chasing stars

-

“Usually kind people don’t gotta fight so hard when it comes to proving they’re a kind person, just sayin’” Weston couldn’t help the snarky tone of his voice that could only be described as a little brother teasing his older sister. He really did miss her, and he was glad that she was sticking around in town, however, saying it like that was impossible, so instead he chose to tease her. “Yeah, I’m a full grown adult who has a mortgage and an exceptional credit score,” he joked with a chuckle. Truth be told, he felt like just yesterday they were still kids running around and getting into trouble. He liked to think if their mother was still around she would look at the two of them and be proud. “Of course, what’s politics without a little nepotism,” he said half-sarcastically as he shook his head at her, “See, this isn’t helping your whole ‘I’m a kind person’ case.”

“What can I say, I’m full of dope ideas,” It was hard not to look so smug at that point, especially when Weston loved making his family proud, his sister’s pride included. “Exactly, I’ll have Jade work on the details and maybe set up a meeting later this week,” It was easy enough, not to mention he had done similar programs in the past so it wouldn’t be difficult to take care of. “That’s because I definitely didn’t tell you or your friends I had one — couldn’t risk you ratting me out to pops,” he said with a laugh, thinking it silly in retrospect but their father had always been far more strict than their mother and Weston had always aimed to win his father over no matter what. “Six foot? You better be kiddin’” he said with an amused scoff, “You know, I’ve heard it frowned upon to lie about your height, might extend past dating apps and into fake ID’s too if you ask me,” Another joke. 

“I’m not fighting people, I’m fighting you.” She said, resisting the urge to snatch her hand forward and slap him upside the head like she had done so many times before in their youth. Little brothers, they were both the bane of her existence and her favorite people. Ava snorted at the mention of his exceptional credit score. Hers wasn’t exactly too hot. Being a struggling artist in L.A. wasn’t at all glamorous, nor was it paved with minimal debt. She shrugged her shoulders innocently. “Well Mr. Mortgage, since you wanna brag, I guess next round is on you.” She teased, “And you know what, I’m not even gonna argue anymore. I’ll just let my actions speak for themselves.”

“Really? Just like that?” She said, her heart warming at the idea that maybe she wouldn’t be out of a job, and that maybe she wouldn’t have to break her students’ hearts with the news that they wouldn’t be able to learn music next year. “Well... thank you. Really, I appreciate it, Wes,” Despite her teasing and her perpetual older sibling complex, she loved and appreciated her brother. There was a lot that they had gotten through together, and certainly more that they would all have to face in the future. “Oooh so my little brother has jokes. You’re not as funny as you think you are.” Ava chuckled, raising her drink to her lips again, pausing only to shoot her brother a curious look. “You talk to Pop? The man swears I don’t call him.”

-

“Yeah? Prove it,” Weston said, his tone taking on the same from their childhood of playful bickering and challenging. He might have established himself as a successful business owner and politician, but there was always something about being around family that brought out a lighthearted nature from him. “Rough day? Sounds like you really needed the drink then, so I’ll let it slide,” He said, just to be her annoying little brother once again. “That sounds pretty rough, believe me I know how difficult it is to push a budget on somethin’ people don’t take seriously,” Most of the city allocations and distributions of wealth went into new infrastructure, which Weston knew was a legal way of gentrifying a city that he loved. However, politics was a game and Weston knew in order to make a real difference you unfortunately had to be a player. “If you’re interested in a fundraising opportunity let me know,” He knew his sister well enough to know she would never accept a handout, however, he could find a deal where they both could win. “I don’t know, weekend cuts at Civil Barbers, half the proceeds can be a generous donation to the music program,” Not to mention a write off for his business. As his sister called him out for the fake ID that was long gone by now, Weston couldn’t help the easy laugh that escaped out of him, “Probably because I’m just so damn nice,” And because unfortunately, growing up he had a lot less restrictions due to his anatomy, “C’mon, everyone had a fake ID, we were idiots paying twelve bucks for beer at a seedy bar, you can’t say you grew up in Eureka without doin’ that, right?” Like a rite of passage of some sort for the town Weston had discovered.

“You can’t prove kindness, that’s the point, you have to actually be a kind person. Which I am. Usually.” She said, adding the last part emphatically. Her father always did used to say that her stubbornness often bordered callousness, as she always spoke her mind and rarely knew when to stop. And when she cared about something, she put in her all, even when that seemed excessive. She leaned her chin on her hand, watching her brother for a moment with a proud smile. Her little brother, the politician. She remembered him pestering her, yelling at the top of her lungs as she threatened him to stay out of her room. Now he wasn’t so little anymore. Maybe it was being back at Cal’s, but she felt oddly nostalgic. “You do, don’t you? Damn, that’s so weird. You’re like... an adult. Like a whole adult.” Ava said, gesturing with her hands in a teasing fashion. “I hope you know that when you’re elected, I’m definitely gonna utilize some nepotism.” She said the last part hushed, in case someone didn’t understand the joke.

