A Rock Opera.
Needle in the Vein
I sat there on the cold hard concrete step, aimlessly watching Ariel pace the street while my thoughts drifted elsewhere. She had gotten me thinking. And it was bugging the hell out of me. One, because I couldn’t come up with a straight answer for my or her purpose in life, and two, no other person I had met had actually seemed to read my mind.
Well, no other girl had ever read my mind.
“Jesus Christ, why do I even bother?” I heard her mumble angrily to herself, continuing to kick the pavement with her battered shoes.
“Ariel, I know what you—“
“No, you don’t know what I’m talking about.” She turned to face me, her expression instantly fierce. “Try stepping into this body for a day, alright? See how it feels to have people looking at your chest rather than your face. Shows where their priorities lie, doesn’t it? Is that what life is about? Sex, sex, sex? Is our sole purpose of being just to reproduce and create little miniature versions of ourselves?”
I opened my mouth to speak; but yet again, words refused to come out. It was as if Ariel had stolen them instead.
“I want an answer,” she replied quietly, turning back around to face the street. The cars continued to speed by, and an irritating light drizzle began to fall. Each water drop was illuminated by the bright street lights, giving Ariel this sort of godlike glow.
I stood up to stand beside her, to let my eyes drift in the same direction as hers. Maybe there was something out there.
“Well, with politicians like ours there’s no wonder everyone has to question everything,” I muttered. To my utter disbelief, she smiled.
“You’re one of the first decent guys I’ve met, Jesus,” she said in the same quiet voice. “I wish everyone was like you.” Her fierce eyes seemed to pierce mine with that strong glare.
I shrugged my shoulders. “If everyone was like me, then I wouldn’t be Jesus. I’d be one of everyone else.”
She gave a bitter laugh. “Maybe it is okay to be the minority.”
“It sure beats being an ignorant majority,” I said, remembering the general intelligence level of my old family to be very low. They didn’t give a fuck about the world around them – and that was what pissed me off so much.
I felt her soft hand gently slip into mine. I immediately took it and gave it a tight squeeze, gently leading her back into the club.
“So you like Tunny’s band, eh?” She raised an eyebrow at my willingness to go back inside. “Or would you rather not be alone with me?”
“Not be alone with you? That’s the complete opposite of everything I want in life.” I inwardly winced. The words, which had before been so hard to say, had slipped out of my mouth before I even had a chance to reconsider.
Yet Ariel gave a sly smile. “Why, thankyou.”
Before I could reply, she pulled me close by the front of my shirt, her lips meeting mine within a matter of seconds. It was over just as quickly as it had started.
“Must you constantly tease me?” I gave a mock whimper, watching her bright eyes intently. She shrugged her shoulders.
“I didn’t do anything. You just imagined it.” She pulled my arm in the direction of the stairs. “Hurry up! Underground punk is calling.”
Well, no other girl had ever read my mind.
“Jesus Christ, why do I even bother?” I heard her mumble angrily to herself, continuing to kick the pavement with her battered shoes.
“Ariel, I know what you—“
“No, you don’t know what I’m talking about.” She turned to face me, her expression instantly fierce. “Try stepping into this body for a day, alright? See how it feels to have people looking at your chest rather than your face. Shows where their priorities lie, doesn’t it? Is that what life is about? Sex, sex, sex? Is our sole purpose of being just to reproduce and create little miniature versions of ourselves?”
I opened my mouth to speak; but yet again, words refused to come out. It was as if Ariel had stolen them instead.
“I want an answer,” she replied quietly, turning back around to face the street. The cars continued to speed by, and an irritating light drizzle began to fall. Each water drop was illuminated by the bright street lights, giving Ariel this sort of godlike glow.
I stood up to stand beside her, to let my eyes drift in the same direction as hers. Maybe there was something out there.
“Well, with politicians like ours there’s no wonder everyone has to question everything,” I muttered. To my utter disbelief, she smiled.
“You’re one of the first decent guys I’ve met, Jesus,” she said in the same quiet voice. “I wish everyone was like you.” Her fierce eyes seemed to pierce mine with that strong glare.
I shrugged my shoulders. “If everyone was like me, then I wouldn’t be Jesus. I’d be one of everyone else.”
She gave a bitter laugh. “Maybe it is okay to be the minority.”
“It sure beats being an ignorant majority,” I said, remembering the general intelligence level of my old family to be very low. They didn’t give a fuck about the world around them – and that was what pissed me off so much.
I felt her soft hand gently slip into mine. I immediately took it and gave it a tight squeeze, gently leading her back into the club.
“So you like Tunny’s band, eh?” She raised an eyebrow at my willingness to go back inside. “Or would you rather not be alone with me?”
“Not be alone with you? That’s the complete opposite of everything I want in life.” I inwardly winced. The words, which had before been so hard to say, had slipped out of my mouth before I even had a chance to reconsider.
Yet Ariel gave a sly smile. “Why, thankyou.”
Before I could reply, she pulled me close by the front of my shirt, her lips meeting mine within a matter of seconds. It was over just as quickly as it had started.
“Must you constantly tease me?” I gave a mock whimper, watching her bright eyes intently. She shrugged her shoulders.
“I didn’t do anything. You just imagined it.” She pulled my arm in the direction of the stairs. “Hurry up! Underground punk is calling.”