Imprint

“See ya, Paul!” I shouted from the back seat of Jacob’s rickety old vehicle. With disdain, I looked at it subtly, disapproving. I don’t think I will ever get over my hatred for this thing.

“Bye, Popcorn!” Paul had been calling me this since I had attacked Jacob with the tub of popcorn earlier. Kristina had gotten quite a kick out of it, and so had I. Jacob? Eh… Not so much.

Paul waved one more time before Jacob pulled out of his driveway, heading for Kristina’s house. Paul lived closest to the movie theater, so he had been dropped off first. Now Jacob was going to drop off Kristina, seeing as going to my house first would be a complete waste of gas. And with the prices as high as they were, Jacob wasn’t going to allow that.

I was kind of in high spirits the whole ride to Kristina’s house, and we decided that we would annoy Jacob. And what better way than to sing? I had recently become obsessed with an artist by the name of Serj Tankian, and just so happened to have his CD, Elect the Dead, in my purse.

Psh, just so happened…

I gave the CD to Jacob and told him to play it. He looked at it, gave me a look of confusion, and popped it into his low-quality car stereo. Regardless of the bad quality, the beginning of the song “Empty Walls” blared clear as ever.

Your empty walls,
Your empty walls,
Pretentious adventures,
Dismissive apprehension,
Don’t waste your time,
On coffins today,
When we decline,
From the confines of our mind,
Don’t waste your time,
On coffins today…

Jacob looked at me, his eyes wide. Serj Tankian had a… curious-sounding voice, but I loved it. I guess Jacob didn’t feel the same way. As my favorite part began to play, I sang along, loudly, mocking Serj’s way of singing.

“Don’t you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning,
Dying of anticipation,
Choking from intoxication,
Don’t you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning,
Dying of anticipation,
Choking from intoxication,
I want you to be left behind those empty walls,
Told you to see from behind those empty walls…”

Kristina joined in, having picked up the gist of the lyrics.

“Don’t you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning,
Dying of anticipation,
Choking from intoxication,
Don’t you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning,
Dying of anticipation,
Choking from intoxication,
I want you to be left behind those empty walls,
Told you to see from behind those empty walls,
Want you to be left behind those empty walls,
I told you to see from behind those empty walls,
From behind those empty walls,
From behind those empty walls,
The walls!
From behind those empty walls…”

As we finished the last line of the chorus, Jacob had apparently had enough. He turned off the stereo, and Kristina and I succumbed to giggles.

“Had enough, have you?” Kristina choked out between deep breaths.

“Yes I have thank you,” Jacob said with a tone of finality.

“Spoil-sport,” I murmured, causing Kristina to laugh uncontrollably once again.

The rest of the ride was spent semi-silently, the only noise coming from Kristina making tweeting sounds every time she saw a bird. Jacob seemed to be on the edge of breaking down. And it was hilarious.

j a c o b

It wasn’t until Kristina’s house came into view again that I remembered Jacob’s strange behavior from before. A chill ran down my back at the prospect of revisiting this touchy subject. But as we turned the corner, Jacob was seemingly cool as ice. And this kinda scared me.