Jacob Keller (bodyonthetracks) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-09-01 00:06:00 |
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Entry tags: | #november 2017, jacob, jocelyn, sage |
Who: Jacob, Sage, and Jocelyn
Where: The Back Porch Pub
When: Evening, Wednesday, Nov 8
Status: Complete
Jacob had never been to the Back Porch Pub before. He'd been underage when he left Point Pleasant and he'd never come back. Until now. It was easy enough to find and he took a seat at one of the tables, setting down his messenger bag on a chair next to him. It wasn't anything like the places he frequented in Portland but it had a nice vibe to it, very much a bar, lots of wood work and witty banter wall decos. Jacob was sure this place got really sticky on weekends and late at night but it was a lot cleaner than he would have thought when he first came in, well taken care of.
Sage would be easy to spot if his facebook profile was anything to go by, his hair had been bright red the last Jacob knew and even if it wasn't anymore he was sure it'd be some noticeable color. Since Jacob was early he pulled his laptop out of his bag to waste some time, though he kept glancing at the exit just in case he wasn't quite as easy to spot as Sage would be.
Sage had started coming to Back Porch when he turned twenty-one, and while he wasn’t there all the time, he was there often enough that they knew him. He had the feeling it was because he was local and he stood out, his hair bright red, the tips currently a yellow so bright it almost glowed in the dark. He thought it would be cool if it actually did, though it might be distracting when he was trying to sleep and he really didn’t need anything else keeping him up at night.
It was a little weird to think that Jacob and Joss were both back in town and he tried to think of the last time he saw them. Sometime post graduation, but before they’d left, he was sure. Neither came home on a regular basis. When Sage stepped into the bar, his eyes scanned the room for Jacob. Even though he’d seen his updated photo online, it was hard not to look for the high schooler he’d once known.
As Jacob had expected, Sage was easy to spot and once the hair got his attention he easily recognized his face. He had ordered a coffee while he waited and gradually gotten more comfortable at his little table, shrugging his jacket off and stuffing his scarf into his bag for safe keeping. Waving at Sage to get his attention he smiled and then pushed a chair out for him when he got closer. "Looking good, Monroe," he murmured and it was easy to pretend they had no dark history between them - at least for a few minutes.
Sage swung by the bar and ordered a beer while he looked for Jacob, spotting him when he gave a wave. He waited till he had his drink in hand, then made his way over to the table. “Not so bad yourself,” he grinned, taking the offered seat before unzipping his leather jacket. He took a sip of his beer before speaking. “So what’ve you been up to? What brings you back?” That was really the question, wasn’t it? People were always looking to leave Point Pleasant, not return.
That was the million dollar question, the one question Jacob didn't really feel like answering, especially this early on. "Would you believe me if I said I missed this place?" he asked with a wry smile because they both knew he didn't. It suddenly felt like a mistake meeting Sage and Joss, not that he'd had a choice with Joss since he'd just ran into her at random but this, this felt like a mistake.
“Not a chance,” Sage said with a little laugh, but then waved it off. He figured Jacob would tell him if he wanted to. “But really, what have you been up to? Doing anything fun? Ever get that fancy art degree?” He couldn’t imagine Jacob doing something other than art, but everyone changed in their own way. Sage still wanted a rock band, but was mildly satisfied teaching music lessons instead. So long as he was still making music, the way he figured Jacob was still making art.
"Hah, no," Jacob said with more humor than the topic really allowed for. "I got one fourth of one maybe. I'm doing line works for a comic though so that's something. How about you? You're still here so you're obviously not touring the world yet, what's stopping you?" He sipped his coffee, arching a brow at Sage.
“One fourth is better than none, but I never really thought you needed a fancy degree to do art. Just talent, and you always had that,” Sage smiled easily. While he was always a little sore that he’d done nothing with his life, he didn’t let it show, just giving a shrug. “Money. A band. It’s hard to get anywhere on your own. I play the open mic nights, but I’ve kind of accepted I’m probably not going to get discovered here.”
Jacob leaned over the table a little, as if about to tell him a secret, mirth playing in his eyes. "Maybe you should leave," he murmured before leaning back again. "Not that it did us a whole lot of good. It was a nice break though." He'd been home for two days now and he'd already been met with hostility so that was... Fun. Really made him question what the hell he was doing back.
“Tried that,” Sage snorted. “I didn’t get very far. Always ended up back here. Things are okay though. I mean, weird, but-- you know.” Point Pleasant had always been weird. He saw that now. But there were levels to it. He did his best to stay away from the darkness, but it still found ways to creep back to him, in his dreams. It was worse when he left. “So are you here visiting or do you plan on staying a while?”
"I'm not actually sure," Jacob replied, drawing the words out a little. "I'm here for at least a couple of weeks, maybe longer. I honestly don't really know what I'm doing back here. I just got restless. Coming back's been fun though, people have been really warm and welcoming." He rolled his eyes, his words dripping with sarcasm.
Sage raised a brow, curious about what that meant. There had to be a story. “You clearly should’ve called me first. I’d have bought you a drink and brought you balloons. Way better welcoming committee,” he grinned, brushing the red and yellow fringe out of his face. “So what happened?”
"Nothing terribly interesting," Jacob said and smiled faintly. "Some cold shoulders, a couple of 'I can't believe you'd show your face back here, killer', you know, the usual. Guess they gave up on chipping away at you?" He couldn't imagine staying if people kept up that attitude but Sage had always had a way with smiling at people and letting things roll off his back. That didn't mean he wasn't affected so, maybe it would stop after a while.
“Oh, that, no, not really. I mean, I’m still the cops favorite misfit to question when someone goes missing. I think they have my number on speed dial. But at some point people stop saying it so much as giving you the evil eye and you know who to avoid,” Sage said with a little shrug of his shoulders. “I like to think of it as knowing my surroundings. Friends are easy to identify. Plus, if you stay here long enough, you start to learn that everyone has their skeletons. Ours is just public knowledge.”