Ava listened to his idea, her eyes widening with every word. “That’s... a really dope idea, Wes.” She told him, sincerely. “Win-win all around. We get money to keep the music program alive and Civil Barbers’ gets the promotion." Finally, the bartender set her drink in front of her wordlessly, to which Ava shot him a glare before grabbing it. She scoffed out a laugh and took a relieved sip, shaking her head at her brother. “I didn’t know you had one.” She retorted, smiling conspiratorially at him. “Mine was a Kansas ID that said I was 27 years old. And that I was six foot. The hell was I thinking?”

Considering quite how much Katie was reeling from Judd’s…confession, if it could be called that, she hadn’t totally gone down the previous path of despair and debauchery. Instead she had taken the route of self pity, keeping herself to herself for a whole day and making copious cups of tea every time her mind strayed to the Ben-David clan. And finally, once she’d actually drained her entire stock dry, she pulled on the favour of the one woman who still had things worse than Katie. So by the time she settled down for drinks with Dani in Cal’s she’d already made up her mind that this would be a quiet one - a bottle of low alcohol beer instead of her usual vat of wine, back in bed by 11 and ready for a new day sans hangover – when a familiar face caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

Which was not to say that Katie knew Ava all that well. Of all of the Jameson’s it was Weston which Katie had attached herself too, but she’d sat at the funeral for Ava and Weston’s mother, watched as they buried their own parent as Katie had done herself a few years prior, and they were certainly on more than just nodding terms. 

“Ava, hey-” Katie said, excusing herself from the table for a brief second to approach the other woman, aware that she didn’t exactly look like she was having the time of her life. Then again, it was a busy bar and her table was looking distinctly empty. Cal’s was a familiar space for Katie, she had spent most of her youth in these four walls, endless evenings of lock ins and pool games in the dingy bar. “You want a drink or something?” she asked, pulling out her phone as she glanced over to see who was on the bar that night. “It’s not the best customer service I’ll give you that but luckily Tom behind the bar owes me a favour”

Ava turned to blink at the person who said her name, her gaze settling on the all too familiar face. “Katie!” She exclaimed, her mood turning around at the sight of her brother’s old friend. Ava had been older than Katie and Weston, but she remembered her well enough. She should have figured she would run into someone she knew from back in the day at a place like this. A place that was more than likely a staple in all of their lives at once point. It was practically a badge of honor for any Eureka native to drink at Cal’s once they came of age. She chuckled and nodded. “It’s good to see you. I would love a drink, thank you.” She glanced at the bartender. “If you can get that guy’s attention, that is.”

She raised her brow at Katie curiously. “You know the bartender here?” If she was being honest, a pang of... something filled her stomach. She hadn’t been back to Eureka in years, so all of the roots that she had dug here were virtually dried up. Now it was just old friends and old memories. Coming back here was like rifling through a drawer of your old things. “How have you been? What’s it been... two, three years?”

-

“Yeah, that’s sort of how kindness works, you need a quick lesson on it?” Weston couldn’t help but tease his older sister just a little. After all, she had set such high expectation when they were kids and these days he felt like he could finally measure up to her, so what was a bit of teasing between siblings? Though, in Ava’s defense, Weston had gone through months of campaigning the previous year that easily left him as every small business downtown’s best friend. Once the bartender came back and set their drinks on the table, Weston gave a nod and returned his attention back to his sister, “Alright Ava, nice to see you too, so what’s got you in a mood tonight?” He asked, genuinely curious if the bartender’s lack of response had been her last straw. “Amazing how this place still looks the same as it did back in the day,” It wasn’t necessarily a compliment to the bar but it did give Weston a sense of nostalgia whenever he drank there, “I don’t even need a fake ID to get in anymore, ain’t that somethin’.”

“Hey, I know how to be kind!” She replied, indignantly. "People just make it really hard.” Usually, Ava was a very down-to-earth person. She demanded anything of anyone, she simply did it herself when the need arose. That was how their mother had raised her to be. But she was human, like everyone else, and her temper was something she got from her father. She could still remember the days of her youth when Wes and their brother ran around annoying the hell out of her at any given time. They still did that, but at least it was endearing now. “I had a rough day at work.” She admitted to him, quickly grabbing her drink to take a sip. “I’m dealing with all kinds of pushback on next years budget for the music program- if there will be a music program.” Eureka was no different than any other city. Music and the arts weren’t as valued in the education system, though she would fight like hell to make sure that, one day, they would be. Ava let her gaze flutter around Cal’s, taking in all the memories it presented to her on nearly every surface. “Well, what did you expect- and hold up, did you say fake ID?” She grinned at him. “How is that I got brought home by the cops but I didn’t know you had a fake?”

