I Want Somebody (Bitch About)

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau looked at his glass, wishing that it were alcoholic. He had a feeling that if he asked Matt, like, begged, maybe, the guy might actually hook him up with, say, one beer. Beau wasn't entirely sure that one beer would actually do much of anything to him though. He hadn't exactly done a lot of experimenting with drinking in his eighteen years just yet. No reason to, not really. Except for now, when he was staring at a glass of Pepsi as though he could transform it into booze simply by the power of his look.

He'd come here for a show, and he'd actually done one. His set had been pretty much the standard, more or less. There had been a few more... let's go with romantic songs, mixed in there. Including one that he'd, well, written a while back. The song wasn't completely explicit about the person that it described, but anybody who knew Beau (and by extension had either met or knew Liz) could likely guess. After all, the two had actually been on the stage together, making music.

"Hey, Matt," Beau called, lifting his head from his hands and looking for his fellow country boy. The bartender stood some distance away, but it wasn't like there were that many people about. The show was over, and the crowd was mostly settled into their routine of drinks. "I don't suppose I could talk you into givin' me a beer or somethin'?" he asked, smiling ruefully. "Jus' thinkin' I could use a little somethin' to get somethin' off my mind, you know?" he chuckled dryly and tapped his fingers on the glass, listening to the clinking inside. Melodic, really, and he bet if he were in a better mind, he could write a song about it. Right now though, he was looking hopefully at Matt, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

[Deleted]

It was another good night. He made some money, got Beau to play, and got to kick back most of the night. Not bad at all. "Whatcha want?" He asked whenever the kid had called him over. "A beer?" He asked, laughing a bit. "The hell do you think this is? Some place where an eighteen year old can drink?" Matt asked, tone and face very serious. "Here." The man pulled an ice cold bud light out the ice and twisted off the cap. "But if anyone comes in here and asks, I'm tellin' them that your little ass stole it from me, ya got that?" Matt moved the beer over to Beau and adjusted his baseball cap.

"What's got ya all down in the dumps, you look like someone just ripped your heart out and stomped a mud hole in it." He said, pouring himself some whiskey in a rocks glass, throwing a few ice cubes in it. "Come on kid, talk to me. What's goin' on in that head of yours?" Matt asked, tapping the boy on the top of his head. Matt took a sip of his drink, the burn not bothering him at all anymore.

Matt watched as the last few people left his bar. "Hold up." He moved around the bar and looked down at his watch. "Looks like we're closin' early." He went over to the door and locked it. "Drink up." Matt moved back over to the bar and walked behind it, hopping up on the back of the bar. "Now, talk Romeo."

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau was honestly surprised when Matt pulled the beer out... for all of five seconds. Then he remembered that the guy was another Southern boy and that they sort of drank their first beer when they were teenagers. Hell, Beau's dad had insisted on having all the LaRoux boys drink their first beer under intense, adult supervision, because "there ain't nothin' else to do out here, an' I ain't havin' a bunch of idiots that don't know how to handle their booze." So this wouldn't exactly be Beau's first (and likely not his last). He took the drink with a thankful nod, drawing it close.

"Don't worry, I won't be tellin' nobody," promised Beau, nodding. He raised the bottle up to his lips, taking a very shallow pull. The taste of it hit Beau, and he grimaced. Definitely acquired, and one that Beau knew he'd be picking up in about three years, give or take. He didn't think he'd ever be a very heavy drinker. Still, he liked the way it felt when it settled to his stomach. Didn't hurt that getting within range of Matt meant picking up his fun little ability, which was one of the first that Beau had learned to control... after Liz's. He didn't even crush the bottle, despite feeling the surge of strength that came from being within ten feet of the bar owner.

Who was being bartender all too well. Beau smiled at Matt as the older man prodded, though the smile turned into raised brows as Matt turned to the rest of the crowd. Most of them were regulars, after all, and not likely to raise cane about being turned out, not for Beau, one of the most popular entertainers in that joint. Beau took another pull while the crowd funneled out, nodding to a few and offering a wave and a smile.

