...And a Happy New Year

March 15, 2014

Chaney woke up feeling refreshed and well rested. She hadn’t been sleeping well the last couple of weeks, and she knew her stress over everything going on in her lie was a good reason why. Since John announced himself as her main supporter in her art, she felt this huge burden lifted. She wasn’t sure why she felt so much freer sharing this small part of her with someone else, but it did.

She got out of bed, and padded her way to the kitchen to make herself a big Saturday morning brunch. She slept in later than she initially anticipated, but the rest was needed. Luckily she had gone grocery shopping a couple days prior. She could now indulge in the brunch she was craving.

She checked the temperature outside on her phone, and seeing that it was a cooler morning, she opted to open the window in her kitchen above her kitchen sink while she cooked. She made her way to her room to grab her iPod and iHome as she carried them into the kitchen so she could listen to music while she cooked.

She scrolled through her list of artists to find what she should listen to. Her heart sank when she came to Frank Sinatra. He was Alex’s favorite artist. She stood there, saddened by the absence of her brother. As little as they’d interacted over the last few years, he either didn’t notice that she had moved out, or didn’t care. That fact alone made her wish he was there with her.

She shook her head and scrolled past, continuing until she stopped on Tom Waits. It was a good morning for his voice. Something about his voice had always soothed her as a child. She clicked on his name and opted to listen to his album “The Heart of Saturday Night”. A small smile adorned her face as his gruff vocals filled her kitchen.

This album brought her back to Saturday mornings as a child. Every Saturday, her dad would make a big brunch and he would play this album as he cooked. Tom Waits was one of her dad’s favorite singers, and he soon became one of hers. Her dad would wake her up by playing the album from the kitchen. Her ears had become tuned to listen for the opening drum fill at the beginning of the song “New Coat of Paint”, and she would wake up as soon as she heard it. She would run downstairs, seeing her dad just getting the ingredients out, and she would help him cook.

She smiled at the memories and proceeded to turn on the stove as she went to the fridge and gathered eggs, milk, cheese, bacon, and a couple of bell peppers. She wouldn’t make the full brunch her dad would make, as it was just her.

She went about singing along to the album as she made omelets and stopped when she heard someone knocking on the door. Not expecting anyone, she finished stirring her omelet mixture before heading towards her door to answer it.

She was happy to see John standing on the other side of the door.

“Semi Suite? Really? You dig Tom Waits?”

Chaney’s smile grew as she nodded and opened the door more to let him in.

“Mmmm, smells good in here Chane.”

“Chane?”

“Yeah!” John laughed, “I figured I needed a nickname for you know. I can’t give you a name quite like Halvo could, and Indy’s his special name for you, so I thought I’d go basic and just start with a shortened version of your name.”

Chaney laughed and motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen.

“Alright I’ll give you that. I’m making omelets. Do you want one?”

“Tom Waits and a homemade omelet breakfast? I think I found my new Saturday morning brunch spot.”

Chaney smiled and poured part of the omelet batter into the frying pan. As it cooked, she continued to sing along with the album, occasionally hearing John singing along as well. This only brought a small smile to her face as she continued to sing.

After a couple of songs, Chaney had dished John’s omelet onto a plate and slid it to him across the kitchen bar and he began to eat as she turned around and went to make her omelet.

“Ya know Chaney,” he said over a bite of food, “I would have never guessed you liked Tom Waits.”
She looked over her shoulder and smiled a bit at him.

“You have my dad to thank for that.” She said as she turned back around to continue cooking her omelet. She turned the music down a bit so she could talk to him easier. “My dad used to make Saturday brunch every week and would play this album as he cooked. I would wake up as soon as I heard the opening to ‘New Coat of Paint’.”

John smiled, “Well tell your dad thank you, firstly for teaching you how to make the best damn omelet I’ve ever had. Though, don’t tell my mom that.”

They both laughed at that.

