Earth to Me

I couldn’t afford to hide anything. The very next day, I told Tegan about the dream and what my mom had told me. I relayed the entire conversation back to her, and she just turned pale and told me to tell the rest of the guardians.

I did, of course; I texted Mick about it since I figured he would react the most calmly, and then he spread it to the rest of the band, and even though it was a little awkward, I told Chuck and Riley over Facenook the next night.

They all told me not to worry, but they also said to keep an eye out for anything else that seemed fishy in my dreams. Since I had experienced such a major shift, I had to be careful, and God knows they freaked out about me dying in my sleep for a few minutes. They were more concerned about that than they were about the universe being in danger, it seemed.

Regardless, there were other fish to fry at the moment, and all of those fish happened to be my midterms. I fried them all up with a special blend of herbs and spices, and lord, they were the best things I’d ever eaten – I passed my midterms and spent a weekend at home recuperating while my dad made me a bunch of potato skins to bring back to my dorm.

Maybe the biggest thing on our immediate plate was “Epitome of Hyperbole,” though. Not just for the band, but for all of us.

On November 11th, 2013, it hit the shelves and airwaves to mostly-positive reviews, and when I first listened to the full stream on Alternative Sound, my God, I understood why. I never understood why people want bands to keep making the same album over and over again; it was a departure from “Cooler Than Cool” in all the right ways.

There were softer songs like “Keep Around” and “Flourish,” the latter of which was mostly written by Mick. They experimented with a few different genres, like on the funky opening song, “Nerve Alert,” and “You Don’t Care,” which wouldn’t have sounded out of place here in Chicago in the 1990s. And of course, they kept their pop-punk signature sound for jams like “A Different Kind of Intention,” and “Geekbrain.”

What sucked a little bit was having to pay for the album, but I understood and all. Heck, it was ten bucks at the nearest record shop, so me, Tegan, and Murray set out to get it on its release day after class. That night, we congratulated the band over Facenook, and it was the most we could do – that Friday, they were setting out on the Epitome of Hyperbole Tour with opening bands Plaster Caster and This Sky Abundant. They had officially announced it a few days after Anthony had spilled the beans to me about it that one day.

They would do a hometown show in Chicago in December, but as it was, the Wednesday after the album dropped would be our last chance to see any of them. We couldn’t hang out with them because of our conflicting schedules (which bummed Murray out, seeing as how he’d only met Mick), although one member managed to drop by in the afternoon.

Andy texted me during my noon class – my phone was on vibrate, though – and when I checked the message after class, he was asking if me and Tegan wanted to grab lunch before saying goodbye. Of course, we said yes, and he ended up taking us out to Saturday’s for a huge lunch.

Good thing we didn’t have any other classes after that, because that lunch just absolutely destroyed any energy I had left. I ate too much and ended up having to get a doggy bag, but Andy paid for it all and kept gushing about the album. Heck, he gave us a nice in-depth explanation for every song, stating the meanings behind them.

Apparently, the song “Woven Maps” was even written about our intergalactic experiences, even though it was basically disguised as a song about being on the road. It was cool to hear the processes behind it, too, because the last in-studio updates they showed the world were for their 2011 album.

Lunch had to end eventually, though, and he drove us back to Breckinridge. He hugged Tegan goodbye in front of her door while people obliviously walked past and stared, sort of as if they could recognize Andy but couldn’t place a name to his face. Tegan grumbled something about having to study, and then she disappeared into her room.

I was all ready to say goodbye, knowing that I was going to see them at their Chicago show (they had given me, Tegan, and Murray free tickets). However, he nodded towards my door and said, “Well, I wanna talk to you a little.”

“Why?” I said dumbly, not understanding at first. Then, I realized I was talking to Andy – a guy who had a habit of blowing things out of proportion…and probably the one member of the band who took what my mom said seriously. “…Oh. About my dream?”

He crossed his arms and nodded, his face tired. “Well, I don’t wanna talk about it in-depth or anything. I just…wanna talk to you in person for a little while, at least.”

I led him over to my room and let him in, remembering that Murray had a class that would be letting out soon. Andy took a look around the dorm and nodded, a nostalgic smile on his face, his hands on his hips.

