There We Go

There We Go

Prologue

There’s snow everywhere, it covers the campus grounds, and it covers vehicles in a small dusting. It’s not a rare site to see, in this town. It’s a small town, one thousand people, some leaving constantly. The biggest building of the area is the University. Students barely crowd the grounds as there’s not many of them, in the first place. There is something peculiar about this snowfall, in this town, where everyone sleeps except the ones who are leaving the bars to finally make their way home. There is a woman, awake, but lying down in the snow her eyes entranced by the night sky. She thinks about all the things that have gone wrong without as much as a notice. In such a short amount of time, everything she knows has fallen down.

Chapter one: 3 years no tears

“This place rarely feels like a home, it feels like the pit stop to a better life. The only profession one can hold in this town is that of a professor.” Her smile doesn’t falter at the tired words her friend says, a sense of despair tainting them. “I’m sure we’ll eventually get out of here Becky.” Her friend’s eyes sparkle in a way that she knows the other isn’t truly inspired by the rhetoric she’s just spoken. “Yes… look at me Becky Kwan, lawyer with no future in sight. What kind of cosmic vengeance is this?” The woes bring a slight tinge of a smile onto her face, her friend’s misery nothing but short lived drawl about another semester of school with no possibilities in sight unless one can escape this town.

“I know… I know Kari. You keep saying we’ll get out of here…. When will that be?” The last phrase is so softly spoken, that it brings her a slight painful reminder. “We’ll get out when we can Becky… If we can...” A town with no prospects, with barely a future in sight, but this sadness never lasts long. It’s only a momentary crisis because they love this town regardless of its legacy. “Gals! Gals! Hello ladies!” Her eyes turn to see another of her friends rushing towards them. “Did you hear the gossip- Well no actually its real news because I saw the new professors?”

Becky and her take a moment to glance at each other before turning to watch their friend Charlie try to hide her excited smile. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about Charlie…” her voice is always soft, a curse during classes as teachers always ask her to repeat herself. “They got rid of all the third year Profs for the human sciences classes and we got a whole new batch just in time for us to get started!” Kari’s face pales at the idea, she had gotten so use to the idea of which teachers she would get, that she had selected her classes on the premises of the teachers solely. Now that was all shot to hell. “I’m so lucky I’m not a third year student.” She turns her gaze onto Becky’s face, as a sigh leaves her lips. “This is unjust cosmic quackery.” The voice comes from the only boy that hangs around them, his name is Henry. “Am I the only one who’s happy about this?” Charlie’s question hangs in the air, as Becky shrugs not affected by the news at all.

“Look there they are!” Charlie in a barely hushed voice speaks out, her eyes glued on a mass collective of approaching male bodies. They pass their table, and seat themselves in the corner booth of the bar, keeping them visible but giving them the best view of the little roadhouse. “I heard we even have a new dean of human sciences.” At this phrase all of them turn to look at Henry, even Charlie who seems to have not heard of that part of the news. “I think he’s sitting with them.” They all casually glance at the table of them trying to discern the accuracy of this piece of gossip. “Kari, isn’t Bobby a friend of your fathers couldn’t you ask him?” Kari finds herself nodding, figuring this is quite a change up if this is true, and so she wonders why at such a time. “I suppose I could ask Bobby... He is the headmaster after all... he’d know right?” They all nod, and she turns her attention away from the table to not seem like such a stalker.

“Now I wish I was a third year student, cause wow.” She finds herself rolling her eyes at Becky’s words. “Even so… you’re studying law; they wouldn’t have been your teachers.” Henry makes a point to remind Becky of her major of study as he also studies in the same department. “Kari Tartarus!” She blinks at the booming voice, coming from the bar. Taking a quick glass to see Jo, her childhood friend beckoning her over she slowly slides out of the booth, and makes her way towards the bar. She knows the shouting of her name has caused people to turn their attention on her. It was a slightly uncomfortable feeling for her as she made her way towards the bar, but she ignored it. “Yes Jo? What’s so important you were shouting for me?” Kari teases softly, watching as Jo’s cheek tint with a small dusting of pink. “Can you help out until Garth shows up? I’m stuck in the kitchen making the food, and making the drinks at the bar I’d appreciate if you could help.”

Kari had always helped the Harvelle around the bar when they needed her to. “Of course… hand me an apron.” She watched the other lightly, as an apron was tossed her way, catching it with ease. “Your table is on the house Kari…. Thanks for this. I appreciate it.” She gave her nod before moving back to her table for a quick chat. “Guys I have to help out Jo, so everything you order is on the house.” Henry cuts her off with a grin. “But then this means we don’t get your company.” Kari winks at him, before tying her apron, and inhaling deeply. She knew from a quick glance at Jo’s notepad which tables hadn’t been served and so she made her way towards the table with the only strangers in town.

“Good afternoon gentleman do you need a menu or are you here for the drinks?” She offers a smile after her customary question, trying to ignore the plethora of eyes turned on her. After a moment of silence one of them finally speaks. “We’ll take the menus, since we’re waiting for someone else.” Kari nods a smile still plastered on her face and hands out the menus. “I’d still take a beer.” She hears an ‘amen brother’, before she casually glances at all of them. “Bottle or tap?” She hears a resounding ‘bottle’ coming from the men. “Bud, Miller, Coors, Molson or Adams?” When the resounding answer is ‘Molson’ she nods, and sticks the pad and pen into her apron. “I’ll get right on that.” She proceeds to walk to the bar and take out four Molson beers and put them on her tray. She carefully brings them to their table, setting the beers in front of each of them. “Would you prefer if I came back when your friend arrives?” She hears the ‘yes please’ before nodding. “Wave me down if you need me beforehand. I’ll be right with you.”

