My Best Friend's Brother

Chapter 6

"I'm going to go get another round of drinks." I got up from my chair desperate to be away from them for a moment. "Hey, Duke. Can I get another round." I smiled weakly as he wiped his hands on the towel resting on his shoulder.

"How's life been treating you, Beth?" Duke asked me as he filled the glasses of beer. "Can't complain." I replied plainly. "Any man in the picture?" He asked, making me laugh coldly.

"No. Not for a while now. Seems that all everyone cares about." I said by looking around the old bar. "Gosh, this place hasn't changed a bit. Nothing has. I don't know if I should be worried or comforted by it." I confessed, making him chuckle handing me the pints of beer.

"Nothing changes if nothing changes." Duke said, making me turn to him. "Huh?" I smiled puzzled.

"Simply put, if you keep doing the same things you've always been doing you're going to keep getting the same results. If your life is immaculate and you couldn't imagine it being any better, keep doing what you're doing. But if you're like most people, you want to change things." Duke wiped down the bar as I hung onto his every word.

"It doesn't matter what it is you want to change. The important thing to realize is this: In order to change your situation, you have to change your actions." He finished simply as he continued to pour drinks.

"But what if I have changed my actions? I moved across the country and made a career for myself. And some selfish part of me is still not satisfied." I confided in the wise old man who has always been kind towards me.

"Do not strive for happiness. That will always come and go over time and it's always changing, especially as you grow and change yourself. Your life is a journey of self-expression until it's done. There is nothing waiting for you and the end, except what you've done that made your life yours." Duke expressed wholeheartedly leaning against the bar between us.

"No one cares what you'll do except for you and the only people that matter are those that matter to you. Now that nothing in the long run matters, what will you do to make your brief life enjoyable to you?" He asked pausing for a moment making me take the time to absorb everything hes said.

"Remember you'll be staring down death someday and all you'll have is the memory of whether you were true to yourself or not. Take from an old man like me." He smiled moving away from me as another customer came up to the bar.

Grabbing the drinks as Duke left me completely stunned by his sudden wisdom that deeply spoke to me. "Here you go." I muttered.

"I think I'm going to head out. Today's been... exhilarating but I'm in desperate need of sleep." I smiled weakly as some people looked up from their conversations. "What? No, you have to stay. We were all going to get drunk and sing karaoke!" Connie beamed.

"What?" I laughed. "Duke bought a karaoke machine?" I asked in disbelief. "Yeah, come on it'll be so much fun!" She clasped her hands together as everyone else chimed in trying to get to me cave in and stay.

"I don't know-" I continued to try to leave. "Oh, come on, Betty. You're finally back in town, you don't want to spend this time with us sleeping." Aaron continued as everyone agreed with him.

"Fine." I gave into peer pressure. Aaron could tell me to jump off a bridge and I would easily comply. "One song." I pressed Connie making her jump from her seat, squealing.

"But I'll need something stronger." I joked. "Duke, round of shots! On Beth!" She yelled, making me roll my eyes.

Molly and Connie went up on the small stage in the other room singing Wannabe by the Spice Girls. Rolling my eyes playfully as they bounced around singing together drunkenly.