[ JOSEPHINE “JOSIE” WILLIAMS, SHE/HER, CIS WOMAN, CLARK BACKO ] is a THIRTY year old RECORDS CLERK from PROSPER, WV. They are COMPASSIONATE and HARD WORKING but also WITHDRAWN and TENSE.

Feeling frustrated Banks knew that he should have given up the task handed to him by some of the others, because no matter how hard that he tried — it was not going to be good enough. At least not until they were satisfied that he was either a complete idiot or too stubborn to know when to give up as he left the mess in a pile on the floor to get some air. Anything. If he stayed still for a moment longer, he knew what was bound to happen next as he pushed himself upright and started to head towards the door. However, there was someone there before he made it and caused him to backtrack a bit. “I wouldn’t exactly know since I’ve been cooped up back here workin’ on… whatever the fuck it is they left me to deal with,” he muttered as he glanced over his shoulder at the small mess that would be there later even if he was trying to ignore it now. “Probably though, seein’ as some of ‘em like to use their downtime to make me miserable.” He didn’t know if it meant they wanted him to quit and find something else that was more suited for a local from Hazzard, or if they thought to test him long enough and see if he was willing to stick it out. In that moment, he felt it was more the former than the latter as he turned back towards the other with a small nod. “I’m.. still here.” That was saying a lot. He hadn’t given up yet.

...

she knew what it had to be like, to be the rookie and one who has a history like banks did. in a place like this, respect wasn’t given, it was earned and unfortunately, it took a lot to earn it. but it was part of the reason why she wanted to look out for him, to make sure the old kooks weren’t too hard on the poor kid. he always reminded her of her brother which was probably why she liked to keep an eye on him after everything he went through. “mm sounds around right from those guys,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest as she glanced around the station. “i hope you’re not letting it get to you too much. they’re always hard on the rookies.” at least she had hoped they would go easier on him with time. some new kid will get a job and they’ll all lay off banks to fuck with the new kid. circle of life and all that shit. “what’re they torturing you with now days?”

WHO: @jo-williams​ WHERE: Somewhere in Prosper WHEN: June 1997

“Jo?” Pippa said, noticing her friend as she stepped away from a few old ladies that had stopped her to ask for her medical advice on bunions. Honestly, Pippa wasn’t one to end conversations before they needed to but she’s been meaning to invite Jo to her upcoming crochet class this weekend and just hasn’t seen her around since that night at the Windy Shot. “Hey,” she greeted as she approached the other woman. Normally, she’d give a friend a small hug when she ran into them but she wasn’t quite sure where she stood with Jo, so Pippa’s hand lifted slightly then fell back down to her side in her uncertainty. Were they friends? Like they used to be? Or was this something new? Pippa wasn’t sure, even after that night they shared a few drinks with each other and caught up on the past years. Pippa may have been a bit gullible but she wasn’t naïve. Surely, it took more than a single conversation to mend a neglected friendship. “I’ve been meaning to run into you.”

...

it was rare that josie had some free time without her toddle by her side, but when she did have those moments to breathe and be alone, she found herself missing him anyways. or more honestly, she was missing john. but she tried to not think about that too much. it was easier to push those thoughts away. thankfully, she was pulled from her thoughts before they were able to take root when she heard her name being called by a familiar voice. she turned to see pippa walking over to her and an easy, friendly smile pulled on her face. “hey, how’s it going?” she greeted, unsure if their one run in at the bar was enough to ignore years of no contact to have a more friendly greeting. but josie was never the most friendly person to start. “oh, is everything okay?” she asked, assuming something bad had happened to prompted pippa wanting to talk to her, always a pessimist. 

