The Haunted Pub

by Melanie Tushmore

  "Yeah, thank God." Glen smirked, obviously pleased with that statistic. "Who wants to play to a room full of fellas?"

  Dee chuckled and looked pointedly at Ash.

  Ash's eyes narrowed. "You got something to say to me, Douglas?"

  Dee frowned at the mention of his real name. "No. Ashwari tikka masala."

  "Come on, guys," Ryan urged. He placed a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Let's go have a drink, yeah?"

  Ash didn't take his eyes off Dee. "No. Not before Douglas explains why we can't cover my favourite band, seeing as we're already covering two songs from his choice of boring old punk bands."

  "Boring?" Dee flung his bass down into its stand, where it rocked back against the wall. "You just don't get it, mate. Punk goes straight over your head!"

  "Excuse you," Ash snapped. "But I think you'll find that your version of punk is old and outdated."

  "Fuck you!" Dee sprang forward, fists waving.

  "Guys!" Ryan leapt in between them before they could connect, pushing them apart. "Glen, do something!"

  Glen pulled Dee away, while Ryan stayed in the middle and held onto Ash. Luckily, it was only a half-hearted scuffle, and easy enough to break up. Quite lame, really, Ryan thought to himself. He stood in the centre, holding his hands out to both parties to instil some calm. "Guys, we're friends. This is really stupid to argue over. Let's just calm down, okay?"

  Dee seemed bewildered, and blinked several times. "Sorry, mate. I—I don't know what got into me."

  "Me neither," Ash muttered. "I've got such a headache."

  It's the room, Ryan thought. The room was too stuffy. Even though it was a windy, cool day outside, there was just something about this damn room.

  "Let's go downstairs," Ryan suggested. "We can annoy Pete for a while."

  The others mumbled in agreement. Dee and Ash awkwardly apologised to each other, then everyone slowly filed out. Ryan made sure he kept himself between Dee and Ash, just in case. They'd only ever come to blows once before, and that was when they'd both been very, very drunk.

  Ash hung back, stopping at Fizz's door.

  Ryan noticed, and he herded Dee and Glen out of the hall, trying to give Ash some space. Halfway down the stairs, he was surprised when Ash caught up to them. "Didn't think you were coming," Ryan said quietly. Dee and Glen were further down the stairs, chatting away normally.

  Indeed, it felt like the air became lighter the further they got from the pigeon loft.

  "Um, I was just checking with Fizz," Ash replied.

  "Yeah, and?"

  "And... we were gonna watch a movie, maybe tomorrow night."

  "I see." Ryan tried not to smile. "You can watch it on my TV if you want. Unless you want to brave the living room where Matt will pop in and drone on about recipes, or his Kung Fu class."

  Ash chuckled. "Your room would be cool, thanks. Actually, I was going to ask you to check the rota."

  "Rota?"

  "Yeah... um, is Ginger working tomorrow evening?"

  "Yes, he is." Ryan smiled slyly. "But if you can bear to wait until Wednesday, he's working the evening shift with me and Sammy, as it's student night. So you're less likely to be... disturbed by anyone."

  "Hah, okay." Ash shook his head with a smile. "Wednesday it is. Um... I don't have Fizz's number to tell him, though?"

  "Don't worry, I'll tell him later. I'm sure he won't mind what day it is. And hanging out will be good. Ginger's been breathing down his neck far too much. It'll be good for the kid to have some space."

  Ash shot him a knowing look. "Yeah, yeah. You know, you'd make a good match-maker, Ry. Maybe you should put some of this devious plotting to your own good use sometime?"

  Ryan was brought up short. "Wh-What do you mean?"

  Ash rolled his eyes. "One day, Ry," was all he said.

  Ryan frowned.

  One day.

  Yeah, he kinda doubted that.

  * * * *

  "What's wrong?" Ginger asked.

  Fizz tried to look innocent, but he was worried that the word guilty flashed in neon above his head. "N-nothing," he mumbled. He pretended to finish his dinner, pushing the food around his plate.

  Ginger had finished his own dinner, and was eyeing him suspiciously. "Do you want to do some glass-collecting tonight?"

  Fizz tried—and failed—to stay calm. "I-I can't, I..."

  "But you've been doing so well," Ginger said.

  He thinks I'm worried about going downstairs on a busy night, Fizz realised. "No, I mean, it's not that. But I—I'll do it if you want me to."