Speaking of people to avoid Jacob almost asked if Grayson's parents were still in town. Just the thought of it gave him an unpleasant weight in his stomach and he forced another little smile at Sage. "I don't know how you stayed, man. I've been here two days and I'm crawling out of my skin." Yet he couldn't leave, not yet. He needed closure.
Sage gave a shrug, not all that sure how to explain it. He’d been desperate to get out for years and had been unsuccessful. Eventually he just became resigned to his fate. “I dunno. It helps the music? That’s where I channel most of it these days. And really, the people that matter don’t give a shit.” At least here he had a little bit of a support system for himself, people he trusted who knew him well enough not to believe the rumors. “Soo… are you playing tourist? Like… what’s up?” He didn’t want to pry, but it didn’t really sound like Jacob wanted to be there, which made Sage wonder why he was. He’d successfully left, so why return?
If anyone would understand it would be the people who were with him that night and Jacob had already mentioned it to Joss so it didn't make a lot of sense to be coy about it. He could be flippant about it though so he shrugged before he spoke. "Bad dreams. You can take the boy out of the shitty small town but you can't take the shitty small town out of the boy." He huffed softly and smirked. "So I guess I'm here to... I don't know, I don't fucking know. Face it all, get some closure."
There was a second when Sage’s smile cracked a little and a shadow crossed his face, a tiny glimpse of the darkness in his eyes before he covered it again with a smile, this one a little more bitter. “Yeah, that… that’s always been a problem. They get worse when I leave.” Enough so that he didn’t know if it was worth it. Maybe if he stayed away long enough he’d get past it, but it always felt like something had ahold of him, a creature with claws pulling him back towards Point Pleasant, much like Grayson had been pulled into the tunnel. “What do you mean by ‘face it’?” he asked, suddenly looking a touch concerned. “You thinking of going back there?”
"Come back here" Jacob replied warily. "I don't know if I'll ever go back there." That was a bold faced lie. He was going to go back, not too close, no closer than they'd been when it felt like they'd sobered up some. He wanted to go back and check it out, find out what he'd need to do to destroy it. "And I mean if that doesn't work I'll just try drugs." He huffed humorlessly, then regarded Sage in quiet contemplation. "Have you been back there?"
“Drugs help with the sleeping. It’s just a lot to do every night,” Sage said with a little twist of his lips. He liked to get high for fun. Getting high because he had to wasn’t the same and seemed like a path he didn’t want to go down. He’d always had a bit of an addictive personality and it would be easy to let something like that become a habit. Maybe being in Point Pleasant would be enough for Jacob, but it hadn’t been that way for Sage. If it had, he would have faced it all long ago. He wasn’t sure what it was that would do the trick, but the thought of going back to the tunnel still made his heart speed up a little and the hair on the back of his neck rise. “Not in a while,” he said, a bit more serious for a moment. “I tried a couples years ago, but it… it freaked me out.”
Jacob watched him and another chill crawled up his spine as he all too vividly pictured Sage standing right there at the tunnel opening, staring inside. Jacob had imagined so many things as he tried to reason with himself what those tunnels could be hiding. Monsters, ghosts, curses. He almost wished it was a monster they could see because then they could fight it. The unknown was worse, it meant there was no end to the dread, no relief from the wondering. "How far did you go?" he asked quietly.
Sage didn’t like to think about it. Not that day back then, not the time he’d visited the tunnel, none of it. It was all a mess of fear and guilt and unexplainable images and emotions. Way back then, he’d been high when things had been down. Stoned and a little drunk. But a few years ago, he’d been stone cold sober. He remembered the opening of the tunnel like the mouth of a monster, the tracks like a tongue curling within, trying to lure him closer, to suck him inside. He didn’t trust his eyes or ears there, and had left when he thought he heard things he couldn’t explain. “Not far,” he said softly. “Too far. I dunno. Maybe to the edge of where we were? Not… Not where he’d been, but…” Sage shook his head, trying to fight off the feeling with a swig of beer before he looked back at Jacob. “Don’t go down there, man. Promise me you won’t.”
"Jesus," Jacob whispered, silent for a few beats as he stared at this coffee cup. "I'm not planning a Cooperdale picnic anytime soon," he muttered then and then shook his shoulders some, as if to shake off that cringey feeling he had. "So Joss should be here soon," he said to change the topic for now. He couldn't keep talking about the tunnel and he certainly couldn't make promises when he had no idea what it was he needed to do. "You had such a thing for her back in the day, I remember." He smiled faintly, glancing up at Sage with a bit of a tease in his eyes. "She's looking good."
“You didn’t tell me Joss was coming,” Sage said, sitting up a little straighter and glancing towards the door before his eyes locked on Jacob. He knew it was obvious to everyone, but he’d never said a word to Joss, always aware of how out of his league she was. And still probably was. Not that he even knew if he’d be into her now. His interests had changed, had become more broad, but it wasn’t something he really talked about. It was just something he was and people either knew it or they didn’t. And he was good with that. More than comfortable. However the possibility of seeing his high school crush again brought back all kinds of things he thought he’d forgotten. “I wasn’t that bad,” he said, giving a roll of his eyes. “She was hot then, it doesn’t surprise me at all to hear she’s hot now.”
Jacob had to laugh at Sage's reaction and he gave him a somewhat puzzled look. "I did say we were both here when I asked you to meet up," he pointed out. "So I'm pretty sure it was heavily implied we were both coming." Sage might not have been obvious about his crush back then but all the guys in the group had a crush on her and Jacob was pretty sure he would have too if he wasn't gay. Hell, maybe he had a non-sexual crush back then too, they'd all gravitated toward her in some way. "She hasn't really changed much, so brace yourself, I guess."
