Doug pulled the Caddy up to the horseshoe near the gates, and put the car into park. He looked into the rearview at the person sitting in the back. Normally smiling, and full of mirth, the face now was weary, and a bit drawn. The ghost of the smile there, but there was none of the usual life behind it. "Hey, Jason, we're here." Doug watched as Jason looked up woodenly at the gates. "Hey, Kid, you okay?"
Jason Berezhin looked up at his driver...his friend, Doug, and a hint of that smile came back, touching his eyes. "Yeah, Doug, I guess I'm okay. The whole thing is just kind of sinking in, you know?" Jason let his eyes drop to his lap, and Doug took the moment to exit the car and open the door for Jason. "You don't need to do that Doug, c'mon."
"Hey, you're the big star." Doug grinned at Jason, "Me, I'm just a shlub that can drive a car."
Jason chuckled a bit at that. "Thanks, Doug, I..." Jason's voice caught, and he shrugged, getting up from the car's seat. "Just, thanks."
Doug clapped a hand on the smaller Jason. "Hey, Kid. It's always rough dealing with something like that, y'know?"
"Yeah." Jason tilted his head back and gulped in a breath. Shaking his head as if to clear cobwebs. "Back to the grind here, huh?" He grinned.
"Hey the way you tell it, it's not all that much of a grind." Doug moved around to the trunk, lifting it and pulling out a couple of garment bags. "Seems like you fit in pretty well, and if it can help you out with everything else, it's worth it, right?"
"Yeah." The word trailed off to die, having not really had any life to it to begin with.
"Jason, c'mon, you can't take it personally. You didn't have anything to do with it, it was that person's choice. You can't be all the things people want you to be. Especially when they only know you from the cel, man."
Jason sighed, blinking a bit, clearing his vision. "I know that Doug, but what's it all worth if shit like that can happen. I'm supposed to entertain, let people get away from things for a while. See a show, be happy for a few hours." Jason ran a hand through his hair, and down the back of his neck. He looked down at the ground, pushing a rock with his toe, shaking his head. "5 minutes, Doug. If I'd have just had 5 minutes."
"Then 5 minutes wouldn't have been enough, or ten, or hours. You know that Jason."
Jason turned away from the car disgusted. "I know that, but every minute is laid out. Breakfast at 8, meeting with record producer at 8:30 till 10:00, limo outside to take you to the 10:30 recording session. Valentina's at Noon to outfit you for lunch at 12:30 with publicists, lunch over at 2, limo will be outside to take you to the filming studio at 2:30, film till 4:45, then meet with the news media to talk about the new charity, and the direction it's taking. Make sure you're done with that by 6:30 for dinner with the new stage show producers. Done by 8, limo outside to take you to be 'seen' at Shelby Sinclaire's party. If I could have squeezed out 5 minutes..."
"Jase, quit beating yourself up. It's not your fault. You have time now. Go hang out with friends, forget about all that crap for a bit." Doug grinned, "You've got some good friends here. Some of them even like to ride on top of Caddies, if I recall."
Jason barked a short laugh, and smiled, looking up at Doug from under his brow. "That was pretty crazy, wasn't it?" Jason lifted his head, smile back with some life behind it. "Thanks, Doug."
Doug slung the garment bags over his shoulder with one big hand, and clapped the other down on Jason's neck and shoulder, looking much more like a big brother than a driver. He started walking to the gate with Jason.
"Doug, what about the car?"
"You're insured, right?"
"Well, yeah, bu-"
"Then if they steal it, you'll get your money back." Doug grinned.
Jason laughed, "Thanks again, Doug."
"Anytime Kid." Doug shook Jason a bit, "You going to be okay now?"
Jason quirked a smile at Doug, happy but still with a hint of something behind it. He shrugged "Hey, the show must go on, right?"
Doug patted his shoulder. Jason wasn't over it, but it was a start in the right direction.
Broadway....Entracte (open by invite/request)
Moderator: Student Council
Broadway....Entracte (open by invite/request)
Last edited by Broadway on Mon Dec 11, 2006 1:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jason attended classes and did his best to pay attention, but the same scene kept playing over in his head. The backstage door, with the single lamp lit to give off any light, the rest of the alley grey, cold, and wet.
“Mr. Berenzhin?” The voice snapped him out of his reverie.
“Hm? Yes..wh..?”
“What do you think was Roland’s tragic flaw?”
“Roland…He didn’t…he tried to…”
“Well put, Mr Berezhin. Next time I suggest you come more prepared.” Jason wanted to sink into his desk as the other students let out a nervous chuckle at his expense.
His friends and even the instructor waited for him to quip back, and get the upper hand of the situation, in his typical fashion, but the only answer that came from Jason was a quick nod.
After what seemed like an eternity, the last bell of the day rang, and students moved to head out to afternoon fun. Jason looked forward to putting on his black and red suit and hitting the streets. To become Broadway for a bit, and let things lie. “Whump stuff” as Stasi would put it.
“Hey, Jase, great answer in English today.” The large hand of Alex Waters smacked him on the back, and Jase turned with a smile, that somehow just didn’t fit. Alex and Eric Copper were there along with a few other students. Jason took a second and the smile took on a more normal cast.
“Oh come on, Alex, she could put Eric to sleep.” Jason laughed and got a few laughs from the small group, the loudest coming from Eric. “I was totally daydreaming.”
“Yeah? What was her name?” Eric giggled as he asked.
It was like a cold splash of water for an instant. The smile and affable manner flickered on and off like a light in faulty wiring, but it came back fast enough that most people wouldn’t notice. Eric and Alex, however, exchanged a brief look of curiosity.
“Nothing like that, Coppertop. Just thinking about the stage, and the next show.” It was half true, anyway.