When it came to activities to do with kids, Clem had always been an advocate for things being educational as well as fun. Johnny Williams had a pretty good handle on his letters and numbers, or about as good as it could get at five years old, but Clem was of the mind that there was always room for improvement. A couple years ago she made a card game—the numbers 1 through 10 in one pile, various actions in the other. The game was for the child to pull a card from each pile, and then do the action that number of times. It was good for kids like Johnny who liked full-body play more than sitting at the kitchen table with flashcards. They had pulled the number seven and the card that said ‘push-ups’ with a little cartoon figure doing just that and were both halfway through them when Clem heard Josie’s voice carry through the home. Johnny’s shout of ‘four!’ was quickly interrupted by a sharp inhale of excitement, and he dropped then rolled up onto his feet to greet his mom. Clem exhaled heavily and dropped down when he did. Her arms were honestly a little tired. She smiled up at Josie as she came into view, then moved to stand. “No, he was great,” Clem said, and that was true. Johnny was definitely much better behaved than a few of the other kids she watched. “We were just working on our numbers. Keeping this little guy’s brain sharp for the first grade come fall.” She glanced toward Johnny, then made an exaggerated grimace of apology. “Sorry, I meant Big Guy. He was showing me his muscle poses earlier. I won’t make the mistake of calling him a little guy again, believe you me.” Clem bent down to grab her bag, then righted herself. “How’s your mom doing? Must’ve been real nice to spend some time together.”

...

there were always horror stories you hear when you’re a parent when it came to finding babysitters, but josie never had to worry about that when she had clem to help her. she as eternally grateful for her help and how great she was with johnny. it helped that johnny seemed to love when clem came over to watch him and she seemed to care about him just as much. she had heard that was rare when finding childcare. she wasn’t surprised when they seemed to be in the middle of a game when she walked in. “hi baby,” she said, as her son came over to greet her. setting her purse down on the table before getting down on her knees to be at his level. “did you have fun with clem?” she asked, to which johnny was answering excitedly as clem explained what they were doing. “oh wow! at this rate, he’s going to be the best counter in the class, you’ll have to show me later, okay, bud? why don’t you get washed up and ready for dinner?” with a small grumble of protest about how he wanted to play with clem some more, johnny was off, forcing josie to be alone for an adult conversation she always hated having. there was no such thing as a secret when it came to this town and it wasn’t a secret that josie’s mom has had a rough couple years, but it was still hard for josie to accept. “she’s hanging in there. her memory seemed better today which is always nice when she has good days. i just wish johnny was old enough to understand what’s going on with her and how she doesn’t always know who he is.” of course, she couldn’t help but think about how much easier it would be if john was here. shacking her head a little, she tried to not think about it. “i suppose i shouldn’t complain, at least she’s alive and healthy,” she said with a slight smile. “do you mind if i write you a check this time? i didn’t have a chance to run to the bank.”

it was rare that josie was out late, but when she was, she was always grateful when clem was willing to watch johnny for her at the drop of a hat. of course it was her job that she was paying her to do, but that didn’t make josie any less grateful. tonight she had to pop down to hazzard to see her mother, although she was still foggy from her dementia, she had been asking for josie and that was enough to get her to drive over to see her. but there was nothing better than finally coming home after a long day. stepping into the house, she could hear johnny in the living room. “hello?” she called out as she set her keys down on the table next to the door. “mommy’s home!” she said as she turned the corner into the other room to see her son and clementine. “hey, thank you so much again, i hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

it wasn’t often that josie had some free time to herself where she didn’t have to rush off after work to pick up johnny from the day care the second she got off work. today was a rather slow day, one where all the reports were filed and she was able to leave work early and have a few hours to herself. only, it has been so long since she’s had time to herself that she never quite knew what to do with herself when she did. she found herself walking around town and enjoying the summer weather before she really knew where she was walking to. as she came upon the fire station however, she decided to give an old friend a visit. partly as a way to catch up, but a small part of her was curious if banks was keeping himself out of trouble. with how slow it was at the police station, she knew it had to be just as slow for the firefighters of the county as well. not much excitement in a town like this, that is, unless you listen to the whispers around town of the old game coming back. after asking one of the other men if banks was in and where to find him, jo went where she was told he should be and greeted the rookie. “hello banks,” she said with a friendly smile. “slow day for y’all too? figured i’d stop by on my way home and see how you were doing.”

