~!~ cherry chan ~!~ (seresa) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2016-04-28 10:04:00 |
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Entry tags: | # 2018 [10] october, cherry chan, max mendelson, mina kulseth |
Who: Cherry Chan, Mina Kulseth and Max Mendelson.
Where: The White Trail.
What: Max and Cherry go out to bar and run into a ghost from both of their pasts.
When: October 4, 2018 (past/background story)
"This is going to be so much fun!" Cherry stepped over the threshold of the bar and reached back behind her for Max's hand, pulling him in after her. "When was the last time you were in a bar, Max?" A rhetorical question, maybe, since Cherry was pretty sure that the world had ended at about the same time for everyone, but still. "Last time I was in a bar, it was 2016 and I was blowing off steam after finals. It feels like forever ago, but that was only two years ago…" And maybe it was the excitement of a real bar that was getting to her, but the nostalgia didn't even make her sad for what she'd lost. "I mean, I know we have to pay for the drinks here and we don't at home," she continued, pulling him towards the actual bar and two empty stools that were nestled underneath it. "But this is about the experience. And we're going to have so much fun!" Max beamed at Cherry, allowing himself to be tugged along to their seats by her dainty little hand. He hoped his hairy mitts weren’t too sweaty; he didn’t hold hands very often, with friends like Cherry or otherwise. Even though they were strictly buds, that didn’t change the fact that Cherry was an exceedingly beautiful and charming woman that had deigned to spend an evening out with little ‘ole him. Max would have to be dead and buried if hands didn’t get the teensiest bit sweaty at the prospect of being paid attention to by such a wonderful person. She was right, though; it was fun to venture outside the walls of the Dog Park and do something besides sitting around the bonfire for yet another night. As much as he enjoyed the Hellhound social scene, there was something about going out to an honest-to-God bar with someone awesome that brought back a feeling of nostalgia and normalcy you don’t experience all that often anymore. “Let’s see,” Max said, releasing Cherry’s hand to bring his up to his chin. He stroked the good bit of stubble there, trying to recall the last time he had been out like this. “I think it had to have been in Dallas, with Vic,” Max concluded. “Pretty sure it was in a questionably named bar called Lee Harvey’s. Nothing momentous happened; we ate, we drank, played a little pool, laughed a lot, and then we went home. I kinda wish we had done something crazy, seeing as it was sorta the last time for that kind of stuff, but honestly? It’s a nice memory to have. And now we have this memory, too!” He elbowed Cherry lightly in the side and winked at her. “So, what’s your poison? As much as I enjoy Bishop’s moonshine, I could go for something fruity, with, like, a big ass crazy straw in it. Heck, maybe even a beer. Now, if I can just...catch...this guy’s...attention…” Max waved once, twice, three times to catch the bartender’s eye and failed to sway him down to their side of the bar. "Oh, my God! I would kill for a daiquiri right now," Cherry exclaimed, watching patiently as Max struggled to get the bartender's attention. "Strawberry, obviously, with cut up fruit on the rim and in the drink. Go all the way or go home, you know? I was never one for fruit, which I know is pretty ironic, but it'd be so nice to have some right now." At least there was still booze in this world, even if there wasn't fresh fruit or vegetables or meat. Until they killed off those chickens that woman had brought in, at least. Still, at this rate they would never get their drinks! "Don't worry about it," she told Max confidently, putting one hand on his shoulder to gently push him back. Once there was room, she leaned forward towards the bartender, angling herself so her cleavage was on display. "What's a girl gotta do to get a drink, around here?" She called out, then grinned as he glanced in her direction, then made his way over towards them. "Rum, if you have it," she said, then looked over her shoulder at Max. "What about you, mister?" “Light beer,” Max replied. He rubbed his slightly protruding belly for Cherry’s benefit. “Gotta keep my girlish figure.” With one last, lingering look to Cherry’s ample bosom, the bartender finally turned to his wares to fetch their drinks. “Thanks for that,” Max said, with grateful nod. “I doubt if I had tried the same trick we would have had much success.” "Oh, you're welcome!" Cherry tossed her hair slightly as she turned back to face her friend, happy for the praise. She reached out to teasingly pat the top of his chest, then added with a smirk, "I wouldn't be so sure. I did see him eyeing you… I'll make sure to keep my distance so he knows you're available, too." The two of them had only been friends for about a week but it was a testament to the sort of awesome person Cherry was that Max was already so comfortable with her. What had started out as a casual drunken conversation during the Hellhound carnival had ended up being a nightlong bonding sesh. By morning, they were on their way to a gnarly broship and had hung out every day since. When she had suggested venturing out of camp, Max had lept at the chance to