Dancing in Black and White Photographs

It was the next morning when I realized that I was stranded. I had no way of transportation, so if I wanted anything, I’d have to walk. The place where they took my truck was all the way across the city. A cab wasn’t going to happen; I needed to save up till I was actually working. I also needed to figure out what I was going to do with myself when this was all over.

I heard a buzz, meaning someone was downstairs for me. I rolled my eyes,’ Probably Gemma’. I went over to the intercom anyways. “Hello?” I asked, completely bored already.

I wasn’t expecting a male’s voice though. “Hey it’s me, open up,” The voice commanded.

I don’t know about that, I knitted my eyebrows together, “Who is this? For all I know, you could be an Axe murder.”

I heard a sigh, “It’s DJ or Vampire Eyes, whatever mood you happen to be in,” the voice, who now belonged to DJ, said. I pressed the button that would allow him access in the building.

I walked over to the fridge for some iced tea. It would probably take him awhile, considering there isn’t an elevator in this apartment complex. I had filled the glass by the time I heard the knock on the door.

I went over to the door and answered it, to not only see DJ, but Nikki too. DJ smiled at me, “I had a feeling that you wouldn’t let us up if you knew Nikki was with me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Probably right,” I said dryly. I let them both in, even though I didn’t want Tattoos in here. I felt a bit out of place, because the only person who comes over is Gemma.

Nikki and DJ sat on the couch; I sat on the love seat. There was an awkward silence in the air. Being the brave person I am, I spoke first. “So, why are you here?” I asked, actually curious about this. I decided to throw in a smartass comment in as well, “Didn’t get enough of me?” Knowing he would remember the tow truck incident.

DJ laughed, “No, don’t worry about that, we’re here to drop off your truck.” I looked over to see Nikki confused; this conversation did sound like something else.

“How did you get it here?” I asked, not wanting Nikki to drive it. That little truck gets enough abuse from me. Before DJ could respond, Nikki bent over and whispered something to him.

“What are you talking about?” DJ asked, clearly confused on whatever Nikki just asked.

“Just curious,” Nikki said, sending a small smirk my way. I just flipped him off.

“What exactly are you curious about?” I asked, deciding this might be worth asking.

“You asked if he didn’t get enough, enough what exactly, because everything I think of involves two people and every once in awhile a bed,” he said smartly. I gaped at him for a moment, but before I could respond, he continued,” Oh, and your face could do that for two reasons as well.”

I stared at him. DJ had turned away and his shoulders were shaking, so I knew no help would come from him. “Tattoos, I don’t want to threaten you this way, but I think I must. If you say something like that again: I’m going to rip your balls off, put them in a blender, shove them down your throat, and you are going to watch every second of it,” I said in the most serious voice possible.

There was an intense silence between Nikki and I. DJ, on the other hand, was silent for two seconds before he about died laughing. I think I saw tears of laughter coming from his eyes. Nikki was giving him a really evil look.

DJ cleared his throat, chuckling every once in awhile, “Okay, I’m sure you didn’t want Nikki driving your truck, so I drove it. You also have the spare key in your glove compartment.”

I mumbled that most people don’t look there. Nikki scoffed, while DJ continued,”We also came by; because I think you and Nikki need some…form of understanding.” Both Nikki and I glared at him. “All I’m saying is that Corey gets along with everyone, except you,” DJ said looking to Nikki. “And Corey, You’re going to have to deal with Tattoos anyways, “DJ said grinning. Nikki was glaring at him after he said Tattoos.

I sighed,” Fine, what are we doing?” DJ looked surprised at how easy that had been.
“I didn’t really think that far ahead,” he admitted.

I nodded, “How about we browse then?” I asked, trying to make peace.

“Alright,” DJ agreed. Nikki just shrugged his shoulders. We all got up to head to the car. Once outside, I could see Crappy right next to Nikki’s car.

“I hate that car,” I mumbled while walking to the back seat. No way was I going to sit next to Nikki; that screams potential death.

“Where should we go?” DJ asked once he was securely fastened in the front seat.
Nikki and I both shrugged at the same. Good news, at least we can say we agreed on something. DJ snickered, “You both look miserable,” he commented. Nikki sighed, and started the car.

“I wonder why?” I sarcastically asked.

“Let’s go to the mall,” DJ stated, ignoring my reply and the tension within the vehicle.

It was silent for five minutes, and in my time, it felt like forever. “I saw that you had a cat,” DJ stated, trying to make small talk.

“Yeah, her names Claudia,” I paused momentarily. “Do you have any pets?” I asked, preferring the flow of conversation to the awkward silence.

“I do,” he turned to throw me a grateful smile, “I have a monkey.”

“Oh?” I simply said.

“Yeah, it’s a little girl named Pinkie,” he said smiling. That statement made me go awe in my head. Physically, I just gave him an amused smile.

