chloe && learn to love

[SAMUEL JOHN HAYES]

OUTFIT

It was time to bring over the weekly keg delivery to the bar. They only shipped from a few towns over, but most outside orders went through the general store first. In a tiny town like this, it was somehow easier that way. Heatherfield was too small a place to have lots of ties with the outside world, especially since people wanted to keep it secretive. Sam had figured out over the years that people here weren't exactly normal. Though he really had no idea about what sort of strange things they could do. His grandmother knew, and she didn't care. Not that Sam cared either, but he was curious about it all. But in any case, as a simple human, he had no trouble dealing with the outside world as he had nothing to hide.

Not to mention, delivering to the bar was one of his favorite things. Not that he could drink on the job of course, but because of who worked there. the people were generally rather friendly, but he'd grown close with one girl in particular: Chloe. She was a young bartender who was often there to pick up his deliveries. Her brother had been off in jail and Sam had made it his business to lift her spirits. He chatted with her every time he came in and eventually a friendship blossomed. Sam brought her meals so she wouldn't have to eat alone, or took her to the next city over for a trip to the zoo.

He unloaded the van of kegs and wheeled them into the bar just before it opened. "The man with the beer is here," he called as he wheeled in the first two kegs, waiting for whoever was on duty to help him heave them where they belonged.

[CHLOE ALICE CAIN]

OUTFIT

Chloe had never noticed how much time she spent at work until Mason came home. Not that she was entirely opposed to it. Much to her surprised, Chloe had learned to love her work. She also enjoyed the company of the people she spent her time around there. If she had to pick a favorite, though, it was most definitely Sam, and she did her best to volunteer for every possible shift where a delivery might be scheduled. Sure, she could see him outside of the bar, but his presence just made things infinitely better. He was easy to talk to, good looking, and she could always count on him to be in a good mood.

Before opening, the bar was always pretty dull. Chloe used that time to steel herself against the flood of emotions she knew she was going to be assaulted with. She'd polished the bar, made sure the glasses were in order, and tied her hair into a braid to keep it out of her way. She was exceptionally efficient at this part of the job, and it usually left her with about twenty minutes to kill before opening. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she glanced around the room, trying to find something to do. She'd finally moved to check the liquor bottles that she already knew were full and in order. Waiting made her anxious, and Chloe couldn't help it. Even so, she would've waited all day if it meant she'd get to see Sam.

As usual, she felt him before she heard him, and Chloe welcomed the warm rush of excitement. Whirling around, she rushed for the door, fighting the urge to tackle him in a hug. It would've been unprofessional. Granted, she didn't work in the most professional field, but there were still expectations for her behavior. Grinning at him, Chloe bounced on her toes, her hazel eyes fixed on him. "It's about damn time you got here! How long can you stay? We open in twenty minutes. And you've missed half my life while you've been gone!" Maybe it was an exaggeration, but he really had missed out on the most substantial thing to happen to her recently; Mason's homecoming.[/blockquote][/size]

[SAMUEL JOHN HAYES]

He knew it was her the moment she opened her mouth. Chloe. Looking adorable as ever and he couldn't help but give her a big toothy grin. "Well hello to you too missy." Sam said with a chuckle and a wink. She seemed hyper, so he couldn't help but give her a little sad. "Half your life? Has it really been that long?" He said tilting his head, feigning thought. It had been a while though, maybe a week or two? Nothing so dramatic as she was suggesting. But either way, she obviously had things to tell him. "And for you, I always have 20mins." he nodded reassuringly before wheeling the kegs fully into the bar.

It was a cool place, laid back, rustic and dimly lit. He loved to hang out here. It was great to shoot some pool, grab a beer, try your luck with a girl---though usually they'd known you since pre-K and had no intention of doing anything with you. Sam could deal with that generally. Besides, he hadn't been quite as busy picking up chicks now that his friendship with Chloe kept him plenty busy and not wanting for much. She was pretty cute, rather young looking though.

