Ketchum, ID

ch 47 - phoebe

 "Let's get this party started!" I shouted as everyone looked at me, waiting for me to have a reaction to the alcohol I had just consumed. Everyone cheered along with me, and Nick reached over to give me a high five.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Alex shouted across the counter with a huge smile before they went and asked the few other patrons at the bar if they needed refills. I watched as they glanced at Liv and started to blush as they approached our end of the bar again.

"What'd we miss?" Julien's voice emerged from the blend of voices around me.

"JB!" I heard myself shout, the "drink" Alex had made for me already seeping into my thoughts and actions.

Julien looked slightly taken aback until Lucy spoke up.

"Since you guys were taking your sweet time, our good buddy Alex has taken it upon themselves to make everyone a drink," Lucy said with a laugh.

"Well," Alex said. "Only Phoebe was brave enough to have one of my drinks," they said as they put on a fake pouty face.

"I saw how you made Pheebs' drink dog, I can't risk it," Naomi said with a shake of their head, causing everyone to laugh.

"Get out from behind my bar!" Jo shouted through a laugh as she scooted behind the bar and took a bottle out of Alex's hand.

"I'll take another please," said to her. Hearing the slur in my voice, Jo raised an eyebrow at me. "Actually, maybe I shouldn't," I countered sheepishly, causing Jo to nod and giggle at my expense.

Everyone got their drinks that they wanted now that Jo was behind the bar again, and this caused enough distraction that I could turn and talk to Julien.

"So you guys were gone for a while," I said as I sipped on the water that Jo had set in front of me. I looked up from my glass to find Julien blushing like crazy. "Oh my god!" I exclaimed, taking in just what that face meant. "You guys fucked!"

Luckily my exclamation didn't cause anyone to even turn our way, because Julien looked right embarrassed. Her cheeks flamed a deep pink as I laughed at her and she swatted at my arm.

"Shut up, Pheebs," she said, rolling her eyes. "She just needed help with a poster thing," she said with an attempt of nonchalance in her voice.

"Then why did Alex come out here and say they hadn't seen you in there with her?" I said with a raise of my brow, causing Julien's cheeks to get even pinker somehow.

"No comment," she said as she looked down at her feet.

We all kept drinking and chatting for a few hours before Nick and Liv announced that they were leaving. We said our goodbyes, and Alex walked Liv out to the car.

"You guys go ahead, I have to close out my tab," Nick said to the two of them as they started walking toward the door, deep in conversation again.

"Nicky, you already closed your tab," Jo said to him with a questioning look.

"I know, I just wanted to give them another minute before I steal Liv away for the night," he replied with a sly smirk on his face. "I'm hoping one of them will be brave enough to make a move."

"As confident as Alex may seem, I will say with full faith that they will not be the one to make the first move. The only reason the two of them even went out tonight is because I set it up," Jo said as she shook her head, causing all of us to laugh.

"I have faith in my guy Liv," Nick said as he looked toward the door the two of them had just walked out of. "Alex is all they've been able to talk about for weeks."

We all chatted for another couple of minutes to ensure the pair had plenty of time to execute some moves, and then Nick decided enough time had passed and he was ready to go home.

"Five bucks Alex comes in here and says they kissed," I said to everyone at the bar.

"I'll take that bet," Jo said to me as she reached out to shake my hand.

As we were shaking hands, the front doors opened and Alex waltzed in looking like they were on cloud nine. We all eagerly watched as they took their time walking up to the bar with a giddy little smile on their face. When they finally made it over to us, they didn't say a single word as they sat down on the stool next to Lucy. We all just stared at them for a moment before Julien finally broke the silence.

"Well?!" Julien said in an impatient tone, causing us all to laugh.

"We kissed!" Alex shouted, as if they were struggling to hold that piece of information back.

I glanced across the bar at Jo and she looked annoyed. I watched as she reached underneath the counter and came back with her wallet. She pulled out a crisp $5 bill and tossed it in my direction, causing me to laugh loudly.

"Sore loser, Jo?" I taunted her.

"Shut up, Bridgers."

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a/n: short ass chapter bc i have had no motivation and writing is not my current hyperfixation, but i wanted to let you guys know i am alive despite all odds
my hyperfixations rotate and im currently on my reading grind (i am actively reading my 19th book of the year... its still january...) 

anyways, i love u guys, and i will see u next time i update (hopefully itll be longer)