The Joneses
2
Lying in the hotel bed, I thought of Mickey. I glanced at my roommates for the night, Holly and Laura. Neither one was paying attention to anything but their text messaging. I took out my own cell phone and stared at the phone number Mickey had given my at the airport. My cheek still burned where he had kissed me goodbye. I lifted my fingers and touched the spot, but it was cold. Suddenly, the phone was vibrating in my hands. The little LCD light alerted me that he was calling. My fingers stumbled over each other, racing to answer the call.
"Hello?" I was practically screeching.
"Hey Hope." said Mickey. Dear God, his voice was like sweet honey, pouring into my ears. It was so melodic, and soothing - there was just something so magnetic in it. "What are you up to tonight?"
"Oh, not a lot. I thought I'd order some porn to run up the school's hotel bill, but that's about it."
"Well what a waste!" He exclaimed. "A hot young thing like you, staying in on such a marvelous night?"
I giggled and stepped out into the hallway for privacy.
"Well my dear, I happen to be in a strange city, where I don't know anyone. It would be pretty hard to really get out."
"You know me." He paused. "Listen, my mate and I - the one I share a flat with - are having a little party tonight. Not really a party I suppose, just me and him, possibly you. What do you think?"
"That does sound like a party." I laughed.
"We thought we'd go on a beer run. Maybe I should have asked before, do you drink?"
I honestly hadn't had a drop in over a year. But I did miss it.
"Occasionally." I said.
"Wonderful. Can I pick you up in about an hour?"
"Sure."
We said goodbye, and I closed my eyes. I rested my head against the door and let out a sigh. It was so exciting, and I was so happy, but I couldn't figure out how to get around the chaperones. I went back into the room to get ready, and thing up an excuse.
An hour had passed. I was ready. My hair was done, my make-up was on, and the excuse was made up.
"Where are you going?" Asked Laura.
"I have a cousin who lives here. I'm going to visit him." I said.
I told the same story to the chaperone I rode in the elevator with, and the one in the lobby. When I stepped outside, the air was cold, and I could already feel my lips beginning to chap. I squinted at the horizon, looking for Mickey's outline in a car. My sweater fluttered in the wind, prompting me to hug myself, and sit down on the curb. I looked up at the sky. Each little twinkling star was its own thing. Each one could be a setting sun. I redirected my attention to my cuticles, which I began to pick. After about ten minutes, I felt another gush of wind, in addition to the natural one.A car had pulled up in front of me and stopped. It was partially black, but about half the paint was peeled off. Black smog slowly poured out of the rusty exhaust pipe. The window began receding into the car door, and Mickey's smiling face appeared.
"Want a ride?
He got out of the passenger seat, and put it down so I could crawl into the back. What a gentleman. I thought. Some what sarcastically, but not totally.
The boy in the driver's seat kept his small, soft looking hands at ten-and-two on the steering wheel the whole time, never breaking his gaze, and smoking a cigarette.
"This is Jayden." Said Mickey, jabbing a finger at the statue driving. Jayden moved for the first time since I saw him, to turn around and take a drag from his cigarette.
"Hello." He said quietly.
"Hello, I'm Hope." I smiled. Jayden turned around and put the car in gear. After an awkward silence lasting about three minutes, Mickey relieves some of the tension.
"Hope, Jayden is in the band I was telling you about. You know, the one that played at South by Southwest?"
"Oh yeah! Mickey said you guys were recording in Austin for the last month too. What do you play?
"What?" He says quietly. I'm confused.
"I asked what you play. Like, what instrument do you play?" I speak as clearly as I can, and a little louder than before.
"Drums." He says, still quietly.
"Jayden is hard of hearing." Mickey explains. "He was born deaf in his right ear."
"I usually talk since I can. Most people don't know sign language anyway. I prefer it though... I hate my voice." He whispered. There was a long pause before I told him,
"I know sign language." Jayden whipped his head around. The blank expression had morphed into a giant smile.
"Really?"
"Yes." I signed. "It's all American though."
"Wonderful!" He signed back. "I use American too. I grew up in New York."
"JAYDEN! Watch the fucking road!" yelled Mickey. Jayden swerved back into the correct lane, right before he caused a three car pile up. "Jesus..." muttered Mickey. The blue and red lights of a police car flashed into the dark, cramped car. "Awe shit" said Mickey. The sirens went off, but Jayden didn't hear them. He pulled over, and the stout policeman knocked on the window with his flashlight.
"License and registration please."
Mickey sunk down into his seat, embarrassed. Jayden frowned at the cop.
"Sir, I'll ask you one more time. Let me see your license and registration."
Jayden began flailing about, signing furiously and emitting odd noises that sounded like cries.
"Are you a retard or somethin'?" He yelled.