“You did, but you also said you didn’t come, like, together, so I didn’t assume that it was like a— a group thing,” Sage said, gesturing with his beer bottle and trying hard not to worry about his appearance. It didn’t matter. It had never mattered. He didn’t dress up for the people he liked now, so why in the world would he care about Joss? Would he really change anything? Probably not, but he would have been mentally prepared, like he’d been prepared for Jacob. Hotter than he remembered him being, but just as sarcastic. “There is no bracing yourself for Joss. She kind of knocks you down with her sex appeal,” he snickered. “But thanks. Now I’ll know what hit me when I suddenly become an idiot again.”
Jacob tittered softly and then got up, grabbing his cup. He needed a refill and the Back Porch wasn't really the sort of place where they came to your table to check up on you. "Nobody can blame you, Sage," he murmured. "She's a force of nature." At least she wasn't a bitch about it, it was really easy to get conceited when everyone was fawning over you. Jacob had gotten a taste of it finally when he left Point Pleasant and it was weird, being a pretty twink people actually wanted to fuck. He liked to think he'd gotten that out of his system before twenty though. "Want anything from the bar?" he asked. "Since I'm up."
Sage couldn’t imagine what that must be like, to have that kind of attention. The only time he ever felt it for himself was when he was performing, and he was pretty sure that was all in his head, not at all reality. And it had been so long since he’d been able to make that kind of music. Grinning up at Jacob, he batted his eyes, making a showing of being sweet. “Another beer, pretty please?” Another beer would mellow him out a little, take the edge off without making him stupid. He shouldn’t have so many nerves about seeing Joss, but talking to Jacob had been harder than he expected. Then again, he thought it might be the subject matter, not the person.
Jacob grinned at him and couldn't resist ruffling his hair. He'd always had such thick hair and now it was so screaming red that paired with that begging look he kind of had to ruffle him a little. "I'll bring you a beer," he murmured and grabbed Sage's glass to keep their table from getting cluttered. Maybe this place was better about its service other nights but tonight the bartender was idly chatting with someone sitting at the bar and nobody had come out yet to check on Jacob so self service it was. He ordered himself another coffee and then 'the same as he was having earlier' for Sage. At least it wasn't busy so he didn't have to wait and a minute later he was back at the table with their drinks. "I ran into Joss minutes after I stepped off the bus," he muttered, hoisting his messenger bag off the chair next to him to rifle through it for his sketchpad and pencils. "It was... a little weird."
Sage scrunched up his face when Jacob ruffled his hair, but he really didn’t mind. It was a mess anyways, always half in his face no matter what he did with it. He supposed he could cut it, but that really wasn’t his look. “Thanks, babe,” he called out, shooting Jacob a smile as he headed towards the bar. And then he had a moment to himself to contemplate whatever the hell was going on. It was good to see Jacob again, and at the same time it wasn’t. He wanted to dredge up old memories that Sage wanted to forget, that he’d done his best to put behind him even when it seemed impossible. Hadn’t they sworn never to talk about it again, even with each other? Sage had always been fine with that, sure that the more they talked about it, the more likely they were to point fingers. And if they thought about it long enough, it would surely be him that was to blame. It left him feeling cold and empty, but he pushed a smile back into place when Jacob returned. “I’m sure it was. Crazy timing,” he agreed. “So you don’t even have a car? Where are you staying?”
Jacob got comfortable, flipping to a new page in his sketchbook. "I'm renting a room from Holly Jenkins," he said and it shouldn't be a huge surprise. Holly had always believed that the Cooperdale Five weren't to blame for Grayson's disappearance and she'd been friends with Jacob's mom. With the way her son had gone missing it had been easy for her to see through their story and while Jacob had never outright told her what really happened she had guessed things that were close enough. Jacob hadn't confirmed them, but he hadn't denied them either. He had a feeling they would talk a lot more given time. "And nah, I never even got a license." He huffed softly and smiled. "I like walking."
Sage didn’t know Holly Jenkins the way that Jacob did, but he knew of her, knew the similarities between her story and theirs. There were people in Point Pleasant who believed them because they had their own losses, disappearances that didn’t make sense, but Holly’s son’s disappearance was probably the closest in comparison. Sage nodded in understanding, his eyes on Jacob’s sketchbook as he wondered what he was about to draw. “I thought for sure you’d have given in and learned to drive when you left,” he smiled. “Walking’s all good, but it gets cold around here. And lately, wet. If you ever need a ride, give me a ring.”
Jacob grinned. "Oh you're gonna wish you hadn't offered," he teased. "I'm gonna be bugging you and mooching off you all the time now." It was his way of saying thanks and the appreciation was pretty evident in the way he looked at him. "Where are you working now? You said something about starting a new job?" He obviously couldn't bug him too much about rides if Sage would be working a lot but that was okay, it wasn't like he intended on staying there all winter.
“I don’t mind,” Sage smiled as he shrugged. “I can make time to help a friend.” Even one he hadn’t seen in years. It was just who Sage was, who he’d probably always be. He knew he could be easy to take advantage of, but he didn’t think Jacob would push it that far. “Yeah, so there’s like two bars in this town? This place and Dragonfly, which is a little more upscale. I don’t normally frequent it, but I was there Halloween when things went weird and the owner offered me a job.” He hadn’t even known Nate was the owner, wouldn’t have been willing to bet money on it, but he was starting next week.
That was cool and all but Jacob's brows drew together as he focused on the most interesting part of that statement. "When things went weird?" he asked, though he supposed he shouldn't be surprised things had gone weird during Halloween. Holly had told him that a lot had happened in town while he was gone but he'd been tired and they'd only really talked about their families and happy things before he turned in. Shaking his head he raised his cup of coffee, pausing before he drank. "Let me guess. Ghosts? Zombies?"
“That would’ve been practically horror movie normal,” Sage said with a little snort. He wasn’t sure why, but he thought he could handle ghosts. He supposed it depended on if they could touch him or not. And at least he knew what to do about zombies. “This was like, half the town suddenly believed they were whatever they were dressed as. For like, three hours. I mean, not a problem for the sexy cat girl that curled up in a booth and gave herself a tongue bath, but people that dressed as monsters were a real problem.” He couldn’t explain why Dragonfly had been so calm in all the chaos, but he was glad they hadn’t had anyone try and attack someone else. That had happened on the street though. He’d heard the screaming and had the sense to stay inside. “Cops say someone drugged the candy, but I don’t buy it. Most of the people in the bar hadn’t had candy.”