Leaning on one leg, he said, “Man, this is a blast from my past.”

“You lived in Breckinridge?” I cocked my head. They never gave us too many details on the band’s UChicago past.

He said, “Yup. This is where the magic happened. This was where me and Anthony realized we were meant to do music together. And then it was where we jammed with Mick and Chance and realized that it was just gonna get bigger.”

“That’s awesome,” I told him. Little reminders that he was basically famous were pretty cool.

But he turned around and looked me directly in the eye, and I just knew the conversation was going elsewhere. “So. About that dream and what your mother said to you,” he said, sharp at first, and then lowering his voice. We never really talked about my mom, me and the band. I just kind of mentioned it once and they left it at that. “Well…first of all, are you sure you’re okay?”

I said yes for the millionth time in response to that question.

“Oshie,” he whined, “you can tell me if you’re not okay. What do you think’s gonna happen? I wanna know if you feel safe at night or if you’re sad or something.”

“Well, the dreams are weird, I’ll say that,” I shrugged, “but otherwise, I’m okay. I haven’t had any weird dreams since then, and…the only thing that feels ‘off’ is what my mom told me that one time.”

His blue eyes softened; he bit his lip. “And she said you wouldn’t be alone for this whole ‘danger’ thing, right?”

“Yeah. I still don’t know what she meant, though.” This was the last thing I wanted to talk about at the moment.

“Good. Then that probably means that the rest of us are eventually gonna be in on it, too,” he grinned, clapping his hands together.

I laughed a bit. “How is that good? According to her, the universe is in danger.”

“It was in danger two years ago, wasn’t it?” he boasted, puffing out his chest. “And remember the way we handled that?!”

I can’t lie and say that those words didn’t make me feel any better. I remember after that hurdle had been jumped over, I had thought that if I could get through that, I could get through anything. So far, the saying had been true.

Andy slammed his hands down on my shoulders and looked me in the eye again, flames of excitement burning in his pupils. “The fact of the matter is that you shouldn’t bog yourself down with it. Relax and enjoy the rest of your semester. And if anything – ANYTHING! – ever happens, if you ever feel odd or you feel like something’s gonna fuck up, do NOT hesitate to call me. Or anybody in the band. Or even Chuck and Riley, I bet they’d help.”

Everybody else was just a click away. Sometimes I really did love technology in that sense. I just nodded and smiled, hoping to convey a “thank you” without having to say it.

“And I mean it! Don’t even hesitate. If we’re doing something, it’ll go to voicemail. Leave us a message and we’ll get back to it as soon as we can,” he added. “And shit, you’ve even got Tegan right next to you. She’s smart as hell.”

“I mean, I’m a little nervous, but yeah. Murray’s here, too. My roommate, I mean.” Even if he wasn’t “officially” part of our little team, he may as well have been.

Andy smirked like he was about to let loose a wicked pun. “Oh yeah, Mick told me about him. He sounds like a pretty cool dude. He wakes you up, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah,” I answered, “and he hasn’t told anybody else about our powers, and he didn’t think we were freaks for having them. Not to mention the fact that he’s just a great roommate in general.”

He just stood there with a crap-eating grin, one hand tucked under his other arm, and then he just stated, “Dude, you’re blushing like crazy.”

Okay, it was bad enough noticing it myself, but why did someone else have to point it out? I knew I was a tomato, jeez. I tried to ignore it in hopes that it would go away, but somehow I think Andy made it even worse by bringing it up.

Andy literally laughed at me, right in my face, turning around to regain his composure before looking me in the eye again. There was still a stupid smile on his face, and somehow it got even bigger when he said, “You must have the biggest crush on this guy, then.”

Part of me wanted to slap him upside the head, but the more normal part of me just grunted and tried to give him a mean look. (I don’t think I succeeded; I rarely do.) “I really don’t.”

“Aw, my little Moshie Oshie’s in denial,” he joked. I punched him right in the arm, though he barely even flinched. (Man, when was the last time he called me that nickname? Forever ago, at least.) “Dude, I’m just teasing you. You don’t even have to put a label on your sexuality or whatever. Hell, I don’t even know what I am.”

