Ch. 2 The cards we're dealt (James)

"Deal with the present not just the past"

James woke up, he was lying on the foor next to his bed. Mary was lying in the bed instead.
"When did she get her?" he wondered. "And where did she get a key?" He didn't bother getting back into bed because if he woke her up, he would never hear the end of it.
He went into the kitchen, pulled out a beer and sat on the couch drinking it. His phone was blinking from a new message.
[text from John Taverse]
"Hey Willson, you ok? Chief said you were looking kinda pale when you left."
"Yay, I'm fine" he repied "Just needed a drink" Taverse responded in only a few minutes
"Same, I'm drinking at O'Learies bar if you want to come"
"I'll right I'll be there" he put on some clothes and went out.
"Hey you made it" said John as James walked in.
"First rounds on me."
"As long as I'm not paying said James. He sat down and got a beer on tap. Then he spied someone sitting across ffrom them at the counter, mumbeling spanish to themself.
"Lucia?" he asked. She sat up. She as really drunk, that she was talking in spanish.
"[Hello, James]" she slurred "[When did you get here? Where is Jack? Have you seen Jack?]"
"What is she saying?' asked John "I don't speak Mexican."
"Mexican! Mexican!" she shoughted in english "I sir, hale from Spain." she said proudly standing, "Now where is Jack?"
"I'm here Chicky" said Jack standing in the doorway. He was the most flamboient gay guy James had ever seen. Spotting short shorts, a midrift and make up.
"[Jack!]" she said running to him speaking in spainish again "[I missed you!]"
"You poor thing your drunk but don't worry Jackie is here to take care of you love." He stroked her hair. She wobbled slightly "Luc? Areyou going to be sick?" she nodded. "OK hold it 'til we get to the bathroom" he took her by the arm and into the woments restroom.
"Hey, you can't go in there!" shoughted the bar tender to Jack.
"It's alright, I'm an honorary girl" said Jack going into the restroom.
"Well that was surely interesting" said Taverse taking another sip from his beer.

"You,"said Jack to James, "You live in Luc's apartment building don't you?"
"Yes" replied James.
"Good then you can help me take her home." Lucia leaned against Jack drunkily.
"[Jack,]" she bean speaking spanish agin "[I don't want to go home... Sunny, Sunny is to happy]"
"Sunny" asked James
'Her new roommate Sammy or 'Sunny' Day"
"Oh the local weather girl?"
"Apparently she is more chipper in reallife then she is on the news." said Jack "And Luc doen't get along with any random person. She probably thinks Sunny is replacing Maggie"
"Lucia and Maggie were close, weren't they" asked James
"Luc. and Maggie were like twins. And when Maggie died, Lucia just lost it. I had to keep her from drinking bleach." He patted her on the head, "Poor little chicky. She saw Maggie do it to."
"[I miss Maggie]" she slurged.
"Don't worry baby, Mama Jackie is here for you." he turned and looked at James. "And a big strong copper too."
"Sorry, I got a girlfriend."
"Oh yes thats right, the crazy blond bitch."
"She is a red head now."
"Oh what she couldn't stand being a dumb blond?"
"No, she thought it was more noticable."
"Ha! How can you stand being with a nut?"
"Sex"
"Oh ofcourse, the crazy ones are always better in the sack. But even if I was straight, I couldn't deal with a cunt. Ho do you put up with her?"
"Why do you think I was at the bar" said James as they entered the apartment lobby.
"Hahaha, oh you poor boy. Drinking your problems away solves nothing." Jack held Lucia's head up, "And if you drink to get rid of your problems you'll end up like Luc here."
"Is she an alcoholic?"
"probably not, she just had a lot of problems in her life. When she was 16, her mother left, so her father moved back to Spain taking Luc with him. She never did become a citizen, but she had to get used to speaking spanish, a new country, and being separated from her best friend. Good thing she met me to help her get through Spain."
"If your both from Spain how did you get here?"
"Oh I met Luc in Spain, I was originally from the Netherlands. But when we were both done with high school we came here to go to college. She wanted to be a jernalist, Maggie wanted to be a photographer and I wanted to be an dancer/ actor. But enough about us, we,re at her apartment." Jack knocked on the door and Sunny opened it.
"You must be Sunny" said Jack.
"Oh Lucia!" squeeled Sunney, picking her up and hugging her. "I was so worried!"
She put Lucia back down, whe instantly threw up on the floor. James remained in the hallway as the rest filed into the apartment.
"Bye, sweety thinks for helping me carry her." said Jack closing the door.
"What a strange group of people," thought James.

"Where have you been?!" shreeked Mary.
"I went out for a drink with John."
"And you didn't tell me!"
"I didn't want to wake you"
"you could have left a note"
James realized that if he didn't changed the topic, she would keep shoughting at him over nother.
"The weather girl moved in," he said hoping that she would forget waht she was saying.
"She did! Did you meet her?"
"Well kinda..."
"What is she like? Is her hair naturally blond? I bet it isn't. Does she go to a tanning booth because no white girl can be that tan. How does she stay so fit? Does she have a trainer? Are those her natural boobs or did she get implants? Should I get implants?" she looked down at her chest. "Well?"
"Your fine the way you are"
"I ment her."
"Oh well...she is... she is very purky."
"How did she ever get in a dump with a mopy writer then?"
"I don't know," he said. But what he was really thinking was "How did Lucia ever get stuck with someone so purky. She really should have gone with the convictedfellon."
"I'm going to bed." he said. He laid down on his bed and she crawled in next to him.
"James?"
"yes?"
"Will I ever be famous?"
"If you try. Good night" and he turned off the light.