Jacob sipped his coffee with a long-suffering look. He wished he had the luxury of not believing Sage but he didn't and yet he didn't feel that surprised either. He put his cup down and sighed, feeling tired suddenly. "It's always something you can't see or fight," he muttered. "Doesn't seem fair." He looked over to the bar, observing the people there and wondering if they too were affected by all this bullshit. Maybe everyone should just leave this town and burn it to the ground. If only it was that easy.
“Yeah, I mean, these were just normal people who kind of lost their minds for a while. I can’t even explain why I was fine, but I’m glad I was,” Sage said. It had been surreal to watch everyone around him suddenly drop deep into character and stick with it all night, but he’d rather be weirded out than lose control of himself. That was a place he never wanted to go again, to feel like something else was influencing his actions. Luckily no one had gotten hurt. Not in Dragonfly, at least. He knew that wasn’t the case elsewhere. “Things like that just seem to happen around here. And people don’t see it. I don’t think they want to.”
Jacob flexed his fingers idly as he thought about it. He had never been one of the skeptics so he didn't really know how people could turn a blind eye, especially when it was something major like what Sage was describing. "If they don't want to believe in this stuff they're living in the wrong town," he mumbled bitterly and picked up his pencil to start sketching. It was something to do with his hands and it had been a long time since he sketched one of his Point Pleasant friends.
“Most stuff doesn’t hit everyone at once,” Sage said. “I think it’s easier to ignore when you don’t experience it. We’re all brought up to believe it’s not real, you know?” If people around here didn’t believe it, then how on earth would the rest of the world? Sage knew better than to talk about this kind of stuff with just anyone. That was how people thought you were crazy and he really couldn’t risk that considering his past. “What’re you drawing?” he asked as he ran his finger around the edge of his glass, making a soft humming sound.
Jacob smiled a little to himself, not answering right away. He never knew how people reacted to him sketching them. Some people didn't care, others hated it, others got all flattered like he was paying them a tribute or something. He was just exercising and getting a feel for people, it wasn't really a big deal. "You," he finally said, glancing up at Sage. "It's been a while."
Jocelyn was running a bit late to meet Jacob and Sage, but she doubted they would mind her tardiness. It would give them a bit of time to catch up with her in the way, much like she and Jacob had been able to hang out a bit on their own the morning he arrived in Point Pleasant. She had the tiniest bit of nerves fluttering about in her stomach as she found a parking spot near the bar, even though she knew it was silly to feel any kind of anxiousness about this. Jocelyn and Jacob had begun talking again like no time had passed once they saw each other on the street the other morning. There was no reason to think the same wouldn't happen with Sage. But... people did change, and there was the possibility that things might be weird. She just hoped that they weren't.
She walked into the bar and immediately spotted her two friends sitting together at a table, already drinking. Jocelyn smiled and headed for them, lifting her hand in a small wave to get their attention so she didn't interrupt whatever they were talking about. "Hey there," she greeted, her smile widening. "Sorry I'm late. I'm still getting used to east coast time."
Sage’s smile turned a touch shy under that kind of attention, but he didn’t protest. He just wasn’t used to anyone studying him that closely, like they might see something he didn’t want them to. But Jacob had already seen the worst of him, so there really shouldn’t be anything to worry about. His eyes ticked up as Jacob drew and before he could say anything else he spotted Jocelyn. She was instantly recognizable, just like Jacob had been, and just as hot as he remembered her. Sage wasn’t the only one who noticed her, but they were the only ones she approached. “Hey,” Sage smiled, a part of him wanting to stand and hug her, but not entirely sure that would be appropriate. He hadn’t hugged Jacob, so why would he hug Joss? Ugh, he didn’t want to be weird, so he stayed sitting, though he did push out the chair for her. “We were just catching up.”
"There she is," Jacob drawled and shot Jocelyn a lazy smile, reaching out to touch her arm in a small affectionate gesture before pushing a chair out for her with his foot. "We'll try to forgive you, we've been sitting in the worst and most awkward silence here for the last three hours." He winked at Sage and then laughed when the bartender came strolling out to their table to see if they needed anything. Oh the wonders of having a pretty girl at their table if that meant they got actual service.
Jocelyn's brow raised at both of them pushing her chair out, but she smiled and moved to sit down. They both looked pretty comfortable and she got the impression that they had been just fine without her presence. It made her feel good, because she would have been pretty bummed if things had changed so much that they couldn't think of anything to talk about. Hopefully the conversation hadn't been all about the past. "It's been way too long," Jocelyn told Sage, reaching out to touch his arm. She was going to ask how he was doing but the bartender was suddenly at their table and she took a moment to order a beer, not really aware of the fact that they might be getting any kind of special treatment. With the round of drinks ordered Jocelyn folded her arms on the table and grinned at Sage. "You haven't changed," she marveled. "How is life? How are things going?"
“Not at all?” Sage grinned at Jocelyn, warming at that light touch. He couldn’t help it. “I’d at least think the color would be different.” He hadn’t really gone wild with it until after they graduated and the yellow tips on the bright red was about as bright as he got. He knew some people thought he looked ridiculous, but it made him happy, and Sage was a firm believer that his opinion mattered most when it came to his own happiness. Everyone else could fuck off. “Things are okay. I was just telling Jacob I’m about to start bartending at Dragonfly, so you’re both going to have to drop by once I get settled in.” He had the feeling he’d still frequent The Back Porch when he was off though. It would be weird to hang out where he worked. “How’re you? How long ‘re you here for?”
