Dancing in Black and White Photographs

I sat there for a while looking off into space, I had decided that looking at DJ’s sleeping form wasn’t the best idea. I was tired and uncomfortable since I had been sitting in the same position for about fifteen minutes. It was hard not to just push DJ off my lap and onto the floor, but for an odd reason I didn’t succumb to the malevolent feeling. I wanted nothing more than to sleep but I can’t sleep up right so there seemed to be no compromise for this situation.

‘Maybe if I slowly push him off he won’t notice,’ I thought to myself. I started to move my left hand onto his side and my right on the other and then I re-thought the whole situation and put both my hands on either side of his face as soon as I had he began to stir, causing me to remove my hands quickly. I began to mentally curse at my predicament. I huffed trying to think of the best way to get out of this, I slowly started moving my body to the right hoping not to wake him. My plans never seem to go the way they should though, because as soon as I had moved he decided to turn on his side and wrap his arms around my waist.

The thought of a full on assault entered my mind since I was getting annoyed. I sighed and decided to lean back on the couch. I finally looked down and saw the ‘innocent’ version of DJ. ‘Wow, looks are deceiving,’ I sneered in my head.

“He so better not drool on me,” I mumbled aloud while glaring at the figure who was causing me so much torment. I started to stare at his features since I had nothing better to do. His hair kind of reminded me of a small dog at times and the eye liner made him look like he was either sleep deprived or apart of the walking dead, sometimes both, but in his odd own kind of way he wasn’t unattractive, which made it even more unique.

“Having fun staring?” asked a voice startling me from my trance. I looked up and saw none other than the demon from hell, Nikki Sixx.

‘He thinks he’s so bad ass but he’s really not,’ mentally insulting him with a twisted smirk on my face. “Not so much,” I replied.

“And why’s that?” he asked, sauntering around the small cramped room as if he owned the place. He actually did own it but that was completely beside the point. He took a seat on a chair that looked to be a recliner but actually lacked the ability to recline.

“Because I’d rather be asleep,” I replied rather bluntly. If only I was asleep, I could be sleeping in complete bliss ones that has the absence of men with tattoos, vampire eyes, and lacked the skill to play any sorts of instruments.

“And what’s stopping you?” He asked with that same sickening smirk he always has on. I opened my mouth to reply but he cut me off quickly, “I mean, it’d be really simple all you’d have to do is push him off and walk to your bunk. Of course you’d have to ignore DJ yelling at you but it’s really a rather simple concept,” he explained.

If looks could kill, and not in a good way, he’d be so fucking dead. This whole time I had been wondering why I haven’t done exactly what he had so diligently described. “I’m not really sure,” I replied honestly, since any other excuse sounded brittle with no conviction.

He nodded at this, “If it makes you feel any better, most don’t know what they’re doing but later find out the reasoning behind it.”

“What makes you think I need reassurance?” I asked pointedly.

“Everyone needs a small comfort,” he said with a very slight and subtle smile.

I couldn’t help but smirk at this. “Tattoos, you can be very surprising.”

“So I’ve been told,” he said in monotone. “I’ll pay you fifty bucks to push him off though,” he said seriously.

I had to raise an eyebrow at this proposition. “How do I know that you’ll keep up your end of the bargain?” I asked in interest. His reply was simple, pulling out a wallet and showing me a fifty. I thought about this for a moment before putting it into action. This would be a rather difficult thing since DJ’s arms were snaked around my waist, and if I pushed him off I’d most likely be pulled down with him. The decision was starting to get easier since my legs were cramped and the world of dreams was beaconing me. I looked up to see the infamous smirk that would make the devil proud.

Instead of putting more thought into it, I simply pushed as hard as I could, and what I thought would happen, did. It was rather slow motion as DJ’s body hit the floor and mine was dragged down thanks to his arms malapropos decision. Both of us ended up on our sides, and I mentally cursed Tattoos lousy proposition and my greedy self.

DJ was groaning into my stomach, it was only a guess but I think he was asking why. I sighed, and tried to get up but I was quickly pulled down. “Why would you do that?” he asked looking up with eyes that may scare small children.

I answered while trying to tear his arms off me, “because your fat head was causing my blood circulation to stop, that’s why.” He only ended up tightening his arms around my waist.

“I also paid her off,” Nikki added. He makes it sound like we’re in the mafia together. I think if we were we’d end up killing each other instead of making an illegal underground business.

“How much did you settle for?” DJ asked. Instead of the mafia I suddenly sounded as if I was a prostitute.

“She settled for fifty,” Nikki said for me.

“That’s it?” DJ asked. “You usually give people a hundred.” I’m starting to see that this is a normal thing.

“You ripped me off?” I asked, scowling at Nikki.

“I give people hundreds when they actually do things they shouldn’t be doing; like flashing people, getting my kids to eat ants, and the list goes on,” he said as if paying people to do stupid shit is an everyday thing and maybe it is for him.

“You’ve paid your kids to eat ants?” I asked in disgust.

“Yeah, they didn’t stop there though they moved onto Rollie-pollies for free,” smiling at the memory.

I gave Nikki a blank stare while DJ finally sat up, “I have to take a piss,” was his way of knowing what his reason of departure was.

I felt like I was on a bus full of primitive people. “Why did I sign up for this?” I asked out loud.

“Because you were desperate,” was Nikki’s answer.

“Tattoos, I am really considering ending your musical career by chopping off all your fingers,” I said icily. “Where’s James anyways?” I asked as an afterthought.

“He’s been here for awhile, I think he’s already in his bunk,” DJ said, walking back into the room.

“That actually sounds like a good idea,” Nikki responded. As he walked out he threw the fifty at me without another word. Well a step up, instead of a prostitute I’ve moved up to being treated like a stripper.

DJ was now sitting one the couch while for some reason I seemed to be still sitting on the ground. Not only was I now uncomfortable on the ground there seemed to be an awkward silence lingering in the air.

“So...I’m going to bed,” I said, getting up off the ground, making bones in my legs pop.

“Yeah, I probably will in a minute too,” he replied.

I nodded for my acknowledgment of what he said. I entered the bunk area and moved onto the bathroom. Getting ready for bed is the most redundant thing possible. Wash face, brush teeth, etc. Every single day, it’s probably why I was thinking of what DJ had said before he had fallen asleep. ‘It reminds me of someone,’ kept replaying in my head. I spat in the sink in disgust for myself and whatever feelings were swayed with that sentence.

I quickly changed hoping I wouldn’t get walked in on like I did too James. I quietly exited the bathroom and was about to succeed in making as little noise as possible until I ran into a solid form that was taller than me. Said form grabbed onto my arms so that I wouldn’t trip and make a huge ruckus.

“Are you okay?” whispered DJ.

I had to roll my eyes, honestly, how could I have been hurt by that I was just startled. “Yeah, until I ran into you,” I said sarcastically. He laughed in the dark probably used to my ‘hostile’ behavior. I easily moved around him and into my bunk while I heard shuffling and then complete silence.

I’m really hoping everyday isn’t like this one, way too dramatic. I shut my eyes hoping to get some sleep while trying to shake off the words that I didn’t want to hear. Getting over things can either be very easy or very difficult but they can never be avoided. I’m starting to realize that the things I fear the most are always brought back onto the center stage of my life, and running away from them isn’t as easy as it used to be. No, not everything can be avoided but I felt that it was my dire need to keep on running.