Something for Everyone

Tyler yawned, sagging tiredly behind the news paper he held up in front of him. He was scouring the classified ads. Again. He hadn't lost his job, not yet, but he still needed to do something, something that wasn't about to drive him completely mental. Bar-tending got them by right now, but it was risky to allow himself around booze for so long, and as for any office job he was offered. Well he tried, he did - but those small cubical just weren't a good idea for a claustrophobic.

The longest he'd lasted was a month before he had to run out of there.

Sipping his drink, he scanned the words without really seeing them, he needed to do this, to get his stuff together for Laura and their child, but as far as it would seem it was useless.

Tyler was just useless at anything in life. Resisting the urge to scrunch up the offending words the young man allowed them to drop them on the table, his forehead following it.

There had to be something, somewhere he could do.

Hadn't there?

Casey walked into the Jug and Bottle. She was probably technically too young to be in here, if she had intended to drink. Luckily she didn't. She walked up to the bar and ordered a shepard's pie, chatting with the bartender, a friend of her father's until it came. She smiled when the man handed her her plate and turned around.

Scanning the room, Casey saw several empty tables, but chose instead to sit at one already occupied. Completely unabashed, she walked up to the table with the young looking man draped across it and sat down in the chair across from him. "Problems?" she asked, cutting a piece of her pie off and eating it. Her accent was strange, a mix of the Irish of her parents, American of where she grew up, and British, the people she spent the most time around. "You look like you need some help. Or at least someone to talk to. Oh," she suddenly realized that most people found it rude to sit at their table uninvited. "If I'm bothering you, I can leave too."

Tyler heard her coming, but did not move. He though it strange for a child to sit across from him, anyone to do so. He certainly wasn't an inviting figure at the moment, not to mention it was almost considered rude to sit at a stranger's table without asking.

When she began to speak, Ty moved his head so his chin was resting upon the top, not pulling it up from the table.

"Nah, it ain't like I really own the table anyway. Yeah can stay. I was probably gunna leave soon anyway - there are things I need ta do, that I sure ain't doin' here."

Casey smiled at him, a dimple popping out on her right cheek. "Thanks." she took another bite and swallowed before adding. "Sorry if I'm weirding you out, but this is just how I am most of the time. And out of curiosity, that accent. American South? Can't quite place the state though... I'm gonna go ahead and guess Texas."

Casey looked at him sympathetically. "Problems?" she repeated her question. "What's wrong? Feel like talking? Even an ear as young as mine can listen pretty well," she joked.

He shook his head, shoulders bristling slightly for reasons he couldn't explain before he forced his expression into something more relaxed, "Louisiana, actually."

He gave a soft laugh, shook his head, and straightened up. Funny, the room was starting to feel cramped again. Hadn't done that in a while.

"I'm sure yeah could little darlin', but I ain't gunna plague yeah with the problems of 'adult' life. If I couldn't I wouldn't be puttin' in on myself either."

Casey smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I'm a bit rusty. I'm from Massachusetts myself. Well, technically I was born in Ireland, but I lived in Massachusetts for a while. I've never been to Louisiana, what's it like?"

Casey raised an eyebrow. She knew he was uncomfortable. "You sure you're ok with me, cause you seem uncomfortable."

Casey laughed humorlessley. "Not like I don't have my own problems, even if they're not 'adult' problems. I think I could understand. But I'm still ok with you not saying anything."