Romance of a Rock Band
Getting Ready
Tony
I woke up around 7:30 the next morning. I turned over and looked at Monique who was sleeping soundly. This was surprising. She was usually the early riser. I laid there for about ten minutes before I decided I wanted coffee. I got up, being careful not to wake Monique, and started out the door. I got into the hall and noticed that Annie’s door was open a crack. I shouldn’t look, I shouldn’t look, I thought standing there. What if she’s naked? But in the end my curiosity got the best of me and I crept quietly up to the door and peeked through.
The walls of her room were light blue, because this had been the computer room before she moved in. The carpet was a creamy white. Across from the door there was a picture window with a window seat with a green cushion. Against the adjacent wall, she had a queen sized water bed with a green bedspread, matching the window seat cushion, which took up a lot of room. It used to me ours, but Monique hurt her back at one of her part-time jobs and couldn’t sleep on it any more. We had given her the purple bedspread because the social worker had told us that purple was her favorite color. We had also given her a mirror that we had been keeping in the attic since we moved in. It stood on the wall across from her bed. There was no closet and we had neglected to buy a dresser, so her clothes were in boxes on the floor. Surprisingly, there wasn’t that many. She had a few posters to put on the walls, but said that she would wait until the room was painted.
She was standing in front of the mirror with her wings out and her hair down. I realized that this was the first time I had seen her natural hair. It was long, almost touching the floor, and the most brilliant blond I had ever seen. She was incredibly beautiful. She was mumbling something to herself. I tried to listen, but it was too quiet to make out. I suddenly felt dirty; like I was watching her undress, so I left.
I walked down the hall a little way and decided to make a stop at the bathroom. When I was done, I continued on down the hall, descended the stairs, and through the living room to the kitchen. Not too long after I started the coffee Annie came in. Her hair was no longer green, like yesterday, but a brilliant shade of blue.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Morning,” I said staring. She seemed to notice.
“Do you like the new color?” she asked. “I can change it if you like.”
“No, it’s fine,” I said. “I just wasn’t expecting blue.” She laughed.
“Why are you up so early?” she asked.
“I don’t know really,” I said. “I just woke up and decided I wanted coffee.”
“Oh,” she said. We were quiet for a minute.
“Why are you up so early?” I asked her.
“Nervous,” she answered simply.
“Oh,” I said. “You don’t have to be. We’ll catch you if you fall.” She just laughed.
“Don’t forget, today I go with Felix to his band practice,” she said.
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “I almost forgot about that.”
“You did forget about that,” said a voice from behind me. I turned around to see Monique standing in the doorway wearing her bathrobe.
“I love your hair,” Monique said to Annie.
“Thanks,” Annie said shyly. Monique just smiled.
“What would anyone like for breakfast?” she asked.
“I’m not really hungry,” Annie said.
“You should eat something,” Monique told her.
“I’ll just have toast then,” answered Annie.
“What about you?” asked Monique looking at me.
“Waffles,” I said.
“You’re getting Eggos,” she said.
“That’s fine,” I said. She started around the kitchen getting out whatever she needed to make breakfast and Annie sat down at the table. I got out cups for coffee.
“Do you want coffee, Annie?” I asked.
“No, thanks,” she answered. She was starting to go a little pale.
“You really don’t have to be nervous about that band,” I told her. “Felix is a good guy and he’ll stick up for you if they pick on you. Even if you’re really bad.” She didn’t answer.
Monique brought my waffles, Annie’s toast, and a bowl of cereal for herself to the table. We sat there eating our breakfasts for a little while, not saying a word. After she finished, Monique went upstairs to take a shower leaving Annie and me alone again.
“Do you think we should put the trampoline box in the car yet?” she asked.
“It’s probably a good idea,” I said.
“Then let’s go do it,” she said getting up from her chair. “Do you know when we’re going to leave?”
“Right after Monique comes out of the shower,” I answered following her lead.
“Alright,” she said making her way across the kitchen. I made my way ahead of her and we went out to the garage to get the trampoline. When she got out there she stopped to look around.
“Do you know where to find it?” she asked. Looking at all the junk scattered around the floor and on the shelves. There was hardly any room for the car anymore.
“Maybe I should have looked for it yesterday,” I said. She smiled.
“Well, where should I start?” she asked.
“Anywhere,” I answered starting towards the back of the garage. “It will be in a rather large box.”
“Alright,” she said. I didn’t take as long as I thought it would to find the thing. We put it in the trunk of the car and went back inside the house. Monique still wasn’t out of the shower.
“I think we still have a few minutes,” I said to Annie.
“I think so,” she said. We were quiet for a few minutes.
“Are you going to be alright, Annie?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” she said.
“Well, yesterday you threw up, and I just wanted to make sure today wouldn’t be a repeat,” I said.
“I hope not,” she answered. “But it could be. We’ll see, I suppose.” I just nodded. She was still really pale. Finally, after about ten minutes, Monique came out of the shower.
“Ready to go?” she asked. Annie and I looked at each other.
“Yup,” we said in unison.
“Let’s go then,” she said walking towards the front door. I followed her with Annie behind me.