Sam got the kegs put away rather quickly so that Chloe would have him at her disposal. Once the loading equipment was back in the van, he sat down at the bar and offered her a lopsided grin.

"Now, what was this about your life?"

[CHLOE ALICE CAIN]

Something about Sam's smile always made Chloe feel a million times better. She'd never bothered to think about it, really. His perpetual good mood was enough of a reason for her to value his company. Of course, she had to admit his shaggy locks, scruffy facial hair, and bright eyes were a very attractive combination. But he was her friend. Nothing more. And she'd never detected any vibes to indicate he felt differently. "It's been forever! she insisted, stepping out of the way so that he could unload the kegs.

A couple of minutes later, everything was in place and her friend had taken a seat at the bar. She'd dutifully started a pot of coffee while he'd been working and made them both a cup, placing his before him. She knew he couldn't have any of the beer he'd delivered, but a little caffeine never hurt anybody. Grinning, she walked around the bar, coffee in hand, and climbed onto the stool next to him. She didn't spend a lot of time on this side of the bar, but she didn't exactly feel like standing around awkwardly with a polished slab of wood between them.

Placing her mug on the bar, she propped her head up on one hand and grinned at him. "Mason's home!" she told him excitedly. "He's only been back for like a week, but it's pretty great. Except for his perpetual bad mood. Not really a fan of that. And the way that he forgets I'm not a baby anymore. And his general grumpiness about my job... But, you know, aside from all the usual brotherly garbage, it's been great!" Her tone became a little less chipper as she began enumerating the things that weren't great about her brother having returned. She really was glad that he was home, but she'd gotten very used to living her life without having to answer to anyone. Mason's return was going to take a lot of adjusting on both their parts.

[SAMUEL JOHN HAYES]

Sam laughed as she bubbled on about Mason being back, even if bubbling quickly turned to sulking. "Oh give the guy a break. He loves you and feels like a shitty brother." He said. Sam knew what that felt like, having grown up away from his sisters. "Brothers want to take care of their little sisters, just tell him you love him and appreciate that he cares, but to give you some space. That seems to work in movies." He said. His sisters didn't mind him bothering them as he wasn't much of a worrier.

Sam shrugged and wrapped his hands around the coffee. Coffee was good, especially with milk and sugar, which upon tasting it, Chloe had remembered. "But I hear you, as a brother, I know they can be a pain in the ass. Sister's are too though," He teased her with a wink. She really was adorable... Sam's eyes did a little elevator check and he just smiled into his coffee. Just how young was she?

"This better not mean you'll stop hanging out with me because I still owe you my famous mac and cheese." Sam said in mock seriousness. He would hate to think he'd been just a brother crutch.

[CHLOE ALICE CAIN]

On one hand, she had to admit that Sam was right. Her brother did feel pretty guilt about leaving her alone for the last five years. She could certainly attest to that. On the other hand, though, what she really wanted was for someone to validate her own feelings. She wasn't asking for anyone to say that she was right so much as for someone to admit that she had a right to struggle with this. Rolling her eyes at Sam's suggestion, she shook her head. "Just because this town is crazy doesn't mean things actually work like they do in movies," she told him, chuckling a little. Life would have been so much easier if it actually did work like that.

As her friend moved on to claim that both brothers and sisters could be a pain, she couldn’t help but laugh. Even so, she offered him a scandalized look. "I am not a pain in the ass!" she exclaimed, pouting at him. Her pout quickly morphed into a shy smile, though, as she tried to ignore the fact that he was unsuccessfully trying to be discrete about checking her out. Things had always been purely platonic with them, and Chloe wasn't exactly looking to complicate that, but it was always flattering for a good looking guy to give her a second glance. Her cheeks flushed pink at the thought, and she quickly whirled around, busying herself by refilling her cup of coffee. Her back was still to him when she heard his comment.

