Pictures on Silence

I adjusted my black Fender tank beneath my MCR hoodie and opened the front door. Aromi grinned perkily and hugged me so hard my ribs hurt. Without so much as a hello.

"Uck. Hey Trill," I rasped mid death-hug to Jesse, who stood behind Aero. "Sweetheart, this isn't going to make me thinner, but thanks for trying."

Aero put me down and frowned. "You don't need to be any thinner," he stated pointedly. "You're gorgeous as is. Curves are hot."

I rolled my eyes." Whatever. I'll be home after dinner!" I called to my dad in the family room before following them out the front door. Jesse opened the passenger side door for me, and I curtsied and got in; he jumped over the side and sprawled out in the back of the 'Vette.

"Comfy?" I asked, grinning back at him. He nodded with a cheesy smile and shut his eyes. I shook my head, thinking of how much he looked like Quinn Allman, and turned around to sing along with Aero to Ok Go.

We drove up to Petaluma and, after about half an hour of searching, found the music store I was looking for. I was in and out in ten minutes. Bass, case, and cords, I dished out a cool six hundred dollars, which was actually a really good deal considering the retail price of the bass alone was $750. Go cute, awesomely nice cashiers.
.
I held my new baby all the way back into the city. It was so pretty: blood red with gold and silver flames with the neck and silver flames on the body. Whoever comes up with the designs for Traben is a god.

"Looks like Matt's going to have some competition," Aero laughed as I stroked it.

"Psh, I love this way more than him," I scoffed. Trill chuckled in the back seat.

For familiarity's sake-- and because we couldn't think of anywhere else to go-- we parked in the local mall's back lot. Sadly I had to lock my new baby up the trunk so it wouldn't get stolen. How much would that have sucked? You buy a totally kick-ass bass and have it for an hour before it gets nicked.

Anyway, we headed to Hot Topic first and wandered around. Aero and I laughed at stupid t-shirts while Trill searched through some "slim-fit" pants, a.k.a. girlpants. He wanted to see what the hype was about.

He came out of the dressing room to show us and Aromi whistled and fanned himself. Jesse squirmed. "These are seriously constricting my nads, man," he said, trying to adjust himself gracefully. I about died laughing.

So after departing the store, me with a trio of decent shirts and a handful of pins and Trill with whatever he bought, Aromi dragged us all the way across the top floor to Abercrombie & Fitch. Literally dragged. Trill eventually stopped complaining and shuffled on, but I sat on the tile and refused to move, so Aero lugged me by my feet. We passed a security guard, who I think was too flabbergasted to stop us, so I waved.

The bizarre thing about that store is that for some reason it smells terrible, and I have yet to come up with a reason why. Maybe it's some weird prep pheromone, I don't know. But it gives me a killer migraine just walking past, so after about a minute and a half, I had to go sit outside.

Jesse came out soon after and sat next to me on the bench. "Did the diva find something to his liking?" I asked.

"Yeah, an entire table," Trill said, rolling his eyes, "He's trying it all on." I stuck out my tongue and leaned on his shoulder to watch people walk by. This was Trill's and my favourite pastime: people-watching. Emo-watching is particularly fun.

"Hey, Pen?" Trill questioned after a few minutes. "I can trust you with secrets, right?"

"Of course, love," I replied, lifting my head. "What's up?"

He glanced around and lowered his voice. "You have to promise not to tell Sean and Matt, okay?" I nodded and crossed my heart. "I've been needing to tell someone, and I figured since were going on tour tomorrow, I should let it loose, and since everyone always tells me how trustworthy you are with secrets and how good at psychiatrics you are-"

"Jesse, get to the point," I advised, laughing slightly.

Jesse smiled and ran his hands through his bleach-blonde hair. "Okay." He took a deep breath. "I'm bi... And I have a boyfriend." Jesse looked at me and waited for my explosive reaction.

Which didn't come.

"Okay," I said simply.

He blinked. "'Okay?' That's it?" I nodded. "You're not surprised?"

"No, I am."

"You don't seem it."

I shrugged. "Well, I figure you're going to like whoever you find attractive, and if that's guys as well as girls, more power to you."

Trill blinked at me for a few seconds before hugging me tightly. "I love you, Angie. You're such a great friend."

I laughed and hugged him back. "Love you too, Jess. Joy, another person to look at cute guys with." Trill laughed. "So, like, tell me about this guy," I instructed, taking on a bimbette-accent. "Is he, like, a total babe? Trill laughed harder. "So why'd you tell me and not your parents?"

"Because you won't disown me," he said obviously. "Der. With them, I'm still in the closet."

"Hmm," I pondered, tapping my chin with my index finger. "Closet or wardrobe? I choose the latter. Gay guys always have a killer sense of style."

"I return!" Aromi exclaimed with a pose upon coming out of the death-store. He held up a large bag. "Success!" Killer in more ways than one.

We headed back across the mall and everyone wanted to go somewhere different. So Aero went to Aeropostale, Jesse headed to Zumiez, and I wandered into Torrid. I pulled up my hood before going in and bought a new pair of jeans, a lacy tank top, a red plaid skirt, a few bras and underwear. Yes, buying underwear is highly embarrassing, and I probably wouldn't have if the guys were around. But enough about my undergarments.