“You think I’m kidding,” he continued, “but she prides herself in her cooking. She’d be devastated to discover I prefer another woman’s omelets to her own.”

Chaney turned to grin at him, and he winked and smiled as continued to eat his food.

“Secondly, you need to thank your dad for introducing you to good music. I was worried for a bit that you didn’t have any redeeming qualities,” he joked.

Chaney dished out her omelet and came over to John, spatula in hand, feigning to hit him on the head before putting it in the sink.

She turned off the stove, put up the remaining ingredients, and covered the bowl with the remaining omelet ingredients in the fridge before joining John at the kitchen bar to eat.

“So, not that I don’t enjoy your company, but why exactly are you here? I mean, besides to eat my food and criticize my taste in music,” she teased.

“Touchy! I was kidding Chane. I actually wanted to see if you wanted to hang out today.”

“Hmmm…well, I planned to go to the art supply store to get painting supplies. The lady from the gallery called me again a couple days ago, detailing the theme of this exhibition and I need to paint five pieces to put in the show.”

“Perfect! I can come with. I have a couple errands to run, and wanted to see if you’d join me.”

“Wait, so we’re going to hang out by running errands?”

John laughed, “Uh, yeah. Isn’t being an adult fun?”

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Yeah, not really. If hanging out with friends means I still have to do boring adult stuff, I’d rather be a kid.”

John nodded, “I feel ya,” he said, an idea forming in his head. “Well, let’s finish up and head out. We’re burning daylight.”

She finished eating and put her dishes away, and John grabbed her arm to drag her to the door. She resisted, laughing the entire time at how dense he could be.

When John saw she was fighting him on leaving, he turned back to her perplexed.

She laughed and said, “Dude, do you really think I can go about town dressed like this?”

He then took notice of her attire for the first time since he arrived, not realizing she was wearing a pair of cotton shorts, a giant crewneck sweatshirt, and thick fuzzy socks. He smiled sheepishly and motioned for her to get ready while he made his way to the couch to wait.

He heard her yell from the room “TV remote is on the coffee table.”

Chaney showered and dressed quickly, not wanting to keep John waiting on her. She exited her room, and he turned off the TV, getting up and following her out the door.

They got in his truck and started driving down the road as he asked, “So, where is this art supply store? I’ve lived here forever I and don’t remember seeing one…”

He turned to look at her sheepish expression from the passenger’s seat. “That’s the thing…it’s a couple hours away. At least the store that I trust and always go to. It’s the same shop I used when I was in school.”

John laughed a bit, “Don’t worry about it. We have all day.” He reached over and clasped her shoulder, shaking it a bit in reassurance, before resuming having both hands on the steering wheel. “Just tell me how to get there and we’ll be set.”

Chaney smiled and nodded. They didn’t talk much as they drove; more content in taking in the desert scenery around them and the soft sounds of music coming from the speakers. She was having another one of those rare moments where she indulged in the silent presence of another person. Though she initially planned to make this trip alone today, she was now glad to have John with her. Having him there to support her through her transition into art meant the world to her.

They eventually arrived to the small town that she frequented while at school. Nostalgia flooded her senses as they drove down the main road. She looked around and remembered being there as a college student. She hadn’t been back here since she graduated. There were times she thought she’d never be able to come back. As they drove, she was happy to be back. Her smile growing as they neared the small shop where she always bought supplies.

She quickly grabbed the top of John’s arm in excitement, as she pointed with her right hand at the small store on the side of the road where he needed to park. He barely turned the truck off before she tore out of the truck and practically ran inside.

John laughed as he got out of the truck, and caught up to her. He opened the door to the small shop, the bell above the door ringing upon his entrance.

He quickly found Chaney. She was standing by the far wall, running her hands over the various painting supplies. An older gentleman came out of the back room by where Chaney was standing.
The man stepped towards Chaney and asked, “Miss, do you need help finding something?” as he put on his glasses.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chaney turned to him with a soft smile, and realization crossed his features.

