They Let Us Play With Markers, but I Keep Trying to Draw Infinity

My date with Tristan ended rather late in the afternoon. It was nearly 4:30 by the time I got back home, and Randy was nowhere to be found. I could only assume that she was still at band practice, wherever it was. I tried calling Chuck to tell her about my date, but she didn’t answer. I left a message, knowing she’d check her phone eventually. With nothing else to do, I changed clothes and curled up on the couch to watch TV. At some point, I fell asleep. Hours upon hours later, my phone alarm went off, telling me it was time to wake up and go to work.

By the time I was ready to smash my brains against the wall, I had only been working for two and three quarters of an hour. I decided to take a break and see if I could collect enough brain cells to last the rest of the day.

I grabbed a drink and sat in the office, eyes closed and head resting against the wall, trying to take deep, slow breaths. My break was very, very short. Maggie, one of the girls who usually worked the cash register, came into the office and cleared her throat.

“Hey, Josey?” she asked awkwardly; I peaked an eye open. “There’s a girl demanding to talk to a manager about the urine content of her soup? I told her that we don’t have soup, but she still wants to talk to you.”

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I left the office. The last thing I wanted was to deal with a clinically insane person, but it seemed as if I would have no choice. When I rounded the corner, my eyes landed on the “customer,” and I had to stop in my tracks and roll my eyes.

“I should have known it was you.”

“Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!” Randy said.

“...Right. What’s up?”

“I got your message. I want to know the juicy details.”

I laughed. “Yeah, whatever.” I turned to Maggie. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the lobby.” She nodded, and I led Randy to a both in the back corner.

“So?” she asked when we sat down.

“So nothing, really; it mostly consisted of awkward conversation and fidgeting. I think he was about as comfortable as I was -- which is weird because we’re fine when surrounded by other people. Do you think that means we’re not that compatible?”

“Aww,” she cooed. “You guys are so cute! But no, I think it means you two need to relax.”

“Relax!” I shot back. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re as cool as a freaking cucumber around boys.”

“When was the last time you saw me around a guy I was into?”

I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, trying to think. I gave up, puffed out my cheeks, and shrugged.

“Precisely. And the knuckleheads in the car don’t count.”

My eyes nearly flew out of my head, I opened them so wide. “You left them in the car?” I exclaimed.

“I left the window down,” she said. “What do you think I am, cruel?” Just as she said this, I saw the boys enter the restaurant and look around to find us. They spotted us, eventually, and made a big show of heading our way.

“Apparently enough for them to get out,” I said, pointing behind her. “And yes, I know you are.”

Randy ignored me and turned around. “I said I’d be right back and to wait there!”

"I had to pee!" Leo exclaimed, dancing around with his knees tucked together. I pointed to the bathroom, and he took off.

"I'm hungry!" Leif whined, collapsing into the seat next to Randy as if starved to weakness.

"I missed Josey!" Toby sat next to me and pulled me into a side hug.

“What about you?” I asked Jacob.

He shrugged. “...Everyone else was coming in,” he said, leaning casually against the wall and watching us, unamused.

“I’m hungry!” Leif whined again.

“If I give you food, will you shut up?” I asked, beginning to stand.

“Yes!” he shouted, jumping up and running to the order counter.

By the time the rest of us caught up with him, he had forgotten his need for food and was adamantly flirting with Maggie who was so infatuated she couldn’t help but giggle and blush.

Leo and Toby rushed behind the counter before I could stop either of them and stole the headsets from the other people working and took off – after they were shown how to use them – hiding in the back and shouting and singing random profanities over the intercom to the loud speaker outside.

Jacob sat on the counter, a nutrition pamphlet in his hands and his brow painfully wrinkled.

“I can’t believe this,” he said. “You can’t even eat one thing without practically blowing up like a balloon, but I’m hungry. Do you think it’s safe to eat dairy this close to the show?”

Leif broke from his flirting long enough to give Jacob an idiotic look. “Stop being such a bird.”

Randy, apparently offended by the comment, grabbed a packet of BBQ dipping sauce and threw it at Leif. He blocked it with his hand all the while continuing to addle Maggie’s brain.

“If you’re going to get food, please get it,” I begged, “but get off and out from behind the counter.”

“Oh, stop being such a killjoy,” Toby said.

“Easy for you to say! If my boss comes back and sees you guys, I’ll get fired. ‘This isn’t a playground, it’s a workplace.’”

“Ew,” Leo said. “Does he really say that?”

“Yes, and he means it even more.”

The boys reluctantly relinquished their toys and came out from the behind the counter. As they ordered more food than necessary for only five people, Randy came up beside me.

“I might need your help with something tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh, really? Like what?”

She shrugged her shoulders cryptically and grabbed her cup from Jacob; because there was practically no one else in the store, their food was made quickly, and they left even faster. For the rest of my shift, I was left to wonder what Randy could possibly need help with.