I walked past Aeropostale and crossed over into Zumiez, but found neither Aero nor Trill. I did find another cute cashier, though, and a weird girl obsessing over a pierced rubber duck.

If I were a boy, I thought as I walked out, Where would I go to wait for my friend? I stopped and grinned, shaking my head. "Why did I have to ask?" I said aloud. "Food court."

And, what do you know, there they were, waiting in line for pizza. I grabbed Aromi's wrist and checked the time on his ludicrously expensive watch. Since it was a reasonable dinner-hour, I pulled off a cut and bought a slice as well. 'Twas full of greasy, cheesy, delicious goodness.

"Omigawd!" Aero cried out, wearing his 'I have a brilliant idea' face. "We should go to my hair stylist and get you both all pretty-ified for tour!"

"I dunno, Aero," I said, wiping my hands clean. "If Trill got any prettier, you might take leave of your senses and rape him." Jesse's eyes widened in (maybe) mock horror.

Aromi smiled innocently. "I won't. On my honour as a former boy scout."

"You were a boy scout?" Jesse asked disbelievingly as we rose.

"Of course. Why do you think I'm so fabulous?" I laughed and tossed my empty drink. Aromi poked my side and I twisted away. "Don't you giggle at me, Miss Penelope."

My mouth fell open. "I do not giggle, Mister Tropher!"

"Yes, you do," Jesse argued with a smirk.

"Never, Mister Trill. I laugh attractively." I turned my nose up in the air and boarded the escalator.

They followed behind me. "Of course you do," Aero humoured. I gave him an evil eye. "Don't do that, you'll attract hardcore kids and masochists." I snorted and tossed my hair off my shoulder, accidentally into his face.

"Aromi! My favourite customer!" The snappily dressed man with Italian heeled boots and perfect highlights approached us vivaciously the instant we walked in the jingling door of the high-end salon. I winced at the brightly lit multi-coloured room and blindly fumbled for my sunglasses. "Ooh! You brought friends!"

"Good to see you, Alfonse," Aero greeted, smiling. "These are my very good friends Angie and Jesse, one half of Penny Dreadful."

"So you're the lovely lady Aromi's always talking about," Alfonse said to me. I smiled shyly. "Oh! A natural redhead! Sweetie, I hope you didn't come to cut your hair, because it would kill me to rid the world of such gorgeousness. Ooh, and it's naturally curly too!"

As the flamboyant man physically adulated my hair, I gave my companions a helpless look over my shades. Alfonse's fingertips ran over the back of my hair and I wriggled convulsively. Aromi pulled me away. "Alfonse," he said somewhat sternly.

Alfonse looked apologetic. "Sorry, sweetheart, but it is just gorgeous." He smiled and clapped his hands together. "So what are we getting done this evening?"

"I believe a bleaching for the gentleman," Aromi confirmed with Jesse, who nodded, "A manicure for the young lady, and bikini waxes for the both of us."

My eyes widened and my head bolted to Aero as Alfonse snapped, making appear three assistants. One led Jesse to a chair and the other two guided Aromi and I to the back. "I never agreed to this," I contested, taking off my sunglasses when I realised the light was dim.

"First time, hun?" the green-haired woman beside me asked knowingly.

"Aromi--"

"Don't worry about it, Penangela," Aero appeased, leading me to a table. "Sooner or later, everyone goes to the zoo."

"I knew that movie would give you bad ideas," I muttered as he forced me to sit.

He smiled amusedly. "Not more than you do. Now take off your pants so this nice lady can pour hot wax on your crotch." At that, I tried to bolt away, but Aromi caught me by the waist, picked me up as I kicked, and forcibly laid me on the table. He took my hand. "It's like getting pierced. Just squeeze my hand if you start to freak."

~Fifteen minutes later~

"Ow!" Aromi whined, shaking his hand. "Fuckow! My hand is still throbbing!"

"Well, that's what you get," I said with a shrug as I walked gingerly out of the back and back into the blinding light.

"You're mean." Aromi pouted, and I sat down at a nail station, where a man was already waiting. "I had no idea you had so much arm strength."

"He let you hold his hand, didn't he?" Jesse asked shrewdly while another man rubbed some goo into his hair. I grinned evilly at him, and he laughed. "You should know better then, Aero."

I admired my emerald green nails in the passing highway lights and yawned again. We'd dropped Jesse off at his house and were now going farther south to mine. I cuddled closer to Aero and put my head on his shoulder.

"You know I'm not coming with you tomorrow, right?" Aromi asked around the roar of the wind.

"You didn't say so, but I got the distinct impression you weren't," I replied. "Why not?"

"Someone has to hold down the fort here. Take care of impending record deals and gigs and all that."

I smirked up at him. "Charlie won't let you go, huh?"

"No, he won't, the bitch!" Aromi exclaimed dissatisfiedly. I laughed quietly and settled into his shoulder again. Then I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, Aero was carrying me from the car. I drowsily walked up the steps, gave him a hug at the front door, and collapsed fully clothed onto my bed.

If you say shop till you drop, I will find you.