I looked over to Nikki; he saw me look over through the mirror. “It’s a real Rock ‘N’ Roll name isn’t it?” He asked me. I was kind of surprised that Nikki actually asked me something without being hostile.

“Yeah,” I agreed, “Could even be the band’s name.” I saw Nikki smirk, and DJ just told me to shut up, as he laughed a long.

The tension wasn’t as bad, but it wasn’t comfortable either. “When we get to the mall, can we get something to eat?” I asked, realizing I haven’t eaten all day.

“Sure,” said DJ, who in this situation, basically spoke for everyone. “What would you like?” he asked.

I thought for a moment, “I think I want a sandwich.”

DJ nodded, “Subway alright?” He asked everyone. Both Nikki and I nodded. This whole bonding thing shouldn’t be this tense.

Again, there was a lack of conversation in the car. The radio was always playing some eighties song. That is until Motley Crue began playing, which Nikki quickly turned it. DJ shook his head, and turned to me, telling me that he never listens to himself.

“Do you ever listen to your own music?” I asked.

He looked at me through the mirror,” Yeah, once it’s fully done, years later, and on stage.” I just nodded, I guess that makes sense. I didn’t think that we were at such pleasantries for me to ask why not.

I looked around realizing, that someone in the band wasn’t here. “Where’s James,” I asked.

Nikki answered this, “He’s producing another band. That’s what he actually does; he’s a song writer and producer. DJ’s also the same way.”

I looked back to Nikki, “What else do you do?”

He smirked, “I do a lot of things, and I’ve done a lot of girls, too.”

I glared at him. “Not what I meant,” I said exasperatedly.

Nikki shook his head with a smile on his face,” I do the same thing as them, except I have a fashion line, and I’m a photographer.” I nodded, glad that we were getting somewhere. I turned to look out the window, ‘lame,’ we were already here. I stepped out of the car and followed both the guys inside.

That familiar subway smell came to me. I don’t know why I agreed to this; I don’t even like subway. Nikki and DJ ordered whatever they wanted. I never listen to other peoples orders.

I looked out the window to see two old people holding hands, ‘Awe cute,’ I gushed.

I looked over to Nikki, who was fighting with the lady behind the counter. I grinned, knowing he was going to be the funniest looking old man. I looked over to DJ, who was watching Nikki fight with the Lady.

“Jeeze, Nikki, shut your fricken gob,” I said, using my favorite line from Juno. He glared at me and gave me the finger before making peace with the lady.

It was finally my turn to order, so I ordered a BLT. Which probably took less time than Nikki’s by a long shot. DJ and Nikki left without me to find a table. I just searched for two black haired men. It wasn’t a very hard search, since we were the only ones in here.

I sat down next to DJ, not trusting Nikki enough. It was mostly silent, as I unwrapped my sandwich. Once done with the unwrapping, I took a bite. In that bite, all I got was lettuce. I must have been glaring across the table, because Nikki was giving me an amused look. I opened up the bread and started taking out the lettuce.

I felt everyone’s eyes on me. “What are you doing?” DJ asked beside me.

“I remember why I don’t like Subway: they have this thing where it goes, ‘would you like some bacon and cheese with your lettuce,’ it irritates me,” I said monotone. DJ laughed, while Nikki just called me retarded.

I looked at Nikki for awhile, “I’m going to spit in your eye, just wait,” I said, still picking at the lettuce. Nikki just shrugged his shoulders; obviously I’m not the only one who finds him irritating.

It was relatively silent on my part, Nikki and DJ talked about the up coming tour. I was beginning to get extremely bored, when I felt an arm around my shoulders.

“What do you want?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

He laughed, “Nothing, you just looked bored,” he said conversationally.

I gave him a confused look, “So you decided to put your arm around me?”

DJ smiled, “Yeah, you always seem hostile; I thought you would have done something.”

“Uh-huh,” I paused for dramatic effect. “Well, are we going anywhere else?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“You and Nikki need to keep bonding,” DJ said, taking his arm off me to get up. Now, I’m not going to say that I was cold because his touch was missing, but I kind of miss being held.

Nikki and I both got up to head to the car. There was no conversation in the car and there was no radio since the Motley Crue song. I was kind of happy to be out of the car when we reached the mall. A muted car ride feels stuffy. All of us walked up to the mall. Yet again, I felt like I had body guards, considering how small I felt.

We entered the mall, I looked around. I love to people watch. “What now?” I asked, still looking around.

“Whatever you want to do,” Nikki said. That helped me, oh, so much.

“Do you need anything?” DJ asked, probably trying to narrow down the possibilities.

“I do need some jeans,” I said hesitantly, wondering where he was going with this.

“Let’s go to Levis,” he said, saying the first thing he saw. I couldn’t even reply, for he was already walking in that direction. Nikki followed soon after, with me lagging behind.

As soon as I walked into the store I went to the back with the flare jeans. I don’t believe in skinny jeans. I was looking around when one of the clerks came over. He had a purple shirt, white pants, and a Monroe stud. It wasn’t very hard to guess his sexual preference.