deepen their friendship all while getting a good buzz on. It was a total win/win. Max leaned his back against the bar while the barkeep got their drinks and took a good look around the place. Apparently, Cherry had managed to grab the attention of not only the bartender but a pretty brunette in the corner. “Looks like your charm works long distance,” Max said as he accepted his beer and handed Cherry her rum. He gestured over to the opposite end of the room, where the woman in question had angled herself more toward the light. Now that he could see her more clearly, Max paused. He wasn’t sure but, from where he was standing, it looked like Mina Kulseth. “Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit,” Max breathed, his stomach dropping. “I’m pretty sure that’s Mina.” Cherry paused mid-motion, her hand and glass frozen halfway to her mouth. It was clear that Max's words had an instant effect: her eyes had gone wide, too, and she glanced around the bar like some kind of prey animal as she simultaneously looked for a hiding spot as well as a glimpse of the woman herself. "We should go. At least over to the corner." None of the bar's corners were actually free -- the bar was surprisingly full for a joint straight out of the apocalypse -- but Cherry felt very strongly about not standing right in the middle of the room. Sure, there wasn't a guarantee that the woman Max was talking about was Mina Kulseth, but how common of a name was 'Mina,' anyway? And how long had it been since they'd seen each other -- almost six years? A few people stepped to the side, then, giving Cherry a perfect, direct view of her old roommate, and her stomach turned itself over. "Fuck," she said, eloquently, before a thought occurred to her. "Wait. How do you know Mina?" Max hadn’t missed Cherry’s reaction and it certainly perplexed him. Mina was a sweet, kind, lovely person. If Cherry knew her even the slightest bit, she’d recognize that, too. Thrown back at how Mina’s presence had affected his friend and needing a moment to collect his own thoughts, Max took a long sip of his beer. It was nice and cold and would normally have hit the spot but it somehow tasted a bit sour now. “So, do you remember me telling you about my Ma? How she died over the summer?” "Yeah," Cherry said with a nod, sobering slightly. The initial, fleeting worry she'd felt at the sound of Mina's name was shifting into something a little more serious as Max continued to speak. “I mean, it was a long time coming. With something like cancer, you think knowing it’s gonna happen will prepare you, but it doesn’t. You’re never prepared. So when she finally passed, I was in a bad place. Like...really, really rough shape. My friends at the hospital helped me as best they could but it became obvious to them and to me I needed someone to talk to professionally. Mina was my grief counselor.” Max stole a glance over at Mina, wiped an errant tear from his cheek with the heel of his hand, and then turned his attention back to Cherry, who placed her hand on his upper arm, squeezing in what she hoped was a reassuring way. “She knew what to say. She knew how I felt. It helped so, so much talking it over with someone who had lost their mom, too. With Ma gone, I thought I hadn’t any family left. Mina helped me realize that was far from true. She didn’t know it but her words inspired me to reach out to Vic, to ask him if I could come to the Dog Park, and it’s the best decision I ever made.” Max didn’t regret leaving the UMCB but he did hate the nature of his departure. Guiltily, he recalled how he had missed one counseling session with Mina, and then two. He had belatedly sent her word that he’d left the hospital for another shelter but he was sure his ghosting had damaged their relationship; a fact Max could never forget or forgive himself for. And now Mina was here, in the same room, and he was ignoring her? It wasn’t right. He’d treated her like he’d treated all his old UMCB friends: poorly. She hasn’t deserved it; none of them had. Max was antsy; half of him wanted to dine and dash and the other half wanted to run over to Mina and throw himself at her feet. Thankfully, he had enough self control to do neither. Instead, he collected himself and drew closer to Cherry, his expression thoughtful. “How do you know Mina, then?” "I mean, nothing so intense as that." Now that she was closer to him, with Cherry standing taller in the heels she'd worn that night, she moved her arm around his waist and sighed, memories flashing in her mind as she tried to recall the years of friendship the two of them had together before it all had gone to shit. "What a small fucking world, right? You and Mina knowing each other, me and Mina knowing each other…" Mina Kulseth had gone on to do what she'd always dreamed of doing, and if Max's testimony was anything to go by, she was damned good at it. Meanwhile, Cherry Chan was doing… God, she'd never once felt ashamed of living as a camp bitch until this moment, when all the good that Mina had brought into Max's life shone a spotlight on how how little Cherry mattered in the greater scheme of things. She took a sip of her rum, relishing the burn of the alcohol as she swallowed, then forced a smile in Max's direction. He was already feeling down; he didn't need her tiny ass problems on top of his serious ones. "She was my roommate," she said, doing her best to imbue