Randy’s request was quickly forgotten once I got home for sleep demanded me, and the next morning decided not to remind of it until my phone began to blare an old tune by one of Randy’s favorite bands that she had quickly introduced me to when we were still only acquaintances: The Matches.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I need your help. I thought I could do it myself, but I’m having problems.”

Her voice sounded weird. I felt my gut clench and my heartbeat quicken as a feeling of dread creeped up.

“What do you need help with?” I asked slowly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“Just hurry up. I can’t wait long or it’ll be ruined.”

Randy hung up before I press her more. I changed clothes as fast as I could and hurried over to her house. I walked in the back door and up the stairs toward her room.

“Randy?” I called.

“In the bathroom.”

I held my breath as I walked closer to the door and slowly pushed it open. I nearly laughed and screamed at the same time when the situation finally sank into my brain. Randy was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, half of her hair white blonde and the other half covered in some sort of dark goo.

“What are you doing?” I shrieked.

“I’m trying to dye my hair blue, but I can’t do it by myself. I got the bleach part done, but not being able to see the back of my head complicates things a bit.”

I rolled my eyes. “What was wrong with the purple?”

“Blue is better! Plus I had roots and Leo was saying that I look like his mom’s lilac bush.” She pouted and brushed more of the dye onto her hair. Too much though because a huge glob of it landed her knee.

“Oh, my God,” I said. “At least give me a pair of gloves so I don’t have Smurf hands for days.” I made Randy kneel next the tub with her head leaning over and began to brush the rest of the dye through her hair. “Why do you always do this to me?”

“Because Chuck’s too much of a girl.”

“Doesn’t that make her the perfect help then? You know I’m going to mess up.”

“Just make sure you cover all the parts I haven’t already done. Otherwise I’m going to be part blonde again.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I waved her off and checked through her layers to make sure I’d gotten everything before moving on to another part. “Are you nervous?” I asked after a while.

“About the show or how my hair is going to turn out?”

“I’m more nervous about your hair than you are. I mean the show.”

“I think we’ve been practicing too much. The guys are definitely freaking themselves out. I’m sure we’ll do fine.”

I stopped applying the dye and looked at her. “You’re talking short sentences. Should I be worried?”

Randy grinned at me from under her hair. “No more so than usual.”

I eyed her then went back to work. “How do you think Leif’s holding up?”

“Oh god, he’s going insane,” she said, waving her hands about. “He keeps calling me in the middle of the night to argue solos with me.”

“I think we should invest in some Leif-downers. Especially if you guys get a record contract.”

“Don’t worry, the second he steps on stage he’ll be back to his smartass, annoyingly-charming self.”

I raised an eyebrow but chose to ignore her choice of words. “You can sit up now,” I said instead. “Ugh, I don’t suppose it’s normal that I want to throw up?”

“You worry too much, Joseybean.”

“Yeah but isn’t that what I’m good for? I worry so you guys don’t have to because you certainly never seem to.”

Randy made a face. “I worry. I just do it when nobody can see or hear it.”

“So, I can’t remember, who’s the other band playing?”

“...Are you serious?”

“We’ve gone over this before!” I whined. “Josey is sheltered. Yes, I get this. Now explain.”

“Panic at the Disco.”

“And they’re... big, right? Rich and famous and the perfect opening for you guys? Are they nice?”

“Well,” Randy snuggled into the side of the tub, “let’s put it this way. Most of their fans will love Leif.” She rolled her eyes. “But yes, they seem like very nice young men.”

“I’m assuming I’ll understand what you mean when I see them?”

“Yep!” She grinned.

“...That smile never leads to good things.”

“That’s what my aunt said when I was three.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve been a maniacal deviant for that long?”

“Actually I was a very sweet little girl,” she argued. “Which is less believable?”

“That you were ever a ‘very sweet little girl.’”

“That’s what I thought.”

“You know how babies cry when they’re born?” I asked. “I’ve always imagined that you laughed evilly.”

Randy laughed. “Nah, I screamed like a harpy.”

“Of course you did.” I rolled my eyes. “I think it’s time to rinse your hair.” I stood and stretched. “How do you think everyone’s going to react? Specifically Leif who has always seemed to love your hair...”

“They’ll find out when the rest of the world does,” she said as she stood. When she got to her feet, Randy gave me a very serious look. “Which means no telling Chuck, because she’ll ruin the whole surprise.”

“What? You know I can’t keep a secret either! I’m always so obvious when I know something.”

“Lie by omission then. Don’t bring it up if nobody asks.”

“How are you going to hide your hair, anyway?”

“Elementary, my dear Watson!” she shouted. “Now go! I must wash the muck from my head!”

I shook my head as I closed the door behind me. I took a step toward Randy’s room when I realized that I’d probably be hanging out with her until the boys picked us up for the show, and I had nothing to wear other than my pajamas and coat.

“Randy?”

“Yes, love?”

“Can I rifle through your closet for something to wear tonight?”