“Chaney Masters? Is that you dear?”

Chaney nodded and her smile grew. John could tell she was trying to keep from crying.
The older gentleman opened his arms and she embraced him quickly.

“Chaney it’s so good to see you dear. It’s been what? Three or four years since I’ve seen you?”

She meekly nodded.

“Sorry I haven’t been back Uncle Al,” she said meekly.

He smiled and shook his head. “It’s in the past dear. To what do I owe this surprise visit?”

Her grin widened and she told him about her phone call to a local gallery.

John observed the two interact, and decided to keep his distance to allow them to catch up. He wandered around the store, feeling a bit out of his element. Put him in a music store and he could be there all day. Put him in an art supply store and he wasn’t sure what to do. He knew nothing about this realm of the creative spectrum. He didn’t really know any artists besides Chaney.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by Chaney calling his name. He looked over to where she was standing with the other man. She motioned for him to come over to where she was standing. He slowly walked over to where they were at and she introduced them.

“Uncle Al, this is my friend John. John, Uncle Al.”

Uncle Al shook John’s hand and looked back at Chaney with a knowing smile.

“So Chaney, did you bring this John fellow here as another paying customer for me?”

Chaney laughed, “No Uncle Al. He’s one of my friends.”

“Well dear, that much I can see.”

John then spoke up, “Actually sir, I’m here to support Chaney in her artistic endeavors.”

Uncle Al made a face, impressed with John’s words. “My, my son. Good for you. My Chaney here has never brought a friend in here with her. I know she was sick of me always getting on her case about it too.” He then winked at Chaney with a smirk.

Chaney playfully rolled her eyes and grabbed the top of John’s arm, dragging him with her as she went to get supplies.

“Behave Uncle Al! Let me get my supplies and I’ll be up front to check out in a few minutes.”
He nodded and made his way to the front desk to wait for her.

John stood there watching as she proceeded to scan through the various paintbrushes. She would pick up a couple, then find other ones and put the first ones back. He was amused watching her process. He could tell this was something she was both excited and passionate about. He would watch her face scrunch up as she tried to decipher what brand of watercolors to buy, or what kind of paper. She finally made a decision and selected her brushes, paper, and watercolors before walking up front.

Chaney completed her purchase and Uncle Al spoke up as they walked out the door, “Don’t be a stranger ‘round here! Come back soon dear! And bring that John fellow with you!”

The two laughed as they made their way out to John’s parked truck. They both got in, and Chaney sighed in contentment as he started the truck.

John looked over at her, and he could see a twinkle in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before. He was happy that she could finally pursue what she had always dreamed of doing. He was even more happy to be part of that process.

They hadn’t been driving long when John looked over at her and in a teasing voice said, “Ya know Chane, it was uh, pretty adorable seeing you interact with Uncle Al back there.”

She playfully punched his shoulder as she laughed, “Shut up John.”

“What? I’m just saying…Is he really your uncle?”

“Ha, no. He might as well be though. He feels more like family than my actual family. He took me under his wing during college. Gave me some great tips on how to improve my paintings. I learned more from him than just art lessons.”

John nodded in understanding.

“Regardless, it was still adorable seeing you get all worked up about seeing him.”

She rolled her eyes, laughing as she looked out the passenger window.

John chuckled as they made the drive back Phoenix.

He had rolled his window down, and had his left arm braced on the open window frame, steering his truck with his right hand.

Chaney had shifted in her seat, her back now to the passenger door, as she faced John. She took in the lighting that was coming in through his side of the cab and took out her phone. Inspiration had struck as she knew what her first piece for the gallery would be. She quickly snapped a picture of John driving.

He was completely in his element. He had no idea she had taken a picture of him until he heard the shutter on her phone click. The expression on his face changed as he looked over to her.

“Did you just take a picture of me?”

She giggled, “So what if I did?”

He then reached over to try and get the phone from her. “Not on my watch! I don’t need you drooling on your phone over me.”

