05:45

“What the fuck have I done?” I say to myself as I pour myself another glass of whiskey, the joint hanging between my lips, the sweet smell bathing my face and lingering in the air. I hold the bottle up and notice it’s empty.

Setting it down with a small thud on the bar top I take a long drag from my joint and let the weed work its magic, “Morning came too early, and I’ve already finished off a bottle.” I mumble to myself as I make my way to the kitchen, “whats for breakfast today, do I want to do a breakfast skillet or biscuits and gravy.”

I get a pan from the cabinet setting it on the stovetop making sure not to make any loud noises incase Sunset was still asleep. I turn towards the fridge to get the carton of eggs, cheese, and the breakfast sausage, a white onion, and two bell peppers one red and one green then grabbing the butter; opening the freezer for the bag of hash browns which is all I needed to start breakfast.

I rummage around to find a cutting board so I can chop up the onion and bell peppers, getting a knife from the knife block and the steel I make a few passes to quickly hone the edge, slicing into the bell peppers I quickly gut the seeds and the undesirable bits out then chop them throwing them into the pan, the onion takes a bit longer blinking through watery eyes trying not to cut myself in the process.
I cut off a good chunk of butter and crack 6 eggs in the pan while I turn the burner on to medium low, taking a fork to whisk the raw eggs as the butter melts. Opening the bag of cheese I sprinkle some onto the eggs as they get firm in the pan, the smell of onions filled the air as I was too focused on my task to hear Sunset walk down the stairs.

“That smells good.” Sunset yawns out.

“Breakfast skillet, eggs, onion, bell peppers, breakfast sausage, and hash browns.” I slur out slightly swaying from the alcohol in my system.

“How did you sleep?” Sunset grunted as she stretched trying to wake up.

“I didn’t, downed a whole bottle of whiskey and two joints, still couldn’t get to sleep.” I reply while turning up the burner on the stove as I cut open the tube of meat and plop it down in the pan hearing the sizzle of pork on hot metal.

"Oh, how are you still up and moving after a whole bottle of whiskey and two joints?" She asked as she walked over to me curious as to what I'm making.

"Don't know, but breakfast will be done in a little bit. I've still gotta make the hash brows." I say as I mix everything together.

"Well it smells amazing." Sunset commented as she wrapped her arms around me resting her head on my back.

"There's no need for sorry, we were both fucked up last night." I tell her as I turn down the heat on the stove.

"I know but I didn't know that you wer...." Sunset says before she pauses not able to say the last part.

"It's okay Sunny, there was no way for you to know." I tell her as I turn to face her.

"That still doesn't excuse what I did." She says in a small tone of voice avoiding my gaze.

"It's in the past now so let's move forward and not dwell, how do you like your hash browns." I reply to her grabbing the pan I washed last night.

"How are you so calm about this, I thought you'd be angry or avoid me all together." She retorts confusion and a slight hint of anger in her voice.

"No I'm not mad at you, the reason why I'm so calm about this is because it doesn't matter to me it's in the past even though that was what like three hours ago?" I tell her as I turn back to the stove, "besides, today is a new day for both of us and we've got things to do so once again; how do you like your hash brows?"

"Crispy, how can you just ignore it?" She asks concern in her voice.

"I'm not ignoring it outright just compartmentalized it for a later date to take care of." I reply as I turn on the other burner and put the rest of the stick of butter in along with some olive oil, "could you open the bag of hash browns and wash them for me there's a towel to dry them."

"That's not healthy Alec." Sunset fumes as she slams a hand on the granite counter top, "you need to deal with this in a healthy way and not run from it!"

I stop everything I'm doing turning the burners on the stove to its lowest setting without turning it off. "And what the fuck would that look like, years of therapy and a whole metric ass load of wasted money?!? Or maybe just maybe you can sit down, shut your mouth about it and let me deal how I hae been for the last ten fucking years of this shit life that I was so fucking blessed to have!

"I'm not telling you to go to therapy but I am telling you to deal with it, talk to me about it at the very least." Sunset begs.

"I am dealing with it how I please, just because you want to talk about it doesn't mean I want to so sit down I will have breakfast done in a little bit." I say with utter defeat in my voice knowing that Sunset is right, wanting to talk about what happened would help set boundaries but at the same time it would be counter productive when I haven't processed it all.

