Status: Completed
Psyche
14
Today is Friday and just like they would do any other time, Artemis Phantom sets up their set soon after another band finishes. Jean starts the audience off laughing and one guy cracks a joke about the size of Jean’s nose. Jean says something about the size of his nose compared to the guy’s dick.
Ellisha strums his guitar and the band goes into a mild, preppy song with somber lyrics.
The whole time they’re playing, Jean spies Alexandria in the back corner, sitting at a table. Exhilaration spikes and rushes to his brain, and the song sound more lively than usual. He’s singing about a disastrous love affair with a suicidal person.
They play five songs and as soon as the room is full of applause and shouts, Jean rushes off stage. He talks to a few people who regularly see Artemis Phantom perform, takes a few pictures, and leaves politely to find Alexandria.
He sits across from her and she greets him with a salute.
“Fancy seeing you here,” she says.
“I wouldn’t think you were into this type of scene,” he presses. “Seems too hipster for you.”
“As long as I can headbang to it, I can dig it.”
“You can headbang to any type of music, honestly.”
“True. I came in here because I heard free music, and my dad’s at the barber. I didn’t want to stay there.”
“You mean you didn’t come because you heard of my band and like it?” Jean teases, and the way Alexandria grimaces and doesn’t even falter into a laugh almost lowers his self-esteem.
“No, but you sounded pretty cool, actually.”
“Thanks,” he answers warily. “You should’ve came up and danced. Would’ve been nice.”
Alexandria squints her eyes, tilting her head suspiciously. “What makes you think I can dance?”
Jean looks her over, a half smile on his face as he leans his hand on his hands. “If you can’t, I can teach you.”
Probably for the first time since he’s started talking to her, Alexandria’s face lightens to a dusty pink and she glances away absurdly. She groans, “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“You were expecting it.”
“Yeah, but still --!”
Jean leans back in his seat, trying to control his laugh from being loud. Alexandria shakes her head, mumbling, “Holy Zeus,” under her breath.
“So . . . where’s Jamie?” Jean asks, glancing around her casually.
She shrugs. “Home? I have to pick him up in an hour. We’re hanging out.” She crosses her arms, and
goes back to paying attention to everyone except Jean.
The smug look Jean carried on his face earlier begins to slip. Jamie hardly says a word and yet Alexandria hangs all over him. Jean opens up and she just barely gives him a piece of her mind.
He’s not even trying hard.
“Well, I told him I had this CD for him and you and him can –“
“He mentioned that,” she butts in, and when she never finishes her sentence and instead looks at him with a haughty expression, Jean gets it. A pit opens up in him, and despite wanting to laugh he can’t muster a chuckle.
She’s toying with him.
He’d give up but he always finishes challenges, and this is just another tough one. If he can at least get her to even remotely “like” him, he’ll be happy. She doesn’t even have to go out with him anymore (though he would still like that too).
“Mind if I wait here with you?” he asks, and she shrugs again, twirling a bracelet on her wrist. He reads RI♥TS NOT DIETS spelled out with blue and purple beads.
“I don’t want to look awkward and lonely, so go ahead,” she jokes.
He does stay, but first he excuses himself and runs backstage. He comes back with his backpack and produces a Duke Spirit album. He hands it to Alexandria.
“It’s for Jamie. I decided to just get it. I figured he wouldn’t ever drop by, sooo . . .”
“He’s just really shy,” she says quickly, looking up from the CD.
“Everyone knows that.”
“Yeah, but he’s an awesome kid. A little reserved, but sweet.”
Jean grunts, drumming his fingers on the table. He can’t tell her it nerves him that he’ll probably never be close with her, or Jamie, like they apparently are with each other. Close enough to understand one another. What makes Alexandria so special? Why is Jamie so terrific? Why is he even brooding over it?
Jean is so busy dwelling on his thoughts; he almost misses what Alexandria says next. “So don’t use him to get to me, ‘cause he doesn’t need that. For someone ‘so cool’ you’re kind of a jerk. If you’re gonna be buddy-buddy with him do it because you think he’s interesting, not because he knows some girl you like who doesn’t want you like that.”
If he was drinking he would’ve choked on it. He frowns at her, and she grimaces right back. She’s daring him to deny what she just said. He expects her to say no offense, dude.
Her cellphone rings and she pulls it out of her bag. “My dad’s here.” She stands, making sure she has the CD and her stuff gathered. “Great show. Later.”