"WE DEAF!" Screamed Jayden, in an awkward voice.
"JUST DON'T SPEED ANYMORE!"
"HUH?!"
The policeman threw his arms up in frustration and walked pitifully back to his car.
"That works every time." Smiled Jayden.
"Hello?" I was practically screeching.
"Hey Hope." said Mickey. Dear God, his voice was like sweet honey, pouring into my ears. It was so melodic, and soothing - there was just something so magnetic in it. "What are you up to tonight?"
"Oh, not a lot. I thought I'd order some porn to run up the school's hotel bill, but that's about it."
"Well what a waste!" He exclaimed. "A hot young thing like you, staying in on such a marvelous night?"
I giggled and stepped out into the hallway for privacy.
"Well my dear, I happen to be in a strange city, where I don't know anyone. It would be pretty hard to really get out."
"You know me." He paused. "Listen, my mate and I - the one I share a flat with - are having a little party tonight. Not really a party I suppose, just me and him, possibly you. What do you think?"
"That does sound like a party." I laughed.
"We thought we'd go on a beer run. Maybe I should have asked before, do you drink?"
I honestly hadn't had a drop in over a year. But I did miss it.
"Occasionally." I said.
"Wonderful. Can I pick you up in about an hour?"
"Sure."
We said goodbye, and I closed my eyes. I rested my head against the door and let out a sigh. It was so exciting, and I was so happy, but I couldn't figure out how to get around the chaperones. I went back into the room to get ready, and thing up an excuse.
An hour had passed. I was ready. My hair was done, my make-up was on, and the excuse was made up.
"Where are you going?" Asked Laura.
"I have a cousin who lives here. I'm going to visit him." I said.
I told the same story to the chaperone I rode in the elevator with, and the one in the lobby. When I stepped outside, the air was cold, and I could already feel my lips beginning to chap. I squinted at the horizon, looking for Mickey's outline in a car. My sweater fluttered in the wind, prompting me to hug myself, and sit down on the curb. I looked up at the sky. Each little twinkling star was its own thing. Each one could be a setting sun. I redirected my attention to my cuticles, which I began to pick. After about ten minutes, I felt another gush of wind, in addition to the natural one.A car had pulled up in front of me and stopped. It was partially black, but about half the paint was peeled off. Black smog slowly poured out of the rusty exhaust pipe. The window began receding into the car door, and Mickey's smiling face appeared.
"Want a ride?
He got out of the passenger seat, and put it down so I could crawl into the back. What a gentleman. I thought. Some what sarcastically, but not totally.
The boy in the driver's seat kept his small, soft looking hands at ten-and-two on the steering wheel the whole time, never breaking his gaze, and smoking a cigarette.
"This is Jayden." Said Mickey, jabbing a finger at the statue driving. Jayden moved for the first time since I saw him, to turn around and take a drag from his cigarette.
"Hello." He said quietly.
"Hello, I'm Hope." I smiled. Jayden turned around and put the car in gear. After an awkward silence lasting about three minutes, Mickey relieves some of the tension.
"Hope, Jayden is in the band I was telling you about. You know, the one that played at South by Southwest?"
"Oh yeah! Mickey said you guys were recording in Austin for the last month too. What do you play?
"What?" He says quietly. I'm confused.
"I asked what you play. Like, what instrument do you play?" I speak as clearly as I can, and a little louder than before.
"Drums." He says, still quietly.
"Jayden is hard of hearing." Mickey explains. "He was born deaf in his right ear."
"I usually talk since I can. Most people don't know sign language anyway. I prefer it though... I hate my voice." He whispered. There was a long pause before I told him,
"I know sign language." Jayden whipped his head around. The blank expression had morphed into a giant smile.
"Really?"
"Yes." I signed. "It's all American though."
"Wonderful!" He signed back. "I use American too. I grew up in New York."
"JAYDEN! Watch the fucking road!" yelled Mickey. Jayden swerved back into the correct lane, right before he caused a three car pile up. "Jesus..." muttered Mickey. The blue and red lights of a police car flashed into the dark, cramped car. "Awe shit" said Mickey. The sirens went off, but Jayden didn't hear them. He pulled over, and the stout policeman knocked on the window with his flashlight.
"License and registration please."
Mickey sunk down into his seat, embarrassed. Jayden frowned at the cop.
"Sir, I'll ask you one more time. Let me see your license and registration."
Jayden began flailing about, signing furiously and emitting odd noises that sounded like cries.
"Are you a retard or somethin'?" He yelled.
"WE DEAF!" Screamed Jayden, in an awkward voice.
"JUST DON'T SPEED ANYMORE!"
"HUH?!"
The policeman threw his arms up in frustration and walked pitifully back to his car.
"That works every time." Smiled Jayden.