Status: On-going. Have done a number of chapters already! ;)
Give It to Me
Un: Exchange
“Two weeks and we’re all goners again.” A tall and tattooed young man said, checking the calendar on one poster-infested wall of his room. “What you say, Garrett? We head outside, soak up some Arizona heat?”
Another guy was in the room, slumped on a chair in front of a desk table. He was fixated on the computer screen he was facing. His thoughts weren’t exactly focused on reality but his online life.
“Yeah, whatever you say, John. For the record, I’m soaking all the Arizona heat you want to get outside right this moment.”
John, the tall one, had enough of his friend’s antics since they were staying under the same roof for the last two months. Thinking quickly, he pulled the plug of the computer. He was ready for the curse word and groan he’ll get for doing it.
“Man! What the fuck? I was using it! Weren’t you here for the last hour and a half?” Garrett confronted his friend. He never gets why he was a person of indoor pleasure while he’s in band with four other individuals who never wants to settle in a room for just a second. That’s right, he remembered. He loved the music they create together.
“My thoughts exactly! We are here for the last hour and a half!” John fired back, itching to get outside. Jared, one of the guitarists in their band, was spending time with his long-term girlfriend while Pat, their drummer, was busy taking care of his niece, Sofia. As for the other guitarist, Kennedy, he always doesn’t know where that guy’s at. “So, come on, Gar. Let’s hang. I’ll also ring up Kenny to join us. He’s been talking about this shooting range last night.”
He finally gave in with hesitation, to say the least. “Okay, okay. Anything to shut you up. I’ll shower and change my clothes.” He got up from the chair, chose some clothes from his temporary closet and headed out of the room.
“You should. That disheveled look you got going on your hair is not working for me. It’s too Edward Cullen.” He managed to shout through the narrow corridor Garrett was walking through. He laughed at his own comment.
After five minutes or so, Garrett was done cleaning himself. He changed into his black shirt he bought, circa 2008, considering it a vintage already. His mind was still concentrated on his problem told to him by a computer screen an hour ago.
“Gar! Meet me out front. We’re using my car.” He gave a nod to his friend who was swiftly trailing down the staircase.
He headed straight outside and a red box-type car was by the driveway. Windows were down and John called out. “Get in, loser. We’re going shopping!”
He shook his head. “Shit, John. What has gotten into you? Everything you say is coated with pop-culture. It’s sickening.” He opened the car door and slid in the passenger seat.
“You must admit that Edward Cullen remark I said was true.” John laughed, amused by himself. “So, I called Kenny while you’re showering earlier and he gave me the address of the shooting range he was telling us about! This is going to be awesome, man.” He stated, full of excitement and adrenaline his friend was not feeling.
“Whatever you say, John.”
“Tell me.” John said, hands on the steering wheel. “What’s making you extra grumpy today? We’ll try to sort it out later, but first, let’s enjoy our little badass gig this afternoon.”
“You know, the regular problem I always encountered since Myspace days. Fucking hackers messing with my account. This time, it’s my Twitter they’re playing with.” Garrett replied with much irritation.
“That’s all you’re buzzing about? Create a new account, man. Delete your old one. That’s not rocket science, is it?”
Scratching his head and making his hair more tousled, Garrett shared more. “I’ve got that figured out. What’s bothering me is the new username I came up with. It’s already taken.”
“Wow, that’s really difficult.” Sarcasm was oozing from John’s statement. “You know who it belongs to?”
“I know, it’s childish, but I really want that username.” He sighed. “It’s taken by…a fan girl.”
The vehicle they were in came to a screeching halt. The inertia pulled them both forward. “Wait, I have to laugh. A fan girl? Of ours?”
“Yes, I think. You could now say she’s holding it hostage,” His two fingers were in the air making up a quotation mark.
By that moment, John was cracking up. He couldn't help himself, yet Garrett’s genuine bothered face made him try to be serious. “Since you've shared me your dilemma,” he mocked his bandmate by raising his two fingers also in the air. “Kennedy and I will help you deal with it later tonight.”
The shooting range adventure Kennedy cooked up turned out to be serious fun. Kennedy Brock, less tall than John, was one of the guitarists and his partner-in-crime when it comes to having fun that Garrett Nickelsen doesn't want to be part of. The three of them filmed their session with the instructor they have been assigned to. Five-gallon water containers and empty metal cans were the targets which they amazingly shot straight through. The trigger-happy faces of Kennedy and John were crazed with Jackass-amusement while Garrett, had his share of ear-splitting moments with the 45-caliber he tried using.
Arriving back to John’s house, the three guys headed straight to John’s room after grabbing some leftover pizza from last night at the kitchen counter. Their bassist, Garrett, rushed to sit in front of the desktop while it started up.
