You're My Favourite Sound

I took the fastest shower I had ever taken in my life, threw on a t-shirt and some jeans, and was out the door in less than twenty minutes. It was the first day back at college since the new year started, I had missed this class twice already and my instructor was starting to notice.

I got to school about two minutes late, grabbed my backpack and raced inside the Recording Arts building. I ran down the hall, shouting out hellos to my friends that I recognised, and threw open the door to the studio where my class was held in. The students' heads snapped around at the racket I made entering the room. I flashed an apologetic smile as many of my classmates just laughed.

After class, I lingered around the studios, mingling with the other students and messing around with equipment, Hazel and Joshi came to hang out, too. But time was getting on and I had to rush home to get ready for work.

On the drive home, my cell started ringing and I looked down at the screen to see a number I didn't recognise, but slapped it to my ear anyway. I would have used my handsfree set but the wires were tangled in a frustrating mess on the dash board.

"Hello?" I asked again after receiving no answer. Nothing, just faint breathing. "Hello?" I repeated. When the person on the other end finally spoke, I almost dropped the phone.

"I miss you..."

My stomach tensed up, turning and twisting itself up in knots. I was suddenly brought back to my 18th birthday.

I dialed the number and listened as it rang at least five times, before I heard someone pick up. His voice ran through my veins and I froze, keeping silent. I wondered if he thought about me.

"Hello?" he asked again. I bit my lip and thought about what I could say. Happy Birthday? Happy Halloween? "Hello?" he repeated.

I suddenly felt as if everything was right. I swallowed and finally got up the nerve to say something.

"I miss you," I spoke softly and hung up the phone.

"How did you get my number, Frank?" I asked into my cell once I came back to concentrating on the road.

"Alex," came his mumbled reply. "I'm sorry, I just... missed you."

A little bit of anger crept up in my stomach then. "What do you think's gonna happen here, Frank? Do you really think you can just come back after three years and sweep me off my feet again, and we'd run away together? 'Cause I'll tell you now that is not gonna happen-"

"Of course not!" Frank cut in, and I waited to see what he had to say. "... I just miss hanging out with you, you know? Like we used to, as friends." He sighed softly in my ear, making my heart melt.

I sighed, too. "Well, you could come by work tonight if you want... and we could go get a bite to eat or something..." He seemed to perk up.

"That sounds great, I'll be there."

We said our goodbyes and I gradually got home to an empty aparment. Ethan was working late tonight so I probably wouldn't see him until tomorrow morning at some point. Opening my closet, I suddenly became fussy about what to wear tonight. I wasn't dressing up, I just wanted to look... nice.

What girl didn't want to look nice when going out?

I decided on my tight-fitting black pants with white Converse, and a pretty lavender coloured top with small black stars going around the bottom edge.

Adorning myself with the proper belt and bracelets, I finally stopped my vain antics and looked at the clock, only to realise that if I didn't leave right away, I'd be late. I grabbed my purse and jacket, and without another glance at myself, I was out the door and on my way to the club.

"Get all dressed up for us?" David remarked as I walked in the club doors.

"Nah, she wouldn't do that for us," Alex said, popping up from behind the bar and catching me off-gaurd.

"I'm not dressed up," I responded as I joined Alex behind the bar and started to help him clean glasses.

"So would this have anything to do with Frank?" he then asked, "You know, seeing as I had him on the phone, asking for your number."

"No comment," I replied cooly.

"And you think dressing up for your ex is appropriate?"

"He's not my ex," I corrected the older man, "And I'm not dressed up... We're just hanging out, you know, like friends do."

"We're friends, but we haven't hung out in decades," he exaggeratingly threw at me.

"That's because I get enough of you at work," I shot back smugly.

"Cheeky," he exhaled, shaking his head. I laughed to myself and continued to clean shot glasses.

"Alex, since October decided to play dress up today, you get to go unload and she can finish doing this," David said, commenting about our current activity.

Alex let out an irritated moan, but jumped over the bar and turned back to me. "I'm guessing Ethan knows about this, right?"

"Yeah," I said quickly. Even though that wasn't true right now, didn't mean it wouldn't be later. This white lie would just get Alex off my back from lecturing, I'd tell Ethan when I saw him next. I'm sure he'd be okay with it... right?

"Good," Alex smiled and disappeared backstage.

The club was exceptionally noisy that night. Some local band was playing and apparently all of their friends from the area came to support them. For a weeknight, the club was packed. I shot Alex an overwhelmed expression as he hopped behind the bar and began to help serve drinks.

David waved as I served up three JD's and Cokes, bringing my thoughts racing back to Frank. I didn't know when he'd turn up, but I was kind of hoping it wasn't until we were closing, just so I could focus on my job and not think about anything else.

My focus was brought back to the bar as David yelled for six Miller Lites. Using my belt buckle, I opened all six bottles like a professional, and slid them down the bar to David. He rolled his eyes as the guys who ordered the beers stared at me in amazement.

"Showoff," David yelled. I just gave an innocent smile and shrugged. Just as one of the guys had started to try to get my attention, David interrupted him. "Sorry, bud, she's taken," he smiled and I looked up to confirm whether or not they were talking about me.

"It's okay," the guy persisted, sliding down the bar to where I stood, cleaning out shot glasses, "I can keep a secret." I looked up at him, amazed that he had just said this to me. I wanted to laugh, but then he added, "You already know that, right, October?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him, "Do I know you?"

He leaned over the bar, bringing his face closer to mine, and said more quietly, "You mean to tell me you don't recognise the boy you gave your virginity to?" My face dropped and a look of satisfaction crossed his face, a look that sickened me.

"Derek," I said blankly.

Derek was my first real boyfriend I'd dated when I was sixteen back in Berkely. Being naive, I fell for his idiotic charm and cheesy lines he'd bullshit me with, but in the end, like every girl will know, you realise boys like that turn out to be such assholes. In this case, Derek used me to get to my father and to be the coolest guy at school because, you know, he'd 'fucked Billie Joe Armstrong's daughter' and all... Anyway, I ended up breaking his nose when his secret got out and that sure as hell taught every other boy in school a lesson.

"Sorry," I said through gritted teeth, being as polite as I could so he wouldn't have any complaints to tell my management, "Like you've just been told, I'm taken, engaged actually."

Derek looked down at his beer and then pulled a pen out of his pocket. On one of the napkins that littered the counter, he wrote down his name and a phone number underneath. He handed me the napkin, allowing his hand to linger on mine a little longer than normal.

"Well, October," he said with a sly grin, "You let me know if you change your mind." He winked at me and walked away to meet up with his friends. I rolled my eyes and shoved the napkin in my back pocket as I was called over for another order.

A while later, the place had died down, which was relieving. I carried on my shift until closing time was just minutes away, serving and chatting politely with the customers.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out over the music in the background.

"So, is there anything you don’t do here?" the voice asked. I looked up to meet Frank's sparkling eyes. I let out a quiet laugh and shook my head back and forth.

David came up behind me, gave me a friendly smile and told me that I could go whenever I wanted. With that, I grabbed my purse and motioned for Frank to meet me in the backstage hallway. I exited the bar through the door that led into the hall.

Frank came through the door from the club and gave me a soft smile. His hand found the small of my back and he guided me out the back door.