Anna Et Romy

I sat in front of a mirror combing my fingers through my thick tresses, it was nasty hot in my older sisters apartment and I didn't know how long I could last. Juliet stormed from her room, a flurry of twisted blond hair and ripped leggings.

"Anna, can you NOT sit in front of the mirror before I need it. I'd appreciate it." I pushed my glasses up my nose and slid from the chair meekly, hoping my glamorous sister wouldn't blow me over in her torrent of Daisy, by Marc Jacobs perfume from her newest flavour of the week. I loved Julie, but god help her, she was too glamerous Juliet offered to take care of me after we lost our parents in a plane crash when I was 12. Now 17, I resided in her huge loft apartment in the Soho part of New York. She was an 'actress' if you could even call a burlesque dancer that.

"Julie, there are approximately 6 mirrors in this apartment. Me sitting in front of ONE of them should not hinder you in any way." I noted, a hint of teasing in my voice. She wasn't usually this...obnoxious, but when the guy changes, so does she. She tried to look annoyed, but I could tell she was confused. Let's just say my sister wasn't the brightest bulb in the strobe lights of the Kitty Kat Lounge.

"Whatever. I'm going to my favourite band's concert tonight and I need all the mirrors I can get to perfect myself." I grudgingly got up and stood by the floor length windows watching the sun linger behind the buildings of the meat packing district. A few strands of light creating rainbows on a shiny table. I wondered if my sister even knew the name of the band. They we're from Seattle or something like that and my sister's boyfriend was an 'indie' type of guy. So my Juliet had to keep up the facade.

"Do you even know their name?" I asked her watching a bum pee on a graffittied wall across the street. I scrunched my nose and went to the spindly cage across the room that held my bird Everest. After my parents had died, the therapist at school that I was required to see suggested that I get some form of animal interaction, that was bull if you asked me (no pun intended). So my sister sprang for a soft white bird, his feathers looked like snow, so of course thats where the name Everest came from. The mountain...Everest?

"Who's name?" My sister asked pulling a bobby pin from her mouth and sticking it in her hair. I rolled my eyes and pressed a finger to Everest's downy chest.

"The band's." I said setting Everest on the sofa ledge and praying he wouldn't poop on it again. Birds poop every twelve seconds. Or was it thirteen?

"Oh," She said absently. "Uhm...Wooden Animals or something like that." She said waving a hand. "Geoff will tell me when he comes to pick me up." I was happy that my sister was leaving me alone tonight. I kinda wanted to go for a swim at the Y and couldn't usually escape her watchful eye.

She primped once more, pinching her cheeks to give them colour. Though I doubted she needed to do that, considering how hot it was. Everest shuddered squawking as I tried to make him sit on my other finger.

"I should be home by 11:30 alright?" She continued nasally as she scraped crust from her nose. Ugh. I shuddered as well.

The phone rang and all three of us froze. And then I realized, no one ever called for me, so it had to be for Juliet. I've always been an outsider at school, no one dared to talk to me after the news of my parents death spread. Like they were scared or something. Juliet sprang from her perch, manicured fingers clasping the phone with urgency and excitement.

"Hello? Geoff?" She answered toying with the cord on our vintage phone. A blonde tendril fell into her eyes as she laughed softly. "Of course I got all dressed up...It's what I do silly." I turned to the window, wishing I had my camera with me so I could capture the last hints of light.

"What?!" Juliet screeched. Everest and I jumped, frightened by my sister's sudden outburst. I turned to look at Julie's crestfallen face. "Geoff! You said that tonight was our date night! You said you wouldn't stand me up again!" She yelled. I rubbed my arm, feeling like I was intruding on her conversation. I knew Geoff wasn't the one. He was just a guy with really thick muttonchops...and who smelled like clove cigarettes.

"You know what. Fine. I will take the tickets. I will have a good time without you. Yeah? Well screw you!" She fumed slamming the phone to the receiver with a small ping of the metal clashing together.