When she walks out the door Jean utters, “Shit,” and hits his head on the table.
Ellisha strums his guitar and the band goes into a mild, preppy song with somber lyrics.
The whole time they’re playing, Jean spies Alexandria in the back corner, sitting at a table. Exhilaration spikes and rushes to his brain, and the song sound more lively than usual. He’s singing about a disastrous love affair with a suicidal person.
They play five songs and as soon as the room is full of applause and shouts, Jean rushes off stage. He talks to a few people who regularly see Artemis Phantom perform, takes a few pictures, and leaves politely to find Alexandria.
He sits across from her and she greets him with a salute.
“Fancy seeing you here,” she says.
“I wouldn’t think you were into this type of scene,” he presses. “Seems too hipster for you.”
“As long as I can headbang to it, I can dig it.”
“You can headbang to any type of music, honestly.”
“True. I came in here because I heard free music, and my dad’s at the barber. I didn’t want to stay there.”
“You mean you didn’t come because you heard of my band and like it?” Jean teases, and the way Alexandria grimaces and doesn’t even falter into a laugh almost lowers his self-esteem.
“No, but you sounded pretty cool, actually.”
“Thanks,” he answers warily. “You should’ve came up and danced. Would’ve been nice.”
Alexandria squints her eyes, tilting her head suspiciously. “What makes you think I can dance?”
Jean looks her over, a half smile on his face as he leans his hand on his hands. “If you can’t, I can teach you.”
Probably for the first time since he’s started talking to her, Alexandria’s face lightens to a dusty pink and she glances away absurdly. She groans, “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“You were expecting it.”
“Yeah, but still --!”
Jean leans back in his seat, trying to control his laugh from being loud. Alexandria shakes her head, mumbling, “Holy Zeus,” under her breath.
“So . . . where’s Jamie?” Jean asks, glancing around her casually.
She shrugs. “Home? I have to pick him up in an hour. We’re hanging out.” She crosses her arms, and
goes back to paying attention to everyone except Jean.
The smug look Jean carried on his face earlier begins to slip. Jamie hardly says a word and yet Alexandria hangs all over him. Jean opens up and she just barely gives him a piece of her mind.
He’s not even trying hard.
“Well, I told him I had this CD for him and you and him can –“
“He mentioned that,” she butts in, and when she never finishes her sentence and instead looks at him with a haughty expression, Jean gets it. A pit opens up in him, and despite wanting to laugh he can’t muster a chuckle.
She’s toying with him.
He’d give up but he always finishes challenges, and this is just another tough one. If he can at least get her to even remotely “like” him, he’ll be happy. She doesn’t even have to go out with him anymore (though he would still like that too).
“Mind if I wait here with you?” he asks, and she shrugs again, twirling a bracelet on her wrist. He reads RI♥TS NOT DIETS spelled out with blue and purple beads.
“I don’t want to look awkward and lonely, so go ahead,” she jokes.
He does stay, but first he excuses himself and runs backstage. He comes back with his backpack and produces a Duke Spirit album. He hands it to Alexandria.
“It’s for Jamie. I decided to just get it. I figured he wouldn’t ever drop by, sooo . . .”
“He’s just really shy,” she says quickly, looking up from the CD.
“Everyone knows that.”
“Yeah, but he’s an awesome kid. A little reserved, but sweet.”
Jean grunts, drumming his fingers on the table. He can’t tell her it nerves him that he’ll probably never be close with her, or Jamie, like they apparently are with each other. Close enough to understand one another. What makes Alexandria so special? Why is Jamie so terrific? Why is he even brooding over it?
Jean is so busy dwelling on his thoughts; he almost misses what Alexandria says next. “So don’t use him to get to me, ‘cause he doesn’t need that. For someone ‘so cool’ you’re kind of a jerk. If you’re gonna be buddy-buddy with him do it because you think he’s interesting, not because he knows some girl you like who doesn’t want you like that.”
If he was drinking he would’ve choked on it. He frowns at her, and she grimaces right back. She’s daring him to deny what she just said. He expects her to say no offense, dude.
Her cellphone rings and she pulls it out of her bag. “My dad’s here.” She stands, making sure she has the CD and her stuff gathered. “Great show. Later.”
When she walks out the door Jean utters, “Shit,” and hits his head on the table.