The Black Dog Apparition
Chapter 3
Jennifer’s Point of View
“Jen! Jen, Wake up, damn it!” I could hear Gabe’s voice and his hands shaking me, but my god I didn’t want to get up. Nuh-uh!
“Jenny! Wake up! It’s something about the band!”
That woke me up. My eyes snapped open and I sat up in my bed, or rather, the guest bed. I suddenly remembered I wasn’t wearing a bra and panicked and covered myself with the comforter. I flashed Gabe’s stunned and blushed face an embarrassed grin and then hopped from bed, dragging the comforter along while I continued to cover myself.
“What? What? What about the band?”
Gabe snapped out of his shocked trance, “Wha- oh - shit. Yeah, come upstairs! Hurry!”
His muscular body and light brown head of hair bounded up the stairs, and I was close behind. Shit, I hoped his parents weren’t up there to see me like this.
I peeked around the wall that separated the stairwell from the living room. When I saw the coast was clear I gave a massive, suspicious grin and began humming the James Bond theme song while I sneaked along, hiding behind chairs, the couch, and a light stand. I formed my clasped hands in the shape of a gun for the sake of being cliché.
Once I was close enough, Gabe grabbed my arm and flung me into the floor in front of the television.
“Owie!” I pouted stubbornly, giving my boyfriend a face before he pointed urgently to the electronic screen.
“…The Early Show’s Battle of the Bands: Living Room Live!” the female co-anchor said, faking her overzealous excitement. A fancy banner for the news channel function showed appropriately and then the lady continued to show video clips of young teen bands like mine, each playing a part of one of their songs. They all sucked. You could tell they were just kids.
I looked over at Gabe, annoyed, “Okay…? Why the hell would you drag - “
“Shhh!” he batted his hand and again pointed at that stupid screen.
I gave the screen one more chance.
“Want to join the Battle of the Bands? Send us a recording of one of your songs to…”
Gabe furiously wrote down the website and street address of the Early Show news broadcasting building. No way. He wasn’t even thinking it. See? That’s why he was my boyfriend. Because he was hilarious. Maybe not in his words, but his actions. Fucking hilarious.
“You’re joking,” I said flatly.
“Hell no. I’m completely serious, my little criminal. You guys would so win against all those other people,” Gabe chimed confidently. He was so supportive of the band and all, but - c’mon - this was ridiculous.
I stood from the carpeted floor, still keeping the comforter with me, “Okay, say we did. But winning wouldn’t help us, any. We’re looking for good publicity, Cherry. Five seconds on world-wise news wouldn’t do us a damn bit of good.”
“And five minutes on a talent-show-stage would do you more good than possibly winning a chance at a record label?” Gabe was giving me his ‘Baby please’ face. It was more buttery and chocolate-and-caramel-coated than any puppy face. My heart melted.
“Fine,” I said with a taken sigh, “I’ll talk to Laura about it.”
“Yes!” Gabe leapt, swinging me up into a bridal carry, spinning around in the center of his living room and planting a soft kiss on my lips.
Laura’s Point of View
The door bell rang and I shouted that I would get it, when I was normally expected to get it. Yay for routine. I swung the door open and before I knew it I was being dragged out of my house by the collar of my shirt by my friend’s strong yet frail hand.
“Jen? What the fuck?!” I rammed my heels into the ground and halted myself.
Jennifer looked back at me with a surprised yet proud face, “Laura? You can cuss? Oh Jesus, thank god! I thought you would never come through for me!”
My brows furrowed and I jerked my shirt from her clinging hands, “Yeah, well, it’s in me for, you know, those all-too-common occasions I get freaking kidnapped!” I continued fixing my shirt.
“Well, I wouldn’t call it being kidnapped, more like I’m-taking-you-to-my-house-to-watch-a-movie-napped,” Jen said slyly.
“You know, genius, you could have called at least.”
“Ah, get over it. Tell your parents you’ll be at my place.”
“I’m supposing this is a night-stay?” I sneered, looking up at the darkening evening sky.
“Yeah… speaking of. Get some clothes quick. I don’t wanna get caught out here at night.”
“You heard the news, too?” I asked cautiously.
