Beautiful
A Glimpse
It was quiet. Almost no one was outside, and the sky looked like it was about two seconds away from pouring. The wind blew her hair into her face as she walked along the canal downtown. It had to be close to five in the evening, but the air had a dimly brightness to it that made it ok to wear sunglasses.
She strolled on with her hands in her jacket pockets. She was expressionless, emotionless. Not from emptiness, though. From peace. Walks always brought her peace. Music brought her closure, but never would it center her like these quiet walks did.
She took in a damp breath as she smiled to herself. She knew what she was doing. She had her direction and was going to take it. It didn't matter anymore what anyone thought or how anyone else felt about it. Or about her. This was her life, not theirs. There was no more living for them, or anyone else. It was time to start Living.
---o---
He rolled the cigarette over and over in his fingers, just staring at it.
Should he, or should he not?
He let out an empty sigh before tucking the item back behind his ear. He tapped the arm of the chair he was sitting in, it was black with pin striping. One that Adrienne had picked out. It really was a tasteful piece of furniture.
The urge to rip it to shreds, though, was almost overwhelming.
He pulled out a pack of gum from his pocket, dropping a piece into his mouth as he got up from the chair.
Everything irritated him, the chair, the room, the house, the friggin dots on the ceiling pissed him off. He was craving nicotine so bad it hurt. It physically hurt.
He slid his feet into an old pair of sneakers and his arms into a mangled denim jacket, "Hey, Adie, I'm goin for a walk, call if I'm not home by 8."
"K." he heard his wife faintly cal from her office. She was working on some kind of new idea for Adeline Street. He would normally be providing opinions, but at the moment, even that irritated him. He needed to clear his mind.
---o---
"Don't even go there with me, Karenna. You knew it would have pissed me off when you said it. Don't do your little innocent stupidity act. It's getting old."
"Do you honestly expect me to know how you're going to react to everything I say?"
"MUSIC IS MY LIFE, KARENNA!" Blake was turning six shades of red, "A lot of musicians say that. I LIVE by it. There's nothing on this earth more important to me. So, obviously, when you insult my way of LIFE, I'm entitled to be PISSED OFF!"
"DO not yell at ME, Blake Masters. YOU are the one that said, 'Lets give this another go.' I hesitated because of THIS very reason."
"Because I'm defending my life choices to you?!"
"NO, because you choose THIS, over me, every time!"
"I shouldn't have to CHOOSE, Karenna!"
"Well thats too bad," she pursed her lips, almost threateningly at him, "Because I'm asking you to, for the LAST time. Blake, its the music, or me. BLANE, or your GIRLFRIEND."
"What?!... Since when did Blane get brought into this?"
"Since I've seen the way you look at her, Blake! You're so crazy about her, you're using this as an excuse to push ME away. I'm sick of it. Either you move on, or you live with it, but don't drag me into this. I don't need to be."
With the last words, rolling calmly of the tip of her tongue, she slid out the front door of his house, leaving him, standing in the middle of his living room in shock.
---o---
"Your friggin mom."
Tre was losing intensely at a game of Texas Hold 'em against Chris. Mr. P, Caleb, Mike, Billie, Michael, and Derek all had already folded. Tre, on the other hand, refused to give in, although Chris had about three times as many chips and had chosen to go all in. Tre threw everything he had left into the pot, and smiled cheekily as he laid down his hand. Chris laughed loftily as he dropped his, clearly better hand and took everyone's money.
"You can't beat the master at his own art, my friends." he said, "So pay up."
"You know the only reason you win is because you're just that good of a liar. My hand would've beat you in a heartbeat." Caleb retorted to his brother.
Chris extended his hand as to ask or his money owed, "And you, sir, always play it safe, even when you know you could win."
"Hey guys." they all turned to see Blane standing there, dressed in bright yellow and a smile.
"She speaks!" Chris exclaimed, before jumping up to hug her, "We've missed you."
Blane didn't retaliate, she just smiled back at all of them; then she grabbed Chris and Caleb (mostly because they were closest to her) and hugged them.
"I missed you guys too," she whispered, "Thanks."
She had also realized something, she had no reason to act the way she was acting, not when it was her that started dating Josh first. If Blake wanted to be with Karenna, let him. That was fine with her.
---o---
"Alright everybody, let's do another run-through!"
Up with the count off, down with the drumsticks. The mash up was coming along very well, and the music? Soaring above all ideas of amazing that Green Day had previously set forth. Everyone in the room was in their element: doing what they loved. They were ready to start recording.
"Ok, so next week, we'll see you guys in California. Try not to be too smug, your last week of school." Billie smiled at them.
"Yeah, and to enjoy the party because the real work starts now." Tre added (also simultaneously giving a pantomime of a beer bong, to which earned him a fist to the stomach from Mike).
We'll see you guys soon!" Mike called as they walked out the door.
As soon as it shut behind them, Mr. P turned around, beaming at them.
"Great job, you guys, I've never seen an ensemble come together this well."
"It was all you, Mr. P," Caleb countered, "Us seniors are gonna miss you after this is over."
"Yeah," Derek added, "Who else is gonna cut us breaks when we show up 15 minutes late to practice?"
"You guys'll be fine without me, besides, I'll always be here."
"I think they're just sad they can't steal candy bars out of your desk drawer." Blane added to the conversation, with a mischievous smile.
Chris jumped over two chairs and landed with his hand over Blane's mouth, "She doesn't know what she's talking about, Mr. P! We didn't even know you had candy bars in your office... left side second drawer from the bottom, behind the pen case..."
