Aqua over Duran Duran?
"Where will it be, milady?" Dev didn’t bother himself buckling the seatbelt, instead he took a pack of Marlboro red and put a cigarette between his lips, lighting it up.
"I’ve to go to the studio." I said simply, taking a moment to buckle up.
"Recording studio?" I nodded, "The one on the Beach Boulevard?" He opened the window before starting up his black BMW.
"The exact same one." I checked my phone to see a couple of text messages lingering on the screen saver. My finger slid over the screen, unlocking it.
"So you’re in a band or something?" He blew out the smoke through the open window, before driving out of the parking lot.
"Yeah, would be great..." I replied. But actually I was. If you could count our trio messing around at my house when we’re upside down drunk, then yes, I was. I opened a text from Bailey.
"That would’ve been cool." He said.
"Huh?"
"I mean, we’d just have something in common." And why would that be a good thing?
r u home? chris ran into his ex. I frowned, quickly typing up an answer.
Nop. Handling business. I’ll text u, when I’m free.
I received a reply just seconds later. shithead
With a grin I stuffed the phone in my bag. I made a small glance towards Dev to see him, smirking. What was his problem? Just then I noticed a Duran Duran song blasting throughout the car. Oh god, how I hated them. And he was singing along. Keep applying the gasoline to my misery.
"Man, you have a shitty taste..." I whispered, crossing my arms.
"You don’t like Duran Duran?" He sent me a short, but surprised look.
"Why would I? It’s like cancer for ears, man..." He chuckled.
"I just figured you know your music scene- you should also know what good music is."
"Exactly..." I agreed, "Basing on my experience, which is almost as long as I have my driver’s license, I can tell Duran Duran is in fact not something you call ‘good music’". I made an air quote with my fingers. Fine, maybe he wasn’t such an asshole I assumed him to be.
"Fine," He switched his cigarette from his right arm to his left, still holding the steering wheel, he leaned over to open the glove compartment. "There should be something you like."
Dev shook off the ashes of the cigarette through the small opening of the window, before taking his very last drag. I took the pile of cd’s, and honestly? He had some good bands here, like Black Water rising, Burn Halo, couple of Metallica’s album’s, but what really caught my eye was Aqua. I held out the cd, barely containing my laugh. His eyes shifted from the road to me and back.
"That’s Boyd’s," He jerked the cd out of my hand and threw it back in the compartment. "You can choose anything, but that."
"But I want exactly that," Once again I picked up the cd case, opening it and taking out the cd itself. With a swift movement I changed Duran Duran cd to Aqua, roaming my eyes over the back of the case and looking for that one song. Number four. Let’s hit ‘play’.
"Hi Barbie, hi Ken! Do you wanna go for a ride? Sure Ken! Jump in! I’m a barbie girl, in a barbie woooorld..." I sang along when the song started blasting through the car, I even turned the volume up. Before I knew it, the inevitable happened. It was a matter of seconds, before the cd was already flying out of the window.
"I don’t get it, why do chicks always have to do precisely what I tell them not to." Dev remarked after a couple of moments of me biting my lip in order not to laugh out loud.
"Cause we’re awesome." My restrain left me with an odd giggle on which he raised an eyebrow, looking quite amused. I cleared my throat, trying to calm myself down. "Besides, if you didn’t want me to find out about your guilty little pleasure, you wouldn’t have let me rummage through those cd’s in the first place."
"What are you saying? That I did it on purpose?" Dev questioned.
"I’m saying... I mean you obviously wanted me to approve my thoughts on your shitty taste."
"You think you’re smart," He smiled and made a turn right, off the highway.
"I think I’m adorable." I said.
"Didn’t seem like it back in class, though." Dev stated.
"I’m not really the teacher material."
"I did in fact notice. Believe it or not, I’m not blind." I realized we were just few minutes from the studio and somehow, even tho I didn’t want to admit it- I didn’t want this ride to end. He proved me wrong, I was capable of enjoying his company. But he was still a dick.
"You’re not? And I’m here sitting and thinking- how a blind person can possibly drive a car, but it turns out you’re not fucking blind! I’m so, so sorry, man."
"Funny," he said, "Returning to your teaching problems..."
"I don’t have any problems." I retorted, turning away and looking through the window. Sure was a nice change being in a car which didn’t smell of a dead animal, unlike Bailey’s unkempt cemetery on wheels.
"Yeah... sure." He snorted.
"I don’t!" I exclaimed, making his face turn into something I’d describe as an amused disbelief. "Fine, I hate teaching. I’d choke those douchebags if there wasn’t a law forbidding it."
"You wouldn’t be the only one, doll." Dev claimed, stopping at the red light.
"So… Not a kid person, huh?"
"No," he chuckled, checking the rearview mirror, "I’m just saying many would kill if there’d be an opportunity and they wouldn’t be put behind bars. That’s just the human nature. We’re beasts after all."
"Wow," I turned to face him, "You’re not as dumb as you look."
"So I was dumb... Great." The traffic lights changed and Dev hit the gas pedal. Before breaking. Hard. If it wasn’t for the seat belt, I’d probably be out the window. Some maniac sped off, even tho I was very much sure his traffic light didn’t look the last bit green. "Motherfucker..." He cussed, "I hope her next period will conclude in a coma."
"How’d you know a chick was driving?" I raised an eyebrow, looking over his tattooed arms. Monsters... monsters everywhere.
"Cause I know the owner of the car..." Dev replied, taking his phone and just moments later putting it to his ear. I wondered, who was he calling? The girl, who just flew us by? But why did it even interest me. This dude was just giving me a helpful hand and if we’re being completely bold- he was a stranger. A guy I didn’t know and until this drive, I believed I didn’t even want to know. "Hey man, listen I’m basically a minute from the studio and--... No, no need for that, I’ll bring it myself. Just contact her somehow and tell I’ll be stopping by sometime later, okay? Cool, thanks man." Speaking about bringing... When is he going to give back my guitar?