Alex looked back to Jase “Hey, we’re going to the opening of the new SuperMex place, in Faultline, you should come with us. Stasi and Jai are coming and I think a few other students too. I think maybe Sandy, Rooster, Bill, Tam, who knows. Should be fun.”
“Hmm…” Jase smiled, it’d be fun to hang out with Stasi and Jai again, maybe be a chance to get back in Jai’s good graces, and seeing Tamesis and Sandy would be fun. “Yeah, sounds pretty good.”
“Are you kidding? It’s going to be huge, press coverage, and everything. Everyone is going to be there!” Eric practically buzzed with excitement.
Jason swallowed and shook his head. “Damn. Hey guys, I forgot I’ve got to meet with some people about the new record in about an hour or two. I’ll give you a call when I get back. I can meet you then?”
“Sure Jase. You’ve got to get unbusy. Seems like you don’t go out at all lately.” Alex smiled “All work and no play, and all that.”
“Yeah.” Jase replied weakly “I’ll try to make it, promise”
“Hey, your public demands an appearance.” Alex said, with a laugh.
Jason winced momentarily, and replied quietly “Yeah, wouldn’t want to disappoint.” The chuckle that came after was just not the normal laugh that his two friends had heard before. “I gotta go guys.”
Jason made a hasty retreat, heading for his dorm, or maybe the music room, he wasn’t sure which.
Alex and Eric looked at each other. Whatever this deal was that Jason had working must be big. It just wasn’t like Jason to miss a public appearance.
“Mr. Berenzhin?” The voice snapped him out of his reverie.
“Hm? Yes..wh..?”
“What do you think was Roland’s tragic flaw?”
“Roland…He didn’t…he tried to…”
“Well put, Mr Berezhin. Next time I suggest you come more prepared.” Jason wanted to sink into his desk as the other students let out a nervous chuckle at his expense.
His friends and even the instructor waited for him to quip back, and get the upper hand of the situation, in his typical fashion, but the only answer that came from Jason was a quick nod.
After what seemed like an eternity, the last bell of the day rang, and students moved to head out to afternoon fun. Jason looked forward to putting on his black and red suit and hitting the streets. To become Broadway for a bit, and let things lie. “Whump stuff” as Stasi would put it.
“Hey, Jase, great answer in English today.” The large hand of Alex Waters smacked him on the back, and Jase turned with a smile, that somehow just didn’t fit. Alex and Eric Copper were there along with a few other students. Jason took a second and the smile took on a more normal cast.
“Oh come on, Alex, she could put Eric to sleep.” Jason laughed and got a few laughs from the small group, the loudest coming from Eric. “I was totally daydreaming.”
“Yeah? What was her name?” Eric giggled as he asked.
It was like a cold splash of water for an instant. The smile and affable manner flickered on and off like a light in faulty wiring, but it came back fast enough that most people wouldn’t notice. Eric and Alex, however, exchanged a brief look of curiosity.
“Nothing like that, Coppertop. Just thinking about the stage, and the next show.” It was half true, anyway.
Alex looked back to Jase “Hey, we’re going to the opening of the new SuperMex place, in Faultline, you should come with us. Stasi and Jai are coming and I think a few other students too. I think maybe Sandy, Rooster, Bill, Tam, who knows. Should be fun.”
“Hmm…” Jase smiled, it’d be fun to hang out with Stasi and Jai again, maybe be a chance to get back in Jai’s good graces, and seeing Tamesis and Sandy would be fun. “Yeah, sounds pretty good.”
“Are you kidding? It’s going to be huge, press coverage, and everything. Everyone is going to be there!” Eric practically buzzed with excitement.
Jason swallowed and shook his head. “Damn. Hey guys, I forgot I’ve got to meet with some people about the new record in about an hour or two. I’ll give you a call when I get back. I can meet you then?”
“Sure Jase. You’ve got to get unbusy. Seems like you don’t go out at all lately.” Alex smiled “All work and no play, and all that.”
“Yeah.” Jase replied weakly “I’ll try to make it, promise”
“Hey, your public demands an appearance.” Alex said, with a laugh.
Jason winced momentarily, and replied quietly “Yeah, wouldn’t want to disappoint.” The chuckle that came after was just not the normal laugh that his two friends had heard before. “I gotta go guys.”
Jason made a hasty retreat, heading for his dorm, or maybe the music room, he wasn’t sure which.
Alex and Eric looked at each other. Whatever this deal was that Jason had working must be big. It just wasn’t like Jason to miss a public appearance.
Last edited by Broadway on Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jason retreated to his room after Alex and Eric had told him about the new opening in Faultline. True he'd spent some time there in the hot tubs, and several other students had shown up, but this was different. Press, large crowds, he just wasn't sure he could deal with that right now. Not after what'd happened in NYC. He still saw the face, blue from the chill of the winter's night. He shook his head to clear the vision from his mind.
Still, they were all going to be there. All of his friends, old and new. He knew he had their strength and backing, and almost resolved to go. But, what happens when he starts to get dragged away? When the media, or fans start to pull him away. How long till he disappointed his friends when he didn't have time? At the school it was easy. Go to class, see his friends in the cafeteria, or around campus, then hit the streets as Broadway.
This wasn't supposed to be how it worked! He got to make people smile, make them get away from things, at least for a few hours. Entertain them. Now, after this, he wondered, how many others were out there that he let down? How many other people did he just not see while he was trying to make them happier. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, unfolding the newspaper article that he kept there, and read it again. Folding it up and putting it back in his wallet, Jason turned to the keyboard, losing himself in his music. His friends would just have to forgive his abscence.
