/lit/ - Literature

>>13789601
7:58 PM. A Friday night in Esther Pennsylvania.

It was a quaint town that remained largely untouched by the new advancements and marvels of the modern world. Almost as if frozen in time, despite being an hour outside of Philadelphia. Like a slice of rustic Americana from the late 20th century, it was a popular tourist destination for those with an interest in rural Pennsylvanian landscapes. In fact, it was even a second home to several big name celebrities from Hollywood. Esther was just that kind of gem, a blast from the past, and even the rich and famous get tired of the excitement that a class four city like Los Angeles has to offer. Everyone has their own method of escape, whether it’s mind altering substances or all natural scenery. Or both.

Esther lacked the hustle and bustle of the cities, but that didn’t mean there was no fun to be had. Depending on your age and interests, Esther had something to offer everybody. The downtown area was just busy enough to provide some semblance of rural nightlife, if there ever was such a thing, and of course the outdoorsy types would never grow bored in the rolling plains and dense forests that enveloped the town. But what really made Esther special was the people. The locals, the townsfolk.

Cindy worked the bar nearly every night at Vicky’s down on main street. Nobody was a stranger to her, not even the punk kids who stopped in on Friday nights like this.
“Cindy, baby, where’s your friend Mary Jane?” belted out Nicholas as he approached the counter.

His greeting was met with a swift but playful smack across the face.

“Knock it off twerp.”

“Knock what off?”

“That ‘baby’ shit. I’m not your baby. In fact, I’d say calling me a friend is a stretch as it is.”

“Ouch, harsh Cindy,” chimed in Lucas. “You’d think you would at least humor Nick a little, with an ego his size and all.”

“An ego ain’t the only thing I’m packing with some size, if you catch my drift.”

“God, shut the fuck up Nick,” Cindy groaned.

Nick smirked. “I think one of the requirements for being a friend is that you make another person feel good, through the sheer pleasure of your company.”

“I feel like that should be a mutual feeling, if we’re discussing the semantics of what makes a friend that is.”

“Maybe...”

“Then I guess I’m not your friend, because you don’t make me feel good. In fact, if Lucas wasn’t with you, I’d probably ask Garrett to throw you out.”

“Garrett knows me, he’s a bro, he would never. It’s a mystery why Vicky even hires a bouncer if he’s just gonna let so called ‘twerps’ like us in.”