This only caused her to laugh harder. “Don’t flatter yourself John. I like having pictures of my friends on my phone. So what.”

He smirked, “So long as you don’t post that anywhere…”

“Don’t worry John. I’ll keep it safe,” she laughed.

He laughed as well. He couldn’t deny that being friends with Chaney was a lot easier than he expected. At least in the sense that she was easy to get along with. She was showing this witty and sarcastic side to her that he didn’t know existed. Actually, he was realizing that she was a more complex person that he initially gave her credit for. He was enjoying this time with her though. More so than he thought he would.

He wouldn’t deny that initially he only wanted to befriend her because of her being one of Halvo’s best friends. Then of course he was a jerk because he misjudged her. When he finally came to his senses, he just wanted to be friends to make up for how he had treated her. After today though? He legitimately enjoyed her presence. Her company was easy to be around and he enjoyed cutting up with her.

Chaney was enjoying the relief and ease of being around John. She had always known he was charismatic. What she didn’t know was how much he actually cared for those he was around. She never took into account just how deeply he cared about people. She felt important and like her presence was wanted. She didn’t always feel that way with Halvo and she couldn’t deny that that truth stung a bit.

She decided that she had to stop comparing John to Halvo because they are two different people. It wasn’t fair to either to constantly compare how they both act towards her. They obviously won’t treat her the same way because her relationships with each of them are on completely different levels. She needed to simply enjoy being in their presence and leave it at that.

Just like the drive there, the drive back home was equally as silent, but no less enjoyable. She was surprised however when he pulled into her apartment complex.

He sensed her confusion and stated, “I figured you would want to put up your supplies before we continued. I’m not sure if your supplies are temperature sensitive and I don’t want them to get ruined by sitting out in the truck all day.”

She smiled at his consideration and hopped out of his truck when he pulled up in front of her building.
Before she closed the door she said, “I’ll be right back. I’ll quick put these up.”

John nodded and she ran inside the building and up to her room.

She was back down soon and she got in the truck. “Where to next navigator?”

He laughed at the nickname. “8123 studios. I want you to hear something.”

She nodded and he pulled out, making the short drive. Once they pulled in, they both got out and made their way inside. John waved and nodded to the few people sitting around the offices as he led her to the back studio.

He sat down at the mixing board, pulling up some files on the laptop over there as she slowly walked around, taking in the surroundings.

“This place is amazing!”

John turned around and observed her awe-struck wonder at the homemade studio. “Thanks. We uh, we’ve always wanted to build something like this. After recording our last album in Nashville last year, we wanted to become even more hands-on with our music. We got a soundboard, just like we used with Brendan. We also got a tape machine and have been slowly buying more gear to make our own studio.”

Chaney turned to him in awe. “That’s really awesome John. I just, wow. Halvo has never said anything about this. How long has this been here?”

John contemplated for a moment before answering, “A couple months or so? Not very long. We recorded an acoustic EP here and released it back in December. We also just recorded our buddy Nick’s full length album here. Just finished it a few days ago.”

Chaney nodded, racking her brain to see if she knew he was talking about.

“You know Nick? He was the lead singer in Rocket…”

Chaney nodded and replied, “Oh, uh, yeah. Him…”

She didn’t sound convincing and it threw John off.

“You do know who Nick is right?”

Chaney’s face deflated and she sheepishly replied, “Honestly I don’t. Halvo never talked about his band with me.”

John looked at her perplexed.

“Really? That’s shocking because he loved playing.”

She shrugged. “I know, but he wouldn’t talk about it with me. Something about liking having the band part of himself to himself. Something about me not understanding the whole creative process or whatever. I guess deep down that’s why I refused to ever tell him about my painting.”

John nodded and motioned to the couch so she could take a seat. He pulled up a couple files on the computer and turned the speakers on. Before he started, he wanted to explain what she would be listening to.

