Status: Finished
God Bless the Children of the Beast
New record
I walked out of the record store with my newest possession, my rival’s album. I figured I may as well listen to the whole thing once more (the first time being live) to get a good idea of what I was up against. “Nice record.” A voice said from behind me. I jumped and started to turn around and bitch-slap whoever said it. “Nikki, are you fucking stalking me?!” I screamed at the cocky bassist. As usual, he was shirtless and wearing tight pants, his hair a mess, and giving off a ghastly odor. “Why do you have that?” He asked, ignoring me completely. I glared at him. Was he messing with me? “Why are you here?” I retorted. “Answer me first.” I growled in annoyance and spun around, walking completely away from him.
It did no good however, as he just followed me. “Sami.” He said. I ignored him. “Sami.” He said again. I thought I felt my eye twitch. I wasn’t seven anymore, he wouldn’t sweet talk me. “Sami.” He said more assertively, reaching for my arm. I smacked his hand away and turned on him. “What Nikki! What?” I said the last word more like a sigh. I really didn’t want to be mean to him. He was my best friend at one point. He gave me his innocent face. “I just want to know why you have that.” He said, pointing to my hand. I sighed and calmed down. “Honestly I was going to listen to it to see how tough my competition is, alright?” He smiled. “Competition?” he repeated. I looked him over. He looked so different, yet so much the same. “Yeah…like it or not you guys are the toughest crowd on the strip right now, and if I’m going to top that I gotta know what I’m up against.” He grinned, his long bangs wafting in his face. “I told you I’d be the better rockstar.” I smiled, remembering the exact moment he was talking about, the first official time we met. I poked his nose playfully. “We’ll see about that.” I teased, beginning to walk again. He still followed me.
“So, Rainy,” “Sami.” I corrected, “None of that Rainy crap anymore ok?” He sighed dramatically. “Fine, Sami.” He put unnecessary emphasis on my name, “did you find a singer yet?” “None of your business.” “Do you have a boyfriend yet?” “Don’t need one.” “What about that drummer guy?” “Jake?” “Yeah him.” I stopped once more and looked in his pale eyes, trying to find out what he was getting at. He stared back, completely expressionless. “Why do you care about Jake?” I asked cautiously, not wanting to piss him off. “Because he likes you.” “No he doesn’t.” I replied quickly. I refused to accept that. “C’mon Sam it’s obvious.” I narrowed my eyes in aggravation. How do I deal with this? “Wanna go get lunch?” He asked before I could think of a rebuttal. “Nikki no I don’t have time.” “Yes you do.” He threw me his adorable innocent smile. I sighed, not sure what to do. What could it hurt? “I’m paying.” He offered. “Alright fine.” I complied, maybe if I went along with it he’d leave me alone. The problem is, I couldn’t shut up the little voice in my chest that said I wanted to stay with him much longer than lunch. I thought back to that night and what we did. We were grown up now, but were we really much different than back then?
He showed me to a little sandwich shop on a corner. Only one other person was in there eating, and the employees didn’t seem to care about Nikki’s lack of clothes. We each got a small sub and soda, which as promised he paid for, and sat down by the window. Finally I spoke up, breaking the unnatural silence between us. “Nikki what’s the real reason we’re here?” I asked curiously. “I tried to talk to you, but you wouldn’t listen.” He replied simply. I froze for a split second and looked at his face for any signs of distrust. I found none. “Then talk.” I stated. “I told you already, he likes you.” I tried to refute it but he cut me off, “I just don’t want to see your band get torn up because of relationship bullshit. I’ve already seen a few like you, there was a mix of sexes and the whole thing blew up in their faces.” That got me quiet. What if he was telling the truth? I didn’t see any reason for him to lie to me. I knew for sure Jake wasn’t a problem for me, but what if I was a problem for him?
“Do you remember Public Enemy #1?” Nikki asked, suddenly changing the subject again. I shook my head. “What’s that?” I asked, still thinking about Jake. “A song off our record. I wrote it thinking about you.” That got my attention. “Me? You didn’t even know me.” He looked out the window. “You’re right, but I knew Caroline. I had memories at least.” I frowned. There’s no way after all these years he still remembered me enough to write a song from it. Why didn’t I trust him? Was it something about him, or just me?
