Blinded
Set-list
“I think we should play some of our old songs,” Ray said, before strumming his guitar lightly.
“Old? Are you saying that we’re old?” Mikey asks – humor in his voice.
“Fine. I think we should play some of our mature songs.” Ray laughs.
“We’re growing up,” Frank said before he laid his head on my shoulder. I looked away from my lyrics and down at him. His eyes were closed and he had a small smile on his lips – looking content.
“I don’t wanna grow up,” I said with a pout.
Frank smiled wider.
“Okay, Peter Pan.” I stuck my tongue out at him, but he still had his eyes closed, so I shrugged my shoulder suddenly instead. Frank’s head bounced off my shoulder and slammed back against it. He lifted his head quickly.
“Ow!” Both of his hands cradled the side of his head as he whined.
“That fucking hurt!” He cried, before he sniffled – actually sniffled. Then whimpered.
“Aw, Frankie! I’m so sorry!” I pulled him into my arms and pressed him against my chest. I rubbed his shoulder with my one hand and the un-hurt side of his face with my other.
Frank pressed his hands against my chest – his soft hair tickling my neck.
“You hurt me!” I kissed the top of his head.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered – his smooth hair stroking my lips.
“I promise never to do it again.”
“Dude! I agree with you! Stop bitching!” Mikey yell.
“Okay! Good!” Ray sigh loudly.
Silence fill the room. We’re trying to put together a set-list. I don’t really participate. Usually I would – figuring out what I wanted to do on stage in terms of dancing or jumping or running and picking a song that fitted my mood – but not today. Not these past two weeks, actually.
“How ‘bout Mama?” I laugh inwardly - crying during Mama will be easy.
I jumped up and down after Liza left.
Liza Fucking Minelli! She’d just sung! She’d just sung my song!
I squealed and jumped up and down – clapping my hands.
Ray looked at me as if I was a loon from the corner. Bob laughed and shook his head. Mikey’s too busy texting. They’re all on the leather couch behind the coffee table.
Frank on the other hand; he’s sitting on a chair – completely exposed to my excitement.
I squealed and jumped into his lap. My knees slammed against the armrests of the plastic chair and I fell backwards onto the floor – landing with a hard thump.
Everyone laughed.
I didn’t really care. My knees hurt, my ass hurt, my pride hurt, but I didn’t FUCKING care!
Liza Fucking Minelli had just sung my song!
I closed my eyes and danced a happy dance – while still lying on my back on the floor. I must’ve looked like some weird snake or something, but I was too fucking elated to fucking care!
Suddenly a pair of legs wrapped around my wiggling middle and a weight was put on my lower stomach. I stopped moving and opened my eyes.
Frank looked down at me with a huge, goofy smile on his face.
“I can’t believe Liza Minelli just sang your song,” he laughed out. My smile intensified – if possible. He’d just read my fucking mind!
“Exactly!” I screamed and started doing my happy-dance again – squirming underneath Frank.
Frank just laughed and bounced up and down on my stomach – laughing loudly.
I joined in.
“Yep! Sounds good!” Mikey says – sounding fully satisfied.
“You cool with it, Gee?” Ray asks. I look up confused.
Shit! I gotta remember to listen – and use proper terms.
I lift my head up.
“What?” Oh! The set-list! They must’ve finished it.
“I’m sorry. I spaced out.”
“It’s okay,” Ray says, before he repeats the set-list to me. I just nod. My opinion – and thereby “performance” – won’t really mean anything anyway. I’ll just be standing there.
“Old? Are you saying that we’re old?” Mikey asks – humor in his voice.
“Fine. I think we should play some of our mature songs.” Ray laughs.
“We’re growing up,” Frank said before he laid his head on my shoulder. I looked away from my lyrics and down at him. His eyes were closed and he had a small smile on his lips – looking content.
“I don’t wanna grow up,” I said with a pout.
Frank smiled wider.
“Okay, Peter Pan.” I stuck my tongue out at him, but he still had his eyes closed, so I shrugged my shoulder suddenly instead. Frank’s head bounced off my shoulder and slammed back against it. He lifted his head quickly.
“Ow!” Both of his hands cradled the side of his head as he whined.
“That fucking hurt!” He cried, before he sniffled – actually sniffled. Then whimpered.
“Aw, Frankie! I’m so sorry!” I pulled him into my arms and pressed him against my chest. I rubbed his shoulder with my one hand and the un-hurt side of his face with my other.
Frank pressed his hands against my chest – his soft hair tickling my neck.
“You hurt me!” I kissed the top of his head.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered – his smooth hair stroking my lips.
“I promise never to do it again.”
“Dude! I agree with you! Stop bitching!” Mikey yell.
“Okay! Good!” Ray sigh loudly.
Silence fill the room. We’re trying to put together a set-list. I don’t really participate. Usually I would – figuring out what I wanted to do on stage in terms of dancing or jumping or running and picking a song that fitted my mood – but not today. Not these past two weeks, actually.
“How ‘bout Mama?” I laugh inwardly - crying during Mama will be easy.
I jumped up and down after Liza left.
Liza Fucking Minelli! She’d just sung! She’d just sung my song!
I squealed and jumped up and down – clapping my hands.
Ray looked at me as if I was a loon from the corner. Bob laughed and shook his head. Mikey’s too busy texting. They’re all on the leather couch behind the coffee table.
Frank on the other hand; he’s sitting on a chair – completely exposed to my excitement.
I squealed and jumped into his lap. My knees slammed against the armrests of the plastic chair and I fell backwards onto the floor – landing with a hard thump.
Everyone laughed.
I didn’t really care. My knees hurt, my ass hurt, my pride hurt, but I didn’t FUCKING care!
Liza Fucking Minelli had just sung my song!
I closed my eyes and danced a happy dance – while still lying on my back on the floor. I must’ve looked like some weird snake or something, but I was too fucking elated to fucking care!
Suddenly a pair of legs wrapped around my wiggling middle and a weight was put on my lower stomach. I stopped moving and opened my eyes.
Frank looked down at me with a huge, goofy smile on his face.
“I can’t believe Liza Minelli just sang your song,” he laughed out. My smile intensified – if possible. He’d just read my fucking mind!
“Exactly!” I screamed and started doing my happy-dance again – squirming underneath Frank.
Frank just laughed and bounced up and down on my stomach – laughing loudly.
I joined in.
“Yep! Sounds good!” Mikey says – sounding fully satisfied.
“You cool with it, Gee?” Ray asks. I look up confused.
Shit! I gotta remember to listen – and use proper terms.
I lift my head up.
“What?” Oh! The set-list! They must’ve finished it.
“I’m sorry. I spaced out.”
“It’s okay,” Ray says, before he repeats the set-list to me. I just nod. My opinion – and thereby “performance” – won’t really mean anything anyway. I’ll just be standing there.