| The door sticks when Brian tries to open it, and he pushes on it without success. He finally takes a shoulder to the door to get it to abruptly open. The force he used to get the door open propels Brian into the tavern. From the interior of the darkened sports bar, it seems Brian has landed on an uninhabited planet. �Oh my God!� The front window is painted with a large football field motif. There are four booths pushed up against theses windows. There are more booths all along the far wall of the tavern. The once elegant, wooden bar is situated along the opposite wall. Several tables scattered about with their chairs stacked on top. At the end of the bar, there is a hallway to the back office and the rest rooms. To the right of this hallway, there is an area with a well used dart board. Six old pool tables at the back of the bar are covered with sheets. In all four corners of the ceiling, there hangs a television. Mounted on the wall behind the bar, is Jack�s shrine to his son. Brian turns the lights on in the tavern and stands to look at the wall at the wall that is suppose to be a tribute to him. �Holy Christ!� In a large glass frame, there is the number 10 �Kinney� jersey that Brian was wearing when he caught the game winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Surrounding the jersey, there are high school newspaper clippings and college newspapers clippings. One announces that Brian Kinney receives �Full Athletic Scholarship� to East Central University. Another states that freshman Brian kinney earns a �Starting Position� in the line up at ECU. Then another talks about Brian entering the �NFL DRAFT� after his junior year, shocking the coaching staff at ECU. Directly under the jersey, sits framed large photo newspaper clipping of Brian and his college coach, Jim Stockwell. Stepping around the bar, Brian takes a few moments to try and read some of the clippings. He actually smiles at Super Bowl headlines. When Brian comes across the picture of Coach Stockwell. A look of utter contempt replaces Brian�s smile. �Well, if it isn�t Coach Ball Buster. All hail the gang bang, what a proud tradition, at ECU.� Brian adopts the coach�s voice. �The integrity of this football program will not be jeopardized by the likes of white trash like, Brian Kinney. The honor, the very future of this university is at stake here. You have to see the big picture. If you want any kind of a future, if you want to keep your scholarship, if you want to play football for this school, or anywhere else, for that matter, you�ll do the right thing and take what you saw to your grave!� Silence invades Brian�s senses. He grabs the framed photo of the two them and flings it across the room with all his might. The picture frame smashes into the far wall. The frame breaks and lands photo side up. The glass over Coach Stockwell�s image is smooth and unbroken, but the glass over Brian�s image is shattered into hundred tiny shards. *several hours later* All of the televisions are now all turned onto the same snowy channel as they are no longer hooked up to cable. The local six o�clock news is playing. The door to the back office is open with it�s lights on and the dust cover from one of the pool tables is pulled off and is stained with blood. Billiard balls scattered about this pool table�s top. A half empty open bottle of scotch also sits on the pool table. Several bottles of liquor are sitting on the bar beside a cardboard box that was once taped shut. The newspaper photo of Coach Stockwell and Brian has been removed from the broken frame. The image of Brian torn away and the remaining image of coach has been stuck onto the dart board. Brian�s left index finger is wrapped in a improvised, blood stained, bandage made from the pool table�s dust cover. Drinking for sometime, but not falling down drunk yet , Brian is playing darts and continuing to drink. Sondra, a rather petite thirty year old woman with an air of ownership, makes his way into the tavern. �Excuse me... are you suppose to be in here?� Brian hears a voice behind him and swings around. �What?� �I said, are you suppose to be in here?� �This is a shrine to Brian Kinney, the football player, isn�t it? Well, it is, isn�t it?� �I was closing up the hardware store across the street and saw the lights on. Are you buying this place?� �Are you a Peterson? You said you were closing up the hardware store.� Sondra looks around at the photos on the wall then looks at Brian. �I have never stepped foot in this place before today, but you�re right, Brian, it is a shrine in a pathetic kind of way. �Your father must be so really very proud of you.� �Yeah, you�re a Peterson all right!� Michael enters with a grocery sack in his arms followed by K.C. Reeves and Stephen Reeves. Stephen is a little older than Brian and Michael, but has always acted years younger. K.C. may be Stephen�s younger brother, but he has always called the shots. �Sondra Peterson! Damn, Brian, you sure don�t waste any time!� �Very funny, Michael Novotny. I only came in here to see why the lights were on.� Tracy starts to brush by Michael then sees K.C. �K.C., what are you doing here?� Sondra questions. �I came to see Brian. Mickey called me.� Sondra storms out of the tavern. �Pussy whipped,� snickers Stephen to his brother. �Yeah, well, at least I�m getting a little, Stephen, which is more than you can say and you�re married.� Michael sits his grocery sack, with to twelve packs of beer inside, on the bar by the liquor bottles. �Damn, Brian, this is the expensive stuff. I figured all the liquor would be long gone from this place.� �Yeah, I thought my mother would have drunk it all too.� �I brought beer.� �Something cold would be nice,� replies Brian. Michael hands Brian a beer. Brian hands Michael a bottle of gin, and they share a moment of common knowledge. �How did you guys know I was here?� Brian asks. �Oh, I called your father trying to find you. I got your car fixed by the way, them damn computerized engines. Anyway, he said he�d given you the tavern today, so I called some of the old team from high school to come and help you celebrate,� explains Michael. �People will start showing up any minute. Everyone was really surprised to hear you�d come back,� K.C. adds as he grabs a bottle of whiskey and looks for a glass behind the bar. Stephen helps himself to a beer. All three men share a troubled glance at Stephen. K.C. continues, �Groverton's downtown has been dying big time for years, Brian, but a celebrity like you owning a place down here...