a little sunshine [OPEN]

[elaine black]

"Where is you boy tonight?
I hope he is a gentleman,
and maybe he wont find out what i know,
you were the last good thing about this part of town"

It was ten in the morning. Her shift as a barista in Starbuck's was finally over. Elaine was ready to crash on the sofa in her apartment and sleep the rest of the day off. She's been up since five pm yesterday, working as a bartender. Then after her shift there, she went to the Starbuck's by the beach at two am. Barely anyone worked from two to ten; it was the rush hour for the little shop. Everyone wanted a coffee to start up their day, that's why she was able to get a job at Starbuck's so easily. No one wanted to work at the rush hour; that's why there are so few of them, even though it was the time when they needed people the most. Ah well, that's life. She just smiled, since even though it was difficult, she didn't mind it much. She was able to pay the bills and buy the groceries and gifts for the family on the rare family reunions. She was a little underpaid, but she didn't mind it at all.

She took off her apron and took her messenger bag at the employee's area. She waved at her co-workers as she lifted the counter top and walked through the shop. She started sining the first song on the top of her head, Grand Theft Autumn by Fall Out Boy. She glanced at the customers, most of them are rushing to drink their coffees. Some, the regulars, looked at Elaine as she walked past them. They smiled and waved at her; she waved back at them. They knew each other; they meet almost every morning, when it's her shift and if they go to the shop.

She exited the building and walked towards the beach right in front of it. She wanted to spend a little time under the sun before she slept the rest of the day away. She took off her sandals and carried them by the strap with her left hand. Then she continued her way towards the sea, letting the sand get in between her toes.

She made her way past the tourists getting a tan, the locals selling their wares, the children playing on the sand, and the other people just loitering around on the beach. Eventually, she reached the edge of the waters, the place where the waves crash on the sand, making the sand wet and sticky. She closed her eyes, letting the sea breeze hit her face and blow back her hair. All the while, she was singing the song.

"When i wake up,
i'm willing to take my chances on the hope that i forget,
that you hate him more than you notice,
i wrote this for you, for you,
so, you need him, i could be him..."

[drew zaine royston]

i settled down
a twisted up frown disguised as a smile,

zane had a hangover. the biggest hangover he had ever had. he couldn't even remember what had happened last night. so when he woke up at ten, he fell lover in pain. the headache was cracking.

he decided to go to the beach. it would be relaxing. to he pulled on some board shorts and took of his t-shirt. trudging down to the beach, he pulled his ipod out of his pocket and turned it on, the song booming into his ears.
i got troubled thoughts and a self esteem to match...

he let the water wash over his feet. it felt nice. he was looking down when he bumbed into a girl. he looked up and raised his eyebrows. hi, sorry about that, i've got a cracking headache and can't think properly. he shrugged.

[elaine black]

Letting out a small squeal, Elaine nearly fell face first into the water when someone bumped into her. She knew she was small, but she wasn't that small that she would easily be overlooked by others. After she regained her balance, she looked back to see who bumped into her. She put on a glare, though it wasn't menacing or threatening at all, as she looked up at the person.

But as soon as she heard his apology, her glare morphed into the smile that she was wearing earlier. she stared at him for a little longer, since he seems familiar. But I don't think I've met him before. She didn't know why but he really felt as if he was familiar. Maybe it's the smell. She sniffed the air, smelling the salty seabreeze and the familiar scent of ... alcohol. That's why you seem familiar.

Working as a bartender, and being an alcoholic herself, she can recognize the scent of alcohol a mile away. And he smells like a drunkard, like most of the customers at the bar. He even got the expression on his face and the slur of his tone. And most of all, he just said that he had a headache, and by the looks of it, it seemed at it was massive.

She immediately dug through her pack and pulled out a few pills. "Here, helps with the hangover." Not that she would know since she never gets hangovers. But her customers often, if not always, asks for aspirin, and so she always has a few pills in her pack for them.

((sorry for the late reply))