Jacob grinned at the mention of his hair. It might have surprised them if they hadn't seen him on social media now and again, his hair always changing colors. "I'll come to Dragonfly for a free drink," he teased as he picked up his sketchpad again and kept drawing Sage's face. Joss was right, whatever changes had happened with the two of them were really subtle and in a way he felt like he could figure them both out better if he just drew them again.
"Okay, well, yes, the color is different," Jocelyn said with a laugh. "But it's bright. I like it." Physically he looked the same to her. Jacob did as well. Although they looked older in a way that was hard to describe. There was something in their eyes that Jocelyn was sure they could probably see in hers. Trauma tended to age a person in ways that might be unnoticeable to most people, but those who went through it with them. "I've never been to Dragonfly, but I'll tag along with this guy." She thumbed toward Jacob. "I'm doing good though. I wish I had some exciting stories for you, but..." Jocelyn shrugged softly. "I'm not sure how long I'm staying. I'm sort of trying to figure out my next move with what I want to do. Things in L.A. went a bit stale and I think I just need something new."
“It’s a newer bar. A little more upscale. Nate Kelly owns it,” Sage said, not sure if they’d know the name or not. ‘Upscale’ wasn’t really his thing, but Nate had seemed cool and he needed the money. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot. “You needed something new, so you decided to come here after L.A.,” he said, laughing softly and shaking his head. “Really, this place isn’t exactly rockin’. We have to leave town to even go to a club.” He wished he could tell them that there were fun things to do in Point Pleasant now that they were adults, but that wasn’t really the case. It was still a small town, a little more weird than the rest.
"Thinking this is just a pit stop for her," Jacob said with some amusement though he had thought the same thing. Maybe Jocelyn would go somewhere more exciting after this. They were just visiting, after all. Or she was just visiting. He hoped she wouldn't get stuck here. "No worries though, I had my share of clubbing, that's not why I'm here." When he left town, he hoped it would be for good this time, that he'd shaken off the ghosts that clung to him and could start over, maybe finish school this time. "I'm just happy to see you guys," he added even if he wasn't all that sure it was something to be happy about.
"He's right," Jocelyn said, nodding at Jacob. "I'm just here until I figure out what to do next. It's a hell of a lot cheaper too." She smiled when the bartender showed up again with drinks and Jocelyn thanked him, well aware that maybe a tiny bit of a flirtatious twinkle in her eye would guarantee prompt service for however long they were there. She took a pull from the beer bottle when the guy walked away and turned her attention back to Sage. "My mom told me they put in a karaoke bar, so we're going to have to definitely do that together. But like Jacob said, I'm just excited to see the both of you. I feel like the only things I know of your lives now are what I've seen on social media. I've missed you guys like crazy."
Sage was a touch surprised by Jacob’s comment, not having pictured him hitting the club scene, and knew it spoke to how little they really knew each other now. They looked the same, but some things had changed, even if they weren’t evident on the surface. Social media only said so much and Sage had never been a heavy user. “We do have a karaoke bar now and it’s incredible. I don’t know what it is about the place, but every time I’ve gone, I feel like some kind of a rock god. We’ll have to hit it up while you’re here.” He wished there was more to update her on, but he was the one who’d stayed behind. The most exciting thing that had ever happened to him was the one thing he wished to forget. “It’s good to see you both, too,” he said, smiling warmly, since that part was true. “It’s been boring ‘round here without you.”
Jacob mostly used social media for his art, though sometimes he'd get tagged in pictures by friends. He had put up some photos himself, been tagged in a relationship when he was with Aidan, had a couple of embarrassing bar brawl pictures linked to his account but mostly it was just art and private messages. He had enjoyed club scenes, and not just the kinkier parties he could find in Portland. It was a release to get a little high and move in a crowd, though he didn't do it often. A karaoke bar though? It made him laugh a bit. "You feel like a rock god because you are a rock god, you idiot," he groaned. "Me? I don't have a musical bone in my body. I guess I can gogo dance for you while you sing though." He glanced at Jocelyn. "You could sing, I remember liking your voice." Maybe he wasn't the best judge of that and they'd certainly never done karaoke together.
Jocelyn laughed. "Bad karaoke is almost as good as good karaoke," she told Jacob. "So if we sing, you sing." Her voice wasn't anything to write home about, but it wasn't terrible either. She just happened to do most of her singing in the shower, or in her car, like normal people. She would love to go just to watch Sage sing, though. "So how boring is boring?" she asked him. "Do you have a girlfriend? Anyone we can interrogate to make sure they're good enough for you?"
“I’m not a rock god,” Sage laughed, though he liked the thought of it. “I’m with Joss— if we sing, you sing, but now that you’ve put gogo dancing on the table, we need to see some of that too.” He was having a hard time picturing it, maybe because he kept trying to picture Jacob in thigh high boots, so he needed to see it to believe it. “No girlfriend. Not right now,” he said, smiling as he shrugged. “I was seeing someone for a while, but he was kinda controlling and it just didn’t work out.” He was one of those people who thought they could change Sage, like he needed fixing. As soon as Sage had realized it, he’d cut ties, but it still sucked. “What about you?” he asked them both. “Got anyone special?”
Jacob obviously picked up on the 'he' part of the system, arching a brow curiously and giving Sage a knowing little smile. Okay then, so he wasn't the only queer kid in the group. It would have been nice to know that back when they were in high school but he couldn't have guessed with the way Sage was mooning over Jocelyn back then. "Nobody special," he murmured. "I mean, I have my platonic life partner Erin and I'm still friends with my last ex." He couldn't very well go into why they were just friends. They had wanted the same thing which sounded awesome unless it had to do with sexual preferences which in their case it had. "Controlling sounds kinda hot," he added with a smirk though he realized that wasn't everyone's thing. He glanced at Jocelyn then. "I don't how you're still single but... I'm guessing you wouldn't have left California if you were seeing someone."