Shaking her head, Chloe moved back to her seat and offered him a winning smile. "Please. I couldn't stop hanging out with you if I tried," she replied. "And you know I can't turn down a good plate of mac and cheese. So you're stuck with me," she announced matter of factly.

"When do you get off work, anyway?" she asked, hopping down from her stool once again and rounding the bar. "I kind of left my brother at home with instructions to relieve himself of his sexual burden because it's making me miserable. And I don't really want to walk in on anything..." As she spoke, she fished around under the counter, finally emerging with a pack of exotic-looking, extremely thin French cigarettes. She'd ordered them online for a special treat. Pulling one out of the package for herself, she placed the carton on the counter and slid it across to Sam before fishing around in her pockets for a lighter.

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[SAMUEL JOHN HAYES]

Sam laughed and shook his head. Some movies made life look like a picnic. But that wasn't the point. "I'm sorry its been tough, its understandable really." He added so she wouldn't feel betrayed by his point of view. A change in lifestyle was hard on anyone.

She pouted about him saying she could be annoying and said with a cheeky smile, "But you're my favorite pain in the ass." He teased. Really, she could never annoy him very much. Chloe was the easiest company he'd ever had. He never had to try to be natural around her. "And good, because Grandma wants to meet you." he said with a laugh before breaking into his impression of her, complete with a Swedish accent "who is this girl? why do i never meet her? so rude of you sammy, to deny your grandmother..." Sam laughed again and shook his head.

"I get off in like two hours, but don' you work until like the crack of dawn?" He said looking at her. Her schedule made meeting up difficult generally. Sam almost choked on his coffee as she admitted to telling her brother to masturbate because she couldn't take his sexual frustration. Sam had figured out a while ago about her gift, Chloe wasn't exactly a subtle person. He didn't have the heart to just say that he had no powers, but she probably knew that. "That's probably the funniest thing I've ever heard." He told her with a smile.

Then she slid him some fancy cigarettes and he grinned. "You are awesome," He said with a smile. Sam opened the pack and knocked out one, sticking it in his mouth as he too fished for a lighter.

[CHLOE ALICE CAIN]

It might have taken him a moment to get there, but Sam finally did admit that Chloe had a right to be frustrated. It was a relief to hear him say it out loud. It was also more of a relief than she wanted to admit that he considered her his favorite anything, even if she wasn't a fan of his descriptive term. "Yeah, yeah. You're my favorite pain in the ass, too," she murmured, rolling her eyes and pretending to be annoyed. She couldn't seem to convince herself to actually be offended, though. Especially since she could feel that he wasn't serious about the comment.

Meeting someone's family was always awkward for her. Having been without her mother for so long always made Chloe wonder if she actually knew how to make the best impression. She could tell as he spoke that Sam cared a great deal about his Grandmother, and her opinion about Chloe might actually make a difference in Sam's opinion of her. Biting her lip, she nervously considered the option. It wasn't until after she'd done it that she realized she'd inadvertently leaked some of that anxiety in Sam's direction. It wouldn't affect him as strongly as if she'd pushed the emotion upon him, but if he was paying any attention at all, he'd definitely know how she was feeling. "Jeez, Sammy! Way to be, denying an old woman her happiness and all," she teased, hoping to distract him from her lapse in concentration.

If her casual teasing hadn't done the trick, her question had at least distracted him a little. His response was only logical. He didn't generally work very late, and she typically worked extreme hours. Lately, though, she'd been having a harder time sticking out full shifts. Between Mason's excess of emotions at home and the general feelings that accompanied most of their customers, Chloe had had to ask her boss for shorter shifts. He hadn't been too thrilled, and she'd maybe cheated a little by pushing feelings of acceptance in his direction, but in the end, he'd settled for letting her work half shifts. She'd either open the bar and work until about ten or come in at that time and close the bar. Tonight she was opening, and she'd be free as soon as the next bartender came to relieve her. "I might have convinced my boss to switch me to half shifts," she told him, feigning innocence. "So I'll be off at ten. We could catch a midnight movie or something if you want..." she ventured, refusing to meet his eyes. Something about the invitation felt weird. They'd done plenty of things together, but being alone with him seemed to be taking on a slightly different context. One that she was planning to ignore for as long as possible.

