Bad Day, Part Seven

Who: Brian and Ash
Where: The phone
When: Late afternoon

The list was slowly running down, and Brian was feeling the strain of trying to keep his emotions in check. He was, at his heart, an emotional kind of person-- he'd just learned long ago that it was a very bad idea to let that get the better of him. When he started feeling the edges of short circuit, saying his goodbyes to Jennifer, one of the cooks from the diner, he started moving to the phone.

At least he had Ash's phone number.

Sitting in his truck out on the edge of town, with the radio on but down low, he dialed it in. Good thing it wasn't early morning this time. Maybe Ash would even be awake.

Ash was plunked down in the office of the shop, doing paperwork. Which was a rare thing for him, so he had a lot to catch up on. His cell started to ring and buzz, and he plucked it up, flipping it open without looking at the ID, his gaze still scanning bills and tax reports. "Yo," he answered, shuffling a few more papers around.

"Hey, man. It's Brian. You're awake this time." He could stall a little, be friendly before he got around to the "I'm going to be gone a year" business. He hadn't talked to Ash in a while, actually. "And alive. That's good to know. Hopefully not too beat up?"

He let out a short laugh, feeling surprisingly pleased to hear from his bisexual beer buddy. "Hey man," he said with some enthusiasm, turning his attention away from the paperwork. "Alive, one piece, yeah ... got some touch-up work to do once I heal, but I'm makin' it. You? Doin' aight?"

"I'm a bit torn up, but it could be worse," Brian answered with a chuckle. He felt like he really didn't see all that much of Ash... but he was gonna miss him, anyway. Along with everyone else. He was a good guy. "So those shadow-things dared to mess up your tattoos?" he asked, amused a little bit by the notion.

"Yeah, the nerve of the sons of bitches," Ash said, sounding amused himself underneath the indignant. "Good to hear from you though. I meant to be calling people, but I kind of had to put the whole fucking shop back together." And he'd been drunk for a day or two. So what. The guy was okay anyway, he had his own tricks up his sleeve. That was how it worked here.

"Takes two, I hadn't gotten around to calling you, either." He'd really rather had a lot on his mind, even before, well, this morning. "But I figured you could probably look after yourself. You just seem the type. Hope your shop isn't too much of a mess? The diner didn't wind up really damaged at all, from what I can tell."

His mind turned back to the destruction in the bathroom. He had a feeling that had to do with things other than shadow-people, however. "Yeah, got kinda torn up. They took me by surprise," he said, but that was really all. "So what's up, man? Hankerin' for some more beer sometime soon?"

"I wish," Brian sighed, because that actually sounded like a good time. He wouldn't even have as much to complain about, this time, if things were different. "But as much as I'd love a night out, I've actually got some bad news. I'm heading back down to Texas to look after my mother for a while... don't know how long."

"Yeah?" Ash said, sounding disappointed. Because well, he was. He seemed to have difficulty making friends with people who stayed in town. "Well hell. Sorry to hear about your mom, though. Y'know, that she needs you. Gotta do what you gotta do, though, right man? I'll keep 'em cold for ya, whenever you get back." If he came back. Not that Ash could blame him if he didn't.

Funny, Brian was thinking the same thing-- that Ash might not be here by the time he made it back. Because he was coming back. "You ever want to shoot the shit, feel free to call me up. Cell number's the same. I have a feeling I might need the disrat-- dist-- something different, now and then." And hell, he kind of wanted to keep in touch with people, know what was going on with 'em. Maybe he'd get advance notice if Ash was leaving town, too.

"Hey sure thing. I'll prob'ly end up doing that," he said with a faint smile. It wasn't like he really had an abundance of people around town to talk to. ... he missed Eury. "I'll keep you updated on shit, too. You just do your thing. But hey, thanks for lettin' me know, yeah? Better'n just finding you're gone. Have a good trip, be safe."

"Thanks, man, but I think that's more up to the pilots than me," Brian said, trying for a little joke. It even managed to not fall flat this time. "I'll keep in touch. You stay safe." Since in Marquette, he was probably gonna have a harder time of it.

Ash chuckled. "Just don't wave any boxcutters or anythin' at 'em, that makes 'em nervous," he said, leaning back in his chair. Hell, now he really did want a beer. "I'll do my best. Made it this far, yeah? Take care, Brian," he said.

"Bye, Ash. You're a good guy. I'm glad I met ya." And with a sigh, Brian hung up the phone, looking down at it like all this was somehow its fault. Still had a couple more calls to make, too. Fuck.