OPEN STARTER / @panic-hub​

It was always tasking to visit her parents. Most people had the privilege of visiting home and experiencing the reassurance they still had one, maybe they always would. A part of her anger stemmed from the fact that she could barely remember what that was like now, the memory always seeming to fade with every fuck up. Tonight was no different, and she hadn’t expected it to be. But, that didn’t stop her from being surprised that both of them were gone, no one ever knew for how long. It used to be her favorite time, but for some reason, this felt a little more empty. However, tonight she’d stolen a few beers from the fridge, and was sitting outside, bonfire built and blazing, staring off in what she would likely pretend was simply a high daze, but truthfully, it was a touch of emptiness sinking in, assuming she was safe to hide even if it was in their stupid ass front yard. It wasn’t like anyone out here was calling the fire marshal. 

...

despite working in hazzard, it was rare that she was seen back at her childhood home. not that she was ashamed of where she grew up, no matter how many people assume that of her. it was just hard to see her mother and even harder to come to their home. but tonight johnny was with a sitter and she was told that her mom was having a good day so she decided to take the chance and stop in for a visit. who knows how long it would be before there was another good day like this. and it was a good day, her mom was coherent and lively; josie was happy to see her mom again. but then came the end of the night where she had to leave and hope that she didn’t just ruin something and cause her mom to decline more. stepping out of the trailer she once called home, she locked up and was about to head to her car before she noticed bea sitting in front of a fire. it was probably a dumb idea to go over, but she couldn’t help her curiosity. walking over, josie cleared her throat has she got closer, announcing her presence and hopefully pulling bea out of her trance. “you okay, bea?” she asked, voice genuine as she got closer. 

         she wasn’t slacking, it was just a time-out. at least that’s what margo would tell anyone who asked why she’d gotten all kitted out in her running gear if she was just going to sit on a bench. cross-legged, she chewed on her granola bar, trying to immerse herself in the texture of each oat, each raisin, and not think about what the start of another game meant, until the woman next to her cut her from her meditation. was she addressing margo, or the park at large? it was often hard to tell with these prosper types, who kept their nose in books and breezed through life acting like they were the main character. not that josie had always been a prosper girl. fucking traitor. “woah. fuckin bold of you to assume anyone from hazzard can read,” margo countered, tossing a clump of granola up and catching it in her mouth, running shoe tapping idly against the bench. “we don’t go to school. we pop straight out of the womb and the send us down the mines with a torch in one hand a pick-axe in the other. or do you not remember that?” admittedly, she got a kick out of playing devil’s advocate, but that didn’t mean margo wouldn’t keep a list of prospites, checking them off every time she landed a hit. “i mean you’re the girl who got out. it’s like being a fuckin’ unicorn. nice fancy house, sweet little kid, cushy office job.”  could josie feel the bitterness seeping into her tone?   “good for you, girl ! you’re playing in the big leagues, now.” 

...

josie closed her book and folded her hands over it on her lap as the girl went on her little rant. she has gotten used to the judgement of the people she once called her neighbors. after all, if she was fifteen years younger, she would have thought the same thing if someone moved across the boarder of hazzard. the prosper people had money and were stuck up because of it, always looking down on the people of hazzard as if they weren’t all stuck in the same cycle that is lockhorn county. this was why josie was going to raise johnny to not be one of those people. he wasn’t going to be a stuck up prosper kid just because he grew up on that side of the creek. “oh, i do remember considering my father died in those mines,” she said with an easy smile, needed to remind margo just where she came from and how much she lost before ever leaving hazzard. she knew that it was just jealousy that got people to say these things, hazzard and jealousy went hand in hand. lockhorn county was split between the have-s and the have not-s which riddled the town with jealousy. “i wouldn’t really say any of that. i mean, would you really want to trade places with my life just to have a nice fancy house?” she asked, completely serious because if there was one thing that josie knew, it was how much she has lost in her life to have the things that she did have. she had a cushy office job because she had to give up her dream of being a police officer. she had a sweet little kid but lost her husband. her mother was the only remaining relative in hazzard and, well, josie didn’t want people it know about why she can’t talk about her. “you may want to get that jealousy in check or else you’ll never make it out of there,” her cool smile still on her lips as she called out the other girl. 