Jocelyn didn't miss the 'he' either, but she didn't call attention to it. She was more satisfied that Sage had recognized controlling behavior and walked away from it. Sure, controlling behavior could be sexy in sexy situations, but she didn't want to see any of her friends hurt. Anymore than they already had been anyway. "No platonic life partner, and no... other kind of partner," Jocelyn admitted. She shrugged softly, glancing between the two. "I had an affair with a producer and once everyone found out about it he got me fired. I had a hard time finding another job, which is why I'm here." Lifting her beer in a mock toast to herself, Jocelyn smiled. "But now I have you two, and you're all the romance I need."
At Jacob’s arched brow, Sage gave him a little wink, but didn’t feel the need to get into details. He hadn’t been comfortable enough with his sexuality in high school to do anything about it, and even now didn’t really enjoy putting a label on it. He liked who he liked and often felt that if they were male or female had nothing to do with it. “Controlling can be hot,” he agreed with Jacob. “This wasn’t.” It was hard to explain without getting into details, but there was nothing hot about a guy that wanted to know where you were at all hours and who you were texting and talking to. His eyes widened a little at Jocelyn’s current situation, then he shook his head. “That sucks, babe. Just don’t expect Jacob and I to wine and dine you. I mean, Jacob might be good at it, but that’s not really my thing,” he teased.
"Oh I'll wine and dine you anytime - as long as you pay," Jacob chuckled and blew Jocelyn a kiss. "I need a job while I'm here," he sighed then. "I'm so broke right now. Just not sure who would hire me." Too bad his landlord wasn't also a business owner, Holly Jenkins liked them just fine. After the little incident the night before at Moxie's Jacob was uncomfortably aware that this wasn't the status quo in town. If he could get a job for a couple of weeks or a month or however long he ended up staying it would make a world of difference.
Jocelyn laughed. "Oh boy, well, I guess my run of bad luck in the romance department continues." She sighed dramatically and picked up her beer, glancing around the bar a bit. It was busy, and they seemed a little short staffed. "I feel you. That's why I'm staying at home right now. Free room and board. Well, not free. I'm apparently the official dog walker of Molly right now. I wonder if this place is hiring," she mused, thinking she might ask the semi-cute bartender next time he came around. "It's Point Pleasant, though. I bet you anything you could walk down Main Street and catch at least six Help Wanted signs in the windows. Especially now with schools having started up again and the holiday season coming."
Although he still found her attractive, Sage doubted that romance could possibly be in the cards for them. It was something he’d been willing to blissfully ignore back in high school, but seeing her now, he knew that was probably always the case. He just hadn’t known himself well enough back then to realize it. “You can try Dragonfly,” he told Jacob with a little laugh, since he knew Nate didn’t seem to mind their past. Jocelyn would probably have better luck than either of them. The past didn’t seem to cling to her in the same way. “But you’re right. I’ve seen some signs on Main. Do you have bartending experience?” Not that you had to have some at the porch. Pretty waitresses who could flirt and delivery drinks were probably well paid, in tips if not hourly.
"I'm a great barista," Jacob said. "Not as great as bartending, I don't know half the drinks, but you know, you learn." Dragonfly sounded more like the sort of place you needed to know your cocktails for, the Back Porch was more of a beer and whiskey sort of place and they had decent coffee. "But you know, I've done all sorts of crappy jobs for the last few years." He glanced at Jocelyn with a grin. "I'd totally walk your parents' dog for free room and board but I can't say Holly's charging me much for that room." Her price was a joke, really, the only reason he could really afford to come back. "I could do dishes at one of the restaurants or whatever, I'll find something. Not at Moxie's though, KC did not look happy to see us."
Jocelyn was well aware that she could probably make pretty good tips. She had waitressed for several months in Los Angeles and it had paid the bills until better things had come along. And they had... for awhile. She might not make as much here in Point Pleasant but her savings would dwindle fast if she didn't find something soon. Assuming she was staying that long. Jocelyn still had no idea what she was doing yet. "Try The Boathouse," Jocelyn suggested. "At least if you're washing dishes there, you can get some pretty good food to take home with you." She frowned at the memory of Moxie's and shrugged. "Screw Moxie's... and KC. Screw anyone who gives us shit while we're here. I just don't have the patience for it anymore."
“If you’re good with coffee, you could try Joyland. But Joss is right. Screw ‘em if they’re jerks. They need to move on.” Sage knew it sucked, but if people didn’t want him around, they could leave. Most of the time it worked just fine, but he did worry that he might be a deterrent when it came to employment. He’d just have to wait and see how things went at Dragonfly. Hopefully Nate wouldn’t see a drop in his customers because of him. “And if either of you ever need a place to crash, you can always stay at my place. Just be warned, it’s not glamorous,” he grinned. Not by a long shot, but he was comfortable enough.
"I live in a shoebox in Portland," Jacob replied with a smirk. "It can't be worse than that." He didn't really foresee needing to crash anywhere while he was there but the offer was nice and being there with Jocelyn and Sage made it easier to feel like he hadn't made a horrible mistake coming back, like maybe they'd be okay. It had done him good to talk to Jocelyn the day before and it was just amplified with the two of them there. "I'm pretty sure Holly would let you guys crash at my place too, she's pretty chill."
Everyone needed to move on, Jocelyn agreed. The three of them included, if they could. She knew what happened that night in the tunnel hung over them all like a dark cloud, even now, but there had to be a time for them to fight through it and come out on the other side. Maybe that was why they were all there. Well, three of them. If the other two showed up, she would be less inclined that meeting Jacob on the street the other day was a coincidence. "Sounds like we have options, at least," Jocelyn said. She smiled and tilted her beer bottle in their direction. "I would offer up my place, but my parents would just cramp my style and embarrass me."
“I’m sure Holly would just love us camping out at her place,” Sage grinned. For some reason he pictured an old school slumber party, sleeping bags on the living room floor and a movie on the TV as they played truth or dare and drank from a stolen bottle of liquor. It was more movie than reality, seeing as how they’d never actually done such a thing. Though Sage would’ve died back then to see Jocelyn in her pjs. “That’s why I got my own place,” he told Joss. “It’s not much bigger than a shoebox, but it’s mine.” Sage took another sip of his beer. “Anyone heard from the others?” He’d never done a good job at keeping up with everyone, but with two of them in town it made him wonder.
