baby-katie

[baby-katie]

Kate was distracted, staring out at the harbour. Jamie had roped her into volunteering and her assignment was cleaning with docks with Tommy. There were definitely worse jobs they could be doing, but as the weather got warmer, the work grew more laborious. She was gazing through her sunglasses at the boats in the distance when she got a cold shock and yelped, turning to Tommy. His eyes were back on his work, but they were smiling and Kate narrowed her eyes in his direction, "Spash me again and you'll wish you didn't," she said, with mock sincerity, but a glint in her eyes.

CLOSED STARTER for @baby-katie Volunteer week at the docks

Cleaning the docks felt like one of the easiest things Tommy could sign himself up for - there was only so much space that needed taking care of, it was by the water whilst the sun was out, and not many people would be out there with him. In fact, it was just him and Kate today with Rue running about wearing the little life vest he'd bought her. Tommy was currently hosing down the end where he'd scrubbed off some graffiti, growing bored with the events of the day. He looks over at the woman and inpulsively sent the hose her direction, squirting her feet with water. He chuckles, turning the hose back to his work just as quickly, pretending as if he hadn't done what he obviously had. There was no one else there after all.

[baby-katie]

Jamie never had been one to ask too many questions, in Kate's experience, and this time was no different, for which she was grateful. She smiled, feeling both grateful and a little awkward. "Thank you," she said, "I'm gonna go, uh, dump my stuff."

Kate grabbed her bag from the floor, slipping past Jamie with a small smile, following the way he'd directed her towards the bedroom. Inside of the spare, she sat down on the bed. She had another small bag in the car, but really, she'd travelled pretty light. She took a minute, looking around what was her room for the foreseeable figure. Then, taking a deep breath and pasting a smile onto her face, Kate kicked off her shoes and bounded back out of the bedroom.

"So, got any coffee?"she smiled, leaning on the kitchen counter, "Oh, and don't worry about monet, I got myself a job already, before I even knocked on your door." Although they hadn't spent much time together, Kate was sure word of her failure through college would have reached him, and she didn't want him thinking she was completely uselesss, the way her parents did.

Jamie just nodded a little bit. "Alright," he said. He didn't know if he really had a lot to say, but the two of them had spent years apart and he had been living his life with very few surprises since he was in town. He bit his lip. "Oh," he said quietly and nodded again. It was strange, she was trying to get away from his dad as well. He wasn't the man's biggest fan, so naturally, he went to where his mom and her side of the family was.

To know that Kate sought him out because of that connection switched something in his brain. "Sure," he said, before his brain could really register what his mouth was saying. But before he could take it back, he couldn't really take it back. "I've got a couch and a guest room," Jamie said, looking over towards his living room and the bedrooms. "So uh, take your pick." he said.

[baby-katie]

"Brooklyn, huh." Kate nodded, "Sure have." She stumped out her cigarette on the trash can, dropped the stub into it. "I like the city, but I'm a California girl at heart. I need to be near the water."

Kate crossed her arms, leaning back against the car, and sighed. "So, Mr Biker Man, what is there to do around here, huh?"

@baby-katie

Vitus couldn't figure her out for the life of him. Of course, that only made him all the more hungry to get to know her. He watched her secondhand smoke flood the air in front of them, dragged his eyes back up to meet hers as he spoke.

"New York. Brooklyn, to be exact. But I've been all over the place the last ten years or so." Vitus took his own drag and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Have you ever been to the city?"

[baby-katie]

Kate didn't miss the past tense verb, and her lips turned down into a frown. "I'm sorry," she said, but left it there; she wasn't about to pry, nor did she know how fresh his wounds were.

She smiled, a little, at his warning, "I think I'll be safe," she said, "I'm hardly a small town kinda girl."

@brooksienewman

"He was a great guy, an excellent dad." He stopped for a moment, just a second before continuing. "People tend to pass through and stay for a long while, so you better watch out."

[baby-katie]

"I hear it's the place to be whenever there's a game on, which I guess makes a lot of sense." Kate said, "You play pool? You'll have to come in some times, play me a game."

"Oh yeah, Stelly's going to train me up. They said they've done some training before, and I'm a quick study," she finished filling the can and capped it. "I'll be okay."

@joshlane

"I'm not a big drinker," Josh admitted as he killed the engine of the bike, pulling his helmet off to get a little bit of breathing room. "But I've been there to watch football games or hang out with friends before. I like to shoot some pool in the back room now and then," it wasn't like he couldn't have fun when he went out, after all.

"I've never bartended before -- but I would imagine they'll put you through some good training, right?"

[baby-katie]

She smiled a little, at that. Taking a long drag of her cigarette, Kate pondered over it. There was nothing wrong, she figured, in hanging around a handsome stranger who was also capable of cracking a decent joke.

"So, what's the accent?" She changed the subject, smoothly, stepping around his offer to leave, and the fact that she'd, technically, declined it. "Where do you hail from, Mr Biker Man?"