a late night had turned into a morning marked by a buzzing all throughout dana that made it impossible to get any sleep. they spent a good portion of their day with a face more stern than usual in case anyone brought up the tired eyes or slower-than-typical speed for dana. it was the hope that fresh air and some sunlight would do the trick, bring a bolt of energy to save the rest of the day from being a wash. 

seeing a bench was enough of an invitation for dana’s tired body and having some company wasn’t something they were opposed to. they gave a slight nod with a smile, a friendly recognition. dana turned as josie spoke, contemplating what she was saying and how dana could find the common ground to make this a successful social interaction. returning the smile, dana’s eyes went from josie to the book. “no, but only because i cannot help but picturing if it did not end, some hideous writer being forced to keep writing and writing, like if the twilight zone kidnapped stephen king but it was written by a librarian.” it was mostly for their birds that dana read, often books about birds as if this would help them develop community. “i guess you like the book, what is the story? some say the stories are better in books than on that television, any thoughts on that?”

...

josie looked to dana when she sat down, curious as to how the other woman seemed to be tired. maybe just a rough day at the dmv or something, josie couldn’t imagine that job being a fun and easy one so she didn’t question the other’s appearance even if she was curious if she had fallen for the rumors going on around town about what may or may not have taken place last night. “oh, well i suppose that’s one way to think about it,” she said, not full sure she understood what dana meant by it. but then again, she wasn’t a big fan of the twilight zone so maybe she wasn’t supposed to get it. “i don’t have much time to watch tv or movies even, at least not something meant for children. but i’d have to agree that books are better. you can never get quite as in depth as you can in books no matter how hard they try.”

Books—Taru bared his teeth in a sort-of-grimace. He liked to read well enough, but he figured he wasn’t smart enough to talk much about it. His mom, a big bookworm, would gift him novels on birthdays and holidays. He had taken a liking to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as a kid which, at the hand of his mom, evolved into denser and heavier works as he got older, each neatly wrapped in brown paper. A Tale of Two Cities, and then The Count of Monte Cristo, and suddenly Taru was fighting his way through Crime and Punishment on Christmas Day. Fighting and losing. If there was one gifted book he kept returning to though, it was the one that sat creased on his bedside. Most poems were boring, but he liked The Odyssey. They really got up to some hardcore shit. “Uhhh,” he started, sinking a little further into the bench as he stared, narrow-eyed, into the middle distance. It was like he forgot every ending he ever read the moment he was asked about it. “Shit. I was kinda pissed when I finished White Fang.” It had been well over a decade since he read it, but it was somehow the first one that finally came to mind. “Yunno, when he kinda becomes a house pet.” He shrugged. “Shit ending, if you ask me, the cool dog gettin’ tamed.” He finally peered at the book in Josie’s hands. “What’re you readin’?”

...

she couldn’t help but chuckle when taru couldn’t come up with an answer at first. josie was sure that most of the people in this town didn’t read much, either because they were in the golden age of tv and media or just because life always seemed to get in the way. even in her own life, she rarely found time to make a good dent in whatever book she was reading. thankfully as johnny has gotten older and doesn’t need her attention 24/7, she does get moments like this. “mm yeah, i can see that. nothing worse than a disappointing ending to a good book. especially like that.” she had a vague memory of how that one ended but was grateful when he elaborated. josie looked to see what johnny was up to for a moment before turning her attention back to taru. “it’s called the famished road,” she said, showing the cover. “there’s a second book but i haven’t been able to find it in town yet so i’ve really been putting off finishing this one. plus, i worry that the second wont be ask good.”