"Same as you guys," Jacob replied. "Just facebook stuff." It meant they all knew roughly what was going on in each others' lives but it was still very controlled. They didn't show more than they wanted to and none of them was very active on there. "I actually hope they don't show up because that'd just be fucking creepy." He huffed, sort of regretting saying that out loud since he'd been avoiding addressing those thoughts, but there they were, all out in the open. He smiled a little uncomfortably and shrugged. "If we camp out at Holly's she'll probably wanna join the party."
Social media was how Jocelyn kept up with just about everyone. Her own accounts were full of smiles and sexy selfies and various landscapes and meals. Essentially the same as everyone else's. People saw what Jocelyn chose to let them see. She couldn't exactly hide here, but having Sage and Jacob around helped ease her discomfort. "If they show up, we'll deal," Jocelyn said. "You guys were my best friends, so I'm glad you're here. I would probably already be planning my next destination if you weren't." She finished off her beer and set the empty bottle down on the bar top. "I'm going to go order something else at the bar. Do you two want anything?"
“It would weird me out if everyone showed up all at once, but I’m glad you’re here. I know this place is kind of a drag, but I hope you stay a while.” It warmed Sage to hear Jocelyn say they were her best friends, even after all this time. They hadn’t seen each other in forever, yet he felt the same way. He’d had friends here and there, but no one he’d let as close as he’d let his friends from high school. It didn’t feel like anyone else could really connect the same way. Maybe it was because no one else had been through the same thing, but he liked to think he could move past that eventually. He just wasn’t sure when. And it sounded a little like Jacob felt the same way. A part of him wanted to ask Jocelyn about it, but it was such a downer of a conversation topic that he pushed it aside, smiling up at her as she rose from her seat. “I would take another beer.”
"Coffee, black," Jacob replied though he probably should make that the last cup for the night. He too was moved that she considered them her best friends but he wasn't really sure he could say the same. He'd put hard work into distancing himself from everything Point Pleasant and that included his friends. Meeting them now was making him feel a little emotional though and he was almost certain they would all have kept in touch if not for Grayson's demise. He absolutely loved them but he was still holding back from them and maybe that wasn't fair but there it was.
Jocelyn couldn't exactly say they were still her best friends, but they had been, years ago. As soon as she had seen Jacob, it was like nothing had changed, except that everything had changed. She was sure they all felt it. "Beer and a coffee." She winked at Jacob and carried her empty beer bottle to the bar to place their order and maybe flirt a little bit with the bartender. It was possible she was looking to get her drinks on the house, but even if he didn't rise to the bait, he was still cute. No harm, no foul.
Sage smiled, watching Jocelyn walk towards the bar before his eyes cut back to Jacob. “It’s weird how things are exactly the same, but still so different,” he said softly. He knew he shouldn’t get used to them being there, that both of them could wake up tomorrow and decide it was time to move on, but for the moment this felt good. Better than he’d felt in a while, trying to go through the motions, to move on without ever feeling like he really had. Sage had wondered more than once what it would take to make things change. Maybe this was a start, but as optimistic as he was, he just wasn’t sure he could trust it.
"Yeah it's a little jarring actually," Jacob said. "Coming back and everything's the same. We went to Moxie's last night and it's exactly the way it was five years ago. It was fucking unsettling." He didn't know how Sage did it, staying in Point Pleasant like he had but then he didn't really understand why he'd felt the urge to come back either. "We didn't exactly get a warm welcome there, I'm guessing you don't go there often - unless you've become immune to KC's glaring." Their food was still good so maybe it was worth it, or maybe KC gave up on hating them if they just kept stubbornly showing up.
Moxie’s was one of those places that would probably be the same twenty years from now, but Sage knew what Jacob meant. Little had changed in the past five years. A few new places, sure, but nothing that really shook things up. It was too small a town with too good a memory, unwilling to let go of the past, no matter how much they wanted it to. “I don’t hang out there or anything, but at some point I just started ignoring KC. She can glare all she wants, she still has to serve us.” Sage had never gone so far as to make a scene, but he would if he had to. They had as much a right to be there as anyone. They’d done nothing wrong.
It didn't take Jocelyn terribly long to get her and Sage's beers, and the bartender - Miles was his name, apparently - promised to bring Jacob's coffee by shortly. She left him with a smile and a quick wink and carried the beers back to her table. "Your coffee is on the way," she told Jacob as she sat and slid Sage's beer towards him. "So, what do you boys say? Let's pick a night to get together and paint the town red. I'm afraid if we don't, we'll go our separate ways tonight and it'll take forever to get you both pinned down again." That probably wasn't true, but she knew it would make the days easier to get through if she had something to look forward to.
"Ooh you wanna pin me down?" Jacob teased as he stretched his arms up and behind him. "Sounds fun." He was too used to joking around like that with his newer friends, it didn't hit him until that moment that maybe it wasn't all that appropriate with her and Sage. Oh fucking well. He'd been closeted in so many ways for so long, he sincerely doubted a joking light flirt would upset them. Considering he could have said something a lot worse. "Let's do something," he agreed, stifling a yawn as he glanced toward the bar to see if his coffee was anywhere close.
“Ooo, Jacob got feisty,” Sage snickered, flashing Jacob a grin. That was something new and different, though a lot more fun. Getting out of Point Pleasant had clearly been good for him. Probably for both of them. It made Sage wish he’d managed it. “If you were serious about hitting up karaoke, I say let’s go Wednesday or Thursday of next week. Or even Tuesday. I start at Dragonfly on Friday, so sometime before then.” He realized Friday or Saturday were better party nights, but they had nothing setting that in stone for them and those nights were going to be out for him for a while.
