The Thing that Keeps Me On the Ground - Prologue

[nerdonthemove27.livejournal.com]

• Title : The Thing that Keeps Me On the Ground : Prologue

• Author : nerdonthemove27
• Rating : PG-13 (at first)
• Pairings : None at the time... A slight Greg/Josie I guess… :)
• Summary : Dan Patterson stops by a bar to kill time not realizing he will find a thing that will give him his turning point.
• Word Count : 1,572
• Disclaimer : I don't own the mentioned names in this fanfic, but it would be really awesome if I did!
• Note : This is set in Alternative Universe (AU). I kinda messed up on the timeline but I tell you guys I really did my best with this one, and it's my first time posting a fanfic online so..... Hope you like it!! :D

It was a chilly, rainy night in Seattle, Washington . Raindrops fell angrily from the dark sky. This made Patterson confused; there were no weather reports about a storm coming their way, and it was summer break. The atmosphere should be warm, he thought.

He was driving home to his vacation house in Seattle and he felt really tired, coming back from work that late. He was really looking forward to seeing his wife and snuggling down in the blankets; he just wanted to be as cozy as he could be.

That was until the rain fell harder. He half-expected the raindrops to drill a hole into the roof of his car. He slowed down as he tried to check his mobile for any messages. There was one, and it was from his wife, telling him that he should stay at the Teachers Conference longer and wait for the rain to
settle down first. Patterson felt his wife was really worried about him but he was miles away from the hotel where the meeting took place. Making his decision, he replied a short "Okay," and looked around for a shelter to kill time. Minutes of driving later, he saw a bar. He had no choice, he thought; he
had to wait for the rain to stop. He pulled over.

Pulling his coat over his head, he ran from his car to the bar, the heavy rain making him more worried. He removed his jacket and folded it on his arm as he entered the place.

This was the first time he had set foot in a bar in Seattle. He was amazed by the number of people coming into the place. He couldn't help but notice the tables, already filled with chattering people. They seemed to be excited about something.

As he sat on one of the stools near the bar, he saw four seats on the stage. Too curious to know what was about to happen that night, he didn't notice the bartender watching him. When the guy spoke, Patterson almost jumped out of his seat.

"Looks like we're having another full house tonight," said the bartender cheerfully. He nodded at Patterson and asked, "Can I ring you up?"

"Scotch, please," the tired man said with a nod. The bartender picked up a glass and poured the liquor into it. He passed it to Patterson and the latter raised it up to his mouth and took a sip. He felt the drink warm his body over.

He took another sip and asked the bartender, "What's going to happen here?"

"An Improv Show. Usually we have it once a week. Good thing they decided to change it to a nightly show when summer break had started."

"Improv, huh?" whispered Patterson to himself, giving it a thought. He focused on the stage after that. Seconds later, a man with a microphone stood in front of the stage and did a lot of talking, warming up the audience for the upcoming nightly event. Moments later, he cleared his throat and started
introducing the actors for the night.

One by one the actors—and an actress—lined up and sat on the stage seats as the host called their names. "Tonight we have Mike Mcshane," – the host gestured to a large, beefy, bespectacled man seated on the far right – "Next to him is Tony Slattery," – the small man in a suit sitting beside Mike
Mcshane – "The wonderful Josie Lawrence," – the only woman in the troupe (But she didn't look like she was intimidated by the men she was going to act with, Patterson thought) – "And of course, Greg Proops." The host said with finality as he introduced the odd man wearing black-rimmed glasses seated
beside Josie's left.

The crowd gave a round of applause to the people on stage and the host continued speaking. Meanwhile, Patterson turned back to the bartender and asked, "Isn't improv similar to stand-up comedy?"

"No, it's not," the bartender replied. "In stand-up, you have to make the audience laugh at you by trying hard. It's heavier than improv, you see. In improv, everything is easier and funnier. They do the act that comes from the audience's suggestions right on the spot. And you have comrades to save your ass when you're on the verge of breaking on stage. Stand-up comedians do their thing alone."