her voice with its usual bright energy. "For three years, back in college. Up in Michigan, even. We lost touch," she added, opting to skip over the details of the drama for now, "and I had no idea she was even in Austin. I mean, I knew she had family here, but…" Cherry shook her head. "Small fucking world. Anyway, I don't think she'd want to talk to me, so let's just… Go somewhere else." Just as Max had left some pertinent details out of his relationship with Mina (mostly that he’d been a gigantic asshat and left without much word when all she’d wanted to do was help him), he got the impression there was more to the Cherry and Mina story than met the eye. Losing touch with an old roomie didn’t usually inspire the flight response Cherry seemed to be experiencing. Max didn’t want to be insensitive to Cherry’s obvious discomfort but, at the same time, he couldn’t leave the establishment in good conscience without at least saying hi to his former therapist. He gently pulled Cherry’s arm from around his waist. “If you want to leave, we can do that,” Max conceded softly, not wanting to push her into anything she didn’t want to do. “...but I want to go say hi before we do. I owe her a lot...too much, in fact, and saying hello is the very least I can do. I don’t think she’ll want to talk to me either but I don’t think I’d feel right leaving with my tail between my legs,” Max said as he looked at Cherry's stubborn expression and petulant pout, trying to gauge her willingness to tag along. “I’d like it if you came over there with me,” Max said, standing up from the stool. “But if you’d rather stay here with your drink, I can’t imagine I’ll be long.” Max took a fortifying pull from his beer and held out his hand for Cherry to take. There was a moment, at first, of obvious hesitation. Cherry looked over at Mina, anxiety building in the pit of her stomach, then ducked her head sharply once it seemed as though they'd made eye contact through the crowds. Her gaze then lifted to that stupid earnest expression on Max's face, one she knew she wouldn't be able to resist even if she tried. If she left then, Mina would know that she'd chickened out -- again. Cherry couldn't have that. "Let's go." She took his hand and led him over to the opposite corner of the bar, swallowing as she came face to face with her ex-best friend. Time had been good to her, despite the hardships they'd all lived through. "It's good to see you again, Mina," Cherry said, trying out a smile. Max, despite knowing that there was little chance of Mina being glad to see him, smiled broadly. He squeezed Cherry’s hand, trying to indicate that she was being brave and was doing great. He continued to hold it because the connection bolstered him. He wasn’t a strong person by any stretch of the imagination but Cherry was. Mina not not want to speak to him but with his friend Cherry by his side he might fall but she’d be there to help him up again. “It’s been awhile,” Max said, making his voice as friendly as possible without being flippant to compensate for Cherry’s cautious reluctance. “How’ve you been?” To Mina’s credit, she didn’t stand up and walk right out of the bar without saying a word to the pair of them. She was angry with both of them, for different but similar reasons. It was inconsiderate to disappear out of someone’s life. And hurtful. Closing the book she’d been reading and resisting the urge to down the gin and tonic she’d been drinking for liquid courage, she replied coolly, “What a small world for the two of you to know each other,” completely ignoring everything else Cherry and Max said. "I guess it is," Cherry replied, as coolly as she could, despite the familiar flare of fondness that she felt once she realized that Mina had been reading a book in a bar. A bar! She'd expected an icy reception, considering everything that had happened, but somehow the actuality of it was more than she could bear. She knew this had been a terrible idea. Why had she let Max drag her along? She wasn't exactly sure what to say next, either, now that they were face to face and Mina clearly was uninterested in talking to them. "So," she said, drawing out the syllable a little longer than was really necessary. "I'm, you know, glad you're alive." Max followed the conversation, his eyes darting between the two women. Obviously there was something going on under the surface that he wasn’t privy to. It wasn’t his place to interrupt, or steer the conversation, so he stood awkwardly off to the side, trying to puzzle together the missing piece of the conversation that was being left unsaid. Again, purposefully ignoring the topic of conversation presented to her, Mina frowned and took a long moment to simply look between Cherry and Max. None of this made any sense. How did Max and Cherry know each other? How was Cherry even in Austin? When they’d parted ways (read: when Cherry dropped out of school to move in with her loser boyfriend and Mina found it increasingly difficult to continue communications with her) they were both living in Michigan. Mina had moved here to be closer to her family and to attend grad school, but what was Cherry’s reason? “How long have you been in Austin?” Because if Cherry lived here before the world went to hell and didn’t call her, that would be, well, quite heartless. And if she’d arrived here after, then why here? "Since 2017." Cherry had known from