And then Matt was back on Beau, with the younger Southerner looking up with a look of surprise. Beau eventually grinned, "What makes you think it's girl trouble?" like it would be anything else. Every country boy knew that a funk like that either meant a dead dog or a girl problem. Beau took another pull, looking away for a moment. "It's Liz," he muttered, he tapped his fingers on the bottle, "you know, the cute blonde I bring in every once in a while? One that sings with me?" He knew that Matt knew Liz at least through that, though he wasn't sure that the two had sat down and had any heart to hearts or anything.

[Deleted]

"Listen kid, I've been around for a while now, hell I'm nearly forty." He said with a laugh and a shake of his head. "I know that look, shit, I've had that look!" Matt gave a hearty laugh, taking another sip of his beverage. "Yeah, I know Liz. Well, I ain't ever talked to her more than paying y'all for the show...shit, that reminds me." Matt opened up the till and took fifty bucks out. "Here." He handed the cash over to Beau and nodded. "Now, what? You wanna ask her out or somethin'?"

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau couldn't help but chuckle. He should've expected this from Matt; the guy was even more pure Southern than Beau, and that was saying something. He took another sip of the beer, fighting against the urge to chug the thing and get the full effect. The last thing he wanted was to get Matt in trouble for offering up a little solace.

The musician turned slightly as Matt dug around in the till. True, Beau usually got paid in some variation, but "You don't gotta give me so much, Matt. You know I love doin' this," 'course, everyone always said that the best thing was to be paid for something you love. He wasn't going to fight Matt too hard about the money, especially not considering his own upkeep, and well. He had to chuckle. "Maybe somethin' like that. I jus' don't know what the hell's goin' on there, Matt. We're friends, you know? An' it's good. But she's... well, you seen her, an' she's damn awesome on top of it.'

Beau sighed, setting down his drink to rub his hands over his face. He let out a groan. "Man, here I am whinin' like this is one of those crappy songs. See, this is why I jus' wanted the damn beer," he took a heftier swig of it, which meant immediate coughing and chest thumping.

[Deleted]

"Just shut the hell up and take the damn money before I change my mind." Matt said, chuckling a bit. Honestly, he couldn't give a damn about money. As long as he had enough he make it to tomorrow that's all he cared about. Why waste time on worrying about things like that, shit, you could be dead tomorrow if somethin happened. Matt very easily realized it was all about living in the moment. Matt listened to Beau's predicament, taking sips of the brown liquid from time to time.

"You're a dumbass sometimes, ya know that?" He said, shaking his head. "Ask the girl out, what? What's the worst a that's gunna happen? Huh? What she says no? Well at least ya tried right?" Matt asked, drinking the rest of what was in his glass. "You only live once...I think I heard you damn teenagers saying that Yolo shit or whatever, but it's true. If you don't go for it now you'll probably end up regretting it." The man said with a nod. "Man, just listen to me for once, alright? Just do it, it's eating ya up inside right now, I can see it on your damn face."

[Beau LaRoux]

So Beau took the money. He knew better than to argue with a Southern man when one got like that. Besides, Beau could certainly use fifty dollars, either for upkeep of his gear or for putting toward getting a car that didn't spout flames every other time he drove it... or for taking a certain someone out on a date. Beau hedged for a moment, realizing that his mind had, yet again, circled right back around to the girl.

Which Matt noticed, and Matt wasn't about to be shy about it. The dumbass comment made Beau wince, but he still chuckled at it. He'd pretty well asked for this, hadn't he? The advice was solid, and sort of what Beau expected. Hell, that's why he'd pretty much asked Matt for advice in the first place, wasn't it? Beau moved to take another sip of the beer then paused. "Do I really look pathetic?" asked Beau, lowering the glass and looking down. He then had to chuckle. "Damn, I guess I'm right outta one of our songs, huh? Sittin' at the bar an' thinkin' 'bout a girl," Beau chuckled, then rubbed at his face with his hand. "It's jus'... you know me, Matt; it's easy most o' the time. Ain't like I'm shy 'bout it. But this... damn, it feels like it should be easy, I dunno. I'm gonna drink some more."

And lo, Beau did.