“Gar! Log-in to our band’s official account, @themaine, and let’s DM the username hostage-taker.” Kennedy tried his best not to laugh his ass off to the last word he blurted out. It never occurred to him that his friend would be this possessive for such a trivial thing.
For minutes, they probed the Twitter account of the hostage taker – or that’s what they called her. Her tweets, followers, and people she follows, the three guys read it all. Garrett broke the laughter coming from his two mates. “Let’s be serious, here.” That earned another session of laughs, which he is starting to get sick of.
“I said that if I could have her username, err, my username. It’s my URL also for my Tumblr after all. I own it.”
“We’ll just have to wait. Good timing, she’s online right this second.” John reported with a grin, ominous on his face. “Oh, oh. Mention her, and say to check her inbox.”
-----
This is getting amusing by the minute. She thought to herself and let out a little giggle.
She wasn’t the type of girl who wanted attention; she did things because of the need to express her emotions. She was young, free, and reckless. She wasn’t your typical college student. She was a fangirl. If that could be a job, she’d be employed since 2006. Happiness to her was meeting her favorite bands and going to their shows.
With all the attention she is getting from her username, fellow fangirls will consider her beyond lucky. Who would have thought taking a band dude’s preferred username would get her this much all in one night?
----
“She said she doesn’t want to give it to me.”
“Ask her what she’d like in exchange for it.”
“Tell her we’ll block her from all our online accounts. She’s gonna be blacklisted at our shows.”
“Seriously? Nothing you two say is helping. I’m going to beg for it.”
The three band mates passed out from exhaustion. John ended up on the couch near the door, while Kennedy was lying down comfortably on the vocalist’s bed. On the other hand, Garrett fell asleep in front of the computer screen. They were all greeted by the sun peeking through the window, its warm rays playing out on the floor. It was already 10 o’clock in the morning, they snoozed through their negotiation.
“By this time, I bet she has changed her username.” Kennedy said after much yawning and stretching. Leaning into Garrett to have a look at the screen, he noticed a blue dot on the Direct Messages section. “Look, she replied! Check it, Gar!”
Once he looked and saw the reply, Garrett was pissed off while John was casual. “So, she wants to get on tour with us. I’m okay with that. Pat would get a kick out of that. Jared would be fine about it.
Bet you twenty bucks she will part with us after the first stop.”
“This is going way too far.”
“Said the one who DMed a girl to get his username back.”
Another guy was in the room, slumped on a chair in front of a desk table. He was fixated on the computer screen he was facing. His thoughts weren’t exactly focused on reality but his online life.
“Yeah, whatever you say, John. For the record, I’m soaking all the Arizona heat you want to get outside right this moment.”
John, the tall one, had enough of his friend’s antics since they were staying under the same roof for the last two months. Thinking quickly, he pulled the plug of the computer. He was ready for the curse word and groan he’ll get for doing it.
“Man! What the fuck? I was using it! Weren’t you here for the last hour and a half?” Garrett confronted his friend. He never gets why he was a person of indoor pleasure while he’s in band with four other individuals who never wants to settle in a room for just a second. That’s right, he remembered. He loved the music they create together.
“My thoughts exactly! We are here for the last hour and a half!” John fired back, itching to get outside. Jared, one of the guitarists in their band, was spending time with his long-term girlfriend while Pat, their drummer, was busy taking care of his niece, Sofia. As for the other guitarist, Kennedy, he always doesn’t know where that guy’s at. “So, come on, Gar. Let’s hang. I’ll also ring up Kenny to join us. He’s been talking about this shooting range last night.”
He finally gave in with hesitation, to say the least. “Okay, okay. Anything to shut you up. I’ll shower and change my clothes.” He got up from the chair, chose some clothes from his temporary closet and headed out of the room.
“You should. That disheveled look you got going on your hair is not working for me. It’s too Edward Cullen.” He managed to shout through the narrow corridor Garrett was walking through. He laughed at his own comment.
After five minutes or so, Garrett was done cleaning himself. He changed into his black shirt he bought, circa 2008, considering it a vintage already. His mind was still concentrated on his problem told to him by a computer screen an hour ago.
“Gar! Meet me out front. We’re using my car.” He gave a nod to his friend who was swiftly trailing down the staircase.
He headed straight outside and a red box-type car was by the driveway. Windows were down and John called out. “Get in, loser. We’re going shopping!”
He shook his head. “Shit, John. What has gotten into you? Everything you say is coated with pop-culture. It’s sickening.” He opened the car door and slid in the passenger seat.