Still, they were all going to be there. All of his friends, old and new. He knew he had their strength and backing, and almost resolved to go. But, what happens when he starts to get dragged away? When the media, or fans start to pull him away. How long till he disappointed his friends when he didn't have time? At the school it was easy. Go to class, see his friends in the cafeteria, or around campus, then hit the streets as Broadway.
This wasn't supposed to be how it worked! He got to make people smile, make them get away from things, at least for a few hours. Entertain them. Now, after this, he wondered, how many others were out there that he let down? How many other people did he just not see while he was trying to make them happier. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, unfolding the newspaper article that he kept there, and read it again. Folding it up and putting it back in his wallet, Jason turned to the keyboard, losing himself in his music. His friends would just have to forgive his abscence.
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Blitzen
- Talent Scout
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Samantha’s senses were assaulted the moment she walked into the new Mexican restaurant on opening night. The unmistakably smell of chile powder and jabenero wafted through the air, inviting the people milling about the foyer to wait a bit longer, promising them a great meal once they were seated. The restaurant’s décor was as festive as the crowd which collected there, from the brightly colored murals of bullfighters and woven blankets decorating the walls to the Aztec looking masks and pottery that sat atop earth toned pedestals. Even the building itself looked carved right out of a Mexican village, with it’s Spanish clay roof tiles and rounded stone archways. From the outside it had looked really strange, like it had been lifted out of some perfect utopia and dropped whole onto the streets of Faultline. Inside though the incongruity was unnoticeable.
Sam made her way through the crowd to the dining area, seeking out familiar faces. Getting used to big crowds was just part of getting used to being away from home, where more than five kids at the Dairy Queen was considered a mad rush.
“Hole-lee cow,” she whistled inside her head, carefully edging around a determinedly cheerful trio of waitresses. It was a wall of people she didn’t recognize, really well-dressed kids from other high schools, adults in suits and dresses and near everywhere you looked someone was snapping pictures. There were people holding wide brimmed salted glasses, filled with green or pink colored slushies, people at the bar squeezing lemons and limes into tall neck bottles, and a few adventurous souls doing shots, complete with salt shakers and lemon wedges.
“Set up by that table there,” a familiar sounding female voice was saying to someone, while a group of ambitious looking individuals with gigantic cameras swarmed around. Sam couldn’t place the face but she was sure she’d heard the voice over Jase’s speaker phone. “This way he can order if he wants to, and he’ll be wanting a spring water, room temperature. Make sure the band knows what they’ll be playing. I’ll give them a cue when he’s ready, and they can persuade him to join them up on the stage.” The “band” looked a lot like a guy with a guitar, a guy with a big guitar, and a guy shaking a pair of maracas.
She held tight to the straps of her purse with both hands, not to protect it, but with this much adrenaline anything she touched would surely snap like balsa wood. Standing on her tip toes, she finally spotted her roommate Sandy squashed into a booth with a bunch of the crew. She recognized Jade Rooster, Eric, Alex and a couple of others she wasn’t as familiar with. She raised a hesitant hand but they hadn’t spotted her yet. Judging by the waving arms and animated faces they were all trying to talk or hear above the din. A couple of bowls of complimentary nachos on the table got her salivary glands interested. She smiled and started to walk in that direction, already feeling better about the crush. She scanned around but the one face she was hoping to see wasn’t here yet.
When he did, the crowd would part like the Red Sea, pooling all their attention onto Jason Berenzhin, star of the stage and studio. Sam knew he’d light up like a Christmas tree when he walked in, quick with a joke and beaming a mouth full of perfect teeth each time the cameras flashed. He’d sign a hundred autographs and each person would proclaim to be his biggest fan, and he‘d eat it up too, more so than any tamale or enchilada they had on the menu. The image made her smile warmer. Seeing him in his element and on his game was almost as much fun as when he could kick back and just be Jase amongst his friends.
Carefully she swam through the sea of people to the booth, keeping her eyes trained on Jade Rooster’s green trench coat. That was probably why she was slow to react when a surge caused a young woman to stumble into her. The drink in one slim hand slopped and one high heel came down firmly on Sam’s right foot.
More startled than anything Sam stepped back hastily, a confused apology already rising to her lips. Problem was there wasn’t anywhere to move. Something cold and bumpy jabbed into her back and she half turned, mortified.
It was like something in one of those old time comedies. The bumpy object turned out to be one of a trio of chairs, held awkwardly by their liberator. Sam’s spin knocked one to the side which hit a beautifully painted faux-marble pedestal. Reflexes made Sam grab the falling object atop it, which did in fact snap like balsa wood in her grasp. She had the burbled, panicked thought that it was nice to know that some things could be counted on.
She looked up to meet the colorless eyes of Stasis Kiss, Jase’s best friend.
Stasis blinked at the brightly colored carved stone bird which had once had outstretched wings. Now it looked more like Venus de Milo in three large pieces.
“Nice!” was the whispered grin. “That ruin definitely needed a little more ruining, Sam.” Stasis looked around, obviously checking for observers of which there were a million. Nobody seemed to be bearing down on them yet though, with loud demands for payment. “Put it back quick, okay? Maybe they can say it was broken in shipping.”
Sam looked at the pieces in her hands and then blindly thrust the main portion of the bird back on the column. She hesitated and then tossed the wings into a planter.
“I didn’t mean it! Maybe I should….”
“Not a chance. Trust me, you did them a favor. C’mon, let’s go look seriously un-guilty.” Stasis handed one of the chairs over to Sam and started walking away as if nothing had happened. Sam could only follow and three steps away the scene of the crime was lost behind them. Sam felt like there was a target on her back though. Stasis looked back over her shoulder, still grinning.
“I got sent on a recon! We’ve decided to take over our end of this joint and we needed more things to sit on, but I figure Jai and I can share. Have you seen him yet?”
“Jason?” Sam asked shaking her head no. “Not yet today, well, not since school this morning and I don’t know what time…” Stasis laughed again.