-

While Weston could often be found at Arts & Drafts or some of the other bougie establishments in town schmoozing over campaign donors and the small town politicians of Eureka, his favorite place would always be Cal’s. The dive bar from his youth that brought nothing but good memories was a place that often didn’t seem to meet the growth of his adulthood, however, it remained a special place. Even now as he entered the bar, loosening the tie from around his neck, happy to be off the clock, Weston caught sight of his sister and couldn’t help but intervene. “Hey man — mind grabbing my sister her drink? And I’ll take my usual, you’re the best,” he said, flashing a smile and a nod to the bartender. Perhaps Weston inherited all the patience when it came to the Jameson family, or maybe being such a people pleaser had benefited him in getting to know everyone in his town, either way, he used it to his advantage. “I don’t know, Ava, I think maybe you aren’t givin’ this place enough credit,” he added a moment later with a knowing smile. Weston had always been a glass half full type of guy and that hadn’t changed no matter how many years lay between them now, “Like mom always said — you attract more bees with honey than vinegar.”

Ava jumped slightly at the sound of her brother’s voice, turning to catch sign of him flashing a smile at the bartender. As if like magic, the man set to work on his drink, leaving her glaring at him in exasperation. “I’ll take my usual,” She mocked, her smile a dead giveaway to her teasing. “What, you just flash a smile at everybody and boom, you get what you want? And look he just does it!” She knew that wasn’t the case. Like Ava herself, Weston had worked to be where he was. Growing up, opportunities hadn’t exactly been in abundance for three kids from a home strained on finances, but they had made it work with some determination. On her part, things hadn’t turned out how she thought they would be, but she always knew Weston would be successful. Just who he was. “I don’t wanna attract bees, I want to drink.” Ava told him in a grumble. “I think I’m giving it just enough credit. Maybe too much. I haven’t even been here since I was 22.”

Alessia rolled her eyes at her colleagues, more in amusement than anything else. Surely, they could meet at Mediterra or any other bars in town, but most of the trauma department staff had been living in Eureka for years, and they loved the bar, and its kinda cheesy karaoke nights. They were a large group, so she could easily opt out of her own turn at a song - not that her voice was the worst, it was the sudden exposure to a ton of strangers that set her on edge preemptively. Instead, she moved to the bar, ordering a round for everyone, beer and hard liquor, because she had learned her lesson about drinking the wine in this place in the first week living here.

With her back to the bar, and her elbows leaning on the smooth wood, she was happily watching her colleagues from afar, when her attention was caught by a nearby shout. Alessia turned her head just in time to see the bartender basically giving a one-fingered salute, and rolled her eyes, this time more in annoyance. “He does that every single time - I swear he’s blind and deaf.” Alessia shook her head, and hoisted herself onto the bar counter. “The only thing to left do is to start serving yourself, and just leave him the money later. I doubt he notices the difference. Not like he isn’t bending the rules himself…” One eyebrow raised, she looked at Ava. “What’s your poison? I’m short, but I’m quite sure I can reach some things. For example-” She stretched and had a quick look around. “-Is whiskey your thing?”

“An ass is what he is.” Ava grumbled with a heavy sigh, turning her attention on the woman instead of the irate bartender. Just as she was set to agreeing with her- playfully, of course, she had a reputation to keep pristine for her brother’s sake- the woman was up on the bar counter anyway. Her eyes widened, and she looked over to the ass to see his reaction, only to find that he was still talking to a couple friends in blissful ignorance. A smile split across her face, and she laughed, her gaze darting between her and the bartender to make sure he didn’t notice. “I’m a purveyor of rule bending.” She informed her. “So don’t worry. And whiskey sounds fantastic.” She said, not wanting to stretch her luck. 

Ava busied herself with quickly grabbing a couple glasses within her reach, setting one in front of Alessia. It felt good doing something inherently mischievous again. it brought her back to her days when mischief was her forte, and the voice of an authority figure was the last thing she wanted to listen to. “Believe it or not, this isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever did.” She said, pausing for a moment. “I mean, it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever witnessed. Technically, you grabbed the bottle.” Ava smirked at her and shrugged. “Least that’s what I’ll tell the cops.”

Usually, Ava hated karaoke. In fact, she wasn’t entirely sure how she had been talked into coming in the first place.

She stood at the bar waiting for the drink she had ordered some fifteen minutes ago, completely sure that the bartender had forgotten about her at that point. Looking around the dive-like establishment, she could hardly believe that she had been trying to use her fake ID to get into this place some 17 years ago. It never worked. Now, as she listened to someone butcher a Queen song, she wondered what the hell the hype was in the first place.

Don’t get her wrong, Cal’s was... well Cal’s. Everyone she knew had commiserated their ability to drink legally at this very bar, and perhaps it was that level of guilt trip that had forced her out with a few old friends from high school. It would be fun, they said. While at first it had been, eventually she found herself on the outside looking in. She had been away for years, and it the longer they talked, the more she realized just how out of touch she was with her hometown. It... was a strange sort of realization that didn’t sit well with her.

She grumbled and finally banged her hand on the counter. “Hey! Buddy! I ordered my drink like twenty minutes ago!” Ava called out over the sound of the blasting music. The bartender waved her off, continuing to conversate and serve drinks as he went, taking his sweet time. Ava scoffed and sat back down in her seat with a thud, crossing her arms over her chest. “Asshole. You know what, I should learn not to expect so much from this place.”