“Not the news… Gabe had a face-to-face contact with the fucker. I’ll tell you at my place.”
I ran inside and found my mom in her normal chair in the living room watching TV. “Mom, Jen’s invited me over to her place for the night, can I go please-please-please-I-love-you-so-much-please?”
She eyed me. “Laura. Okay but only if you’re at her house and nowhere else. If I hear that you’re anywhere else… I want you home by noon tomorrow.”
I squealed my thanks, collected my over-night gear and flew out the door with a quick good bye to my father and mother.
**
I closed the microwave door and leaned back on the white basement kitchen counter while the popcorn began to cook. I crossed my arms and eyeballed Jen until she noticed.
“Wha- oh, fine. What exactly do you want to know?”
“What did Gabe tell you about him?” I asked eagerly, “Couldn’t he report the guy to the police?”
Jen picked at her teeth with a toothpick offhandedly, “Nah. The guy had him pinned against a wall and had his face covered with some ski-mask or some shit like that. You know that scar Gabe’s got on his neck?”
I nodded my head excitedly, urging Jennifer to go on.
“Yeah, that guy gave him that. Gabe didn’t tell me much, but I do know he’s not some really old person like the police think he is…”
“How did Gabe get away, I mean, isn’t this guy a killer? What, he’s got three deaths belonging to him?”
Jen’s eyes glazed over and she looked away reflectively, her toothpick resting in her mouth, “Like I said, Gabe didn’t say much. It was a pretty big thing for him… hit him hard…hit me hard, too.”
The microwave beeped, announcing that the popcorn was ready. Jen jumped from her reflective state back into her hyper-active mode and grabbed the popcorn bag, “Movie time!”
Tomb Raider, so predictable of the drummer Jennifer Ann Motlift.
While we watched the movie Jen sat on a couch and I sat on the floor so she could braid my long brown hair which ended up smelling more like popcorn than my shampoo because Jen just so happened to be eating that all-too-famous movie-snack while fixing my hair. It didn’t smell so bad, actually.
Leave it to us to fall asleep while watching an action movie.
Jennifer’s Point of View
I snapped awake to the freezing icy cold hands that could only belong to Gabe’s mother. Christ, the below zero temperature of her fingers could rip through any type of cloth, including my warm pajamas. You wouldn’t expect a very well fed woman as herself could have such cold fingers! I was no morning person, and I glared up at the woman.
“Oh, dear, I’m sorry, Jen… it’s just… you sleep like the dead and I can never tell if you’re… oh, never-mind. Try to go back to sleep… I’m sorry…”
But I don’t ‘go back to sleep’. That’s why I’m not a morning person: you wake me up early, someone had better be dying or else I’d arrange it that way. I continued to glare at Gabe’s mother as she scuttled outside, probably on her way to work. I didn’t care; she fucking woke me the hell up!
My next point of hate was the clock hanging on the wall next to the television… I nearly wailed in dismay. Six o’clock in the morning.
I looked over at Laura’s sleeping form on the carpeted floor and envied her for her hard sleeping habits. Have fun sleeping like a log, Laura. You just wait for my wake-up call. I hadn’t even finished braiding her hair when I finally crashed. Well, she didn’t really need it braided, anyway. Plus, I sucked at doing anything other than spiking hair.
I rolled off the couch, making sure not to stir Laura. I needed a cappuccino… I made my way to the kitchen on the ground level of the house and pulled out a powder mix for my favorite caffeinated drink. Simple steps for a not-so-awake person. Boil water in a cup, add powder mix, stir, enjoy. Tada: the perfect cappuccino.
I picked up my CD player I had left on the kitchen counter and sat down with Gabe’s father at the table. He wasn’t a morning person, either, so we got along in the morning. I didn’t bother him, he didn’t bother me. He would be going to work soon, anyway. I put in the ear buds and pressed play, hoping I had in a good CD.
“Last year's wishes
Are this year's apologies
Every last time I come home
I take my last chance
To burn a bridge or two
I only keep myself this sick in the head
Cause I know how the words get you off”*
I smiled to myself and melted into my warm drink and melodic music.