[Deleted]

"Drink all ya want." Matt said with a laugh. "Women troubles are one of the main reason why men drink." Nodding, he took another sip of his own drinks. "Just talk to her about it if anything, I'm pretty sure she feels the same way about you Romeo. But if you're not gunna flat out ask her on a date you need to at least talk to her and figure out how she feels. Ya know?"

"Or-" He said with a grin. "-you can just keep drinking and become a sad sack of shit. I suggest you don't become that, no one wants to hear that kind of music all the time. You gotta have some happiness in your life to make good music."

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau nodded, recognizing the truth in what the older Southerner said. He'd seen that first hand more times than he cared to think about, not to mention all the songs that had been written about that very circumstance. He'd never thought that he'd end up one of their number though, not with how easy dealing with girls had always been for him. Then again, wasn't that exactly what so many of those songs were about at the end of the day?

Matt made it sound simple though. Just talk to Liz, maybe ask her out. Easier said than done. okay, so Beau had done that plenty of times before; again: wasn't like his love life lacked. Heck, he could even ask girls that he'd just met out for coffee or to hear him play. so why was it so hard with Liz? Beau was gonna ask but Matt joked, causing Beau to laugh instead, nearly choking on his drink as he shook his head.

"I don't know; seems like a lotta those songs end up hits," drawled Beau. He saluted Matt with his bottle but didn't take another drink. He didn't like the idea of being one of those sad sacks though, not even a little. he sighed and drummed his fingers on the bottle. "Somethin' like this ever happen to you? Like that with the old ball an' chain?" he asked, looking up at Matt and smiling a little. He'd only heard bits and pieces about Matt's ex, and not enough to really form the full picture, that was for sure.

[Deleted]

"That's true enough I reckon." He said with a laugh. "But still, you're a much better person to be around when your happy and shit. No offense though." Matt said, chuckling to himself as he poured himself a bit more whiskey in his glass. "You really wanna know?" He asked, looking back at Beau. "Yeah." He nodded. "I was head over heels in love with that girl, man. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, 'course she knew who I was. It's not hard to miss one of the tallest people in town." Matt said with a small smirk. "I saw her at a bar one night, god damn if she wasn't glowing in that poorly lit shit hole bar." The man said, taking a sip. "Well, after a few drinks I worked up the courage to go ask her for a dance. She said yes, that she'd been wishing for that the whole night. Man, I'll tell you what, that was and still is one of my favorite memories I have." Matt said, sighing as he stared down at the glass.

"The happiest beginnings don't always mean the happiest of endings though." He said with a shrug. "A coupla years later I found her in bed with another guy, took all I had not to choke the life outta him. I just left. What else could I do? I looked her straight in the eyes and I left." Matt swirled around his drink, looking back to Beau. "Drank a lot that night, got shit faced and drove my truck straight into a telephone pole." He said nodding. "I woulda been dead if I didn't have my powers, that's when I decided to move back up here. Try to make a new start, you know." The downed the rest of the drink and placed it on the counter. "But you should try, Liz is a great girl. Y'all seem like a good fit for one another."

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau chuckled once more at Matt's bluntness. He did suppose that he was a better person to be around whenever his mood was lighter; wasn't that the same with everyone. that chuckle faded into a look of attention as Beau listened to Matt's story. He'd heard bits and pieces of it before; he knew why Matt had divorced the woman, or at least the hazy outline, and he had a few ideas in general. This was the whole song though, verse and chorus, and Beau had to admit that it sounded all too familiar.

"Sounds like you had someone lookin' out for you," said Beau. He grabbed his drink, raised it half in salute, half in toast, before tipping it back. He'd drank most of it already, and slowly, at that, so he wasn't feeling much more than buzzed. Beau had gotten good and drunk before, like most kids, especially those born in crappy country towns, but he didn't indulge that often. Still knew enough to know his limits and what being buzzed felt like.

"People keep sayin' that. Guess i oughta start listenin'," he admitted. He set the drink down, tapping it a few times with his fingers. "How'd you end up so damn wise anyway? All I ever see you do is sing badly an' beat the crap outta drunks," he grinned at Matt. They'd gone rounds before, of course, and Beau, as usual, did not end up on top, though he got quite a few good ones in.