@vitusxaydin

His cheeky comment struck a nerve; that much is clear. Vitus didn't stare at her as she looked away, just refocused on his own cigarette while he waited for her to respond.

"Yeah, far as I can tell. I sure as hell wouldn't be here if I weren't," Vitus said. He found her eyes again, that unassuming tone still in his voice as he added, "You won't get any judgment from me about it. And you don't have to tell me your name. If you feel comfortable riding on the back of a stranger's bike, I can give you a lift into town. Or if you need someone to call a tow truck for you I can do that, too." He huffed a laugh. "Or I can just fuck off and let you enjoy your cigarette in peace. Your choice."

[baby-katie]

"It definitely seems like a nice place," Kate stepped through the door, saying a quiet thanks to Alice as she held the door for her. "It seems like the kind of place that sticks."

"How did you end up here, anyway?" She asked, as she slid into a chair.

@alicezhaox

“Of course,” Alice nodded her head in understanding. Many people came to Merrock for a fresh start, a new perspective on things. Life was messy and somehow Merrock gave that reprieve, even starting from rock bottom. She still had time to spare, and she had been thinking of getting something to eat anyway.

“Understandable, you’ll find a lot of people coming to town to get away from their lives. It’s a nice place, though,” she nodded, opening up the door for them. “Honestly, it’s become a new home to many of us,”

[baby-katie]

"Get's pretty busy around here, then? Well, I guess, being a sports bar..." Kate trailed off, looking around. Even now, in the middle of the day, plenty of the tables were full of patrons.

"Uh, that's okay," Kate shook her head with a smile, "I'm not so hungry."

The truth was she'd spent her last few bucks on a pack of smokes and couldn't pay for anything she ordered, but she wasn't about to tell Stelly that.

"What's the, uh, boss like?"

Kate was used to pushing her luck, and, more often than not, it tended to work out for her. She began filling out the form that Stelly passed to her. Her hand hovered over the Next of kin section, and then, with the thought of what might happen if when her mother figured out where she was, she quickly wrote down Jamie's name.

"I really am a quick study," Kate told them, and it was true; when she applied herself. Her pitiful lack of experience was glaringly obvious on the page, so she hoped that Stelly's word was good with whoever ran the place.

"I appreciate you sticking your neck out for a stranger," Kate said, smiling as she passed back the sheet, embarassed by it's blankness.

[baby-katie]

"I'm okay, I've not long eaten,"

Kate took a deep breath, letting the small bag she had with her fall from her shoulders, and took her time leaning it against the wall. When she looked up at Jamie, she felt twelve years old, again.

"I'm running away," at twenty-six, she knew how dumb that sounded, but she hoped Jamie wouldn't judge her, too hard; after dropping out of high school, Kate had stuck around her parents mostly for the money, because they continued to support her, but eventually, being beneath her mother's thumb was too much, "I need a fresh start and you're the only family I have far enough away from mom and dad. I was hoping," Kate paused, sighing, afraid he'd turn her away, "that I could stay with you for a while."

“Yeah, it’s not perfect but it’s close to work and to my mom,” Jamie nodded, letting her step in before closing the door behind her. He ran a hand awkwardly through his hair. Trying to come up with something to say, he walked towards the living room. “Did you want something to eat? Or anything? I’ve only got leftovers in the fridge right now,” he said.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable in his own skin, he turned around again. “Not to intentionally sound rude or dismissive… but um… what are you doing in town?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, it’s cool that you’re in town, but why exactly?”

[baby-katie]

Kate was starving, and in dire need of some hangover food, frankly. She could eat anything right now.

"Uh, what's good here?" She asked, unsure, even, of what they served.

Bryan grinned at the new face who entered the restaurant. He was working double duty, from behind the counter to working orders for whomever came in. He figured it was a way to get to know his customers better and why not, when there were new people coming into town everyday? "Hi there," he said, walking up to the counter, deciding to turn on the charm. "You're new," he mused. "What can I get ya?"

@baby-katie

[baby-katie]

Kate watched him, and then she smiled a small, warm smile. "He sounds like a good guy."

"A true native!" She remarked, "I'm...passing through. I just don't know how long that'll take me, yet."

"It's a good thing," he answered, "he wanted his kids to be ready for anything. Well, I've been back for about two years but I was born and raised here, so I know it like the back of my hand. What brings you here?"

[baby-katie]

Kate watched his face when he spoke about his dad, "I can't figure out if that's a good or a bad thing," she admitted, with a smile.

"How long have you been in town?"

"I grew up with a dad who kinda...assumed I'd have an emergency or need to help someone weekly." He laughed. "Alright, but I can't promise I can give my best tour off the cuff," he explained. "But I can point out some of the best spots that make Merrock Merrock."