Locating her lighter, she clicked it a couple of times to conjure up a flame and took her time lighting her cigarette and taking a long drag. Surprisingly, it tasted remarkably similar to American cigarettes, and she found herself wondering why she'd bothered with the extra cost. Especially since the smaller cigarettes would smoke faster. Shrugging, she returned her gaze to Sam. "I know I am," she replied, grinning and letting out a little laugh. "Really, though. You're infinitely more amazing than I am. And I think you at least owe me a movie tonight. Or some mac and cheese. Or at least some form of entertainment that isn't in any way related to my brother's lack of sex life."

[/size]

[SAMUEL JOHN HAYES]

Sam laughed, tempted to say he was everyone's favorite pain in the ass, but he held back, watching her facial expressions change. She sure was adorable... He realized he would never get tired of looking at her, and that surprised him. Chloe was too young for him wasn't she? Did that even matter? Sam wasn't about to ask, he liked what they had, and thankfully, bringing up his grandma smacked him out of it.

He felt a wave of anxiety which he knew couldn't be his own and after a moment he realized it came from Chloe. "Yeah, I'm a terrible grandson," He joked. "But really, she'll love you." Sam nodded. Chloe knew he lived his grandmother, and he was sure he talked about her a lot but even so he made a case for why his statement was true. "She's feisty, she'll like your spunk." He nodded, almost adding, i like your spunk.

Sam grinned when she said she got off at ten. "Oh hell yes, movies, food, whatever. Though if I'm cooking for you and we can't go to your house, we'll have to go to mine. Which is fine as long as we don't interrupt the old lady's soap operas." He laughed. Most elderly people went to bed at about 9pm, but not his grandma. She was a night owl, mostly in order to keep up with sweden.

[CHLOE ALICE CAIN]

Humor was definitely the best way to address potentially awkward situations, and Chloe loved the fact that Sam was so good at diffusing things. Instead of calling her out on the anxiety she'd accidentally broadcasted to him, he fell right into his usual banter, calling himself a terrible grandson. Chloe stuck her tongue out at him and laughed. "I bet you are. At least she gets to see you all the time. You can't disappear on her for two weeks!" Chloe punched his arm playfully and grinned. Then he launched into reassurances, which she knew she'd brought on herself. Blushing just a little, Chloe offered him a smile. "Fine, fine. I'll meet your grandma," she agreed.

Having gotten past the potentially awkward hurdle of agreeing to meet his family, which felt suspiciously girlfriend-like even if they were just friends, Chloe was content to allow herself to really enjoy the couple of minutes she had left before opening. A smile brightened her face as Sam agreed to meet her for whatever she wanted. "I'm all about meeting your grandma, but not after a shift here," she replied, figuring it was better to wait until she didn't smell like booze and sweat. "So how about a movie. I don't even know what's playing, but we can figure something out." Finishing her cigarette, she glanced at the clock, realizing it was nearly time for customers to start coming in. "And when is it that I'm going to be meeting her, anyway? You know we girls need advance notice for stuff like that..." Really, she didn't. It didn't take her all that long to get ready for an evening. She just wanted a little warning so she could adjust to the idea.

[SAMUEL JOHN HAYES]

"Movie it is," Sam agreed, taking a drag from the cigarette. Anything with Chloe could be fun, so he didn't care much they saw, but since he'd get off work first, he would do a little research for showings at the nearby theaters.

Sam hopped off the stool and shrugged. "Anytime really, you pick a day." He said, she might as well be totally comfortable.

"I'll see you tonight," he said, dramatically pointing at her. Sam winked and went on his way, happy to have reconnected with her.