I rolled my tongue all over my mouth as if it would make the words come to me, but it was no use. Nothing I could’ve said would make me sound even remotely intelligent, so I didn’t even try.

This time, his smile seemed genuine. “That’s cute, though. I’m glad you get along with your roommate. Those folks can be real important to you.” Unlike the halfhearted punch I gave him, he just patted my arm.

And it would’ve gotten even cornier after that, if it hadn’t been for Murray walking in, the same exact person I was reluctantly discussing. He walked through the door with his usual swagger, and immediately after the door shut behind him, he just stopped and stared at Andy.

As if it happened all the time, Andy just beamed and said, “Hey.”

“Jesus Christ, Oshie,” Murray gasped, turning towards me after dropping his backpack on the floor, “if you keep bringing famous people into our dorm, you’re gonna give me a heart-attack.”

I snickered quietly while Murray introduced himself to the powerful singer, shaking his beefy hand and, of course, gushing about “Epitome of Hyperbole.” He thanked him endlessly for the free concert tickets for the Chicago concert, and meanwhile, I was just thankful that this encounter didn’t result in an argument.

Andy even held a small-talk conversation with him. I wasn’t surprised, knowing how friendly they both were, but it was kind of funny, watching Andy tell him how cool art history was even though he always said it was a pain in his ass.

They chatted for about ten minutes before Andy checked the time on his phone and said, “Well, I better get out of your hair so you guys can, like, study or something. Whatever you kids do these days.”

“Alright,” Murray said, still absolutely starstruck.

“I’ll see you guys in about a month, alright? You better be at that concert. I don’t care if you have a test the next day,” he joked, walking towards the door. He pointed at me in particular. “And Oshie, do not hesitate to call if anything happens, okay? Be safe. Both of you.”

He winked at me.

“Shut up,” I told him, even though he didn’t even say anything verbally with the wink.

Andy just laughed out loud and exited the room, letting the door shut behind him. I was already starting to miss him, but it was a familiar feeling; I always felt it whenever we said goodbye to the band for a little while.

When the dorm was quiet once again, Murray put an end to it with a little grin. “What was that wink about?”

I kept myself from blurting out, “He thinks I have a crush on you,” and instead I just shrugged. “I dunno. He’s weird.”

“Super secret official guardian stuff, I’m assuming?” he poked, kicking off his shoes and socks. “That’s cool. I won’t intrude.”

“It wasn’t anything real serious, just him telling me that I can call the band if anything weird happens. Like, with my dreams and stuff,” I told him. Now that he knew it all, I could pretty much tell him anything. “They’re starting the tour in a few days, so yeah. I’m gonna be on my own for a little while.”

Murray, one hand on his hip and the other in his back pocket, flipped his hair and said, “Not true. You got me, and you got Tegan. Face it, buddy – you’re never alone.”

I couldn’t argue with that, honestly. Especially not when he actually walked over to me and slapped my back, giving me a little haphazard hug around the shoulders that certainly didn’t do much for the blush on my dumb face.

Luckily, he didn’t mention it, and he didn’t bring up the wink again or any other possible contexts it may have been in. There were plenty of things I didn’t need in my life at that moment, and one of them was some stupid earth-shattering realization that I had a crush on my own damn roommate.

I didn’t, by the way. That probably sounded like I was implying that I did, but I really didn’t.

Sometimes I thought he kinda did, what with the close contact he was known for, though at the same time I had to keep myself from sounding too cocky. I wasn’t worth being a crush for someone, anyway, and why would it be from one of my best friends who happened to like dudes? So I just blocked the thought out of my head, even if it resurfaced nearly every time I caught him watching over me at night.

Friends make sure friends don’t die, right? It was simple. He was just being a good person. A good person who was really nice to me and liked giving me hugs. Totally normal. Whenever I questioned it, I just reminded myself not to get my hopes up.

Not – not that I would get my hopes up or anything. I mean…like, yeah.

Okay, the point is, Andy was wrong and I didn’t have a dumb crush on Murray. I don’t know if he knew what he was even talking about. He was just being Andy, just joking around with me like a brother would. He was being nice. Yeah. And I was just blushing because I turn red at anything that even remotely embarrasses me.

That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.