Young Writers Society

Lyra walked in as Carly started to wipe down the tables, grumbling about something or another.

Hey Carly," she muttered. "Where's Savannah?"

"Out," Carly said, spinning over to the next table. Hey, dancing was a second language to her. She couldn't help it.

"Well when will she be back?"

Carly shrugged. "I don't know."

Lyra nodded and checked her watch.

"Well, people should start arriving soon. I'll go-," Lyra was cut off by the ringing of the phone.

A gruff voice resounded down the line, following a static crackle that whined miserably.

"Savannah? Savannah? Got a new act for you; you there?"

Carly fiddled with her apron strings as she shifted the phone from one ear to the other. Giles, the comedy agent who Savannah relied on for business; but in reliaty, a lecherous old man.

"Uhh... she's not in at the minute Giles, wan't me to take a message?"

Lyra-

While Carly fiddled with the phone and took Giles' message I finished up wiping down the tables. I had on my normal jeans, one of the few clean shirts i could find, and my green north face. After all the tables were wiped down i slumped into a chair.
"what's the matter with you?" Carly asked.
"It is Saturday and I have to work!" I said exasperatedly. I heard the bell at the door ding softly meaning someone had come in. I felt the cool air hit my back as the door opened and closed into the Autumn afternoon. Suddenly someone kissed the top of my head and covered my eyes with their big, warm hands.
"Guess who?" The deep australian accent asked me.
"Steve Irwin!" I said playfully thinking of the only other person i knew of with an australian accent.
"I don't think you would want Steve Irwin's hands on you right now honey." I turned and found my self staring at Mick, my semi-almost-sorta-im not going to lie about how much i like you-boyfriend. Mick was tall, with dark hair, tan skin, and wearing faded jeans and a long sleeved nevy blue sweater that showed off his muscular build nicely. I stood up and let him wrap his arms around me for a few seconds before asking, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"
"I quit, i just didn't feel that working for a complete jerk was fun anymore."
"Oh, but it sounds like tons of fun!" I allowed him to keep his arms around me worrying every second that Savannah was going to walk in and get mad because he was here when the place was still closed, again!

Adelle

I approached the bar cautiously, lifting my head to study it. Nice place. Nicer than most. I tried the door and found it to be open in contradiction to the closed sign that hung there.

"Hello?" I shuffled through and looked across at the couple talking and embracing at one of the tables.

"Sorry, we're closed but if you come back later we have some great acts on tonight," the girl said, her voice laced with a slight irritation.

"I was told that I might be able to get a job here... temporary like..." I was beginning to think that I was wasting my time but I was hungry and if I didn't get some money soon, I'd be back to begging and that never went down well with the authorities.

"Savanna didn't say anything about needing a new waitress..."

"Not waitressing," I interrupted. "Comedy."

Carly

I took down the girl's details, not actually looking at her.

"So, just come here tonight at seven and we should be able to fit you in, well, sometime. I'm not sure when, exactly. Just, coe around then. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

The girl walked out and I closed the book. Savannah should be here soon, I thought. And lo and behold, the door opened and Savannah walked in.

Lyra-

I shoved Mick off of me as Savannah walked in.
"Ah, Mick." She said bluntly stopping in front of him, "What are you doing here."
"Well if you keep making my girl work all the time your going to see a lot more of me, and i know how much you adore me Savannah."
"Lyra, take the year off." She said monotonely joking. I grabbed pick and pulled him to the door.
"Come on, you have to go now." I half whispered.
"I just wanted to see you, I'll come back tonight."
"Tread lightly, seh might cut your head off." I teased and pushe dhim out the door. He caught the door befor eit shut all the way, popped his head back in and gave me a quick kiss glancing to make sure Savannah wasn't watching. When he was gone i shook my head smiling. Carly skipped to my side.
"Hey, just be careful, Savannah looks in a bad mood."

Savannah

Growling a yawn, she conveyed the bar with a laziness that set the others on edge. Her gaze rested upon Lyra for a moment, annoyance flickering across her gaze.

"I thought I told you not to let him wander around here?" She remarked lightly, walking to the bar and pulling out the account books for a quick sweep over. "He's a disctraction Lyra; I can't be having you slacking off at the minute."

After a couple of minutes of scribbling onto the pages, she glanced up at Carly and swept her red hair from an eye.

"Who was that girl who just left?"

Carly

"Just a new comedian," Carly said, waving off the question.

