Maybe I'll Get It Right Someday

The morning after my night out with Justin, I sat down at my computer with my coffee and two pieces of toast with strawberry jelly on them. I was going to look up that band he'd mentioned. "What were they called again?" I wondered aloud. "Motion... Motion something." I figured Tilly would probably know, but she was still at Becca's house. "Motion City something. Something... Soundtrack! Motion City Soundtrack!" I have no idea where I got "Soundtrack" from "Something." I typed it into the searchbox on Google and clicked on the link to the band's official site. There were five guys in the picture at the top of the page. The one with messy hair that looked like licks of wild mushroom caps looked incredibly familiar. That little shit... I thought. Right there, on my computer screen, was a picture of Justin and his bandmates. I don't care what he's got going on today. I have to talk to him.

I finished my breakfast and got dressed quickly, then walked briskly across the crackling leaves to Justin's back door. It was closer than the front one at the moment. I pounded on the door, but there was no answer. I didn't even hear footsteps. Maybe he went somewhere. His car was still in the driveway. If Justin had gone anywhere, somebody picked him up. I knocked again and there was still no answer. I tried opening the door, and the knob turned easily. "Justin!" I shouted, poking my head inside. No one was there. I could hear low bass tones coming from the basement, so I decided to go have a look.

I found the door to Justin's basement stairs and began my descent. It wasn't just bass and drumming anymore. I heard guitars, some kind of keyboard, and singing... and it was getting louder with each step. When I reached the bottom, there he was with the other men I saw in the picture online. "Holy shit!" Justin squeaked into his microphone, immediately stopping the song. "Lori, where did you come from? Scared me to death! You could've given me an asthma attack!"

"You're a lying little shit, Justin." It just kind of came out of my mouth. "You said you were self-employed. You told me Motion City Soundtrack was a band you looked up to. I found the website a few minutes ago. Why'd you lie?"

"Who's that?" the one with the bass guitar asked, pointing his pick in my direction.

"That's my friend Lori, Matt," Justin told him. Justin pulled his guitar from around his torso and approached me. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd actually look us up, and I thought maybe I'd eventually have the chance to explain it all to you after you know me better. I wanted you to like me for who I am, not for the fact that I have a band. I'll understand if you don't want to see me anymore after this."

I pursed my lips. "Does Matilda know?"

"About the band? Oh, yeah. I told her all about it. She likes us."

"Then I guess there's no way I'd ever actually get away from you, with my daughter being a fan."

Justin stared at his feet and shrugged, smiling a little. "If we play a song for you, will you not hate me?"

"I don't hate you. I just wanted to know why you lied to me. Now I know why you lied, but I don't understand why. Being a musician is as honorable a profession as any, more honorable than most. I'd still like to hear you play."

He smiled and went back to his place, picking up the Telecaster and slinging the strap over his shoulder. "Okay, we were just starting Everything Is Alright. Let's start it over so Lori can hear, kay, guys?" His bandmates nodded or grunted in agreement and they started the song. I clapped for them when they finished and Justin adopted a very proud, but no less goofy, grin. He proceeded to introduce me to his friends. "Guys, this is Lori. She's my friend. She and her sweet little girl Matilda live next door to me in the house that Jesse claims I caused the previous owners to move out of." The one with the keyboard snickered. I assumed he was Jesse. "Lori, this is Josh," he pointed to the other guitarist, who had just taken off his hat to reveal a shiny balding head. "Back behind the drums, there, we have Tony." Tony smiled at me and waved a drumstick. He had a short beard and short dark hair. "The nosy bass player is Matt." Matt kind of looked like you'd expect a guy in a band to look these days: angled bangs and a lip piercing. "Our keyboardist is Jesse." Ha! Thought so! Jesse had blond-ish highlights in his brown hair. "Jesse is the cause of the hole in the floor, over in the corner of the room." Justin pointed in the general direction he was talking about.

"You put a hole in concrete?" I asked Jesse, raising my eyebrow. He nodded proudly. "How?"

"Being stupid," Jesse replied as he began to pack up his keyboard. "It's a Moog," he told me, holding it up slightly.

"I didn't ask," I said.

"Your eyes asked."

"Jesse's a crack head," Justin said, earning him the middle finger from his Moog player. "He, Matt, and Tony are all from out-of-state. Josh and I are the only members living in Minnesota."

"What are they all doing here, then?" I asked.

"Practicing before we leave to go on tour."

"Oh. Wait, you're leaving?"

"Yeah. In like, a week."

"So I have to fend for myself and Matilda in Minneapolis?"

"Pretty much. You can always call me while I'm on the road, you know. 'Sides, you'll get the hang of living here before you know it. I'll get back and you'll be a seasoned Minnesotan."

"If you say so, Justin."

"We're leaving, Snookums," Josh said to Justin.

"Snookums?" I asked. "You're sure he's just your bandmate, Justin?"

Justin laughed. "Yeah. Snookums is what they call me when they see me talking to a woman who I just happen to be friends with. Basically, it's the assumption that I'm gettin' some."

"Lovely."

"You should show her my hole, Justin," Jesse said, passing by us with his Moog. "That came out wrong."

"It certainly did, crack head," Justin said.

"I will beat you with my Moog stand."

Justin's band left and we sat on the couch in his living room. "Can I ask... what happened with Matilda's dad?" Justin nearly whispered.

"Stuff," I replied.

"Oh. I think I know what you mean. Stuff happens to me a lot, too." He put an arm around my shoulders. "Haven't seen him since, huh?"

"Nope. Don't want to."

"I can't blame you. You did a great job by yourself, though. She's so sweet. I'll gladly babysit again any time you need me to."

"The next time I need you to watch her, you'll be on tour. It doesn't matter. She's nine, anyway. I think she's big enough to know how to stay home by herself for a few hours."

"Good point." It was quiet for a moment, then we both turned to look at each other. "You sure you're not mad at me for lying?"

"Totally."

"Good, because I'd die if you hated me." Justin kissed my nose.

"You missed," I said.

"Huh?" He tipped his head to the side.

"You. Missed." I quickly kissed his lips. "Bull's eye." Justin stared at me with his mouth open. "You're going to have to close your mouth eventually."

"You surprised me, that's all." He sighed. "Want some lunch?"

"I have to go get Tilly from Becca's house."

"Oh. Bring her over when you get back and I'll see if I can figure out how to cook something that doesn't ooze."

I laughed. "How about you come along for some McDonald's?"

"That would be even better."