"Uh..." I hummed trying to sidestep to the kitchen. Juliet rubbed her temples with one hand and motioned for me to stop moving with her other.

"Please..." She said wearily. I shook my head knowing exactly what she was about to ask of me. Everest flew from my finger, leaving a nice poo on my finger. Great. As I walked to the kitchen, hand extended, Juliet followed clawing at my back.

"Anna, I have an extra ticket and I don't want to go alone!" She wailed. That's one thing about my sister, she's a big baby.

"No." I said plainly scrubbing my hands in the sink. Julie dropped to her knees and clasped her hands.

"Anna!" I shook my head vigorously. Her face clouded.

"I'll give you 30 bucks." She negotiated.

"Fine." I surrendered.
* * *
"Front row." I stated miserably. I hated too much sound, too many lights and even more smoke. The place was already buzzing with energy and Juliet and I had our chests pressed to the railing. I had my camera poised on my nose. taking random shots of anything even remotely interesting. Juliet nudged me, her petite face excited.

"Aren't you glad you came?" She said eyebrow raised. I raised my own in response. One large man elbowed me and almost caused me to drop my camera. I shot him a dirty look and moved over.

"Yeah. Overjoyed." I've really got to work on my firmness. The house lights dimmed and four guys walked onstage, bathed in the red of the spotlights. One on the bass blared out a deep riff silencing everyone in the audience. A shaggy guy with interesting hair came so close to the mic it was almost in his mouth.

"Sliced oranges." He murmured to the audience. This must've meant something because everyone in the house went ballistic. I could almost feel the ground vibrating and then all went quiet as the bassist came close to the edge of the stage. His brown hair waved in his face, a persistent cowlick brushing the back of his neck. He had small moles like stars across parts of his face, and he simply wore a moss green v neck. My heart slammed in my chest as the singer began to hum from deep within his chest. The guitarist joined and the drummer slammed out a beat. It all came together like a battleship.

Hands shaking, I pulled my camera out and pressed it to my glasses lense, aiming directly at the bassist. My sister beside me swayed like a drunk palm tree, her halter top dangerously high above her bony hips. Under the multicoloured lights, she truly looked ghostlike, and I wasn't the only one that noticed. The men would glance at her, their eyes full of wonderlust. The singer pressed on even eyeing her as well. But all I could really pay attention to was the guy in the green shirt. I snapped picture after picture, having my own private photoshoot while he made love to the bass.

When they were done, I grasped the last few notes wishing I could hold them longer. I couldn't even pay attention to what my sister was saying to me as she tugged on my wrist. The bassist wiped beads of sweat from his upper lip and took a swig of water from the singers bottle.

"They're taking a break Anna." She said giving quick looks at the singer as she led me away. Once we were in the main entrance where the restrooms were, I held my camera close to me, protective of the secret shots I got of my guy. "Boy they rock don't they?" She exclaimed opening the door to the women's bathroom. I laughed, that was an understatement.

"Yeah, they killed it." I muttered winding my camera to get a picture of my sister anxiously waiting in line for an open stall. "I don't have to go to the bathroom." I stated stepping out of line. My sister waved me away as she stepped into a stall. I shook my head leaving the bathroom. The hallway was dim, a few flickering florescent lights guiding me nowhere. I wandered trying to find my way back to the stage, maybe I could get a few more precious shots before the night disappeared. I pulled the lens cap from my pocket trying to put it back on but dropping it.

"Shit." I said falling to my knees and trying to grab it. I fumbled with it standing up quickly and smacking heads with somebody on the way up. I yelped, but they didn't make noise. My vision cleared and it was then that I realized that it was the bassist. He nodded at me, rubbing his head and shrugging his shoulders. My mouth went dry.

"H-hi." I stammered completely forgetting my head injury. He slung his bass around his shoulders and walked right past me. I stood staring at where he was just standing. My heart fell. I pushed my glasses up my nose and realized,
I had never been so happy to bump my head before.