Circling The Drain

"Bid thee farewell?"

Abbey said as Charlie stumbled off. Abbey shook her head and pinched her nose. Even drunk the guy was insufferably anachronistic and goofy to boot. She turned and smacked Clyde in the stomach playfully. "Hey, Dusty Trails, go make sure he doesn't kill himself trying to get to a cab. I'd do it myself, but I don't think that the boys in the locker room could handle it." She said with a grin.

"Bid thee farewell..." Clyde replied dryly, trying not to crack a smile as he covered his mouth. That all but ended when he heard Charlie say he just wanted to be happy. "Welcome to the club..." Clyde thought solemnly before Abbey got his attention with the playfully slap that made him hunch over a bit at first.

He looked at her with a confused state. "Huh?" He didn't understand. Why would the boys not be able to handle it? Oh well.

"Kay." And Clyde was off, heading behind Charlie and guiding him out the door with both hands on his shoulders from behind. "C'mon buck. Lets getcha home." He said while guiding Charlie out.

Charlie left with Clyde right behind him. The fresh air felt good and Charlie took a deep breath. It wasn't too bad a day outside either. Charlie leaned against the gym wall as he waited for his cab.

"Clyde, thanks. You didn't have to walk me out here though, I can stumble pretty damn good." Charlie said with a bit of a laugh. "But... I think I know why you helped me. You got the same look in your eye that I do when I look in the mirror. Granted, you are way better at hiding the pain and putting on a show than I am mostly 'cause I just don't give a damn." Charlie finished.

"I know." Clyde muttered with a plain smile as he heard Drunk Charlie's little joke. He didn't know why he followed orders. Abby told him to do this and he was doing it. Though he supposed he did care for Charlie's well being. But when he heard the man's statement about him, this supposed look in his eye, that he showed he was hiding pain. That he was showing weakness.

Clyde furrowed his brow at Charlie. "The hell kinda gay shit you talkin' 'bout, boy?" He scoffed. "The look in my eyes right now says you don't know squat. 'Specially bout me." He added with clear irritation in his tone as he shook his head.

"If you wanna get passed all this... I suggest ya start givin' a damn."

Way to go Charlie.... he managed to piss off someone laid back like Clyde. He tried to think of a way to smooth things over, but right now thinking clearly wasn't a part of Charlie's repertoire.

"All right then. Problem is I can't see a reason why I should care. I feel like I lost everything I had before I got here. Its just me and my furry little roommate again." Charlie said while looking forward. In part he was talking to Clyde, and talking out loud to himself lost in his own foggy thoughts.

Clyde sighed and looked at his running shoes, kicking at the concrete below him.

"I know... Yer hurt. It's gonna keep hurtin'. But you ain't alone. Hell you just had help from Abbey back in the gym! And... I guess me too." The cowboy shuffled his feet in place, he never really tried to console anyone over heartache like this. He didn't feel too confident doing it. Especially when he was still struggling emotionally himself.

"We can't give ya a reason ta' care though. In the end it's on you ta' find it. But unlike that bad knee you got, you have a choice ta' decide if you want this ta' hold ya down or not." Said Clyde while looking towards street as he thought of the past. Wondering if his breakup with Mercy was his fault, Allison's fault, Lilly's fault or just Mercy's decision. Maybe it wasn't anyone's fault.

"Ya can't blame yerself too much, man. 'Cause ya never know... It might not even be your fault."

Charlie leaned back and looked up at the sky as Clyde spoke. Even though it didn't look like it Charlie did listen, taking in everything Clyde said.

Charlie took a deep breath and let out a resigned sigh. "Cowboy... I'll think about that, maybe there is something out there but I sure don't see it. I am just afraid I made the choice without realizing it, and that it was the wrong one."

"Well... Ya can't be afriad. Makin' the wrong and right choices... It's part'a life." Clyde said as he gave Charlie a pat on the shoulder. "Just gotta roll with the punches, friend. And do what you feel, is right." He added before turning back towards the gym.

"If ya need me, I'm in the AFW directory. Just hit me up for whatever ya need and stuff... I'll be around. I hope the same goes for you, partner." Said the cowboy before going back into the gym.

Zak had broken a sweat before he even lifted a weight. He eventually found his way to the free-weight rack in front of a long, floor length mirror, and went about doing hammer curls and military press and dumbbell flys, while doing his best to be totally inconspicuous with his gaze.

He spotted Clyde the moment the Texan came back inside, and he set his weights back on the rack with a pronounced clack and rushed over to him.

"DUDE!" He whisper-shouted. "Oh my GOD, dude!"

He leaned in close and grabbed Clyde's elbow. He was overly excited about something.

"Bro, did you see that chick? Like, did you see that chick, man? Oh my god, and you talked to her?"

Clyde walked in after taking that deep sigh, talking with Charlie wasn't easy. But with Charlie in hopefully good hands, Clyde was going to resume his workout. At least until he heard a voice suddenly call to me.

He heard that whispering shout and looked around until he saw that Zak guy looking at him and Clyde blinked a couple times as the dude came towards him and grabbed his elbow, eagerly talking about this chick.

"Huh? Who?" He looked up and took a second to recall. "...Abbey Abraxas?"