What brings you back? The first time Pippa was asked this question, she froze for a whole 10 seconds. Then when she finally opened her mouth, out came the most preposterous lie. She could have told the truth. Or kept things vague. But she knew how the people of this county liked to speculate. So break-up still fresh in her heart, she lied. Said she was back to be close to family… while her fiancé was off doing a stint as a doctor for the Army. It was so, so stupid. And Pippa regretted it everyday. But it was the lie most people knew and the lie she had to keep telling. She hated that the first thing she had to tell Josie was something totally false but word spread around here. If different versions of things got out… well, it’d just be a whole mess. “Um, to be close to family while Matt is away. Yeah, he got this amazing opportunity to work for the Army and we don’t have family out in Annapolis, so… thought it’d be best to move back here since he’ll be gone for some time.” Every single time she told the lie, it made her stomach ache.

Though it’s been three years, mention of her mother still made Pippa’s breath catch in her throat. She missed her. They were never close when she was growing up, but those last two weeks of her mother’s life… It made Pippa miss her mother like they were always bonded like that. “Yeah, it’s… yeah.” She never really knew what to say when people said that. She got off easy living in another state over the past decade. There was no one to recognize her everywhere she went and know her mother had passed. Lockhorn on the other hand? Very different. “I still miss her,” Pippa admitted honestly. If she said one honest thing tonight, she’s happy it’s that.

If Pippa thought Matt and the loss of her mother were the most awkward things she’d be discussing tonight, she was dead wrong. Learning that John had passed five years ago knocked the wind out of her. “Oh… my…” She blinked, scrambling to find the words. “Josie, I’m– I’m so sorry.” She reached over to put a hand on the other woman’s arm. “I…” If she were a better friend, she’d have known. Josie knew about her mother despite how they’d grown apart. Pippa couldn’t say the same for herself when it came to a once-good friend’s husband. God, she felt awful. “I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been.” She gave Josie an apologetic look before taking back her hand and setting it on her lap. “I wish I could have been there for you.” Though she meant the words, it couldn’t have felt more like a lie. Pippa made zero effort to remain in contact with her friends here once she left for college. When she was back in town for the briefest amount of time three years ago to be with her mother during her final days, she didn’t even think to reach out then.

...

she wasn’t really sure what to expect the reason for pippa to come back to be, but when she finally said why she was back in lockhorn, josie’s stomach dropped. she knew, not every person who enlisted in the army came back in a body bag, yet hearing that, it was all she could imagine for matt. that he would have the same fate as john did. that it was only a matter of time before pippa would be in the same position as josie was. “oh wow,” she started, trying to force happiness for her old friend and not show the worry she had in the back of her mind. “how long is he in for? yall going to stay here afterward or go back to annapolis?” she tried to be optimistic that there would be an afterward for matt.

now it was her turn to feel guilty for pippa. josie had never thought of reaching out when she heard about her mom’s passing. she was busy raising a baby by herself and dealing with things in her own life, she never thought to reach out to her. sure, they had drift apart since high school, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have called when she heard the news. plus the guilt of not seeing her own mother as often as she sound while her mental health has been declining over the years. “i’m sure,” she said with a soft smile.

but then it was her turn to give awkward comments when talking about losing someone. her fingers played with the wet label on the beer bottle in her hands, fidgeting with the paper as she tried to hide her discomfort. “it’s okay,” she answered softly. obviously, it wasn’t okay, but there really wasn’t much more she can say. she never did do well with the sympathy from the other townsfolks regarding the matter but thankfully that had stopped as the years went on and everyone had accepted that john was gone. “it was difficult, but i’ve managed. it was hard at fist but i’m just grateful that me and johnny, my son-” she clarified incase pippa hadn’t heard about him either, “-are healthy and safe. he died serving this country and i know he would've been honored about that.” as she spoke, her eyes were locked on the wedding ring she still wears, but after she was done, she looked back up to her old friend.