� �Are you really thinking about staying, about coming home?� Michael interrupts. �I know your folks and Claire...� Michael stares at Stephen, �could really use your help.� Brian walks over to the dart board to pull out the darts from Coach Stockwell�s picture in order to start throwing them again. �I hadn�t realized how, how old they both are getting... I�ll admit it. I got the hell out of Groverton and tried to never look back.� K.C., Stephen, and Michael don�t understand what�s wrong with Groverton. �I wasn�t expecting this. The tavern being closed, my folks, Claire at the cupcake factory... I don�t have any idea what I�m going to do with a run down tavern. And look at it, it�s such a dump!� Brian throws another dart hard and fast into the dart board hitting the face of Coach Stockwell. �Damn, that�s a photo of your old college coach, isn�t?� Stephen asks. �It is.� Brian throws another dart that hits the coach�s face right between the eyes. *hours later* A crowed of about twenty including; Russell, Matt, Danny, and Josh, all old schoolmates of Brian�s, have gathered in the tavern. There are many cases of beer littering the bar, and music is now playing on the juke box. Some couples are dancing. Brian is playing pool with K.C. His bloody finger is now properly bandaged. �I wouldn�t say the whole town turned against your sister, but there are those prudes who won�t walk down the same side of the street with her. Hell, we all thought Emily was going to die from cancer, and Stephen, there, he just fell apart and only Claire was able to hold him together.� K.C. sinks a shot in the corner pocket. �I�ve no doubt in my mind that if Emily had died, Stephen would have married your sister, and we�d be related. Hell, I guess we are already related considering we both are Peter�s uncles.� He sighs, �Raising two kids on her own. She�s amazing.� �But what about your brother, Stephen?� �Loyal Stephen is still very married to Emily. He may have fathered your nephew Peter, but he�s never been a father to her. Emily doesn�t allow it, because, well, I think it�s because of the cancer surgery she had. And John�s father, hell, no ones seen or heard from that bastard in ten years, I bet.� He miss the next shot and watches Brian take over. �What�s the deal with you and...� �Sondra? Sondra and me hook up about twice a month. It�s just for the sex, I think... Hey, your sister just came in.� Claire walks directly over to Brian who continues to play pool. �Brian, what the hell is going on here?� �Ask, Mickey, he�s responsible for all this.� Stephen steps up behind Claire. �It�s hope you�ll decide to stay in Groverton, Brian, party.� �Dad gave me the tavern. He said I could sell it for whatever I could get out of it. he didn�t even suggest that I keep it and try to run it.� �I see you let Brian use my Harley,� Stephen says to Claire. �It�s my motorcycle until you catch up your child support payments, Stephen. Remember?� �Yeah, I know. I was just surprised was all.� Stephen�s hand reaches out to grasp Claire�s arm, but he stops himself. �I didn�t think you�d mind if Brian used it.� �I don�t really, I was just surprised.� �Hello, Claire, how�s John and Peter?� �They�re good, K.C., they�re real good.� �Can I get you a beer or something?� Stephen asks. �Yes, that would be nice.� Stephen goes to find a beer for Claire as Claire watches him. �So, Claire, what do you think?� K.C. says to Claire. �About what?� �About Brian moving back here and reopening The Shamrock Tavern.� Claire looks at her brother as he plays pool and misses a shot. �I don�t know. Brian, Dad really gave you the tavern, everything?� �He said, since I had paid for it, that I should get it back. he thanked me, Claire. I couldn�t believe it. He said something like the best years he and mom had together were working together, running this place. They loved running this place.� Stephen hands Claire a beer. �But they wouldn�t let Claire work for them.� �Yeah, just look at this place. Until I got pregnant with Peter and shamed him, I don�t know that Jack Kinney realized he had a daughter. Which reminds me, Stephen, don�t you have a wife to get home to?� �We both need to get going.� explains K.C. �We both have a job where the boss expects us to get there on time an be productive. Come on, Stephen. Nice seeing, Claire. And Brian, give me a call sometime, I�m in the book.� �Hell, we�re all in the telephone book,� Stephen adds. �Stephen, you drink too much,� K.C. says as grabs a hold of his brother and pulls to the exit. Stephen looks Claire. �I don�t drink enough!� Soon, the only ones remaining in the tavern are Claire and Brian. Brian is sitting at a table with his head resting upon the cool table top. He is drunk. Claire is quickly running around cleaning up the mess everyone made. �So, tell me about Stephen and you. There�s still sparks between you two. I saw them.� �Yes, but great sex doesn�t necessarily go hand in hand with a good relationship. You should know that.� �But he could have divorced Emily and married you.� �I�ll admit I was head over heels in love with him. What Stephen lacks in courage he makes up for with loyalty. She beat cancer, how was I to compete against that. And you know the kind of money Emily�s parents have. Money always wins out. You should know that better than most.� �Is that what I lacked... courage in the face of money?� �No, Brian, you�re one of the bravest men I know.� Brian begins to rub at the scars on his wrists. �then you don�t know much. I sold my soul for the money.� �But you found the courage to walk out on Coach Stockwell and all those sons of bitches at East Central University, even after Dad told you not to. You stood up to them. They said it would ruin your career, you proved them wrong. I was so proud of you!� �Two years... no three years too late. That bastard Stockwell ordered me to do the right thing. Hell, I didn�t do the right thing, Claire. I didn�t just want to play football, I wanted everything that goes with it. The worst part wasn�t that I had watch or being scared that they were going to kill her or me, it was that all these years is knowing I didn�t do anything!� Brian grabs the table the table he seated at. �What are you talking about, Brian?� asks a confused Claire. Brian chuckles as he tries to stand up, and Claire comes to his aid. �I looked out for Brian Kinney. I have always. Now, look at me. � �Look, whatever it is I sure it is nothing to be destroying yourself over. Just let it go. And just move forward with your life.� �How?� �I wish I knew.� |
 |