“You can go now.” He said, never taking his eyes off the window. “But.” I said stupidly, I didn’t really have a reason to stay. “You can leave now I don’t mind.” I stood up and went over to him, not sure what else to do, and hugged him to me. He made no move to hug back, nor did he resist. I let go and looked down at him. “Nikki?” “Yeah.” “Why did you kiss me at the record store.” I saw his obvious smirk reflected in the glass. “I just missed your lips.” “Really.” “…and maybe I wanted to piss off jealous Jake.” I bopped his head and went to leave. “Dork.” “Thank you!” He called. I glared at him before I left. “Leave my band alone.” He threw me the signature cocky grin. “Whatever you say babe.”
It did no good however, as he just followed me. “Sami.” He said. I ignored him. “Sami.” He said again. I thought I felt my eye twitch. I wasn’t seven anymore, he wouldn’t sweet talk me. “Sami.” He said more assertively, reaching for my arm. I smacked his hand away and turned on him. “What Nikki! What?” I said the last word more like a sigh. I really didn’t want to be mean to him. He was my best friend at one point. He gave me his innocent face. “I just want to know why you have that.” He said, pointing to my hand. I sighed and calmed down. “Honestly I was going to listen to it to see how tough my competition is, alright?” He smiled. “Competition?” he repeated. I looked him over. He looked so different, yet so much the same. “Yeah…like it or not you guys are the toughest crowd on the strip right now, and if I’m going to top that I gotta know what I’m up against.” He grinned, his long bangs wafting in his face. “I told you I’d be the better rockstar.” I smiled, remembering the exact moment he was talking about, the first official time we met. I poked his nose playfully. “We’ll see about that.” I teased, beginning to walk again. He still followed me.
“So, Rainy,” “Sami.” I corrected, “None of that Rainy crap anymore ok?” He sighed dramatically. “Fine, Sami.” He put unnecessary emphasis on my name, “did you find a singer yet?” “None of your business.” “Do you have a boyfriend yet?” “Don’t need one.” “What about that drummer guy?” “Jake?” “Yeah him.” I stopped once more and looked in his pale eyes, trying to find out what he was getting at. He stared back, completely expressionless. “Why do you care about Jake?” I asked cautiously, not wanting to piss him off. “Because he likes you.” “No he doesn’t.” I replied quickly. I refused to accept that. “C’mon Sam it’s obvious.” I narrowed my eyes in aggravation. How do I deal with this? “Wanna go get lunch?” He asked before I could think of a rebuttal. “Nikki no I don’t have time.” “Yes you do.” He threw me his adorable innocent smile. I sighed, not sure what to do. What could it hurt? “I’m paying.” He offered. “Alright fine.” I complied, maybe if I went along with it he’d leave me alone. The problem is, I couldn’t shut up the little voice in my chest that said I wanted to stay with him much longer than lunch. I thought back to that night and what we did. We were grown up now, but were we really much different than back then?
He showed me to a little sandwich shop on a corner. Only one other person was in there eating, and the employees didn’t seem to care about Nikki’s lack of clothes. We each got a small sub and soda, which as promised he paid for, and sat down by the window. Finally I spoke up, breaking the unnatural silence between us. “Nikki what’s the real reason we’re here?” I asked curiously. “I tried to talk to you, but you wouldn’t listen.” He replied simply. I froze for a split second and looked at his face for any signs of distrust. I found none. “Then talk.” I stated. “I told you already, he likes you.” I tried to refute it but he cut me off, “I just don’t want to see your band get torn up because of relationship bullshit. I’ve already seen a few like you, there was a mix of sexes and the whole thing blew up in their faces.” That got me quiet. What if he was telling the truth? I didn’t see any reason for him to lie to me. I knew for sure Jake wasn’t a problem for me, but what if I was a problem for him?
“Do you remember Public Enemy #1?” Nikki asked, suddenly changing the subject again. I shook my head. “What’s that?” I asked, still thinking about Jake. “A song off our record. I wrote it thinking about you.” That got my attention. “Me? You didn’t even know me.” He looked out the window. “You’re right, but I knew Caroline. I had memories at least.” I frowned. There’s no way after all these years he still remembered me enough to write a song from it. Why didn’t I trust him? Was it something about him, or just me?
“You can go now.” He said, never taking his eyes off the window. “But.” I said stupidly, I didn’t really have a reason to stay. “You can leave now I don’t mind.” I stood up and went over to him, not sure what else to do, and hugged him to me. He made no move to hug back, nor did he resist. I let go and looked down at him. “Nikki?” “Yeah.” “Why did you kiss me at the record store.” I saw his obvious smirk reflected in the glass. “I just missed your lips.” “Really.” “…and maybe I wanted to piss off jealous Jake.” I bopped his head and went to leave. “Dork.” “Thank you!” He called. I glared at him before I left. “Leave my band alone.” He threw me the signature cocky grin. “Whatever you say babe.”