A muffled, "You're retarded" came from behind his hand. Blane's eyes were smiling.
He saw it. If only for a second or two. Blake caught her happiness fade back.
She strolled on with her hands in her jacket pockets. She was expressionless, emotionless. Not from emptiness, though. From peace. Walks always brought her peace. Music brought her closure, but never would it center her like these quiet walks did.
She took in a damp breath as she smiled to herself. She knew what she was doing. She had her direction and was going to take it. It didn't matter anymore what anyone thought or how anyone else felt about it. Or about her. This was her life, not theirs. There was no more living for them, or anyone else. It was time to start Living.
---o---
He rolled the cigarette over and over in his fingers, just staring at it.
Should he, or should he not?
He let out an empty sigh before tucking the item back behind his ear. He tapped the arm of the chair he was sitting in, it was black with pin striping. One that Adrienne had picked out. It really was a tasteful piece of furniture.
The urge to rip it to shreds, though, was almost overwhelming.
He pulled out a pack of gum from his pocket, dropping a piece into his mouth as he got up from the chair.
Everything irritated him, the chair, the room, the house, the friggin dots on the ceiling pissed him off. He was craving nicotine so bad it hurt. It physically hurt.
He slid his feet into an old pair of sneakers and his arms into a mangled denim jacket, "Hey, Adie, I'm goin for a walk, call if I'm not home by 8."
"K." he heard his wife faintly cal from her office. She was working on some kind of new idea for Adeline Street. He would normally be providing opinions, but at the moment, even that irritated him. He needed to clear his mind.
---o---
"Don't even go there with me, Karenna. You knew it would have pissed me off when you said it. Don't do your little innocent stupidity act. It's getting old."
"Do you honestly expect me to know how you're going to react to everything I say?"
"MUSIC IS MY LIFE, KARENNA!" Blake was turning six shades of red, "A lot of musicians say that. I LIVE by it. There's nothing on this earth more important to me. So, obviously, when you insult my way of LIFE, I'm entitled to be PISSED OFF!"
"DO not yell at ME, Blake Masters. YOU are the one that said, 'Lets give this another go.' I hesitated because of THIS very reason."
"Because I'm defending my life choices to you?!"
"NO, because you choose THIS, over me, every time!"
"I shouldn't have to CHOOSE, Karenna!"
"Well thats too bad," she pursed her lips, almost threateningly at him, "Because I'm asking you to, for the LAST time. Blake, its the music, or me. BLANE, or your GIRLFRIEND."
"What?!... Since when did Blane get brought into this?"
"Since I've seen the way you look at her, Blake! You're so crazy about her, you're using this as an excuse to push ME away. I'm sick of it. Either you move on, or you live with it, but don't drag me into this. I don't need to be."
With the last words, rolling calmly of the tip of her tongue, she slid out the front door of his house, leaving him, standing in the middle of his living room in shock.
---o---
"Your friggin mom."
Tre was losing intensely at a game of Texas Hold 'em against Chris. Mr. P, Caleb, Mike, Billie, Michael, and Derek all had already folded. Tre, on the other hand, refused to give in, although Chris had about three times as many chips and had chosen to go all in. Tre threw everything he had left into the pot, and smiled cheekily as he laid down his hand. Chris laughed loftily as he dropped his, clearly better hand and took everyone's money.
"You can't beat the master at his own art, my friends." he said, "So pay up."
"You know the only reason you win is because you're just that good of a liar. My hand would've beat you in a heartbeat." Caleb retorted to his brother.
Chris extended his hand as to ask or his money owed, "And you, sir, always play it safe, even when you know you could win."
"Hey guys." they all turned to see Blane standing there, dressed in bright yellow and a smile.
"She speaks!" Chris exclaimed, before jumping up to hug her, "We've missed you."
Blane didn't retaliate, she just smiled back at all of them; then she grabbed Chris and Caleb (mostly because they were closest to her) and hugged them.
"I missed you guys too," she whispered, "Thanks."
She had also realized something, she had no reason to act the way she was acting, not when it was her that started dating Josh first. If Blake wanted to be with Karenna, let him. That was fine with her.
---o---
"Alright everybody, let's do another run-through!"
Up with the count off, down with the drumsticks. The mash up was coming along very well, and the music? Soaring above all ideas of amazing that Green Day had previously set forth. Everyone in the room was in their element: doing what they loved. They were ready to start recording.
"Ok, so next week, we'll see you guys in California. Try not to be too smug, your last week of school." Billie smiled at them.
"Yeah, and to enjoy the party because the real work starts now." Tre added (also simultaneously giving a pantomime of a beer bong, to which earned him a fist to the stomach from Mike).
We'll see you guys soon!" Mike called as they walked out the door.
As soon as it shut behind them, Mr. P turned around, beaming at them.
"Great job, you guys, I've never seen an ensemble come together this well."
"It was all you, Mr. P," Caleb countered, "Us seniors are gonna miss you after this is over."
"Yeah," Derek added, "Who else is gonna cut us breaks when we show up 15 minutes late to practice?"
"You guys'll be fine without me, besides, I'll always be here."
"I think they're just sad they can't steal candy bars out of your desk drawer." Blane added to the conversation, with a mischievous smile.
Chris jumped over two chairs and landed with his hand over Blane's mouth, "She doesn't know what she's talking about, Mr. P! We didn't even know you had candy bars in your office... left side second drawer from the bottom, behind the pen case..."
A muffled, "You're retarded" came from behind his hand. Blane's eyes were smiling.
He saw it. If only for a second or two. Blake caught her happiness fade back.