“Hello,” he said, “how may I help you?” his voice was as flamboyant as he looked.

“I’m just browsing,” I said faintly. Most people don’t know this but I’m actually kind of shy. It depends where you meet me.

“Are you looking for a particular style?” he asked. Even though I said I didn’t need any help, this guy seemed to want too.

“Yes, I’m looking for some flares,” I said simply. Never, ever, let someone like him help you, if you want it simple. I didn’t end up with one pair of jeans in the dressing room, I ended up with six.

I was grumbling about this when I had the last jean on. I must admit they are cute. The clerk, who I found out was named Jesse, came into the room.

“Oh! Those look so cute on you,” he said, scanning his eyes over them.

I laughed, “Yeah, I do like them,” I said turning in circles to look at them. I was about to go back into the dressing room, when a hand stopped me.

I raised an eyebrow at Jesse, the culprit who blocked my way. “I know this is completely unprofessional, but I was wondering if the tall black haired man, who came in with you was, how do I say it, Gay.”

It took everything in me to not roll on the ground laughing. “Well, he tries to hide it, but I have seen him check out other guys,” I said, making a little white lie.

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind, I will have to check this out,” he said, “I just want to try him on,” Jesse said, winking at me. He left the room, putting a bit of swagger in his hips.

I hastily ran into the dressing room to get changed, knowing this was going to be great. After a few trips to the floor, I was out. I had the jeans I wanted and was racing out to the shopping part of the store.

I saw that Jesse had made a target for both DJ and Nikki. I was laughing into my hand at the display. Jesse was in between trying to be close to both. I debated on letting DJ suffer the same fate as Nikki. Although Vampire Eyes did make me spend time with Nikki, it was for a good cause. I sighed, knowing I’ll regret doing this, but went and saved DJ from Jesse.

I went over and grabbed DJ by the arm, “Come on Vampire Eyes, I need help with something,” I said, practically dragging him away. I saw Jesse wink at me, I giggled to myself, knowing Nikki would be mad. DJ looked relatively relieved to be out of that situation.

“You do know that Nikki will be upset for not helping him, right?” He asked. I nodded, handing my purchase to the cashier. Nikki was least of my concerns right now; I was happy that these jeans were fifty percent off. I looked over to see that Jesse had Nikki backed into the wall. Nikki looked like he was debating to be really mean or deal with it. I was grinning the whole time while watching this.

“I wonder where he got the idea that Nikki was even gay?” DJ asked himself. I shrugged trying to keep myself out of this.

I looked over to DJ, who was looking at me suspiciously. “What?” I asked

“You told him that Nikki was gay,” he said plainly.

“No, I told him that I think he secretly checks guys out,” I said. “There is a difference.”

“Nikki’s not going to be very happy with you,” DJ said, smirking.

I rolled my eyes. “Is Nikki ever happy with me?” I asked.

DJ laughed, “He’s only known you two days.”

“True, but most people usually get along,” I said, grabbing my purchase. The cashier chick was eavesdropping, which is why it took so long.

DJ rolled his eyes, “Yes, but most people don’t blame their new employer for getting fired.”

I sighed, knowing this to be true. I looked back over to Nikki; he looked unnerved to have Jesse that close to him. “Hey! Tatts! We’re leaving, are you coming?” I called out.
Nikki looked at me, and then excused himself. He walked over here, staring me down the whole way. He now stood in front of me, looking quite intimidating. He didn’t say anything, but left through the store.

DJ grabbed my hand, and pulled me along with him, “If we get left behind, he’ll leave without us,” he said, walking a fast pace. The trip through the mall was a short one, Nikki’s fast, angry stomps down it didn’t leave DJ and I any time for rest.

Getting in Nikki’s car was noisy, seeing how he slammed the door each time. DJ and I were quiet trying to keep it somewhat peaceful. We had pulled out of the parking lot and on the main road, when he spoke.

“I told him that I wasn’t homosexual, and you know what he said?” Nikki asked me, his attention fully on me, which scared me because he was driving. “He said that wasn’t what he heard.”

I didn’t need to say anything; he already knew that I told Jesse. As we drove on, the roads kept getting unfamiliar. I started thinking to myself. What if he drops DJ off to axe murder me. With each new thought, the more gruesome the sights in my mind were. If this was the case, I was leaving with DJ.

Nikki had pulled up in front of a house that had DJ’s jeep. ‘Yep, he wants to kill me,’ I decided.

“Alright, everyone get out,” Nikki said, mostly glaring at me while he said it.

I stepped out of the car, as did DJ. Nikki pulled out of the driveway as fast as humanly possible. DJ and I stood in his driveway watching him go.

“On tour, do you think he’s going to strangle me in my sleep?” I asked DJ, knowing I should fear for my life on that bus.

DJ laughed, “Maybe, if you keep pulling stunts like that, yes.” I really don’t feel safe with this.