“but enough about all of that,” she said, trying to push away the sad topics of conversation. “if my memory serves me correctly, i think i know why you’re here tonight.” she looked at the clock on the wall behind the bar to see how much time there was before midnight. “birthday shots?”

josie had slept through the night, blissfully unware of who took part in the antics the night before. of course there was talk of it at work, but josie had her son to take care of so she couldn’t go out to follow the clues to devil’s mouth like half the county did. plus, for some reason, all of the sitters in town were busy. odd. but now that she was off work, she could sense that there was something in the air after whatever happened happened. hushed voices talking to each other, people looking over their shoulders. or maybe it was always like that and josie was just paying attention now. 

having just picked up johnny from day care, josie decided it was nice enough to let the little guy play at the park. mostly it was selfish, wanting him to get out the last of his energy before taking him home and worrying about dinner and getting things done for the night. sitting on one of the benches, half watching johnny and half reading a book she’s been working on for months, she was so close to finishing it but found herself putting off getting to the end. looking up from her book when someone had joined her, she offered a smile. “do you ever get that empty feeling when you finish a book, or is that just me?” she asked, setting the book down on her lap. “maybe i just don’t like endings.”

date: June 1997 location: park in prosper  availability: closed || @jo-williams​

Daisy asked to go over to a friend’s house when Rhett went to pick her and Colt up from day camp. Of course he said yes, it was hard to say no to her when she looked up at him with her big blue pleading eyes. It ended up working out, anyways. Colt had a playdate with Johnny that afternoon and Rhett was sure they would have a lot more fun without the bossy older sister telling them what to do all afternoon. Just two five year old boys set loose in a park to explore and do whatever it was that five year old boys did to have a good time. 

Rhett made sure Daisy got into the other parent’s car fine and headed to the park to meet up with Josie and Johnny. He’d hardly got the car parked before Colt was unbuckling his lap belt and opening the back door to get out. Apparently he’d spotted the other two before Rhett did. “Hey now, wait for me.” He let out a chuckle while he shut off the car. Colt was whinging for him to hurry and pulled at his hand to get out of the vehicle. Once they touched grass the little one bolted toward Johnny and Rhett lifted a hand to wave at Josie. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t slow him down if I tried.” He said with a laugh as they closed the distance between them. Hazel eyes moved to spot a bench they could settle on while the boys played. Rhett motioned toward one close to the playground. “Shall we?” He asked, waiting for her to move first as good Southern manners dictated. “How are y’all doin’ today? Anything new in the Williams world?” He asked her while they made their way over. It was a nice day, the sun was warm but not too hot. Plenty of shade to relax in and enjoy being outdoors.

...

“if you eat sand again, you don’t get ice cream!” josie threatened johnny has he sprinted away from her the second they got to the park. he was long gone and not paying attention to a word his mom was saying as he went up to the playground. johnny’s been looking forward to playing with colt all day and josie was looking forward to him running around and getting all his energy out. plus to get talk to an adult instead of a five year old, josie enjoyed these playdates. 

she saw colt bolting toward johnny before she even saw rhett, but she knew he wasn’t too far behind. “is it even possible to stop them at this age?” she asked with a laugh when he made his way over to her. if rhett had some secret on how to stop a hyper active five year old from running around like crazy, josie would love to hear it. “of course,” she said before moving toward the bench rhett pointed out, taking a seat on one end and setting her purse turned snack and toy bag on the ground. “we’re not too bad,” she said with a sigh as she looked out at the two boys playing already. “johnny woke up this morning excited to play with colt and i had to explain to him how time works again and that he had to wait.” that plus having to tell him every fifteen minutes that no it’s not time yet, sweetie. but that was motherhood she supposed. “how are you guys? what’s daisy up to?”