I woke up around 7:30 the next morning. I turned over and looked at Monique who was sleeping soundly. This was surprising. She was usually the early riser. I laid there for about ten minutes before I decided I wanted coffee. I got up, being careful not to wake Monique, and started out the door. I got into the hall and noticed that Annie’s door was open a crack. I shouldn’t look, I shouldn’t look, I thought standing there. What if she’s naked? But in the end my curiosity got the best of me and I crept quietly up to the door and peeked through.
The walls of her room were light blue, because this had been the computer room before she moved in. The carpet was a creamy white. Across from the door there was a picture window with a window seat with a green cushion. Against the adjacent wall, she had a queen sized water bed with a green bedspread, matching the window seat cushion, which took up a lot of room. It used to me ours, but Monique hurt her back at one of her part-time jobs and couldn’t sleep on it any more. We had given her the purple bedspread because the social worker had told us that purple was her favorite color. We had also given her a mirror that we had been keeping in the attic since we moved in. It stood on the wall across from her bed. There was no closet and we had neglected to buy a dresser, so her clothes were in boxes on the floor. Surprisingly, there wasn’t that many. She had a few posters to put on the walls, but said that she would wait until the room was painted.
She was standing in front of the mirror with her wings out and her hair down. I realized that this was the first time I had seen her natural hair. It was long, almost touching the floor, and the most brilliant blond I had ever seen. She was incredibly beautiful. She was mumbling something to herself. I tried to listen, but it was too quiet to make out. I suddenly felt dirty; like I was watching her undress, so I left.
I walked down the hall a little way and decided to make a stop at the bathroom. When I was done, I continued on down the hall, descended the stairs, and through the living room to the kitchen. Not too long after I started the coffee Annie came in. Her hair was no longer green, like yesterday, but a brilliant shade of blue.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Morning,” I said staring. She seemed to notice.
“Do you like the new color?” she asked. “I can change it if you like.”
“No, it’s fine,” I said. “I just wasn’t expecting blue.” She laughed.
“Why are you up so early?” she asked.
“I don’t know really,” I said. “I just woke up and decided I wanted coffee.”
“Oh,” she said. We were quiet for a minute.
“Why are you up so early?” I asked her.
“Nervous,” she answered simply.
“Oh,” I said. “You don’t have to be. We’ll catch you if you fall.” She just laughed.
“Don’t forget, today I go with Felix to his band practice,” she said.
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “I almost forgot about that.”
“You did forget about that,” said a voice from behind me. I turned around to see Monique standing in the doorway wearing her bathrobe.
“I love your hair,” Monique said to Annie.
“Thanks,” Annie said shyly. Monique just smiled.
“What would anyone like for breakfast?” she asked.
“I’m not really hungry,” Annie said.
“You should eat something,” Monique told her.
“I’ll just have toast then,” answered Annie.
“What about you?” asked Monique looking at me.
“Waffles,” I said.
“You’re getting Eggos,” she said.
“That’s fine,” I said. She started around the kitchen getting out whatever she needed to make breakfast and Annie sat down at the table. I got out cups for coffee.
“Do you want coffee, Annie?” I asked.
“No, thanks,” she answered. She was starting to go a little pale.
“You really don’t have to be nervous about that band,” I told her. “Felix is a good guy and he’ll stick up for you if they pick on you. Even if you’re really bad.” She didn’t answer.
Monique brought my waffles, Annie’s toast, and a bowl of cereal for herself to the table. We sat there eating our breakfasts for a little while, not saying a word. After she finished, Monique went upstairs to take a shower leaving Annie and me alone again.
“Do you think we should put the trampoline box in the car yet?” she asked.
“It’s probably a good idea,” I said.
“Then let’s go do it,” she said getting up from her chair. “Do you know when we’re going to leave?”
“Right after Monique comes out of the shower,” I answered following her lead.
“Alright,” she said making her way across the kitchen. I made my way ahead of her and we went out to the garage to get the trampoline. When she got out there she stopped to look around.
“Do you know where to find it?” she asked. Looking at all the junk scattered around the floor and on the shelves. There was hardly any room for the car anymore.
“Maybe I should have looked for it yesterday,” I said. She smiled.
“Well, where should I start?” she asked.
“Anywhere,” I answered starting towards the back of the garage. “It will be in a rather large box.”
“Alright,” she said. I didn’t take as long as I thought it would to find the thing. We put it in the trunk of the car and went back inside the house. Monique still wasn’t out of the shower.
“I think we still have a few minutes,” I said to Annie.
“I think so,” she said. We were quiet for a few minutes.
“Are you going to be alright, Annie?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” she said.
“Well, yesterday you threw up, and I just wanted to make sure today wouldn’t be a repeat,” I said.
“I hope not,” she answered. “But it could be. We’ll see, I suppose.” I just nodded. She was still really pale. Finally, after about ten minutes, Monique came out of the shower.
“Ready to go?” she asked. Annie and I looked at each other.
“Yup,” we said in unison.
“Let’s go then,” she said walking towards the front door. I followed her with Annie behind me.
♠ ♠ ♠
Comments? Anyone?