* ( is how i became a hurricane

Since the party, Art was left feeling some type of way that he couldn’t exactly explain. It felt weird being the only one who had gone to it solo, but it felt even weirder knowing that Lu had stayed the night there with Dom. He was looking for some type of distraction from having to identify his feelings, which was how he’d found his way down to Tappin’ Boots in the first place, even though he rarely frequented the bar when he had more fun drinking at home and playing video games with friends – friends who all had their own shit going on right now.

As he rounded the corner, he bumped into another body and quickly reached out to grab hold of their arms to help steady them. “Shit, nah, I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t walk so quietly,” he replied with a laugh and a shake of his head before he looked at the woman, realizing who it was, and a grin coming across his face. “Tessa! I didn’t know you were working tonight. That makes this trip so much more worth it. You should totally give me your undivided attention instead of your phone because I’m obviously much more interesting.”

Once Tessa realized the body she bumped into it, she was a little surprised. It’d been a while since she’d last seen Art, and in all reality they didn’t always hang around the same people -- Tucker, and Dom was the common ground for them. “I am, which I think is kinda whack since they’ve got too many people on shift. For some reason the bar is packed tonight.”, her head averted to look back at the entrance in dismay; she shook it before turning back to Arturo. “I think I can maybe come to believe that since my timeline is pretty much blank at the moment, nothing but childhood photos, and weird goat memes?”, her face scrunched in confusion, her tone even more confused. Her posture was now relaxed, as she wasn’t too avoidant of the man before her, Art wasn’t too bad.

“Why were you going into the bar anyway? Especially on a week day? Most of the time my patrons come into the bar on a week day due to relationship issues, friend issues, work issues, or just issues...”, she joked, letting this amused chuckle fall out with a shrug as followed. “I get off work in an hour, this is just my mandated thirty minute break. Ya know all that state law stuff?”, her tone laced with sarcasm. What harm could it do to offer her attention to Arturo for a minute or so?

With everything going on in her life, Ella needed a night to just release it all, to find remnants of the person she had been before she had returned home. Not that she was lamenting but she was back to feeling like she had no control, like no matter how much she tried something else would go wrong. Still, she was grateful for the good things that had happened, for the baby being healthy, for she and Evie being strong, for Anna’s admission and acceptance of what was happening. But Ella needed a moment to breath, to separate herself from teh chaos. Which was how she had found herself at Tappin’ Boots with a few party friends, throwing back shots as they caught up on the holiday chaos and boosted their instagram feed. She had indulged herself in a few hits of her weed pen and a few bites of a cannabis cookie her friend had made, wanting to get fucked up but not too fucked up. And eventually she just needed to smoke, to feel more of a release and to put the drunken fuzziness in her head to rest. 

She had been looking down at the floor careful not to slip on any spilled drinks when she bumped into Tessa, offering her own apology before letting out a laugh. “Shit, sorry Tess, I’m like in my own world right now,” she told her the younger woman. She didn’t know her well, aside from the fact that before she had come back to town the last time she had seen her she was basically a kid. There was nothing that made her feel older than seeing Lu, Art and all the kids their age as whole adults now. She had just turned 31 and she still felt like a kid. “I wasn’t looking either so no worries. I was gonna head out for a smoke if you want to join me, this place is feeling fuckingstuffed right now.” She took in a deep breath, her expression a bit more relaxed because of her intoxication. 

Bumping into Ella was a blast from the past, she remembered her from when she was younger -- but it was hard to connect. Mostly due to her disconnect from life as she entered her teenage rebellion. “No, that was my fault. Millenial shit, right?”, she teased. “Might as well, they said they needed me in there, but we’ve got what it seems like five to ten employees already on staff today. He can’t really fault me for taking my thirty minute break early.”, Tessa wanted to care about the situation inside, but in all reality she didn’t. Most would’ve told her to trade in her job for something other than that, if she really despised it as much as the energy she gave off told the world -- but the pay was good, and its what she needed.

Tessa pulled Ella over to the side of the building, where not many could really see the happenings, with the cup still in her hand. Ella was one person in Eden’s Tessa truly didn’t mind due to her calm energy at almost any given time, of course it was probably because of the smoke, and intoxication nine times out of ten, but that’s also why she enjoyed her company. One of the more relaxed, and lienient adults in Eden’s. She said ‘adults’ like she wasn’t legally one herself now, but that’s how most over the age of thirty five referred to her. It didn’t bother her, now she didn’t have to explain herself when a cup full of vodka occupied her palm. “How ya been, El?” she wondered, her expression gentle and almost curious.

location: just outside Tappin’ Boots

Only a ten minute break? The place was packed, and though Tessa could understand needing the help, she also wasn’t the only employee on the job today. With full disclosure, she worked herself to the bone to be able to afford the run-down apartment she owned in Ashford, that’s how crazy it was. What was the point of a full time gig if the perks didn’t pay the bills? Tessa wasn’t enthusiastic about the job, but she still put on a nice smile, and kind eyes when anyone walked in -- she knew her boss would end up chewing her head off otherwise. Everyone who was an Eden’s native knew Tessa wasn’t the socializing type normally, they’d seen the changes she had gone through over the years after her family’s news broke. It was also what she was trying to avoid.

As Tessa scrolled through her timeline on her phone, she began taking sips of a plastic cup she’d had in her palm. Water, but anybody passing by knowing Tessa could easily assume she was getting happy hour started a few hours earlier. Especially since the bartender was barely paying attention to her surroundings when she’d accidentally knocked into another as they were passing by, immediately she gripped the water in one palm; held out her free hand to catch the other just in case she’d tripped them. “Whoa! I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was paying too much attention to my phone, though there’s not really anything interesting on the damn thing... so.”. Finally, she’d nestled her phone into her back pocket, offering an awkward sympathetic smile.

There’s something in the water, I don’t like the flavor or the taste...