All movement in the bathroom stopped, and I could perfectly picture Randy giving me one of her looks. “You want to borrow my stuff?” she asked. “Did I accidentally hit you with a stick?”

“Well, all I have are my pajamas because you called me in such a panic.”

“Oh. Right. Sure, anything but what’s on the bed.”

I saluted the door and turned back toward her room. I generally avoided borrowing clothes from Randy because her style had always been much more... unique than my own. I was a very simple dresser whereas Randy was all about style, accessories, and wow factor. Upon opening her closet door, I felt as if I had stepped into another world. It was filled with your average jeans, t-shirts, and short skirts as well as clothes of a fancier nature, but it was mostly packed with vests, blazers, and scarves while the shelves were filled with hats. It seemed more like the dressing room for a very eclectic play rather than a young woman’s closet. I decided, for once in my life, to take advantage of Randy’s diverse collection, but first I peeked at the clothes on Randy’s bed to make sure I wouldn’t grab anything similar. It looked like I was in luck.

Randy had picked out a purple plaid halter that looked more like a vest than a shirt with black, pinstriped skinny jeans, purple high top Converse, and small top hat. It was so very her that I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. It was definitely going to make her new blue hair pop.

Turning back to her closet, I sifted through her jeans, completely against wearing a short skirt in the cold January weather. I stopped at the coolest pair I had ever seen and resolved to steal them from her at the first chance I got. They were a pair of black denim skinny jeans that looked as if they had been bleached with purple bleach. Right next to it was an off the shoulder black shirt that had “In Rock and Love We Trust” printed on the front. The sides had also been cut about two inches from the center seam and replaced with black lace. Buried at the bottom of her closet, I found a pair of ankle high black boots that were adorable.

The more I flipped through Randy’s closet, the more I realized it was essentially a goldmine of clothes, and I began to feel bad for not envying her more. She always wore amazing outfits, so why would it not then follow that her closet was full of those amazing clothes?

“I envy your sense of style,” I said as she walked into her room, ruffling her now blue hair with a towel.

“I have a style?” she asked.

“Well, more like sense of styles, I guess. Most of your stuff doesn't really fit into just one category.”

“I buy things based on badassery, elegance, and if I have a hat and scarf to match,” she said.

“How very prudent of you... So, I’ve decided to borrow this. What do you think?” I held up the clothes I’d picked out, waiting anxiously for approval.

“Color me surprised. I had no idea you were so indie.”

“Hey, I'm learning,” I defended. “It may take a while, but I'm slowly figuring it out. It's hard when you grow up around people who are only either 'gangsta' or ‘cuhntree.’”

Randy shook her head. “This is why I agreed to move if my parents bought me a car.”

“We’re not all bad! You like me and Chuck well enough.”

“True,” she agreed, “and I have stumbled upon several others who aren’t insufferable!”

“Exactly! And no offense to your amazing talent, but you’ve made it farther with a band here than you did back home.”

She sighed. “Unfortunately that’s true. It’s mind-blowing how many bands there are back home.”

“We have a few, but they’re either very folksy or extremely heavy metal...” I shuddered at the memory of one in particular.

“And so many shitty hardcore bands,” Randy laughed.

“Yes, yes, yes. Ugh, someone needs to shoot the idiots who think they have such great talent. There’s too many of them here.”

“But they make us look so good.”

“Yeah, true,” I agreed. “I guess they can live then. At least for a while longer.”

“Or we could leave,” Randy suggested.

I froze at her words. I don’t know how but in all the excitement I completely forgot that bands don’t stick around. That’s how they become so successful. I don’t think I was quite ready to accept the fact that Randy wouldn’t be around all the time anymore, even if we had only known each other for such a short period. And on top of it all, it’s not like Chuck and I could easily go with her. We still had to finish school. We weren’t as talented in other areas like Randy was.

“...Easier for you to say.”

“Nonsense,” she said as she fumbled with her hair in front of the mirror. “You speak English just as well as I do.” She looked at me and grinned. “So what d’you think?”

“It’s so blue...” I said. “It’s going to take a long while for me to get used to it. I still don’t understand how you’re going to hide it though. I mean, I’m assuming you plan on surprising everyone at once?”

“How long have you known me, Josey? Of course I have a plan!” Randy grabbed a beanie off her dresser and pulled it over her newly blue hair. “Oh, and wear this.” She grabbed the small top hat off her bed and tossed it at me.

“After all the effort to fix your hair and you’re just throwing a hat over it? And why am I wearing this? It doesn’t even go with my stuff. It’d look better on you, you know...” I slowly trailed off as Randy’s smile grew.

“Aha, you’re catching on.”

“If your mind were a physical maze, I would get lost and die.”

“You ever seen the movie Labyrinth? It’d be more like that.”

“Oh, my god,” I groaned. “The little caterpillar would be my doing in. And he’s at the beginning!”

Randy laughed. “Therein appears the metaphor.”

“Your brain sucks.”