_____________________________________
* - "I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)" Copyright Fall Out Boy
“Jen! Jen, Wake up, damn it!” I could hear Gabe’s voice and his hands shaking me, but my god I didn’t want to get up. Nuh-uh!
“Jenny! Wake up! It’s something about the band!”
That woke me up. My eyes snapped open and I sat up in my bed, or rather, the guest bed. I suddenly remembered I wasn’t wearing a bra and panicked and covered myself with the comforter. I flashed Gabe’s stunned and blushed face an embarrassed grin and then hopped from bed, dragging the comforter along while I continued to cover myself.
“What? What? What about the band?”
Gabe snapped out of his shocked trance, “Wha- oh - shit. Yeah, come upstairs! Hurry!”
His muscular body and light brown head of hair bounded up the stairs, and I was close behind. Shit, I hoped his parents weren’t up there to see me like this.
I peeked around the wall that separated the stairwell from the living room. When I saw the coast was clear I gave a massive, suspicious grin and began humming the James Bond theme song while I sneaked along, hiding behind chairs, the couch, and a light stand. I formed my clasped hands in the shape of a gun for the sake of being cliché.
Once I was close enough, Gabe grabbed my arm and flung me into the floor in front of the television.
“Owie!” I pouted stubbornly, giving my boyfriend a face before he pointed urgently to the electronic screen.
“…The Early Show’s Battle of the Bands: Living Room Live!” the female co-anchor said, faking her overzealous excitement. A fancy banner for the news channel function showed appropriately and then the lady continued to show video clips of young teen bands like mine, each playing a part of one of their songs. They all sucked. You could tell they were just kids.
I looked over at Gabe, annoyed, “Okay…? Why the hell would you drag - “
“Shhh!” he batted his hand and again pointed at that stupid screen.
I gave the screen one more chance.
“Want to join the Battle of the Bands? Send us a recording of one of your songs to…”
Gabe furiously wrote down the website and street address of the Early Show news broadcasting building. No way. He wasn’t even thinking it. See? That’s why he was my boyfriend. Because he was hilarious. Maybe not in his words, but his actions. Fucking hilarious.
“You’re joking,” I said flatly.
“Hell no. I’m completely serious, my little criminal. You guys would so win against all those other people,” Gabe chimed confidently. He was so supportive of the band and all, but - c’mon - this was ridiculous.
I stood from the carpeted floor, still keeping the comforter with me, “Okay, say we did. But winning wouldn’t help us, any. We’re looking for good publicity, Cherry. Five seconds on world-wise news wouldn’t do us a damn bit of good.”
“And five minutes on a talent-show-stage would do you more good than possibly winning a chance at a record label?” Gabe was giving me his ‘Baby please’ face. It was more buttery and chocolate-and-caramel-coated than any puppy face. My heart melted.
“Fine,” I said with a taken sigh, “I’ll talk to Laura about it.”
“Yes!” Gabe leapt, swinging me up into a bridal carry, spinning around in the center of his living room and planting a soft kiss on my lips.
Laura’s Point of View
The door bell rang and I shouted that I would get it, when I was normally expected to get it. Yay for routine. I swung the door open and before I knew it I was being dragged out of my house by the collar of my shirt by my friend’s strong yet frail hand.
“Jen? What the fuck?!” I rammed my heels into the ground and halted myself.
Jennifer looked back at me with a surprised yet proud face, “Laura? You can cuss? Oh Jesus, thank god! I thought you would never come through for me!”
My brows furrowed and I jerked my shirt from her clinging hands, “Yeah, well, it’s in me for, you know, those all-too-common occasions I get freaking kidnapped!” I continued fixing my shirt.
“Well, I wouldn’t call it being kidnapped, more like I’m-taking-you-to-my-house-to-watch-a-movie-napped,” Jen said slyly.
“You know, genius, you could have called at least.”
“Ah, get over it. Tell your parents you’ll be at my place.”
“I’m supposing this is a night-stay?” I sneered, looking up at the darkening evening sky.
“Yeah… speaking of. Get some clothes quick. I don’t wanna get caught out here at night.”
“You heard the news, too?” I asked cautiously.