“Not Jase,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes. “Jai.”
“Oh!“ Sam could feel her cheeks flush a bit. “I don’t know. I mean, I’ve never met Jai. I’m lucky I spotted anyone I knew at all.”
“You’d know Jai.” Stasis said with unconscious arrogance, pushing her way through a knot of slushie drinkers with a cheerful nod. “He’s hard to miss.”
Sam wasn’t sure how to take that. How was she supposed to recognize somebody she’d never met? Still, it’s not like she wanted to get in an argument over it. Maybe he’d do her a favor and show up with a name tag.
The chairs were big and bulky and not really meant to jettison out the sides of a booth like water wings. All serving crew looked annoyed each time they had to squeeze by but no one actually said anything. Stasis didn’t seem to care, perched on the edge of her chair more often than not, doing her best to add to the cacophony. Sam did her best to follow suit and not look like she knew anything about broken statuary.
She managed to relax eventually. After near half an hour past and the maitre’d himself asking them if they planned to order, they began looking through the menus, procrastinating as long as they could. They laughed about old times and which of the nuns were the most uptight or roughest grader, normal high school chatter.
For the third time, Sam checked her watch. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy the banter, it was great to be part of a school crowd again. It just wasn’t Jase to be late. He’d seemed a bit down that morning, tired or burned out. Was he okay? Did he decide to run a patrol after school to blow off some steam? She flipped open her cell phone and frowned. No messages.
“Has anybody heard from Jason?”
“He said he had to meet with some people about a record.” Alex said with a shrug, a casual arm slung across the back of the seat. “He must’ve gotten hung up.”
“Yeah, but his PR person over there would know it.” Sam replied, turning her worried eyes towards Stasis, as if she’d have a better answer. “Right?”
Sam made her way through the crowd to the dining area, seeking out familiar faces. Getting used to big crowds was just part of getting used to being away from home, where more than five kids at the Dairy Queen was considered a mad rush.
“Hole-lee cow,” she whistled inside her head, carefully edging around a determinedly cheerful trio of waitresses. It was a wall of people she didn’t recognize, really well-dressed kids from other high schools, adults in suits and dresses and near everywhere you looked someone was snapping pictures. There were people holding wide brimmed salted glasses, filled with green or pink colored slushies, people at the bar squeezing lemons and limes into tall neck bottles, and a few adventurous souls doing shots, complete with salt shakers and lemon wedges.
“Set up by that table there,” a familiar sounding female voice was saying to someone, while a group of ambitious looking individuals with gigantic cameras swarmed around. Sam couldn’t place the face but she was sure she’d heard the voice over Jase’s speaker phone. “This way he can order if he wants to, and he’ll be wanting a spring water, room temperature. Make sure the band knows what they’ll be playing. I’ll give them a cue when he’s ready, and they can persuade him to join them up on the stage.” The “band” looked a lot like a guy with a guitar, a guy with a big guitar, and a guy shaking a pair of maracas.
She held tight to the straps of her purse with both hands, not to protect it, but with this much adrenaline anything she touched would surely snap like balsa wood. Standing on her tip toes, she finally spotted her roommate Sandy squashed into a booth with a bunch of the crew. She recognized Jade Rooster, Eric, Alex and a couple of others she wasn’t as familiar with. She raised a hesitant hand but they hadn’t spotted her yet. Judging by the waving arms and animated faces they were all trying to talk or hear above the din. A couple of bowls of complimentary nachos on the table got her salivary glands interested. She smiled and started to walk in that direction, already feeling better about the crush. She scanned around but the one face she was hoping to see wasn’t here yet.
When he did, the crowd would part like the Red Sea, pooling all their attention onto Jason Berenzhin, star of the stage and studio. Sam knew he’d light up like a Christmas tree when he walked in, quick with a joke and beaming a mouth full of perfect teeth each time the cameras flashed. He’d sign a hundred autographs and each person would proclaim to be his biggest fan, and he‘d eat it up too, more so than any tamale or enchilada they had on the menu. The image made her smile warmer. Seeing him in his element and on his game was almost as much fun as when he could kick back and just be Jase amongst his friends.
Carefully she swam through the sea of people to the booth, keeping her eyes trained on Jade Rooster’s green trench coat. That was probably why she was slow to react when a surge caused a young woman to stumble into her. The drink in one slim hand slopped and one high heel came down firmly on Sam’s right foot.
More startled than anything Sam stepped back hastily, a confused apology already rising to her lips. Problem was there wasn’t anywhere to move. Something cold and bumpy jabbed into her back and she half turned, mortified.
It was like something in one of those old time comedies. The bumpy object turned out to be one of a trio of chairs, held awkwardly by their liberator. Sam’s spin knocked one to the side which hit a beautifully painted faux-marble pedestal. Reflexes made Sam grab the falling object atop it, which did in fact snap like balsa wood in her grasp. She had the burbled, panicked thought that it was nice to know that some things could be counted on.
She looked up to meet the colorless eyes of Stasis Kiss, Jase’s best friend.
Stasis blinked at the brightly colored carved stone bird which had once had outstretched wings. Now it looked more like Venus de Milo in three large pieces.
“Nice!” was the whispered grin. “That ruin definitely needed a little more ruining, Sam.” Stasis looked around, obviously checking for observers of which there were a million. Nobody seemed to be bearing down on them yet though, with loud demands for payment. “Put it back quick, okay? Maybe they can say it was broken in shipping.”
Sam looked at the pieces in her hands and then blindly thrust the main portion of the bird back on the column. She hesitated and then tossed the wings into a planter.
“I didn’t mean it! Maybe I should….”
