She hadn’t meant to. Whenever someone had offered a solution to her problem- and there were many- she’d merely sent them on her way to go help someone else and told them she’d figure something out. She always did. It wasn’t so bad anyway, was it? Besides, she was used to the odd chair or random couch. People had it worse than her.

She chewed at the inside of her cheek, a light blush coming to color her face. Her hands moved through a series of placating gestures. 

***

Both of them had thought that they would have been able to make it in and out before the curfew fell again, but with the way that Danielle could see the outside darkening by the moment ― they’d overestimated the time they would have left. If they made it out of the store in time, then there was no telling where’d they stuck afterwards as she felt her friend’s hand slip into her own as she squeezed out of grounding herself. “I think now isn’t the time to worry about peaches or anything other than either trying to make a run for it or,” she trailed off because the alternative was them being trapped in the store. 

It wouldn’t have been the worst, except that she knew that her brother would be out in the middle of it if he thought that she was caught in it and it sent her stomach plummeting to the floor. “I don’t know if we’re even going to make it out.” Even if they left everything they’d gathered, considering her pack was full of supplies and the line was growing by the second, Danielle knew that things were going from bad to worse.

She glanced at the other with a tight lipped look before she gathered her wits and spied a few people that were already crowding around the doors as the mist moved in closer and closer. “Have you ever wanted to spend the night in a grocery store? ‘cause you might have gotten your wish.” If only others had the same idea she watched someone try to push another out of the line and get their items rung up that caused a slight argument to break out and send the call all the way down the line to everyone else that wanted to leave. 

-----------

For once, Ariela had to admit that her friend’s pessimism did have a point. Even she couldn’t put a positive spin on it, no matter how much time she quietly spent trying to come up with one. Sometimes the weather turned on you, as it were.

“Well... it would be one more thing I can cross off the bucket list,” Ariela said, trying out a wavering smile as she glanced at her. She wanted to add it wouldn’t be so different from spending all her recent hours at The Midnight, but the argument at the front of the store called her attention again and she squeezed Dani’s fingers in return as she watched the chaos begin to unfold. It would have been hard to ignore it. It was getting louder and more tense with every passing second, every moment the sky grew darker, every time another pair of eyes turned to look out the window to see the misted world beyond. 

Her grip on Dani’s hand tightened and before she knew it Ariela was taking a step forward, nearly dragging her friend behind her. That’s how it always happened, didn’t it? Her feet moved without her thinking, running straight towards the chaos and offering to fix it even if she didn’t know what she could do or if it would do any good. If Dani were to ask, no, she didn’t know what she’d do when she got there, to the front of the store. She was hoping some plan would dawn on her when she got there. 

“Come on. We have to do something.”

He stared at her, a bewildered expression on his face. Joseph tried to remind himself that everyone was different, but he couldn’t imagine willingly wanting to hear peoples’ stories all day long. That sounded terrible to him. He hated small talk. He was good at it, but he never enjoyed it. He didn’t understand why she would choose this as a profession, but he supposed someone needed to fill this job.

“Good for you.” His words weren’t even sarcastic. Despite his feelings toward it all, he was a bit impressed that she did enjoy that. As long as he got served drinks, he wouldn’t complain or openly question her. 

He watched her as she watched him. He stopped his hands, and let them rest where they laid on the bar. He could tell she was trying to read him. He had already spilled a lot of his business tonight, and it didn’t concern her. Another part of him was desperate to talk about it. He kept his mouth shut all day long, and he finally got a chance to say something to practically a stranger. It wasn’t like she knew him or the people he was talking about. 

“One of them does.” It was clear in his actions and words. He hadn’t explicitly told Gio he didn’t like it, but he had to have picked up on it. Luke, on the other hand, didn’t seem to pick up on what was happening. “I think the other thinks it’s the best thing since sliced bread.” Joseph didn’t think it was so great, but he couldn’t really complain because he had a place to stay. 

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There was one thing she’d learned, having listened to everyone’s stories. People were constantly and immensely complicated. That wasn’t even a bad thing. Not in her mind. It’s what made her still interested in listening when she would have lost the attention for it otherwise and flitted off to do something else. Ariela knew that sometimes people wouldn’t and couldn’t get along with everyone, even when she wanted to get along everyone. It put her in a tough spot. The man obviously fell into the first category and for as rare an occasion as it was, Ariela was at a loss for words for moment. 

What could she say to him, then? If she were in his shoes, which she wasn’t, her usual plan of attack was always a smile. And kindness. And bright optimism. No matter how bad things got. That’s how she made it through most of her life when things got hard. Most of the time. There were places where her step faltered. But she tried not to remember those times too vividly. 

“That sounds... exhausting,” she said after trying to search for the right word. She tapped her fingers against the bar, sounding out a random beat for a moment. “Maybe your friend-” whoever it was. She couldn’t say this was the easiest story to understand- “is just trying to do what they think is best for you the long run? Can’t say I’ve ever roomed with an enemy before, but I can’t imagine it would be easy for them to try and make bridges if they had an idea of how much you disliked the other guy.”

***

He fought back the urge to pull his hand away – the overwhelming impulse to pull back into himself and deny all assistance was strong. But he fought it as he let her squeeze his hand in some show of comfort. It was nice, in a way, to know that someone wanted to be there for him. He wasn’t sure what she could really do, what anyone could do, but it was nice to know that she wanted to be there none the less. He wasn’t an island. What a novel concept, to not be an island, but rather to have people around who would help you and be there for you. Friends existed in his world, sure, but to what extent? He had never felt comfortable enough to approach any of them and tell them exactly how he was feeling, what hardship he had to endure just to feel okay. Did they need to know such things?

He wasn’t an island. “You say that I’m not a burden, but I don’t believe that. Cause I’ve seen the way people have reacted to things in my life. I’ve seen the way they look at me and I know what some people think of me. If they don’t think I’m a burden, then they think I’m a problem. Which, isn’t that just as bad?” His throat was tight as Chad stared down at the bar. “I don’t know what’s even the first step anymore, though.”

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“People,” she nodded along. “But that’s not everyone.” Maybe it wouldn’t make much sense to him. But Ariela had met enough folks to know that in the whole wide world there was always going to be someone willing to be in your corner. Even now- maybe she didn’t think about it often enough but Ariela was paddling in quite a similar boat to his. When she thought about it she knew she had the town’s scary and powerful looking at her like she’d done something wrong by saving a man’s life. And yet she still had people in her corner. She wasn’t an island.

“If you truly believe all that, you’ve just been talking to the wrong people.”