"Okay, you don't have to be an ass about it and yes I know you're fucked up right now after a whole bottle of whiskey and who knows how many joints but at least be reasonable about this and talk to me as an adult or whenever you're ready to open up more." Sunset replied as she pulled out a chair and took her seat.

"Sorry I freaked out or rather blew up, there's a lot running in my head at the moment and it's going to take a while to process, once again I'm sorry." I say through slightly slured speech now as the alcohol is starting to catch up to me.

A few moments later I get two plates from the upper cabinet and load them up with breakfast.

later that afternoon: Sweet Apple Achers

"I hate this part of heavily drinking sometimes, why can't cope with shit in a normal way?" I say in a ragged tone as I am on my hands and knees behind the red barn at Sweet Apple Achers.

"Well that's what you fuckin git fer drinkin' whole damn bottle of whiskey before breakfast." Applejack said as she spat out a mouth full of dip spit.

"You got a pinch AJ could use something to take the edge off." I ask while slowly getting up trying to stand like a newborn fawn.

"Imma level with ya buddy, that's the last thing ya need right now if I were you I'd get some water in ya then lay down before I have Sunny take ya to the hospital." Applejack said bluntly as she helped me to my feet.

"I can agree to the water but I've had worse hangovers before, and I don't wanna light a cig in a hay barn cause I ain't that retarded." I say to her before I spit out the gathered saliva, bile, and what was breakfast that was lingering in my mouth. "You got a water spigot I can run my head under and get this awful taste outta my mouth?"

"Yea right over here." She said as she guided me to the old pump style spigot. "Hope ya don't mind well water, maybe yall should lay down for a bit buddy before ya have a spit again."

"Well water ain't a problem, grew up on it actually and I'm stable enough to stand, I may be a bit wobbly when playing with y’all though." I say as Applejack pumped the handle, a few seconds later water came rushing out of the large tongue spout into a bucket beneath.

"If ya say so partner, but as for first impressions I ain't impressed can't say for the others but I know that they ain't pleased with ya, specially Dash." Applejack said coldly.

"Don't care at the moment head too fuzzy to put serious thought into first impressions right now. Plus I ain't this bad normally. Had one helluva start to the weekend if you didn't know, been dealing with some family shit lately that I'd rather not get into with someone I just met hope you understand." I say as I cup some water in my hands and splashed it on my face, "not cause I don't trust ya you seem honest in how you hold yourself but to be frank it ain't none of your business unless you're directly involved." I take afew small sips of water in my cuped hand spitting out the last little bit onto the ground.

"No I totally get it, ain't my place to pry into someone's family affairs let alone your personal affairs neither." Applejack shot back before turning to walk away towards the barn.

"She's nice if not a bit blunt." I say under my breath as I watch Applejack walk away, "she's got that nice country girl figure and a pretty face."

"What the fuck is wrong with you, after she helped you too that's shallow man." A voice said behind me.

"Great, another one to criticize me today?" I say as I turn around only to be face to face with a girl with rainbow hair.

"Well first off not the greatest first impression, spewing your guts out, still drunk and stumbling reeking of booze and weed, and making sexual comments about my best friend?" She said, her words dripping with venom and contempt. "You're on my shit list buddy, I'm only doing this because Sunset says you can play guitar well and she wanted to have you meet her friends."

"That's fair, I don't expect you to like me or even relate to me at all outside of music so if you don't mind let's get to jammin' okay?" I reply as I stumble around and walk slowly to the barn.

"Dude you can't even walk straight and I doubt you can even play properly given your current state." The rainbow haired girl laughed out following behind me.

"Wanna bet on it then?" I fire back.

"What's the bet?" She replied coldly.

"20 bucks on a song battle, give me the chords and I'll play along with you guys, and vice-versa for one of my songs I wrote." I stated, giving a crooked smile.

"I'll take your bet cause like I said before, I doubt you can play right now." She playfully shot back at me.

"Then we gotta deal?" I say as I hold out a fist.

She slammed her fist into mine and walked away, shoulders broadened in an over confident manner.

Author's Note

Sorry fe the late chapter, things have been hectic lately but good news is the story isn't dead just aljttke bit delayed from writers block and personal emergencies that life throws at us.