Oh my gosh, Pippa didn’t even recognize her. It was Josie! She would love to blame her inattentiveness on the long shift she just worked but she knew in her heart it was because she chose to forget her friends – if she could even call Josie that now – a long time ago when she first got away from Lockhorn County, thinking she’d never come back. Funny how life worked out. “Oh my goodness, Josie, hey–” She turned her body toward Josie, instinctively thinking to go for a hug but unsure if she should so instead her hand just hovered mid-air for half a second before she reached over to quickly pat the back of Josie’s chair and smile. Heavens, could she be worse at this? Regardless, Pippa kept the smile on her face. Or tried to at least. “Uhh, just a few… months,” she decided. Longer actually. Closer to half a year. Though she spent the first two months crying and barely leaving the converted area above her cousin’s garage except to work so it wasn’t entirely inaccurate to say a few months. The most recent months she’s been busying herself with finding new hobbies and that mostly kept her at home as well. Soap making wasn’t a hobby fit for the outdoors after all. “It’s great to see you,” she thought to say, making an effort to be present instead of in her head. “I had no idea you were still in town. How’s uh, how’s John?”

...

if josie was younger, she probably would have said it was fate to see an old friend like pippa here on one of the first time in years that she’s gone out to the bar. but jo was older now and didn’t believe in things like that. it was surprising though. she was sure pippa was going to be the one from their graduating class to get out and never come back. guess that was john now. it should be concerning that pippa has been back for a few months and this was the first josie was seeing her, but honestly, josie hasn’t been seeing much of anybody outside of work and her son’s childcare. “what brings you back?” she asked, but it was only a second later that she realized it was probably to be with her mom. “i heard about your mom, i’m so sorry.” if they were still teenagers, she probably would have reached out sooner. but they both grew up and drifted apart, and she couldn’t think of anything better to say than i’m sorry. “it’s good to see you too,” she repeated with ease. as pippa went on to ask out john, josie’s stomach sank. it’s been five years yet it felt like just yesterday every time someone asks. of course, she could be talking about her son, but considering this was pippa and she was gone for so long, it had be josie’s husband that she was asking about. “john passed away five years ago,” she said, taking a sip of her beer. 

STATUS: Open WHERE: The Windy Shot Bar & Grill WHEN: Evening, 8PM-ish, June 24th (the night before her birthday)

The Windy Shot wasn’t normally where you’d find Pippa. In fact, it was one of the last places you’d ever find her. But tonight, she felt the need for change. Something different. And perhaps something stronger than a glass of water or her usual cup of tea. She felt awkward taking a seat by the bar, out of place amongst its usual patrons, but she figured it would provide her with the best opportunity to talk to someone tonight. Even if it was just to the bartender. Movies told her bartenders delivered great conversation. Sometimes just the conversation you might need on a night like this. She glanced at the watch on her wrist. She had four hours. Four hours until it was midnight. She sighed. Looking around, she caught the eye of someone passing her. “Hey–” She started, feeling like such a nuisance already and she’s only said a single word. “Um, sorry.” She pressed her lips together – a bit embarrassed – before carrying on. “What– What’s your favorite drink here?” Was that a weird way to start a conversation? Probably. Crap. Pippa added to her words. “I’m just looking to try something new and I don’t really know what to get,” she admitted, slight flush to her cheeks. The last time she was at The Windy Shot was three years ago and she’d ordered a beer that she hated every drop of.

...

it was rare that josie ever went out and had a drink just for herself. in fact, it was rare to see her out without johnny period. but it was still pretty early and the sitter agreed to stay until ten so she figured, maybe she should try to go out and at least try to have some fun instead of rushing home to relieve clem early. the windy shot wasn’t exactly her scene, but it’s not like there were many options around here and she didn’t have time to drive to another town and make it back home in time. sitting down at the bar, she ordered herself a beer, thanking the kid behind the bar when they set it down. when did they hire such young bartenders? she thought to herself. not that she thought she was old, but it’s also been years since she’s been able to sit down for a drink. she was probably their age the last time she was here. hearing a familiar voice speak up next to her, a voice she hasn’t heard in awhile, jo turned to see her old friend sitting next to her. “pippa? when did you get back in town?” she asked, completely ignoring her question about drinks. it’s not like she would even know drinks, all she liked was the same beer she and john have been drinking since they were teens.