Facebook that Mina had moved back down to Texas after she'd graduated (on time, because Mina had always been perfect like that). Part of her had always wondered if she'd survived the zombie uprising, but even after the Freenet had been established, she'd never known how to actually ask. "I didn't know you were here." Max wasn’t exactly sure why he felt like he was third-wheeling it during this interaction but his instincts screamed that he was so he took advantage of the small lull in conversation to make an exit while the two former roomies had a chat. “I’m going to go and finish my drink,” Max said to Cherry. He gestured to the bar. “I’ll just be right over there should either of you need anything. Just holler and I’ll come a-running.” He squeezed Cherry’s hand, hoping to impart some sort of nerve or strength or something to help her deal with whatever was happening; she squeezed it back, feeling guilty for the way the two of them had ignored him. Max turned to Mina. “It was nice to see you, Mina,” Max said, hoping she could read the sincerity in his voice, but even if she did understand he was speaking honestly, why would it matter to her now? He’d left her, left the hospital, with little thought to what she would feel or think about his abrupt departure. He knew he didn’t deserve respect or amiability from Mina. Though she didn’t say anything directly, Mina let out a soft “hmm” in Max’s direction as he wandered away from the couple and back to the stools he and Cherry had only just vacated. He sat and sipped his beer but was poised to acquiesce to any want or need from either of the two ladies should they need him. Turning her gaze back to Cherry, Mina pursed her lips and looked at the other woman for a few moments before saying, “I moved to San Antonio for grad school. When the outbreaks started, my dad traveled to me and brought me back to Austin.” She was saying words and they were technically having a conversation but Mina felt so many walls shooting up just by looking at Cherry. It had been years since they’d been roommates and friends -- years since Mina had these self-conscious feelings about wanting to get Cherry’s approval, all while knowing Cherry would never really ever feel the way Mina wanted her to. How could Cherry still have this kind of pull over her after years apart? “How did you get here?” Cherry briefly looked over her shoulder at Max, biting her lip as she wondered if she ought to cut this conversation short. She didn't want to be rude to her friend, after all. Then the thought occurred to her that she'd once been able to consider Mina as much of as friend as Max. The recollection of how hurt she'd been once Mina had stopped talking to her emboldened her to continue talking for a little while longer, though she wasn't sure if it was due more to irritation or the sheer truth of missing her. "After I figured out my family had become zombie chow, I guess I just knew I had to go somewhere, so I ended up driving south. Got bitten, figured out I was immune, had the good fortune to meet up with a gang of travelers who'd heard about things down here." It was the abridged version of Cherry's life, but she didn't think Mina wanted all the details just then. "When we got to Austin my man got bit." She shrugged then, her face nearly impassive as she purposefully neglected to mention where she and Max lived now. "I guess that's it." Mina bit her lip as she listened to Cherry speak, biting in harder in each passing moment. She lost her family--God, Mr. and Mrs. Chan had been so nice when Cherry brought her home for fall break that first year. Flights had been too expensive to go home for a long weekend... And her four siblings? Were they all dead too? And she’d been bitten? And--of course there was a guy, and as much as she hated Cherry’s life being ruled by guy after guy, losing anyone was hard. Mina knew that all too well. Losing everyone was even more difficult. At least she still had her father and her sister, her stepmom and Kaisha too. Blinking hard to stop the tears, Mina replied, “I’m really sorry to hear that. Your family was--they were so great.” "Thank you. Yeah, they were." Cherry shook her head slightly, pressing her lips together as she tried to push aside her emotions and play this cool. The result was an odd sort of grimace that flashed across her face before she finally gained full control of herself. "I kinda wished I'd seen that sooner than now, but I guess that's the way it goes sometimes." Raking her nail against the pages of her book, a nervous tick, Mina blinked hard again and cleared her throat. “But I’m glad that you’re alive. And that you know Max. Though you two have a knack for disappearing, I’m glad you two have each other. I should really be going, though.” It was, in all honesty, a nicer sort of send-off than Cherry had expected. Though it was abrupt, it also gave her a weird sort of hope that things would be okay between them one day, now that they knew that they were both in Austin. But before she could say anything to that effect, Mina was already packing up her things. "Yeah, okay," she said, the only two words she could manage to string together before Mina made her hasty exit. Cherry ran a hand through her hair, biting her lip. "I guess I'll… see you around," she added under her breath, taking a deep breath to collect herself before she turned to go find Max again. |