“Ok, so I’m about to have you listen to this side project that me and the guys have been working on. We’ve actually been sitting on these songs for a while, but are just now able to record them. Now that we have our own studio, we like the freedom that comes with creating whatever we want whenever we want.”

Chaney nodded, and he pressed play, the song that they just released playing through the speakers.
Chaney closed her eyes as she listened, taking in the odd tonality of the song. She found herself nodding along and tapping her foot to what she was listening to. A small smile occasionally adorning her face.

Once the song finished playing, Chaney opened her eyes and looked at John. He was looking at her with an expectant expression, biting on his thumb in anticipation for her feedback.

“Well? What did you think?”

“Not being overly familiar with your music, I can’t compare it to that. Since it’s a side project, I don’t think it would be fair to compare it to your other music. As a standalone, I like it. It has a dark psychedelic sound that I can’t get enough of. The minor key is so, I don’t know. I love it. I’m a sucker for minor keys. The gritty guitar is pretty spectacular as well. Honestly, it’s really great.”

John smiled upon hearing her feedback.

“That’s great to hear. We’re always nervous when releasing new content. We released this song a couple days ago on the 8123 site, and it’s been humorous seeing the fans’ reactions to this. We like to do stuff like this on occasion; just to keep them on their toes.”

Chaney laughed. “What’s the name of this side project?”

“Eagles in Drag.”

John then pulled up the 8123 site and showed her the black home screen with the logo on there.

“Flamingos? Ha. That’s clever.”

John smiled. “We thought so too. Also, if you don’t mind my saying, I think Halvo grossly underestimated how much you do understand about the creative process. For what it’s worth, you know more than you’re given credit for.”

Chaney smiled in appreciation.

They sat there for a bit longer, John showing her some of the other material they’ve been working on as well as the other artists in the 8123 family.

She was glad that John as so willing to share this portion of his life with her. She didn’t know much about music, but seeing the passion John had for it was inspiring to her. She could relate to what he was going through. The excitement of trying something new. The process of trial and error until you got something just right. The sense of accomplishment after finally figuring it out. There was nothing in the world that could compare to the creative process she went through when she painted. She could tell John was the same way with his music. They had more in common than they realized.
She had no idea how long they had been in there, as there was no indication of the time of day in the small room. If there were any windows in there, they were covered up by all the heavy curtains surrounding the room.

John pulled out his phone. “Shit! I need to get you home, or at least fed.”

She laughed “Why’s that?”

John turned his phone around to her, “Because it’s 11:30 at night and we haven’t eaten since brunch this morning.”

Chaney let his words sink in, and realized he was right when her stomach growled loudly.

John just laughed, “Seems like your stomach would agree with me. Let’s grab some food and I’ll take you home.”

She smiled and got up off the couch. They got in the truck and she said, “John, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m exhausted. Are you cool with just taking me through a drive-thru and taking me home?”

He laughed, “Of course. Where do you wanna go?”

She patted her stomach. “I know this is may be a bit repulsive, but I could really go for Taco Bell right now.”

John scoffed, “You wanna settle for that knock-off Mexican? We live in Arizona Chane. C’mon…”

“I know! But it’s cheap and fast.”

John snickered at her choice of words.

She playfully hit his shoulder. “C’mon. Are we five now?”

John enthusiastically nodded his head.

She laughed.

“Chane, just don’t get offended that I won’t get any food from there. I can’t bring myself to eat that shit.”

“Noted. Now take me for some gross, knock-off Mexican food.”

He took her through the drive-thru, and drove her back to her apartment. She was about to get out of the car when he said, “I hope you appreciate that burrito. I’m gonna have to air out my truck for days now to get that god-awful smell out. I made my truck smell like shit Mexican food for you. Enjoy your food.”

She laughed, noticing he was teasing.

He grinned wider upon seeing her laugh.

“Got it John. On a serious note, thanks for today. Seriously. I needed it.”

John smiled and said, “That’s what friends are for.”