“Not a chance. Trust me, you did them a favor. C’mon, let’s go look seriously un-guilty.” Stasis handed one of the chairs over to Sam and started walking away as if nothing had happened. Sam could only follow and three steps away the scene of the crime was lost behind them. Sam felt like there was a target on her back though. Stasis looked back over her shoulder, still grinning.
“I got sent on a recon! We’ve decided to take over our end of this joint and we needed more things to sit on, but I figure Jai and I can share. Have you seen him yet?”
“Jason?” Sam asked shaking her head no. “Not yet today, well, not since school this morning and I don’t know what time…” Stasis laughed again.
“Not Jase,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes. “Jai.”
“Oh!“ Sam could feel her cheeks flush a bit. “I don’t know. I mean, I’ve never met Jai. I’m lucky I spotted anyone I knew at all.”
“You’d know Jai.” Stasis said with unconscious arrogance, pushing her way through a knot of slushie drinkers with a cheerful nod. “He’s hard to miss.”
Sam wasn’t sure how to take that. How was she supposed to recognize somebody she’d never met? Still, it’s not like she wanted to get in an argument over it. Maybe he’d do her a favor and show up with a name tag.
The chairs were big and bulky and not really meant to jettison out the sides of a booth like water wings. All serving crew looked annoyed each time they had to squeeze by but no one actually said anything. Stasis didn’t seem to care, perched on the edge of her chair more often than not, doing her best to add to the cacophony. Sam did her best to follow suit and not look like she knew anything about broken statuary.
She managed to relax eventually. After near half an hour past and the maitre’d himself asking them if they planned to order, they began looking through the menus, procrastinating as long as they could. They laughed about old times and which of the nuns were the most uptight or roughest grader, normal high school chatter.
For the third time, Sam checked her watch. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy the banter, it was great to be part of a school crowd again. It just wasn’t Jase to be late. He’d seemed a bit down that morning, tired or burned out. Was he okay? Did he decide to run a patrol after school to blow off some steam? She flipped open her cell phone and frowned. No messages.
“Has anybody heard from Jason?”
“He said he had to meet with some people about a record.” Alex said with a shrug, a casual arm slung across the back of the seat. “He must’ve gotten hung up.”
“Yeah, but his PR person over there would know it.” Sam replied, turning her worried eyes towards Stasis, as if she’d have a better answer. “Right?”
TGIF -Tanks Go In First
"Miss Douglas, we know about the nuts."
"Sam's the most amazing gamer EVER, and I love her footwear." - Laurel Fitte
"Miss Douglas, we know about the nuts."
"Sam's the most amazing gamer EVER, and I love her footwear." - Laurel Fitte
Jason wandered to the music room, only half aware of where he was going. He’d tried playing the keyboard that he kept in his room, but somehow the sound just wasn’t satisfying enough. He flipped the lights on, and stepped down into the room, crossing over to the baby grand that dominated the center of the room. He sat on the bench, and looked at the keys, white on black, staring back up at him, daring him to play anything.
He stopped and started, fingers barely touching the keys before lowering his hands off the instrument. He took a deep breath and once again thought of something moving and joyful, and once again, his fingers fell away from the ivories. What the hell was wrong? The music and the piano in particular had always been something that he was always able to start playing and have something merry and uplifting happen. “Dammit!” Jason almost did the unthinkable, stopping his fists before they mashed down on the piano keyboard. Somehow the thought of the discordant clash seemed right to him at this point. He stopped, and sat back for a moment, running hands through his hair.
“Okay, then” He nodded, and set his fingers on the keys, hard. The sound came out in a driving cacophony of discordant notes that still seemed to mesh. An odd, angry music started to flare from the piano. Major bass chords rose and fell while the offsetting high notes underscored an almost fearful trill. Jason stopped for a moment. The music was different, but was fitting. He pulled out the scrap of newspaper and placed it on the curve of the piano’s body. “I’m sorry…” he said quietly as he turned on a recorder that was always around anytime he played. The same driving tune pounded the walls of the music room, and slowly began to transform. The major chords became less pronounced, the music becoming less staccato bursts, and more of a flow of notes held high, and haunting. Now the bass chords were sustained, giving a mournful counterpoint to the rise and fall of the melody, which was cold, and aching. He pulled out a music sheet, he’d played the tune before, for Sam, but that was a rough draft. This, was much more fitting. He started the music again, adding the lyrics to the music. He smiled just a little, thinking he’d have to sign this one and give it to Samantha too.
~Just five minutes of your time
Just a smile my way, as you pass by, a touch of your hand
A small piece of your life, shared to enrich mine
You shine in the spotlight, hidden in the cold I stand
Too Much to ask for
To show you even care
Too much for you to see
The lone person, lost in the cold
Alone in the dark waiting for your return
Asphalt and brickwork my only company
Reality burns nighttime cold, realization comes in turn,
Five minutes of your time is too much for me
Too much to ask for
To show you even care
Too much for you to see
Her eyes locked in a forever stare
Morning light on cold pavement is no warmth for her
Rough hands in white struggle to get her free
The forever stare barely begins to stir
All she wanted was five minutes from me
Too much to ask for
Even though I care
I just wish I had more
To wash away that forever stare
Five minutes seems a lifetime now…for me
~~
Jason held the last note, solitary, filling the room and fading like a ghost’s whisper. Placing his elbows on the riser of the piano, he dropped his forehead in his hands.
He stopped and started, fingers barely touching the keys before lowering his hands off the instrument. He took a deep breath and once again thought of something moving and joyful, and once again, his fingers fell away from the ivories. What the hell was wrong? The music and the piano in particular had always been something that he was always able to start playing and have something merry and uplifting happen. “Dammit!” Jason almost did the unthinkable, stopping his fists before they mashed down on the piano keyboard. Somehow the thought of the discordant clash seemed right to him at this point. He stopped, and sat back for a moment, running hands through his hair.
