The Black Swan

I'm heading over to Noah's bar. Our relationship definitely took a long time after the accident to mature to where it is now. I trust him, but it took a while for that trust to develop. Now he is like a father to me, I spend a lot of time at the bar with him. Whenever I need help or advice I know I can depend on him.

Walking into the crowded bar, the sign above the door flickers announcing the name of the bar, The Black Swan. I spot Noah serving drinks to the talking people who are standing around listening to a performer on stage playing the guitar and singing. It is dimly lit with the smell of alcohol and pine, of course it also smells like sweat which is to be expected with all the people hanging out here. I stroll through the crowd of people, my gaze searching everyone's faces to see if I recognize any of the regulars that I enjoy conversing with. "Oh great" I mutter under my breath, "the perverted bastard is here!" Sitting at one of the tables across the room is a regular that I alway avoid.

When I was first introduced to The Black Swan, I encountered some problems. One I knew nobody except Noah, two all the people packed together yelling gave me a headache, three I really wanted to get on that stage but I didn't have the skill, and the fourth was that pervert sitting right there in the corner. That encounter definitely ended badly. I was sent to the police office while he was sent to the hospital. It was satisfying, the sound of his nose breaking after my foot accidentally crashed into his face with force. Now he doesn't mess with me but still targets other females who enter the bar.

I try to stay away from him but if he has some other unfortunate girl in his grasp well I kind of lose my temper. I've never been taken into police custody again after that first incident but that's mainly because I haven't hit him hard enough to send him to the hospital yet.

Anyway...I work here whenever I can to help Noah out and because the bar is a pretty popular place I get quite a few tips out of my work serving food, cleaning glasses, and working in the kitchen. When I first started working here I was lousy at cooking but now even Lia likes my cooking and that's saying a lot, she is always so picky.

I pick up my apron and get to work. On my way to the kitchen I pass by the stage and glance over at the performer curious about who is working the crowd today. Oh it's Eli, I catch his eye and smile affectionately up at him. His answering smirk is dazzling, and I notice the woman at the bar eyeing him up. "Eli you've got many admirers and your music is amazing. I just wish I had what you've got." I mutter to myself.

I've known Eli longer than I've known Noah, the first time I met him we were both performing in a singing competition. I obviously got eliminated right from the start but Eli made it into the finals and would have been first but the judges had been bribed off. Ultimately after that competition I didn't see Eli again for a while. It was peer coincidence that I found out that he performs here in Noah's bar. The two years I have been working here we have gotten pretty close, close enough for him to be one of my closest friends, well second to Lia.

At the end of my shift I sit down at a table close to the stage to wait for Eli to take a break and come join me. Noah walks up and sites down in the chair I was saving for Eli. "Noah" I complain, "that spot is taken."

"Oh by whom?" Noah asks while snickering. I glare at him. He knows I am waiting for Eli because I do it every time I'm at the bar. "Quit poking fun at me Noah" I sigh in exasperation. Averting my eyes I pointedly ignore Noah. "Sierra you have the look of someone waiting for their lover" Noah points out after a long stretch of silence from me. My checks heat up in embarrassment and I deny his statement "No, I'm not, he's just a friend". "I can see how flustered you are," states Noah with a knowing smile.

The squeak of a chair across the wooden floor interrupts our slightly one sided conversation and I sigh in relief. Saved by the bell or in this case Eli pulling an unused chair over to our table. Noah gets up from his spot and goes to put in one of his many vinyl cassette discs into the record player. He has a large collection of them that he won't even let me touch.

Eli's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, " Hey Ser, was Noah giving you a hard time?" I'm guessing Eli came to this conclusion from my flushed cheeks. Honestly he can be so oblivious to my crush on him. I nod in accent to Eli's question "Noah is always like that. Oh I interviewed for a PR position in Bright Entertainment. Since I can't sing myself I might as well help the singers enjoy what they do by helping the entertainment company."

Eli's eyes widen in shock "You're giving up on your singing dream". "No, No" I shake my head vigorously, "I'm not giving up on it, I can still sing for myself, and I can still read music, and play my guitar." He smiles "That's a relief, I'm glad you haven't given up on your dream." I feel my cheeks getting hot and hang my head hiding behind my hair.

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When I get home Lia is waiting for me outside the courtyard door on the street. I rack my bike before I walk up to her "Lia what are you doing out here?".

"I'm waiting for you dummy, what else would I be out here for. How did you do at your interview?"

"Well I kind of got side tracked" I say sheepishly. "But other than that I think I left a strong impression." If ruining Zen's music video and overhearing the vice-president's private thoughts could be called a strong impression. Lia smiles in happiness, "Good then the surprise I planed is perfect."

"What surprise?" I ask.

"You will see" she comes up behind me and puts her hands over my eyes. "Lia you now I don't like the dark, not being able to see freaks me out." I acclaim in surprise. "Don't worry it won't take long" she states while leading me down the path of the courtyard. "now step up" she commands holding my arm for support. I reach out with my hands getting the feel of how high I need to step. Oh I can feel the bark of a tree and now I know where I am. A year ago the landlady had to cut down a huge tree in our courtyard because there were complaints that if it fell it would take down the courtyard wall and there were just too many leaves that fell from it.

Standing on the stump Lia finally allows me to open my eyes and I blink in the light that seems so bright now that my eyes are uncovered. Rose petals line the path that I had just walked through and kneeling below me is Lia with a white daffodil in her hands. I cover my mouth and exclaim "Lia this better not be a marriage proposal". She knows I am joking and giggles up at me, standing up she pinches my cheek and says "Sierra I know you have faced many obstacles in your life and I will always be there to support you on your road to success through your experience of your failures. I hope that this path of peddles will represent your road, beautiful, and I hope at some point on this road there will be a prince for both of us. What do you say are you willing to walk this road with me?"

"Yes I am" I say as serious as I can be. She holds up her hand and sticks out her pinky, I do the same and we make a promise that through the good or bad we will walk this road together. With the flower in her other hand she twirls it around my head and bops me on the nose. I can't stop myself from laughing out loud and envelope her in a hug.