“Not the news… Gabe had a face-to-face contact with the fucker. I’ll tell you at my place.”
I ran inside and found my mom in her normal chair in the living room watching TV. “Mom, Jen’s invited me over to her place for the night, can I go please-please-please-I-love-you-so-much-please?”
She eyed me. “Laura. Okay but only if you’re at her house and nowhere else. If I hear that you’re anywhere else… I want you home by noon tomorrow.”
I squealed my thanks, collected my over-night gear and flew out the door with a quick good bye to my father and mother.
**
I closed the microwave door and leaned back on the white basement kitchen counter while the popcorn began to cook. I crossed my arms and eyeballed Jen until she noticed.
“Wha- oh, fine. What exactly do you want to know?”
“What did Gabe tell you about him?” I asked eagerly, “Couldn’t he report the guy to the police?”
Jen picked at her teeth with a toothpick offhandedly, “Nah. The guy had him pinned against a wall and had his face covered with some ski-mask or some shit like that. You know that scar Gabe’s got on his neck?”
I nodded my head excitedly, urging Jennifer to go on.
“Yeah, that guy gave him that. Gabe didn’t tell me much, but I do know he’s not some really old person like the police think he is…”
“How did Gabe get away, I mean, isn’t this guy a killer? What, he’s got three deaths belonging to him?”
Jen’s eyes glazed over and she looked away reflectively, her toothpick resting in her mouth, “Like I said, Gabe didn’t say much. It was a pretty big thing for him… hit him hard…hit me hard, too.”
The microwave beeped, announcing that the popcorn was ready. Jen jumped from her reflective state back into her hyper-active mode and grabbed the popcorn bag, “Movie time!”
Tomb Raider, so predictable of the drummer Jennifer Ann Motlift.
While we watched the movie Jen sat on a couch and I sat on the floor so she could braid my long brown hair which ended up smelling more like popcorn than my shampoo because Jen just so happened to be eating that all-too-famous movie-snack while fixing my hair. It didn’t smell so bad, actually.
Leave it to us to fall asleep while watching an action movie.
Jennifer’s Point of View
I snapped awake to the freezing icy cold hands that could only belong to Gabe’s mother. Christ, the below zero temperature of her fingers could rip through any type of cloth, including my warm pajamas. You wouldn’t expect a very well fed woman as herself could have such cold fingers! I was no morning person, and I glared up at the woman.
“Oh, dear, I’m sorry, Jen… it’s just… you sleep like the dead and I can never tell if you’re… oh, never-mind. Try to go back to sleep… I’m sorry…”
But I don’t ‘go back to sleep’. That’s why I’m not a morning person: you wake me up early, someone had better be dying or else I’d arrange it that way. I continued to glare at Gabe’s mother as she scuttled outside, probably on her way to work. I didn’t care; she fucking woke me the hell up!
My next point of hate was the clock hanging on the wall next to the television… I nearly wailed in dismay. Six o’clock in the morning.
I looked over at Laura’s sleeping form on the carpeted floor and envied her for her hard sleeping habits. Have fun sleeping like a log, Laura. You just wait for my wake-up call. I hadn’t even finished braiding her hair when I finally crashed. Well, she didn’t really need it braided, anyway. Plus, I sucked at doing anything other than spiking hair.
I rolled off the couch, making sure not to stir Laura. I needed a cappuccino… I made my way to the kitchen on the ground level of the house and pulled out a powder mix for my favorite caffeinated drink. Simple steps for a not-so-awake person. Boil water in a cup, add powder mix, stir, enjoy. Tada: the perfect cappuccino.
I picked up my CD player I had left on the kitchen counter and sat down with Gabe’s father at the table. He wasn’t a morning person, either, so we got along in the morning. I didn’t bother him, he didn’t bother me. He would be going to work soon, anyway. I put in the ear buds and pressed play, hoping I had in a good CD.
“Last year's wishes
Are this year's apologies
Every last time I come home
I take my last chance
To burn a bridge or two
I only keep myself this sick in the head
Cause I know how the words get you off”*
I smiled to myself and melted into my warm drink and melodic music.
_____________________________________
* - "I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)" Copyright Fall Out Boy