  Ginger gave him a look, saying with his eyes: That's not the point. Fizz focussed on his dinner, poking it with his fork. Ginger sighed. "Okay, if you want to come down later, we'll be there. I just don't want you moping about up here on your own all the time."

  Fizz nodded his head. "I'll be okay."

  "I do hope so, Jamie."

  Fizz tried not to flinch at the sound of his name. He knew Ginger only used it when he wanted to drive home whatever point he was making.

  Ginger stood and dumped his plate on the worktop. "I've gotta go downstairs. Ryan and Sammy are already there. You sure you'll be okay?"

  Fizz wasn't sure, but he told Ginger, yes, he would. Reluctantly, Ginger left him alone. Fizz breathed a sigh of relief. He abandoned his half-eaten dinner, tidying it away, and wandered upstairs. Only a few minutes later, he wandered back down to the kitchen, restless. He looked up at the Misfits skull-face clock. Six forty-five.

  Ash said he'd be over at seven. Fizz felt dread settle in his stomach. Just because someone said they were coming, didn't mean they were. He probably wouldn't show up, would he? Fizz panicked in near silence, ignoring the icy touch on his neck and the soft words in his head.

  He meandered up the stairs, then gave himself and Rachel a fright when they both rounded a corner at the same time. After recovering from the surprise, Rachel said she and Pete were just settling into the living room to watch a DVD. She invited him to join them, but Pete's pointed look over Rachel's shoulder definitely uninvited him.

  Fizz noticed they had a bunch of horror DVDs neatly stacked on the coffee table. Oh, God, not horror. He quickly made his excuses and left. On his return trip down the stairs, Fizz heard voices. Leaning over the bannister, his heart almost stopped when he saw Ash with Ryan.

  "Hey." Ash smiled up at him

  "Hey, Fizz." Ryan smirked rather than smiled. They both carried bulging plastic bags. Ryan led the way, walking past the kitchen, and along to his own bedroom.

  "What's in those?" Fizz asked, trailing behind them.

  "DVDs," Ash said. "And, er... pudding."

  "Pudding?"

  "Yeah, I left just after dinner." He flashed Fizz a smile. "You can't leave an Indian home without food being thrust at you left, right, and centre. My sisters made way too much. It's just mithai and kulfi."

  "Huh?"

  "Sweets and ice cream," Ryan translated. "Save some for me, yeah?"

  "We'll try," Ash said. "No promises."

  The boys set down their bags in Ryan's room. Fizz hovered, not sure what to do. He was grateful for Ryan's presence for the moment, so he could melt into the background without any focus on himself. He took the opportunity to look around. Ryan's room wasn't exceptionally tidy, but it wasn't messy either. It smelled clean, at least.

  The room was reasonably large; however, there wasn't anywhere to sit except for Ryan's bed or the floor. There was a decent-sized TV on a shelving unit against the wall, with DVDs haphazardly piled in front. Apart from a clothing rail, some knickknacks on shelves, and a couple of guitars, that was about it. Fizz glanced up at the numerous posters of Johnny Depp on the walls. He liked it in here. It felt... calm.

  "Wow, there's tonnes!" Ryan exclaimed as he nosed in the food bags. "Shall I take some downstairs for me and the others?"

  Ash laughed. "Go on, then."

  "I'll go get a plate." Ryan scrabbled up and left the room.

  Fizz watched Ash as he
sat on the floor, amongst his bags, and peered through them. "I've brought a bunch of DVDs—" he began.

  "Ash?" a voice broke in. "What are you doing up here?"

  They both turned to see Ginger in the doorway, much to Fizz's horror. He felt himself flush at the implications of being caught alone with another boy.

  "Um... we were gonna watch a movie," Ash said.

  "Hn." Ginger frowned at them both. "Pete and Rachel are watching movies, too. Why don't you go sit with them?"

  "H-Horror," Fizz blurted out.

  "Pardon?" Ginger looked at him.

  "They're watching horror," Fizz explained. "I can't—I can't watch that stuff." His eyes skimmed Ginger's T-shirt, showing a cartoon depiction of a grinning, bleeding skull.

  "Oh." Ginger frowned harder. "So, what were you planning to watch, then?"

  "Bollywood." Ash held up a brightly coloured, foreign DVD case.

  There was a clash of emotions on Ginger's face. For a brief moment, Fizz thought his cousin was going to smile, but the frown won out.