“Okay, then” He nodded, and set his fingers on the keys, hard. The sound came out in a driving cacophony of discordant notes that still seemed to mesh. An odd, angry music started to flare from the piano. Major bass chords rose and fell while the offsetting high notes underscored an almost fearful trill. Jason stopped for a moment. The music was different, but was fitting. He pulled out the scrap of newspaper and placed it on the curve of the piano’s body. “I’m sorry…” he said quietly as he turned on a recorder that was always around anytime he played. The same driving tune pounded the walls of the music room, and slowly began to transform. The major chords became less pronounced, the music becoming less staccato bursts, and more of a flow of notes held high, and haunting. Now the bass chords were sustained, giving a mournful counterpoint to the rise and fall of the melody, which was cold, and aching. He pulled out a music sheet, he’d played the tune before, for Sam, but that was a rough draft. This, was much more fitting. He started the music again, adding the lyrics to the music. He smiled just a little, thinking he’d have to sign this one and give it to Samantha too.
~Just five minutes of your time
Just a smile my way, as you pass by, a touch of your hand
A small piece of your life, shared to enrich mine
You shine in the spotlight, hidden in the cold I stand
Too Much to ask for
To show you even care
Too much for you to see
The lone person, lost in the cold
Alone in the dark waiting for your return
Asphalt and brickwork my only company
Reality burns nighttime cold, realization comes in turn,
Five minutes of your time is too much for me
Too much to ask for
To show you even care
Too much for you to see
Her eyes locked in a forever stare
Morning light on cold pavement is no warmth for her
Rough hands in white struggle to get her free
The forever stare barely begins to stir
All she wanted was five minutes from me
Too much to ask for
Even though I care
I just wish I had more
To wash away that forever stare
Five minutes seems a lifetime now…for me
~~
Jason held the last note, solitary, filling the room and fading like a ghost’s whisper. Placing his elbows on the riser of the piano, he dropped his forehead in his hands.
-
Blitzen
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For the third time, Sam checked her watch. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy the banter, it was great to be part of a school crowd again. It just wasn’t Jase to be late. He’d seemed a bit down that morning, tired or burned out. Was he okay? Did he decide to run a patrol after school to blow off some steam? She flipped open her cell phone and frowned. No messages.
“Has anybody heard from Jason?”
“He said he had to meet with some people about a record.” Alex said with a shrug, a casual arm slung across the back of the seat. “He must’ve gotten hung up.”
“Yeah, but his PR person over there would know it.” Sam replied, turning her worried eyes towards Stasis, as if she’d have a better answer. “Right?”
______
"Well, you'd think. Never underestimate Jase's ability to avoid work though." Stasis rubbed the back of her neck though, a surefire sign she wasn't exactly confident of her words. "Is the flutterby still fluttering?"
It took a minute for Sam to work out what that meant but then she craned her neck over the crowd, looking for Jason's press secretary. She spotted the woman mostly by luck and the fact that her hair clashed with the walls.
"Freakin' out like it's going out of style. Is that supposed to mean something?"
"Who knows?" The other girl nibbled her lower lip then before arriving at a sudden decision. The speed at which Stasis could switch moods and plans was astounding to those who weren't used to it. "Guys, Sam 'n me are gonna go check on the prodigal son. Can't have a party without a songbird, heyla?"
Alex waved a hand or would have if it hadn't been curled possessively around Eric. It boiled down to a vague motion with a couple of fingers. "Whatever you said, Stasis. I can't hear a thing over the noise anyways, or at least that's my story. Leave money for the nachos though!"
Sam’s smile barely hid her embarrassment, but she was glad none the less. Nothing was worse than waiting and not knowing. Jason would never be late, not to something like this and he hadn't even left a message. “Save our seats, okay? We'll be right back.”
Two of the crushed students in the booth slid into vacated seats the second the pair stood up. Real estate was obviously at a premium tonight. Stasis rapped the guy closest to her on the side of the head.
"We're gone. And if any of you yammerheads see Jai, tell him I got dragged me out by my ear and it totally wasn't my fault.”
Sam’s face registered a look of guilt for a quick second before the other girl pulled her away from the booth and into the crowd. Remembering the statuette, Samantha stuck close.
Once outside, Sam released the death grip she had on her friend’s elbow and took a deep breath in. The air was cold but clear, slightly stinging her cheeks and exposed skin. If Stasis noticed the temperature differential she sure didn’t show it. “Okay,” the platinum tanker continued as if the conversation hadn't stopped. “What's our best bet?”
“School,” Sam shrugged. “I can’t see ‘em not picking up his phone if he’s in the quad. And I don’t know where he’d meet his record producer otherwise, or what they were meetin’ about. And if he had to give them a demo of what he was workin’ on, he’d...”
“School.” Stasis interrupted with a nod, pointing to the dim light that was the train station four blocks away. "If that's not it, I got a few other thoughts. I swear, Sam," she said, starting to stride across the dark parking lot, "you'd take half an hour to say anything."
_______
The building was silent, causing their footsteps to echo in the hallway like delayed thunder as they made their way to the band room. It was late, classes long since finished and most ofthe rooms closed and dark as they passed. The lack of activity let the notes from the music room carry further than normal. Sam recognized the tune the instant the sound reached her ears.
"Aww, jeez.” She winced under her breath, chewing on her bottom lip. Stasi’s eyebrows raised inquisitively.
“Wanna share with the rest of the class?”
Sam nodded towards the hesitant music, hearing the refrain.
“Too much to ask for
To show you even care
Too much for you to see
Her eyes locked in a forever stare.