Patterson glanced at the stage. He could hear the sound of the rain pouring softly now. A part of him wanted to leave and just go home but somehow there was something that made him want to stay. Curiosity got the better of him.

"Let's see how this works," he whispered to himself, taking a sip of his scotch all the same.


He didn't expect it, but he was grateful that he stayed.

Patterson found himself laughing along with the crowd as he watched four of the funniest comedians he had ever seen. He never knew improv was this good. Every now and then the actors cracked a joke that almost made the audience fall out of their seats from laughing. He was even surprised by the wit of
these people. The bartender was right: The scenes they acted were on the spot.

They're all smart, Patterson thought, but the man wearing glasses simply caught his attention. He noticed he had a certain charm around the audience. Although he had to admit that all of them were really good, there was something different about that young man.

The show ended with loud clapping and cheering from the audience. The actors exited to the backstage and people started leaving, still talking about the great show they had just seen. Patterson turned his stool back to the bar and placed his glass on the table.

He couldn't believe he was still grinning from the last game the actors had played.

He heard the bartender sigh before him. He looked up and saw the man smiling with content.

"Greg has done it again."

"Greg?" asked Patterson. He wasn't really paying attention to the actors' names.

"Greg Proops. The young one with the black-rimmed glasses."

Oh yeah, Patterson remembered the name just now. "He is funny," he said, drinking his scotch again.

"Damn funny," said the bartender, still wearing the proud smile on his face. "He's the reason the bar is always full."

"Huh," was the only thing that Patterson breathed out. Just then, he realized it was getting late. Mike Mcshane (the big buy) and Tony Slattery (the small guy) had already headed out of the bar. Thinking he should go already, Patterson picked up his wallet and placed twenty bucks on the table telling the bartender to keep the change. The place deserved a nice tip. It made him laugh his ass off.

"Come back anytime you like, my friend." said the bartender, receiving the paper bill. Suddenly, he looked up and shouted, "Hey Greg!"

Patterson turned. Greg Proops was walking towards the bar with Josie Lawrence.

"Nice show tonight!" said the bartender, happily shaking the young man's hand. Cheeks flushing a bit, Greg replied "Thanks Arnold."

"It was great," Patterson interrupted. "the show."

Greg looked at him, quite surprised. "Thank you, sir."

"Patterson," he said, holding out a hand. "Dan Patterson."

Hesitantly, Greg shook his hand but he kept a friendly face. When they let go, Patterson asked "How long have you been working as an actor?"

"An improv, sir," Greg politely corrected him. "Been working for six years already. This is my part-time job."

"Part time? You're a student?"

"Yes sir, in Garfield High."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen, sir," Greg replied, slightly blushing. Patterson was quite shocked; he really thought Greg was around his 20's. Eventually, he saw sadness in the young man's eyes. Next thing he knew, he was asking the question this kid had been longing to hear for a while.

"You want to study in California ?"

Greg was surprised to hear this. He stared down at Patterson, noticing he was taller than the guy. Nonetheless, he answered, "I guess so, sir."

"Greg," whispered Josie, who was clinging to his arm right that moment.

"I'm just answering his question, Josie."

"What if I told you," Patterson cut in. "that I am giving you a scholarship to study in my school located in LA?"

"What?" asked Greg with disbelief. Even Josie gave him a questioning look.

"I am in need of creative artists and your quick thinking qualified for it." Explained Patterson with a shrug.

"He doesn't want to." It was Josie who answered him this time. She was still clinging to Greg, gripping now, not wanting to let go. Greg turned to her and whispered, "I think it's time for me to leave this place."

Surprise filled the woman's eyes. "We are happy here," she said.

"But it left me a terrifying memory. I'm sorry, Josie. And thank you for being the greatest childhood best friend I ever had."

Her eyes welled up with tears but Greg kept her gaze, seeking understanding. She let go of him. "We'll stay best friends, right?"

"I won't run around and look for new best friends, I swear." He said, leaving her a reassuring smile. Then, he came forward, walking towards the man.

"I'm in."

Patterson was quite startled at Greg's sudden assent. What happened to this young man's past, he didn't know, but he was certain he would help him get through with it.