  Luckily, Ryan reappeared. He was holding an empty bowl, and greeted Ginger like nothing was amiss. "Hey, I was just coming back downstairs. Ash brought pudding and there's enough for us."

  Ginger's frown intensified even more. Fizz was so embarrassed. Was he going to be marched to his room, in front of Ash? Would Ginger drag Ash away by his ear? Ginger may not have been a big man like Pete or Matt, but he was no less imposing.

  "Look, I'm not sure—" Ginger started to say, but then Fizz saw something he hadn't expected. Something that confirmed what Ash had said before. Ryan placed his hand on Ginger's arm, and looked him in the eyes.

  "Daniel," Ryan said quietly. "It's fine."

  Ginger looked surprised, but he didn't say any more. Fizz was amazed. With Ginger placated, Ryan quickly swooped in and grabbed handfuls of strange, exotic treats. Fizz had to admire his determination. Then Ryan strode back to the door. He guided Ginger away, smiling over his shoulder before shutting the door.

  Fizz blinked, then looked at Ash.

  Ash looked back at him, just as confused. Suddenly, he snorted with laughter, covering his mouth in an attempt to stifle it. Once he got his giggles under control, he whispered, "See what I mean?"

  "Yeah," Fizz whispered back. "That was..." He shook his head. "Really weird. Do you think they're gone?"

  "Let's see." Ash put the DVDs down and got to his feet. With exaggerated creeping moves, he tip-toed to the door. Fizz had to cover his mouth for fear of laughing. Ash peeped out into the hall, then he disappeared, presumably to peer over the bannister. A moment later, he returned and shut the door. "It's okay, they're gone. Hah! That was hilarious."

  "I'm so sorry." Fizz tried to apologise. "It's not you, it's me. He—I mean, Dan—"

  "Hey, no worries." Ash waved a hand. "It's the perfect lead into ‘Koi Kahe Kehte Rahe’."

  Fizz stared blankly, utterly confused. "Huh?"

  "It's a song, and a scene in a movie I want to show you. It's probably my favourite song in the world. But first," he declared with a smile, "let's eat pudding. I have a very sweet tooth, and it's demanding attention."

  Ash fetched plates and forks from the kitchen. He borrowed the pillows from Ryan's bed, leaning them up against the bed's side. "I prefer sitting on floors," Ash explained, as he did just that. Fizz nodded his agreement. He wasn't about to suggest that they get on the bed. Not in this lifetime. He sat next to Ash on the floor, and willed himself not to blush.

  Ash displayed his different boxes of miniature puddings in front of them. "Here you go. And don't worry if you don't like 'em; that just leaves more for me!"

  Fizz gazed at the colourful, diamond-shaped sweets and the round, syrupy balls. He had no idea what they would taste like. Ash handed him a plate, then suddenly he was on his feet again. "Fizz, do me a favour and whack on that lamp?"

  Fizz glanced to where Ash pointed; Ryan's bedside table. He reached over, clicking on the small lamp there. Ash stood by the light switch at the door. With the lamp now on, he turned off the main light, plunging the room into softer shades.

  "This is better for watching movies." Ash hurried back, crouching in front of the TV as he switched it on, and inserted a DVD. When he sat back down next to Fizz, it was definitely a fraction closer than he'd been before. Fizz felt acutely aware of the situation. Even though he'd tried to get across this was a friends-only thing, it sure didn't feel like it. This felt more like a date. Not that he had any comparison on that, but...

  It felt nice.

  The DVD ran through its title menus. Ash piled sweets onto his own plate, and Fizz's, pointing to each one and telling Fizz what they were. "Do you want to try kulfi too? It's like very milky ice cream with fruit."

  Fizz wasn't sure. He'd wanted to be vegan, but he didn't want to disappoint Ash. "Um, okay."

  The smile Ash gave him was worth the momentary lapse, Fizz decided. He tried burfi too, the diamond-shaped sweets, as Ash said they were like fudge, and laddu, which looked like fluffy, round snowballs. He'd worried that he wouldn't like them, but they tasted absolutely fine. Better than fine. Amazing.

  "Like it?" Ash asked.

  Fizz nodded, swallowing yet another mouthful of sweet, syrupy goodness. "It's great."

  "My sisters made all this."

  "You live together?"

  "Yeah... well, I say my sisters. One is my sister-in-law. She's married to my brother. He's the eldest, then my sister, then me." Ash picked up the remote control and selected through the film menu. "Now, to give you an idea of Bollywood, I'm just gonna cut to a scene from Dil Chahta Hai. This was my mum's favourite film, by the way."