“He sang that. To me, the other night.” Sam found herself whispering as they approached the door. “Something happened in New York with one of his fans and shook him up pretty good. He said he was in a crowd and y’know, doing what Jase does in a crowd." Stasis mumbled something but Sam didn't listen, too intent on the broken music. "You know, shakin' hands and signin’ stuff. And one of the girls there, she asked him if he was gonna be back.”
Sam cast an unconscious anxious, imploring look at the other girl. "So he says yes, meanin’ he’s back every night. And she goes and takes him literal, waitin’ for him right outside the theater. They didn’t find her ‘til near the next morning. She was just about froze to death, Stasi. He just took it to heart, blaming himself.”
The two girls peered through the small window in the door of the classroom.
“I knew it was bothering him. I just didn’t know... how bad.”
Jason, star of screen and stage, heartthrob of thousands, had his face pressed to his hands.
Stasis nodded for no particular reason that Sam could figure out. Before Sam had a chance to object, the other girl in her tanker class pushed open the door, startling the boy in the center of the room.
“Hey, you.” Jason spun around on the piano bench, his expression impossible to figure out. Sam found herself pulled along in the wake. “There’s an eatery in Faultline full of people waiting to listen to your caterwauling in Mexican. Me, I was okay with it but Sam here started breaking things so I figured we'd come and drag you out before she started a full on riot.”
“It… I… you…” Sam stammered, her face taking on a slight crimson hue. "Stasi..."
“See?" Stasis hooked a finger in Sam's direction. "Too distraught to speak. Now I could care less.” Stasis grinned, slouching a little further into the room. “If I want to hear you warble, I’ll stomp on your foot. C'mon boyo, enough minor key. Grab your coat and let’s go.”
Jason’s half welcoming smile had frozen on his face and it didn't escape Samantha's notice that it never even got close to his eyes. Before she realized what she was doing, she'd made her way to the side of the piano. She touched Jason’s shoulder with one hand even as the other picked up the small paper propped up on the fret board. He absentmindedly twined his fingers into hers, giving a more sincere but apologetic smile towards Stasis.
“Stas, I’m really in no mood for a crowd tonight. Lynn will take care of it, I’m sure. I told her I wasn’t positive I was going to be there.”
“So who said anything about crowds?" The blonde had stopped a few steps into the room and was standing there hipshot, arms akimbo. "Three people hear your name thrown around, they might stay to take a picture. Trust me, the rest are out for the free nachos.” Jason laughed, startled into a genuine sound. Sam started to echo the humor but then she finished reading the Post’s article.
“I didn’t know you were the one to save her.”
Jason’s smile faded into a pained grimace. He plucked the small square of paper out of her fingers.
“I didn’t. It just... made for a better story." The grin was self mocking. "That’s what counts, right? Some poor girl almost freezes to death on account of me, and I get painted a hero when I caused it in the first place.”
“You didn’t cause it, ” Sam replied sympathetically. “It was her decision, not yours. You didn’t say 'meet me in ten minutes' and then just never show. You said something vaguely and she took it literal.”
“It’s the same thing.” He stared up at her from the piano bench. She hated the guilty look on his face but didn't know how to make it go away. Sam cast around for some magic words, trying to force her brain into something inspirational.
“Yeah? Is that how it works now? Ayuh, you should try robbing a bank!” Stasis nodded behind them. “Maybe if you stop yourself, they’ll give you a medal.”
Jason chuckled again. His fingers were warm in Sam's, squeezing. Grateful for the company maybe.
“So what’s it going to be, you? You want to stay here and throw a pity party? Just let us know, me an' Sam'll go pick up a pinata." Stais made a point of glancing around. "I admit, I'm curious how long it'll take her to trash this place too.”
“I didn’t…!" Samantha felt obliged to protest.
“...or you can come and make with the serenading, then buy all your friends dinner so we don’t get stuck washing dishes.” Stasis grinned again, pushing jagged shards of hair behind her ear. Her arms folded across her chest.
"What'll it be, you?"
“Has anybody heard from Jason?”
“He said he had to meet with some people about a record.” Alex said with a shrug, a casual arm slung across the back of the seat. “He must’ve gotten hung up.”
“Yeah, but his PR person over there would know it.” Sam replied, turning her worried eyes towards Stasis, as if she’d have a better answer. “Right?”
______
"Well, you'd think. Never underestimate Jase's ability to avoid work though." Stasis rubbed the back of her neck though, a surefire sign she wasn't exactly confident of her words. "Is the flutterby still fluttering?"
It took a minute for Sam to work out what that meant but then she craned her neck over the crowd, looking for Jason's press secretary. She spotted the woman mostly by luck and the fact that her hair clashed with the walls.
"Freakin' out like it's going out of style. Is that supposed to mean something?"
"Who knows?" The other girl nibbled her lower lip then before arriving at a sudden decision. The speed at which Stasis could switch moods and plans was astounding to those who weren't used to it. "Guys, Sam 'n me are gonna go check on the prodigal son. Can't have a party without a songbird, heyla?"
Alex waved a hand or would have if it hadn't been curled possessively around Eric. It boiled down to a vague motion with a couple of fingers. "Whatever you said, Stasis. I can't hear a thing over the noise anyways, or at least that's my story. Leave money for the nachos though!"
Sam’s smile barely hid her embarrassment, but she was glad none the less. Nothing was worse than waiting and not knowing. Jason would never be late, not to something like this and he hadn't even left a message. “Save our seats, okay? We'll be right back.”
Two of the crushed students in the booth slid into vacated seats the second the pair stood up. Real estate was obviously at a premium tonight. Stasis rapped the guy closest to her on the side of the head.
"We're gone. And if any of you yammerheads see Jai, tell him I got dragged me out by my ear and it totally wasn't my fault.”
