This gig was important to Tanner and Dani, as this was the first time Dani was performing alongside her boyfriend and her best friend; me. For years, we tried to start a band, but with school and being the girlfriend of an up-and-coming actress, our plans never really took off. It wasn’t until after Kalia broke up with me last year that I finally said, “let’s fucking do this!” Not knowing something else was now occupying my mind.
A black sheep named Rosie Delgado.
I snapped out of my thought when I hear Dani yell my name out. I looked up and I wasn’t surprised that Dani looked pissed as fuck.
“Dude, you’re playing the wrong track,” Dani complained.
“Sorry, sorry,” I said, queueing the right track. Dani turned back around to face the microphone in the studio space. I play the song, in which Dani starts to sing as Tanner plays the guitar. Tanner and I met in high school; we were both in the same band class. I was actually the one that introduced Dani to Tanner during our senior year of high school, and the rest is history. I hate to admit it, but they are good for each other. If only love came that easy for me.
I stopped the track midway, which made both Dani and Tanner turn around.
“Tan, tune your guitar a bit; that last one before the chorus is a little off,” I said. Tanner went to sit down and tune the strings on his guitar, and Dani began to walk toward my direction, close to the DJ booth.
“How were you able to hear that with your mind clearly on something else?” Dani asked. I rolled my eyes, looking back down at my laptop.
“You fail to realize this is literally all I do,” I said. “Also, I’m fine.”
“Mhm,” Dani said. “How’s everything going with Kalia?” I looked up at Dani, knowing she knows exactly what’s going on with Kalia.
“She’s fine,” I said nonchalantly. “She’s starting a press tour for the movie she’s in.”
“Oh,” Dani added. “So I guess you’re going to see her while she’s on her New York stop of her tour?” Dani knows all the right buttons to push.
“If she visits, then sure,” I said with a tight mouth. I didn’t want her knowing that she was getting me mad. Thankfully, Tanner walked toward us to tell us that he was ready. Dani slowly walked away from the booth, back to start the rehearsal again. Thank God.
…
Rosie had left before I woke up the night after we hooked up. Ugh, I hate calling it that. I thought that maybe she had moved to the living room to sleep or something. She wasn’t anywhere to be found. I had tried calling her phone to see if maybe she went back home or something. She didn’t pick up.
“C’mon, Roe,” I said to the phone as her voicemail began to play. I hung up the phone, worried about Rosie’s whereabouts. I was upset that she would just leave and not tell me where she was going. I was hurt that she literally hit it and quit it.
I walked out of my room to hear the keys unlock the door of the apartment. Of course, my folks came at the perfect time: when the house is a mess from yesterday night, and when I’m panicking trying to get in touch with Rosie.
“Micah?” I hear my mom call out. I walked into the living room area, trying to play it cool.
“Hey, Mom,” I said, leaning on the kitchen counter. Reagan and Dylan entered the house behind my mom, walking straight towards their room. “How’d it go?”
“Dylan had fun, Reagan was a different story,” my mom said, taking off her coat to hang it up.
“Where’s dad?”
“He went to your brother’s to help him with a project,” she said, finally taking a look at the house. “Micah, why does this house look like this?” I looked around, nervous she was going to spot something before I did.
“Sorry, I was gonna start cleaning before you guys got home,” I said, looking at the time on the stove. It’s 2pm. “I guess I thought it was earlier than it really was.”
“Please clean this place up before I start dinner later,” she said, walking to the bathroom. I began to pick up the clothes from the floor until I instantly remembered. “Salem Micah Kamalani!”
Fuck. The ashtray.
…
“I have to get going,” I said, unplugging the equipment from the speaker. Both Dani and Tanner turned around.
“What? We just started,” Dani mentioned.
“I told y’all; my mom has been on my ass,” I said as I closed my laptop. “I was even lucky she let me do something other than chores.”
“Dude, you know you’re almost 21; how the fuck are you getting grounded?”
“When she finds the fucking ashtray on the bathroom floor,” I said, annoyed at Dani. I packed my things up and started to leave the studio space. “I’ll see you guys on campus.” I walked out of the space and didn’t look back at them. The truth of the matter is that it was more than just the ashtray. Yeah, she had found the ashtray and she had a fit about it. What truly sent her over the edge was the fact that she had found the condom wrapper on her bedside. The one I used when Rosie and I hooked up.
Letters From Liz. 