Stripes In The Devil
Chaptah Six: "I Miss You So Far"
For the last two and a half hours of my shift Ryan and Brendon waited for me. They passed the time by sneaking around the story, hiding behind racks covered in strings, picks and various other items, and giggling. Boys… but I really wished I could know what they were talking about.
Ryan tackled me as soon as I walked out of the back room for timing out. We debated for about ten minutes about what we should do now. We all hopped into Ryan’s car after a bit so that Brendon could drop off his bag at his house. I was a little surprised that he along with one other member of The Summer League (Ryan’s band), were still in high school. Apparently Brendon had just come from a school band practice preparing for the coming school year. Poor kid didn’t even have his summer break to himself.
After dropping off Brendon’s bag we decided that it would be fun for Ryan and Brendon to come back to my apartment and meet Aaron. I figured he would be home as it was almost six in the evening and since he was pretty into the music scene, I thought he and the boys should get along nicely. When we reached my apartment I didn’t even notice the old familiar blue Honda outside my building.
***
I chatted happily with Brendon and Ryan as we walked up the five flights of stairs (I’m terrified of elevators) to me and Aaron’s two bedroom flat. As we reached the correct hallway I started to fumble around my cluttered messenger bag for my key. By the time I found it we were outside my door and I caught the scent of something. I looked over at the guys accusingly and asked sharply “Are either of you wearing anything?” They returned confused looks. “What do you mean?” Ryan asked bewildered. “You know cologne, axe, body spray… anything like that?” I replied impatiently. Ryan looked to Brendon and Brendon to Ryan and then they both looked at me shaking their heads. “Why?” Brendon questioned. “It’s just – something smelled like – oh never mind… it’s nothing” I told him sounding very flustered I’m sure. In all honesty I had smelled something that used to be very familiar to me, someone that I hadn’t seen for almost two months.
Waving off the loneliness and missing I unlocked the door and swung it open letting the guys in ahead of me. They stood awkwardly next to the door while immediately locked all three of its locks. What can I say? My section of Chicago wasn’t exactly suburbia. It was habit.
I slid off my flats by the door and the guys followed my example. When I turned around there he was standing in the center of our living room/ kitchen/ dining room, the subject of many of my recent dreams.
Ryan tackled me as soon as I walked out of the back room for timing out. We debated for about ten minutes about what we should do now. We all hopped into Ryan’s car after a bit so that Brendon could drop off his bag at his house. I was a little surprised that he along with one other member of The Summer League (Ryan’s band), were still in high school. Apparently Brendon had just come from a school band practice preparing for the coming school year. Poor kid didn’t even have his summer break to himself.
After dropping off Brendon’s bag we decided that it would be fun for Ryan and Brendon to come back to my apartment and meet Aaron. I figured he would be home as it was almost six in the evening and since he was pretty into the music scene, I thought he and the boys should get along nicely. When we reached my apartment I didn’t even notice the old familiar blue Honda outside my building.
***
I chatted happily with Brendon and Ryan as we walked up the five flights of stairs (I’m terrified of elevators) to me and Aaron’s two bedroom flat. As we reached the correct hallway I started to fumble around my cluttered messenger bag for my key. By the time I found it we were outside my door and I caught the scent of something. I looked over at the guys accusingly and asked sharply “Are either of you wearing anything?” They returned confused looks. “What do you mean?” Ryan asked bewildered. “You know cologne, axe, body spray… anything like that?” I replied impatiently. Ryan looked to Brendon and Brendon to Ryan and then they both looked at me shaking their heads. “Why?” Brendon questioned. “It’s just – something smelled like – oh never mind… it’s nothing” I told him sounding very flustered I’m sure. In all honesty I had smelled something that used to be very familiar to me, someone that I hadn’t seen for almost two months.
Waving off the loneliness and missing I unlocked the door and swung it open letting the guys in ahead of me. They stood awkwardly next to the door while immediately locked all three of its locks. What can I say? My section of Chicago wasn’t exactly suburbia. It was habit.
I slid off my flats by the door and the guys followed my example. When I turned around there he was standing in the center of our living room/ kitchen/ dining room, the subject of many of my recent dreams.