[baby-katie]

The fact that Jamie was hugging her back at all was definitely a good sign. How long had it been since they saw each other? Five, seven years? She'd been a lot younger, it was before she'd flunked out of college, anyway.

Kate twirled on the spot, taking in the apartment. "So, this is what life on your own is like, huh?" She smiled. Loathe to admit it, Kate had always admired Jamie; he'd been out on his own for a long time. She still lived under the shadow of her parents money, too comfortable and shallow to break out on her own. Until now.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her—he was unprepared to see her. Jamie had a pretty routine life. So seeing family that he hadn’t seen in a long time wasn’t what was supposed to happen.

He bit his lip to hide his smile, as she practically leapt into his arms. Kate had certainly grown up since they had last seen each other, where she was a teenager and he was finishing up school. Jamie took a second to think of the perfect thing to say in the moment.

“Thanks…” he said with a nod and a small friendly but confused smile. “Umm, so uhh… you wanna come in?” He asked, unsure of what to do with his hands, so he just pat her back gently.

[baby-katie]

Kate did as she was told, and it felt like no time before he was pulling into the gas station. She hopped off the bike, heading for the pump.

"You spend much time at Touchback? Stelly, who works there, they helped me get the job. Other than how to pull a pint, I know literally nothing about it."

Josh let out a laugh when she mentioned her mother being a bit of a control freak. "It has its perks. I'm sure it drives you crazy, but it's hard to be mad when it works in your favor."

"Don't worry about it," he waved off the thought, waiting until she got situated on the back o the bike and listened to her talk about getting a job. "The sports bar in town? Not a bad place to work at all, I'm guessing, based on how well-loved it is," which could be said of pretty much any place in town, though. "Alright, hold on tight, we're off."

[baby-katie]

Kate was used to pushing her luck, and, more often than not, it tended to work out for her. She began filling out the form that Stelly passed to her. Her hand hovered over the Next of kin section, and then, with the thought of what might happen if when her mother figured out where she was, she quickly wrote down Jamie's name.

"I really am a quick study," Kate told them, and it was true; when she applied herself. Her pitiful lack of experience was glaringly obvious on the page, so she hoped that Stelly's word was good with whoever ran the place.

"I appreciate you sticking your neck out for a stranger," Kate said, smiling as she passed back the sheet, embarassed by it's blankness.

"Best sports bar in town," Stelly's grin was lopsided as they said it. 'Which is also because they're the only sports bar in town." Not necessarily the only bar where people went to watch sports, they were sure that someone tuned into the TV at the Garden or when they were drinking at Anchors Away, but. Still.

Stelly couldn't help their laugh when Kate said that she made up for lack of experience with a lot of enthusiasm, knowing that it honestly wasn't the first time that they had heard that. "Some experience is better than none," they passed the sheet across the bar to Kate to fill out, as well as a pen. "And enthusiasm is good…" they trailed off thoughtfully, leaning their arms on the bar. "It wouldn't be the first time that I've trained someone, so give it a shot. I can put a good word in for you."

"Besides," they grinned, "I do love going home at the end of the night with a lot of tips, so there's that!"

[baby-katie]

Where Kate came from, people weren't quite so nice. It was easy to find yourself being taken advantage of in California. So when Alice just smiled, unperturbed by Kate's admission, she couldn't help but smile back.

"That's really nice of you," she said, gratefully, and followed Alice down the street, hands in the pockets of her shorts. What brought her to Merrock? Kate might have lied, if Alice wasn't so nice, and if she wasn't paying for her lunch. Instead, she kicked a rock and pressed her lips together in a grim sort of smile, "Honestly? I just...really needed a new start."

Alice just nodded and smiled. "No worries at all, my treat," she said with a chuckle. The situation was something she could relate to, her move to Merrock was also a bit of a rough start, but she had eventually figured things out enough to get her feet on the ground and rolling. "Nice to meet you," she smiled more.

"There's a diner not too far from here, and then we can just get that tow," she said. "Besides, it's just about lunchtime," she nodded, leading Kate to the diner. "So tell me... what brings you to Merrock?" she asked, figuring that the girl was new to Merrock, considering her car and looking just a tad bit lost, rolling into the small town.

[baby-katie]

Kate's face closed off immediately; she was much too obvious for her own good, sometimes. Taking the excuse of another drag of her cigarette, she let a long moment pass before she shrugged and turned back to him.

"Isn't everybody running away from something?"

She had an attitude, Vitus could tell that much. Not many women would hold a stranger's eyes like that, nor smirk upon a first introduction. Intrigued, he leaned onto the hood of the car with her and lit his own cigarette, let out a small hum as he contemplated what her name might be.

"Pressure's on, huh?" Vitus took a drag and blew out a puff of smoke while he gathered any bright ideas he could come up with on the fly. "People who run out of gas are usually running to or from something, in my experience. Is it accurate to call you the Runaway Girl?" He offered her a tender, knowing smile as he added, "I won't tell anyone, if you are. Scout's honor."