She then goes back to waiting on other tables. Five minutes in and she’s at her own table handing out Smirnoff coolers to her own friends. Kari glances at everyone’s curious eyes. “They seem nice… if that’s what you’re wondering.” She sees Charlie grin, and Becky and Henry high five each other before taking sips of their liquor. “What is that high five for?” Kari wonders with a small smile on her face, this one much more genuine then before. “Cause we’ve been making bets, and Charlie just lost one.” She finds herself giving a quizzical look at the table before speaking. “Bet’s about?” She sees the grins on her friends face spread out in an obvious fashion. “Which Prof was going to stop staring at your butt first?” She blinks a little and slowly turns to glance behind her at the table to notice the downcast of eyes turn away from her. She blinks and then turns to look back at her friends. “Who stopped looking first?” She wonders and all she hears is ‘Blue eyes did’.

Kari frowns a little, and nods before noticing Bobby Signer enter the roadhouse. She smiles and walks over to him. “Mr. Signer!” She grins at his grumpy face once he hears his nickname. “Don’t call me that!” She nods and offers a bigger smile. “How’s yer daddy girl?” She finds herself grinning at his familiar use of language before nodding. “He has his good days and his bad days Bobby… he’s been sicker lately…” She trails off and lets the conversation die down a little. “I don’t suppose the idjits are here yet?” She blinks a little and looks around the bar, grinning lightly in realization. “Are you meeting them?” She points in an unabashed manner towards the Profs Table. He nods a little, and starts to make his way towards the table.

She goes to the bar and grabs a glass filling it with brandy, before heading to the table and setting the drink down in front of Bobby. “Do you gentleman know what you’ll be ordering off the menu?” She asks before taking out her notepad and then smiling at them. “The usual Bobby?” She asks quickly before the older man nods sipping on his own liquor with his grumpy face still intact. “Three burgers, one order of stew and a chocolate sundae.” Kari blinks but nods nonetheless. “The sundae comes with sprinkles and cool whip right?” She grins a little before nodding. “If you want we can add strawberries for 10cents. They make everything better.” When the man grins at her, and nods she smiles and then moves to go put in the order.

“Kari… who the heck is ordering the sundae?” She blinks as she sees Jo in the kitchen window staring at her. “The one on the end sitting in front of Bobby.” She motions her head and sees Jo squinting her eyes lightly. “Can you make the sundae and prepare the bowl of stew? Are the chilli cheese fries for Bobby?” She nods to both questions before Jo grins and goes back to work. As she’s plating the stew she noticed Henry standing in front of her at the bar. “Charlie and Becky are making out so…” She laughs softly, but nods, before starting to make the sundae. “So big bad Henry needed my company?” She sees him give her a pleased look. “You know me so well Kari. Besides, blue eyes are glaring at the world right now, so this is fun.” Kari frowns again at the mention of the man with blue eyes, wondering why everyone seems to be bothered by his movements the most.

“Henry…. You are a strange fellow. Who cares if he’s glaring up a tsunami…” She shrugs finishing up the sundae, and putting the rest of the order on her tray, she proceeds to head over to the table. “Okay who wanted burgers?” She watches three sets of hand lift up before putting the plates in front of the appropriate person. “How about the stew?” She sets it down in front of the more intimidating man of the bunch. She gives Bobby his order, and then with a grin sets down the sundae in front of the last man. “I added some caramel sauce no charge. I figured you might want some.” When she hears a ‘hell yeah’ escape the man’s mouth she laughs softly. “Gabriel brother, that thing is bigger than you.” She glances at the table once before moving back to the bar, finally Garth comes through the doors and so she gives her place back to Jo and moves to sit down with Henry, having no idea where Charlie and Becky have gone to.

“Henry where-” Kari’s cut off by his pointing to the jukebox where Charlie and Becky can be seen dancing. She smiles softly, before nodding, her eyes closing as she leans back against the booth’s chair. “You want to go home Tiger?” she smiles despite her closed eyes at the familiar nickname. For years Henry had thought her name was Kari Tiger, instead of Tartarus and so it had stuck as a nickname of sorts. “Yeah… m’exhausted.” She manages to say, before opening her eyes in a dazed manner. With Henry’s help she makes out of the bar and into his car, unknowing of the eyes following her movements.

She doesn’t remember going to bed or falling asleep. She does remember Henry, telling her he’d bunk in her spare room because he was too tired to go back home. The sheer sight of Charlie and Becky sandwiching a poor confused Henry makes her burst out into laughter. Kari moves to squish herself neck to Henry and with a sigh she falls back asleep surrounded by her friends. When she wakes again this time only Henry is there, and so she finds herself poking him awake. “Most uncomfortable sleep ever.” She laughs as he grumbles the words out, sitting up lightly. “Yes Henry… sorry all those boobs were around you.” She sees his face sober up before he chucks a pillow at her head. “Just because I prefer to sleep with men doesn’t mean I do not see the appeal of the female breast.” She blinks a little throwing the pillow back at him. “Oh yeah and what is that exactly?” She sees the grin in his face at her question and she suddenly feels wary.

“Well for one thing they make nice pillows.” She chucks another pillow at his face and he grins lightly. Henry Winchester has always been honest about his bisexuality, and that he preferred to sleep with men, but that he still liked the ladies. “I have a world religions class today.” She speaks softly, and then sees him nod a little. “Have fun in that class then.” Kari rolls her eyes and moves to get ready for her first day of class. Well her first day of class on her third year. At least this year she didn’t cry, finally some progress.