Savannah nodded and checked her watch. Carly closed the book she was recording details in and picked up her phone, which was ringing.

"Hello?"

Carly glanced at Savannah and moved into the next room.

"Carly! You will not believe what just happened to me!" a voice on the other end exclaimed.

"What?"

"I was just offered a place as a backup dancer for Pink! Her entire world tour! It'll be great, and there's a lot of money involved."

Carly stood rooted to the ground, shocked beyond belif.

"Oh my god. Jess! That's so cool! When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

Adelle

I left the bar without much hope that I was going to get a chance to perform. 'We'll fit you in some time' didn't sound too promising to me. And I was terribly hungry.

I traversed the streets a little, holding the route I took firmly in my head. Right, right, right, right, right. It was the best way to prevent myself from getting lost.

A few minutes later I decided that I was far enough from the bar and sat down at the edge of the pavement. I spread the ragged skirts of my dress across my crossed legs and looked up mournfully at the passer bys before launching into a slow lament.

Lyra-

Oh great, I pissed her off.. again! When Mick came back tonight I was going to have to get one of the bartenders to make him leave. I didn't like making Savannah mad, especailly right now when she was already upset. Carly walked out of the room, phone pressed to her ear. I went behind the bar and organized stuff, a nervous habbit. I didn't drink and probably never would so it was weird for me to be messng with all of these alcholoic drinks, some i had never even heard of. My phone buzzed in my pocket.
"Please don't answer that." Savannah said not looking up from her writing. I just smiled to myself.

Savannah

She frowned down softly at the account pages, clocking off the minuses that soon enough eliminated the profit. Pressing her palms against her tired eyes, she stretched lazily and stood, slipping the books behind the bar.

What time was it? A glance at her watch exclaimed there was only one hour before the doors would be open.

Tonights acts were... well they just were. She needed something with a spark, like she used to see in the days she surfed the Edinburgh Festival. Inhaling deeply, she rolled her shoulders and swiped at a damp patch on the table.

"Right then ladies," she called airily, swinging open the door to her office and ushering Carly out, phone still in her hand, "let's get this place up and running. Folks will be here soon."

Carly

Carly fell into silence, and almost dropped her phone.

"Carly? Carly, are you there?"

She opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally answering.

"Yeah. Sorry, I was just suprised, is all. But that's great news Jess. You'll great."

"Thanks. I was thinking I might swing by at your work tonight. You know, so we can catch up and stuff..." Carly looked towards the door, where Savannah was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Um, yeah. Sure. Listen, I have to get back to wrk. Seya later Jess."

Carly blushed and hung up.

"Sorry Savannah. It's my friends, you she, she..."

Savannah put her hand up.

"I don't care. Just get back to work."

Savannah

She perched herself on a bar stool and wiggled her feet lightly, knowing she should ease up on Carly and Lyra, but being unable to shift her bad mood. The bell above the door tinkled into the working silence and she readied herself against the urge to leap on the visitor; probably Mick.

"Yo, Aunt Sav." A cool voice made her start and she glanced up to come face to face with her nephew, Brandon. He was six foot tall, with dark chocolate eyes and hair to match. At seventeen years old, he was pretty much the college heart throb.

"Bran Flakes? You weren't supposed to be here till Thursday!" She groaned, plunking her forehead against the bar counter.

With a sigh she shook her head and stood up.

"I'm swamped as it is, without you around!"

"Well, that's just charming." He replied, sarcasticly grinning at Lyra mischievously. "What can I say? I wanted to see you lovely ladies as soon as possible- ow!"

Savannah has slapped him upside the head and was rolling her eyes.

"Don't be such a leech."

Adelle

Performing in the street never earned me much. I finished the lament and moved onto a series of jokes and amusing stories which gathered me quite an audience but few stayed longer than one performance and at the end, I was lucky to be awarded with a single coin.

The sun moved higher in the sky, beating down against me and my stomach began to ache. How long had it been since my last meal? Worse still, my throat was dry and my voice starting to croak. I finished my latest performance, gathered the coins and walked down to the nearest bar which happened to be the one I'd entered earlier that day.

The sign upon the door now declared it open and I walked in to find a scattering of customers, some eating, one or two drinking. I approached the bar and checked the prices. Pretty average.

"Could I have a glass of water and two rolls of bread?" I croaked.

"Would you like butter with that?" the girl asked. I did some quick calculations in my head, having briefly counted the money and then declined.

"No thanks. Just the bread and water."