Nothing and Everything
A Distant Melody
“You know, I’m really not sure where Hayley went...” Jeff mused as he scanned the crowd of people by the buffet table. Still searching, he imitated a fierce gag after a woman who looked no more than twenty sauntered by him, her breasts spilling carelessly out of her dress, polluting the air with the stench of her perfume. “It smells like a stick of cotton candy with some kind of toxic, sugary fume!”
Conor laughed. Carefree, yet it was debatable whether he was still innocent. The two best friends continued to split their sides over the presence of the ridiculous woman whom neither of them knew.
Finally, Jeff found who he was looking for.
“Hayley! Over here!” Jeff shouted to his wife over the crowd. “Bring Gerard with you?” He proposed as Conor gave him a puzzled look. “Who’s that?”
Jeff smiled fondly. “I don’t think you know Gerard, actually. He’s a friend from art school.” Conor paused, then smiled, remembering his friend’s trip to New York a few years ago, when he still lived in Omaha. “Yeah, that’s cool, I almost forgot. I must be getting old...”
“You’re only twenty, Conor. Stop thinking like some kind of brain-washed supermodel.”
Conor laughed again, “I was kidding, Jeff. Don’t worry.” Conor struck a pose, pursing his lips, resting one hand on his hip and running the other through his ebony hair, earning another snicker from his friend.
At that moment, Conor’s joking face found Hayley’s quizzical eyes, and his pose fell to pieces as her hysteric laughiter crushed his stereotypical supermodel act.
“Hi Conor? Hi Honey?” She half-questioned, kissing Jeff’s cheek in the process.
“Hi Hayl,” Jef greeted.
“Hi Hayley,” Conor blushed as he spoke, chagrined with his behavior.
Hayley Williams smiled vividly again, and as her scarlet lips curled up, his husband’s face seemed twice as bright.
“So, I won’t even ask.”
“There’s no need to.” Jeff smiled into her eyes. “So Conor, this is Gerard, from art school.”
Conor’s eyes fell upon the man standing beside Hayley. He wasn’t tall, but he wasn’t short, and there was thin, dark hair covering perhaps a third of his face. His black tuxedo fit rather tightly, clinging to his features, and his hands were clasped even tighter, almost as if he was anxious, nervous in some way. However, his hands separated almost immediately after his head rose, exposing a bright yet humble smile.
He was beautiful.
“Hey, you’re Conor, right? Jeff told me all about your music. From what I’ve heard, it sounds amazing.”
Conor smiled modestly back, deciding that his expression could be used as answer for now. “And you’re Gerard?”
The man nodded, keeping his eyes locked with Conor’s while doing so. For some reason, Conor found it difficult to look anywhere else. The early afternoon sunlight caught on his dark, leather shoes and played with the tips of the green, spring grass as he found himself shaking Gerard’s hand, and then abruptly pulling back, realizing just how beautiful this man really was.
Conor laughed. Carefree, yet it was debatable whether he was still innocent. The two best friends continued to split their sides over the presence of the ridiculous woman whom neither of them knew.
Finally, Jeff found who he was looking for.
“Hayley! Over here!” Jeff shouted to his wife over the crowd. “Bring Gerard with you?” He proposed as Conor gave him a puzzled look. “Who’s that?”
Jeff smiled fondly. “I don’t think you know Gerard, actually. He’s a friend from art school.” Conor paused, then smiled, remembering his friend’s trip to New York a few years ago, when he still lived in Omaha. “Yeah, that’s cool, I almost forgot. I must be getting old...”
“You’re only twenty, Conor. Stop thinking like some kind of brain-washed supermodel.”
Conor laughed again, “I was kidding, Jeff. Don’t worry.” Conor struck a pose, pursing his lips, resting one hand on his hip and running the other through his ebony hair, earning another snicker from his friend.
At that moment, Conor’s joking face found Hayley’s quizzical eyes, and his pose fell to pieces as her hysteric laughiter crushed his stereotypical supermodel act.
“Hi Conor? Hi Honey?” She half-questioned, kissing Jeff’s cheek in the process.
“Hi Hayl,” Jef greeted.
“Hi Hayley,” Conor blushed as he spoke, chagrined with his behavior.
Hayley Williams smiled vividly again, and as her scarlet lips curled up, his husband’s face seemed twice as bright.
“So, I won’t even ask.”
“There’s no need to.” Jeff smiled into her eyes. “So Conor, this is Gerard, from art school.”
Conor’s eyes fell upon the man standing beside Hayley. He wasn’t tall, but he wasn’t short, and there was thin, dark hair covering perhaps a third of his face. His black tuxedo fit rather tightly, clinging to his features, and his hands were clasped even tighter, almost as if he was anxious, nervous in some way. However, his hands separated almost immediately after his head rose, exposing a bright yet humble smile.
He was beautiful.
“Hey, you’re Conor, right? Jeff told me all about your music. From what I’ve heard, it sounds amazing.”
Conor smiled modestly back, deciding that his expression could be used as answer for now. “And you’re Gerard?”
The man nodded, keeping his eyes locked with Conor’s while doing so. For some reason, Conor found it difficult to look anywhere else. The early afternoon sunlight caught on his dark, leather shoes and played with the tips of the green, spring grass as he found himself shaking Gerard’s hand, and then abruptly pulling back, realizing just how beautiful this man really was.