“You must admit that Edward Cullen remark I said was true.” John laughed, amused by himself. “So, I called Kenny while you’re showering earlier and he gave me the address of the shooting range he was telling us about! This is going to be awesome, man.” He stated, full of excitement and adrenaline his friend was not feeling.
“Whatever you say, John.”
“Tell me.” John said, hands on the steering wheel. “What’s making you extra grumpy today? We’ll try to sort it out later, but first, let’s enjoy our little badass gig this afternoon.”
“You know, the regular problem I always encountered since Myspace days. Fucking hackers messing with my account. This time, it’s my Twitter they’re playing with.” Garrett replied with much irritation.
“That’s all you’re buzzing about? Create a new account, man. Delete your old one. That’s not rocket science, is it?”
Scratching his head and making his hair more tousled, Garrett shared more. “I’ve got that figured out. What’s bothering me is the new username I came up with. It’s already taken.”
“Wow, that’s really difficult.” Sarcasm was oozing from John’s statement. “You know who it belongs to?”
“I know, it’s childish, but I really want that username.” He sighed. “It’s taken by…a fan girl.”
The vehicle they were in came to a screeching halt. The inertia pulled them both forward. “Wait, I have to laugh. A fan girl? Of ours?”
“Yes, I think. You could now say she’s holding it hostage,” His two fingers were in the air making up a quotation mark.
By that moment, John was cracking up. He couldn't help himself, yet Garrett’s genuine bothered face made him try to be serious. “Since you've shared me your dilemma,” he mocked his bandmate by raising his two fingers also in the air. “Kennedy and I will help you deal with it later tonight.”
The shooting range adventure Kennedy cooked up turned out to be serious fun. Kennedy Brock, less tall than John, was one of the guitarists and his partner-in-crime when it comes to having fun that Garrett Nickelsen doesn't want to be part of. The three of them filmed their session with the instructor they have been assigned to. Five-gallon water containers and empty metal cans were the targets which they amazingly shot straight through. The trigger-happy faces of Kennedy and John were crazed with Jackass-amusement while Garrett, had his share of ear-splitting moments with the 45-caliber he tried using.
Arriving back to John’s house, the three guys headed straight to John’s room after grabbing some leftover pizza from last night at the kitchen counter. Their bassist, Garrett, rushed to sit in front of the desktop while it started up.
“Gar! Log-in to our band’s official account, @themaine, and let’s DM the username hostage-taker.” Kennedy tried his best not to laugh his ass off to the last word he blurted out. It never occurred to him that his friend would be this possessive for such a trivial thing.
For minutes, they probed the Twitter account of the hostage taker – or that’s what they called her. Her tweets, followers, and people she follows, the three guys read it all. Garrett broke the laughter coming from his two mates. “Let’s be serious, here.” That earned another session of laughs, which he is starting to get sick of.
“I said that if I could have her username, err, my username. It’s my URL also for my Tumblr after all. I own it.”
“We’ll just have to wait. Good timing, she’s online right this second.” John reported with a grin, ominous on his face. “Oh, oh. Mention her, and say to check her inbox.”
-----
This is getting amusing by the minute. She thought to herself and let out a little giggle.
She wasn’t the type of girl who wanted attention; she did things because of the need to express her emotions. She was young, free, and reckless. She wasn’t your typical college student. She was a fangirl. If that could be a job, she’d be employed since 2006. Happiness to her was meeting her favorite bands and going to their shows.
With all the attention she is getting from her username, fellow fangirls will consider her beyond lucky. Who would have thought taking a band dude’s preferred username would get her this much all in one night?
----
“She said she doesn’t want to give it to me.”
“Ask her what she’d like in exchange for it.”
“Tell her we’ll block her from all our online accounts. She’s gonna be blacklisted at our shows.”
“Seriously? Nothing you two say is helping. I’m going to beg for it.”
The three band mates passed out from exhaustion. John ended up on the couch near the door, while Kennedy was lying down comfortably on the vocalist’s bed. On the other hand, Garrett fell asleep in front of the computer screen. They were all greeted by the sun peeking through the window, its warm rays playing out on the floor. It was already 10 o’clock in the morning, they snoozed through their negotiation.
“By this time, I bet she has changed her username.” Kennedy said after much yawning and stretching. Leaning into Garrett to have a look at the screen, he noticed a blue dot on the Direct Messages section. “Look, she replied! Check it, Gar!”
Once he looked and saw the reply, Garrett was pissed off while John was casual. “So, she wants to get on tour with us. I’m okay with that. Pat would get a kick out of that. Jared would be fine about it.
Bet you twenty bucks she will part with us after the first stop.”
“This is going way too far.”
“Said the one who DMed a girl to get his username back.”