Alicia. Hugo hadn’t thought about Alicia often in the past few years. Her hair was messily bundled up on the top of her head, the light catching it in a halo as she laughed. His throat caught for a moment as he remembered a moment in the library as she shyly peeked out from under her bangs. Then life resumed and his heartbeat steadied. High school was a long time ago. 

Alicia was beautiful, but she was also undeniably not interested in him. Hugo reminded himself of this and calmed down. “Hey! Do any of you ladies recognize me?”

“No one flirts as badly as you Hugo. Even if we didn’t at first, your one-liner gave it away~!” 

“You’re right Tiffany, he was always bad with the girls wasn’t he!” Everyone laughed while Hugo has some less pleasant flashbacks to High School. Why did he come here again? 

Alicia looked up from her phone, annoyed. “Oh my god guys, enough. Can’t you see Hugo doesn’t find it funny? Let’s actually talk about something instead of making fun of someone?” 

Hugo perked back up. “What drinks do they serve here anyway?”

“Your options are beer, beer, or beer! Hahahaha.”

“I guess I’ll have a beer!”

~~v^v^v~~

Hugo walked up to the bar with a surreal feeling. He could feel and sense everything around him, but it was like he was watching another person. The night smelled salty, but fresh. His old friend Dave just kind of waved him inside. 

He saw Alicia and his heart sped up, like it did back in high school as if nothing had changed. He walked up to her with the brazen intention of buying her a drink when another man stepped in front of him first.

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?”

Alicia rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the man. 

“I don’t take too kindly to people being rude. You should answer when someone speaks to you.”

Alicia spoke and her voice soothed Hugo. “I’m minding my own business getting a drink with some friends. Don’t you know that it’s rude to objectify people like that?” It did not sooth the bar-goer.

“You bitch!” The man swayed and spluttered a little in his drunkenness. “Why would you be in a bar if you didn’t want hit on huh? And don’t use words I don’t understand. That’s what’s rude right here.”

Alicia scoffed. “I’m not here for you, I’m here for the booze.” 

The man didn’t seem like he was going to let it go. Hugo pulled him back. “Why don’t you take a hike and cool down. The lady just wants to enjoy her drink.”

“As if. You came over to talk her up too. Why don’t you get off your high horse and stop interfering with my flirting, huh?!” The man snarled in Hugo’s face, spit flying.

Hugo gave the man a big smile, “Sir, I’m here for a get-together with old classmates including the lady you are harassing.” He continued earnestly. “Sir, not everyone is like you.”

The man’s face turned red with his rage. “You think I can’t tell you’re insulting me just because you’re calling me sir? Is it because my name is Steve? Fuck you man.” 

Hugo didn’t flinch at the man’s sudden insecurity over his name. “Are you going to leave her alone or not ‘Steve’?”

Steve swung at him, but the man’s cheap leather jacket restricted his movements from being coordinated or fast. Hugo simply grabbed Steve’s wrist, pulling him forward, while his other hand pulled into a fist and swung soundly into the spot right behind the man’s ear. He stumbled disoriented, but didn’t pass out.

“Are you done ‘Steve’?” Hugo taunted while easing into a fighting position. He had always been self-conscious of his weaker appearance and had fought often in a boxing club and on the streets. Most bar goers watched sipping their beer like it was another Tuesday. A handful of beefier ones started making their way over to break it apart.

The man stumbled back towards Hugo to take another swing. Hugo just wanted the fight to be over with so kept aiming for points that would either disorient the guy or knock him out. He finished it as quickly as possible with a hit to Steve’s solar plexus. He didn’t want to spend a night in jail for barfighting. 

The beefy fellows picked Steve up from the ground to take him outside, while glaring at Hugo as if they were considering throwing him out too. Hugo shrugged, “He took the first swing. I only knocked him out and he’ll be fine after he wakes up.”

Alicia mocked him. “Should I consider you my knight in shining armor?” 

Hugo chuckled, “Not unless you want to. I’m just here to get a drink. I’m Hugo. We used to go to high school together...?”

Alicia had a slow smile spread across her face.

~~v^v^v~~

Hugo suddenly sat up in bed. Alicia’s smile was too beautiful and shocked him awake. He groaned and rested his head on his hands. It was only a dream. 

The rest of the night had passed by in a drunken haze, but he remembered one thing very clearly. 

Alicia was nicer to him than the rest of her friends, but she still couldn’t stand him.

pastalady

Fight scene~ 

I wonder if this sudden western fight scene will be too much compared to the sheer number of Eastern fight scenes around. Let me know if the transition between real bar and Dream bar was too much~!

Fun fact: The pickup line used by Steve is one I’ve heard at least a hundred times when I was in a customer service position at work, usually from very old men trying to crack a joke. 

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doin’ in a place like this?”

I would internally answer that I was just doing my job like everyone else. It also made me wonder, did they mean I should be working in a job that used my face or married to some guy and hidden away in the kitchen without the need for a job? Neither seemed very flattering, so I’d just move on and keep working.