Jocelyn snorted softly in amusement. "You so couldn't handle me," she teased Jacob before giving him a flirtatious wink. Honestly, she didn't care much about being appropriate. At least not with these two. Miles brought the coffee over for Jacob and Jocelyn sipped her fresh beer before smiling at Sage. "Sure, any day works. Why don't we shoot for Wednesday and see what happens. If something comes up, we can just reschedule for another night. No big." Maybe eventually they would all have jobs and it would be more difficult to get together. The thought depressed her for some reason and she took another quick sip of her beer.
"Wait, tomorrow or next week?" Jacob asked, realizing he'd zoned out a little and lost track. It was Tuesday he thought, squinting as he thought about it. Yes, he'd arrived on a Monday. "I'm down for whenever," he added flippantly since he didn't have a job yet and he could use the distraction. Karaoke wasn't high on his list of things he wanted to do but hanging out with these two was going to be fun wherever they went.
Sage’s brow furrowed for a minute as he realized he had no idea what day it was. “Next week,” he said after a second. “Sorry, my days are all off. I start this week, but I’ve got a piano lesson tomorrow, so next week is better.” He’d had to shuffle some things around, but none of his regulars had had an issue with it, for which he was thankful. Even working at Dragonfly, he planned to continue teaching music lessons when he could. It was something he loved, even if it didn’t really pay the bills.
Jocelyn shrugged. "Whenever. It's not like my social calendar has become unmanageable... or exists at all," she added with a smile. She had no idea what she would do with herself for a full week, but Jocelyn was sure she could find something to occupy herself with. Maybe she could drag Jacob out to a movie at the Orion or something. "What do you do to keep yourself
busy around here?" Jocelyn asked Sage. "Same old, same old? Who do you hang out with?"
“You mean besides work?” Sage asked with a smile. “There’s some guys in Sanford that I play with from sometimes, but it’s more like a jam session than anything else. I used to hope we might be able to make a band out of it, but I don’t think that’s in the cards. At least not with these guys. Sometimes I pay at open mic nights. And I come down here with Aaron and Mila about once a week. Shoot some pool, have some drinks.” None of it was especially exciting, but Sage didn’t think it was a bad life. He just knew it would be drastically different than whatever Jocelyn was coming from back in LA, and likely even from Jacob.
Jacob could count his real friends on one hand but he knew a lot of people now, from work and from school and partying. When it came down to it, he was only close to about as many people as Sage so he could relate. "When's the next open mic night?" he asked. "We're totally coming to see you, right Joss?" He glanced at Jocelyn with a grin. It had been a long time since he heard Sage play but he remembered he'd been good five years ago and could imagine he'd only gotten better.
She was drinking her beer and watching Sage as he spoke, wondering if she would come across any other people they graduated with, or if the majority of them had moved away like she and Jacob had. "We're totally going to do that," Jocelyn agreed with a nod. "I can't even remember the last time I heard you play," she added, smiling at Sage. "Jacob and I will officially become your groupies while we're here."
“I don’t know when the next one is, but I’ll let you know,” Sage said with a little laugh. “Dragonfly sometimes has ‘em, but I’m not sure how that’ll work with me working there.” He’d have to ask Nate after he started. At least the guy knew he performed at them from time to time. “That’d be fun though. It’s been years since I had groupies,” he grinned. He’d never really had them, but his friends had always been supportive and that was better than nothing.
"We'll get t-shirts printed with your face on'em," Jacob drawled, then hid his grin behind a sip of his coffee. He could easily imagine them going overboard with fawning just to tease Sage but it wasn't like they'd actually do it. "Oh my god, we love you, Sage," he dead-panned, quietly mimicking a scream. "I could even flash you my chest, since Joss would probably get arrested if she did it."
"Nah, I'll just toss my panties at you," Jocelyn told him with a barely concealed snicker. "We'll both get hauled off to jail screaming our undying love for you." That was probably an exaggeration, but Jocelyn was well aware of how vocal she could get with her 'support', especially if she'd had a drink or two beforehand. What good were your friends if they couldn't embarrass you from time to time?"
“Shit,” Sage laughed. “I don’t know that I’d be able to hold it together. I blame you both if I forget the words.” It had never happened, but he could imagine it with his friend’s antics going on in the front row. And while it would horribly embarrass him, he also loved it. There weren’t a lot of people that knew Sage the way Jacob and Joss had and it felt like even after all this time, they were just as close as ever.
It was good to laugh again, Jacob had somehow imagined coming back home would be a lot more gloom and doom and while some aspects of it certainly were, this little reunion was a nice break from all that. Time flew by like it had back in the day and by the time Jacob had started stifling yawns he knew it was time to get his ass back home. "This has been great," he murmured as they all gathered their things and prepared to leave. He was bumming a ride with Jocelyn so he only really had to say goodbye to Sage. He hadn't hugged him when they first met up but it only felt right to do so now that they'd reconnected. "So good to see you again, man," he said as he patted his back. He wasn't even sure anymore why he'd been so worried about contacting him in the first place.
Jocelyn hugged Sage next, squeezing tight for a moment before she pulled back. "I'm going to text you soon," she promised. They had technically made plans to hang out again, but that didn't mean they couldn't chat between now and then. It felt like old times again, and Jocelyn was grateful for that, considering things could have been awful and awkward after having gone so long without communicating properly. "And you know where my parents live if you want to pop over anytime." She pulled her car keys from her purse to walk with Jacob back to her car. "Be safe driving home!"
Sage had thought it would be weird to see them again after all this time, especially as the one who never left. It sometimes made him feel like a failure, but he tried not to think of it like that, his aspirations a bit too lofty to begin with. So long as he didn’t get in that mindset, he was happy with his life, and it was good to see his friends again. He found himself hoping that they’d stay awhile as he hugged them both, glad that they’d already lined up another time to hang out. “Good to see you too,” he told them both. “And we’ll talk. No reason to wait till Wednesday. Start thinking of what you want to sing,” he teased them both. It would be fun times no matter what they did.