  "Oh." Fizz bit his lip, his eyes burned suddenly with the threat of tears. "Don't you... I mean, are you sure you want to watch it?"

  Ash glanced at him, looking into his eyes. Fizz wondered if a note of understanding passed between them, or if he was just imagining things.

  "It's fine." Ash looked back at the TV. He was skipping through the film's scenes, obviously hurrying to the bit he wanted. "We're only going to watch one song. I'm not so keen on these types of films; it's one of those romantic tragedies. Women love it, but I'm in the mood for mindless action, and less plot."

  Fizz was secretly relieved. Tragedies weren't his strong point.

  "This is the best song ever, though." Ash pressed play. The film burst to life with a young Indian man in a modern, flashy night club. He sang right at the camera with a strong, confident voice. "This is ‘Koi Kahe Kehte Rahe’," Ash explained. "I haven't put the subtitles on; see if you can guess what they're singing about."

  Fizz blinked in surprise, then stared back at the screen. Now three young men—all of them Indian—were singing and dancing, with the whole club dancing in sync behind them. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was Indian. Fizz realised he'd never, ever seen anything like this before.

  "Check out those metallic trousers!" Ash pointed with his ice cream-covered spoon. "The guy on the left is pretty hot, huh?"

  Fizz's face heated with a flush. He hoped Ash didn't notice in the low light. Fizz concentrated on the TV, on the three men now dancing around each other, and making it look easy. What was it about? Well, they were obviously young men, dancing in a club. They weren't gay, were they? No, Fizz decided. They danced with women. This was obviously a friendship or camaraderie thing, like The Three Musketeers, perhaps. The song was jovial, bouncy, their voices and strange words were melodic and rich.

  Fizz glanced at Ash. "Um, they're friends?"

  Ash grinned at him. "Yep. And?"

  "Maybe... they're having a good time?"

  "Right again. See? You don't need subtitles."

  The song was over all too quickly, and Ash changed the DVD. He held up two new cases which looked decidedly like movies a boy would pick. The covers showed motorbikes, and people pointing guns.

  "Now, we can watch this." Ash waggled the first case. "This is Dhoom. Then we can watch Dhoom 2." He waved the second case. "Which
is really the best film overall, but Dhoom has the most awesome song in it, and is a good lead to the sequel."

  "Uh... sure," Fizz agreed. "There aren't any... horror bits, are there?"

  "What do you mean?"

  Fizz felt so lame for asking. "I mean, I—I don't... I can't watch some stuff." He winced at himself.

  "You mean like, scary or sad?" Ash guessed.

  "Yeah, pretty much. I'm sorry."

  "Don't worry; I'm not really into horror myself. Honestly, the only thing that's scary about these films is some of the dancing."

  A smile tugged at Fizz's mouth. "Um... okay."

  Ash started the first DVD. Fizz's curiosity at watching a different kind of movie managed to keep most of his nerves at bay. It was so strange; like a normal action movie, but everyone was Indian, and of course, they weren't speaking English. The subtitles flashed up, and Fizz found himself reading along without even thinking about it.

  "It's kinda like a Hindi James Bond," Ash said, during the opening scene. "You like James Bond?"

  Fizz wasn't used to watching TV and talking at the same time. Especially when he had to read subtitles. "Um... I saw one Bond film when I was younger, but I didn't like it."

  "How come?" Ash seemed happy to talk over the movie. Fizz supposed these scenes were mostly action anyway, with the detectives zipping around on motorbikes in pursuit of a thief.

  "Um... I don't remember which one it was," Fizz explained. "But Bond's girlfriend got poisoned while they slept, and after being sad for like, five minutes, he chose a new girlfriend, just like that. Forgot about the other girl completely." Fizz frowned at the TV, trying to blot the memories from his mind. He didn't remember how young he'd been when he happened to watch that movie with his brother. He barely remembered the rest of the movie, just that one scene with the woman dying slowly from poison.

  Horrible.

  Ash cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, Bond's a knob, right? I promise you, no one gets poisoned in this. There might be a couple of fights, but they're mostly kinda funny, and I'll fast forward those bits, okay?"

  Fizz swallowed. "You don't have to do that."

  "Don't worry." Ash smiled at him. "I've seen this a gazillion times. I got you covered."