The conversation ended and he took a turn right. I could see the bluish building raising above us, he didn’t turn off the engine, instead he checked his phone with a frown. "Okay, so... thanks for the ride dude."
He raised his head. Dev looked confused, "What? Oh right... Don’t mention it. Was my absolute pleasure."
"Yeah, sure," I replied skeptically, before opening the door and getting out of the car.
"Hey I didn’t quite catch your name."
"It’s Meg." He nodded and smiled. I slammed the door shut and walked towards the main entrance, with the corner of my eye seeing how he drove off the same way we had come from. He was talking on his phone, risking with yet another accident. Such a hypocrite.
Without further a due I opened the heavy, metallic door and walked in. The first room I went through was some sort of storage room for... basically everything. I noticed broken candles hanging from the candlestick which was standing on the table. And a baseball bat on the ground. I knew the Noir's weren’t the nattiest people, but come on. It seemed like they demolished everything that got in their way.
I went into a poorly lit hallway and from there on made my way to the recording room. The door was open and dad was talking to Jason – Midnight Noir’s front man. A buff dude with a perfect smile. 6’2 of pure hottness. "yeah, absolutely... It will give just the vibe he wants. Just remember to tell Dev when he drops by."
"Will do," Jason responded, before he noticed me standing in the doorway. Just then I noticed he was eating a carrot. No usual chocolate bars? What’s with him? "Hey Meg, came to record back vocals?" I think during the time my dad worked as a guitar tech for these guys, I’d grown to know what made Jason tick and seeing him with veggies seemed very off.
"Huh?" Although I seemed to look like I can do anything- singing just wasn’t my scene.
"I’m just messing with you." He laughed. Thank god. "Carrot?" He offered the half eaten vegetable.
I shook my head. Thanks, but no thanks, "Suit yourself," Jason shrugged and walked over to the couch where a macbook was laying.
"Hey dad," I tried to get his attention away from that piece of paper he was holding and inform that I actually was here, and not on that paper. He didn’t say anything. "Planet Earth to dad?"
"What? Oh... hey. Didn’t notice you." No shit. What the hell was so interesting to miss his own daughter? "How’s school? Got in trouble?"
"A bit." I jerked my shoulders, "nothing too major however."
"That’s good." His eyes were on that goddamn piece of paper. Yet again. Dad was chewing on his index finger. "Oh I just remembered. Dev told he’ll bring your guitar today. So be home." So that’s what he was talking about. Funny. ‘Cause I was sitting right next to him and he didn’t even realize who I was.
"How can I be home if I have to get your car to Bobby’s?" Finally his brown eyes looked at me. And he looked confused.
"Didn’t I tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"Scott already took care of it." I blinked a couple of times, letting it really sink in.
"Sooo... You’re willing to tell me, I just went down here for no absolute reason... Fan-fucking-tastic! Thanks for the heads up dad."
"Look, I’m sorry. I just was super busy today, I forgot to call you, kiddo." The apology seemed sincere. At least he was giving me some attention. I sighed.
"That’s okay. I guess I’ll just go for a walk." Yeah, start ignoring me as soon as you realize I’m not mad. What was on that paper? Some sort of two dimensional porn? Uh, disgusting. "See you in a couple of hours?"
"Hours? Oh... no,no,no. I won’t be home. I’m flying out to grandma, she’s not feeling well so..."
"And why didn’t you tell me?" Fine, I was starting to get mad. Very.
"It’s nothing too serious, relax..." He walked over to his computer and typed something down,
"For how long will you be gone?" I asked, narrowing my eyes on his back.
"Only for the weekend."
"But that means... I have your baby and the house for all by myself?"
"As much as I don’t want it- yeah, you do." He took a pen and made some corrections on the paper sheet.
"Rad." I fixed the strap of my bag, to keep it from falling down. So there was something good in this whole situation after all.
"No house parties and I mean it, Meg. Last time I let you invite those college douchebags over you ruined the place, I’m still paying for repairs." He turned to face me.
"College douchebags?" Was he referring to Chris and Bailey? As far as my knowledge went, I hadn’t partied with the students. That’s Bailey’s hobby horse.
"Listen I don’t want no funny business, okay? No college guys coming over for pizza, and certainly no ‘it will be just for an hour’ kind of bullshit, you hear me?" Oh now he’s starting to make something more than two words sentences. Just mention me and booze in one sentence, but quite frankly, I didn’t mention neither of us.
"I’m not planning on throwing a party..." A deep wrinkle formed between my dark eyebrows.
"Yeah, right. It’s Friday. I know you."
"I’m not going to party, dad. I can go without getting drunk for one weekend." But why should I? Oh, maybe because I got shitfaced yesterday? Usually I didn’t drink for two days in a row. My body simply can't handle it. After those two days my body starts giving up on me, sending me straight to hell. You want to eat something? Sure, just remember you'll be hugging the toilet bowl soon after. Let's go for a smoke? Sure, just know you'll have a tons of mini heart attacks later on.
"Meg..." Dad sighed. "You can party all you want, I’m not saying anything. I know your reputation at Hatfield’s bar and I’m not saying anything, ‘cause believe me I was no different, just... I’ve seen the craziness these guys can do when they start drinking and I know what I used to be like. Promise me you’ll get wasted out of the house."
"Dad I’m not going to destroy the house. Can’t you have a little faith in me?"
"In you? No." He smirked.
"What? Why?" Not mentioning the fact I really did trash the house during the last party, then yeah, why didn’t he have faith in me?
"Cause you’re my daughter."