Sam’s face registered a look of guilt for a quick second before the other girl pulled her away from the booth and into the crowd. Remembering the statuette, Samantha stuck close.
Once outside, Sam released the death grip she had on her friend’s elbow and took a deep breath in. The air was cold but clear, slightly stinging her cheeks and exposed skin. If Stasis noticed the temperature differential she sure didn’t show it. “Okay,” the platinum tanker continued as if the conversation hadn't stopped. “What's our best bet?”
“School,” Sam shrugged. “I can’t see ‘em not picking up his phone if he’s in the quad. And I don’t know where he’d meet his record producer otherwise, or what they were meetin’ about. And if he had to give them a demo of what he was workin’ on, he’d...”
“School.” Stasis interrupted with a nod, pointing to the dim light that was the train station four blocks away. "If that's not it, I got a few other thoughts. I swear, Sam," she said, starting to stride across the dark parking lot, "you'd take half an hour to say anything."
_______
The building was silent, causing their footsteps to echo in the hallway like delayed thunder as they made their way to the band room. It was late, classes long since finished and most ofthe rooms closed and dark as they passed. The lack of activity let the notes from the music room carry further than normal. Sam recognized the tune the instant the sound reached her ears.
"Aww, jeez.” She winced under her breath, chewing on her bottom lip. Stasi’s eyebrows raised inquisitively.
“Wanna share with the rest of the class?”
Sam nodded towards the hesitant music, hearing the refrain.
“Too much to ask for
To show you even care
Too much for you to see
Her eyes locked in a forever stare.
“He sang that. To me, the other night.” Sam found herself whispering as they approached the door. “Something happened in New York with one of his fans and shook him up pretty good. He said he was in a crowd and y’know, doing what Jase does in a crowd." Stasis mumbled something but Sam didn't listen, too intent on the broken music. "You know, shakin' hands and signin’ stuff. And one of the girls there, she asked him if he was gonna be back.”
Sam cast an unconscious anxious, imploring look at the other girl. "So he says yes, meanin’ he’s back every night. And she goes and takes him literal, waitin’ for him right outside the theater. They didn’t find her ‘til near the next morning. She was just about froze to death, Stasi. He just took it to heart, blaming himself.”
The two girls peered through the small window in the door of the classroom.
“I knew it was bothering him. I just didn’t know... how bad.”
Jason, star of screen and stage, heartthrob of thousands, had his face pressed to his hands.
Stasis nodded for no particular reason that Sam could figure out. Before Sam had a chance to object, the other girl in her tanker class pushed open the door, startling the boy in the center of the room.
“Hey, you.” Jason spun around on the piano bench, his expression impossible to figure out. Sam found herself pulled along in the wake. “There’s an eatery in Faultline full of people waiting to listen to your caterwauling in Mexican. Me, I was okay with it but Sam here started breaking things so I figured we'd come and drag you out before she started a full on riot.”
“It… I… you…” Sam stammered, her face taking on a slight crimson hue. "Stasi..."
“See?" Stasis hooked a finger in Sam's direction. "Too distraught to speak. Now I could care less.” Stasis grinned, slouching a little further into the room. “If I want to hear you warble, I’ll stomp on your foot. C'mon boyo, enough minor key. Grab your coat and let’s go.”
Jason’s half welcoming smile had frozen on his face and it didn't escape Samantha's notice that it never even got close to his eyes. Before she realized what she was doing, she'd made her way to the side of the piano. She touched Jason’s shoulder with one hand even as the other picked up the small paper propped up on the fret board. He absentmindedly twined his fingers into hers, giving a more sincere but apologetic smile towards Stasis.
“Stas, I’m really in no mood for a crowd tonight. Lynn will take care of it, I’m sure. I told her I wasn’t positive I was going to be there.”
“So who said anything about crowds?" The blonde had stopped a few steps into the room and was standing there hipshot, arms akimbo. "Three people hear your name thrown around, they might stay to take a picture. Trust me, the rest are out for the free nachos.” Jason laughed, startled into a genuine sound. Sam started to echo the humor but then she finished reading the Post’s article.
“I didn’t know you were the one to save her.”
Jason’s smile faded into a pained grimace. He plucked the small square of paper out of her fingers.
“I didn’t. It just... made for a better story." The grin was self mocking. "That’s what counts, right? Some poor girl almost freezes to death on account of me, and I get painted a hero when I caused it in the first place.”
“You didn’t cause it, ” Sam replied sympathetically. “It was her decision, not yours. You didn’t say 'meet me in ten minutes' and then just never show. You said something vaguely and she took it literal.”
“It’s the same thing.” He stared up at her from the piano bench. She hated the guilty look on his face but didn't know how to make it go away. Sam cast around for some magic words, trying to force her brain into something inspirational.
“Yeah? Is that how it works now? Ayuh, you should try robbing a bank!” Stasis nodded behind them. “Maybe if you stop yourself, they’ll give you a medal.”
Jason chuckled again. His fingers were warm in Sam's, squeezing. Grateful for the company maybe.
“So what’s it going to be, you? You want to stay here and throw a pity party? Just let us know, me an' Sam'll go pick up a pinata." Stais made a point of glancing around. "I admit, I'm curious how long it'll take her to trash this place too.”
“I didn’t…!" Samantha felt obliged to protest.
“...or you can come and make with the serenading, then buy all your friends dinner so we don’t get stuck washing dishes.” Stasis grinned again, pushing jagged shards of hair behind her ear. Her arms folded across her chest.
"What'll it be, you?"
TGIF -Tanks Go In First
"Miss Douglas, we know about the nuts."
"Sam's the most amazing gamer EVER, and I love her footwear." - Laurel Fitte
"Miss Douglas, we know about the nuts."
"Sam's the most amazing gamer EVER, and I love her footwear." - Laurel Fitte