“So, where are we going?” I finally asked Micah as we continued to walk down the street, passing block after block. I was starting to feel the cold and feeling dumb wearing this dress outside.
“Somewhere that we could go inside and warm up,” Micah answered, looking straight ahead as we walked. He looked at me when we got to the end of the street, waiting for the light to change. “Are you in a hurry to go back to that event?” I quickly shook my head; I didn’t want to be anywhere near that snobby ass event.
“I’ve done enough socializing with stuck-up, rich people for the day,” I answered. Micah nodded his head; I felt like he understood it best when it came to sitting in an event you had no business sitting in.
“You wanna come hang out with me?” Micah asked. “Of course, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I know we aren’t the best of friends.” I rolled my eyes since I knew Micah wasn’t being completely serious when he said that.
“I guess,” I answered. “It’s my next best option, huh?” I laughed as Micah pouted. He did end up laughing right after. “So, where are we going?”
“To Dani and Tanner’s place,” Micah said. “You’ve met them before, right?”
“I haven’t,” I said, although it was somewhat of a lie. I had briefly met them months ago at Micah’s gig at the Oxygen Lounge… even though they didn’t know who I was or who I was there to see that night. Micah looked shocked.
“You’ll like them,” Micah reassured me. “They’re chill and–“
“Dani’s been your best friend since birth,” I finished his sentence. “I know of them.” Micah seemed a little shy, which made me feel a little shitty for correcting him like that.
“Sorry,” Micah blurted out. “Sometimes, I forget things I’ve said to people and shit. I just assume people don’t listen the first time around.” I was surprised that Micah felt that way; he carried the confidence that seemed like people listened. I wouldn’t have thought Micah was insecure with something like that.
…
Micah walks ahead of me when going up the flights of stairs in his friends’ apartment building. The building wasn’t the greatest, but it also was a decent place for a college couple to be living in. At least there’s no RA on your ass about fucking, huh? Micah stops at one of the doors at the end of the hall and knocks on it. Music can be heard playing inside of the apartment. A few minutes later, the guy opens the door, in which he gives Micah a fist pound upon entering.
“Hey man,” the guy, who I’m assuming is Tanner, says to Micah. We both enter the small apartment in which Micah begins dancing and singing along with the girl, who I’m assuming is Dani. They look like they’ve known each other since birth seeing how comfortable they are with each other. Tanner closes the door behind us and walks into the living room area. Micah tuns around and looks at me, probably realizing I was there with him.
“This is my friend, Rosie,” Micah introduced me to his friends. “She also goes to the college.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dani and Tanner said at the same time. Very much a couple thing to do. I can tell they kept looking at the fancy fucking dress I had on, which made this first time meeting Micah’s friends very awkward.
“Nice to meet you guys as well,” I bean to say before brushing down my dress. “I escaped my cousin’s Sweet 16, which explains me being this goofy ass dress.” Dani and Tanner laugh.
“I remember my sweet 16 like it was yesterday,” Dani said, now looking at Micah. “We were so stupid thinking that we were the shit at that age.”
“We still think we’re the shit at 20 though,” Micah added on. I’m glad the lie was believable enough to even bypass the real explanation. Micah looked relieved once I said it.
“So, what are you studying?” Tanner asked, sitting on the sofa next to Dani.
“Art,” I answered, sitting down in the seat next to Micah. “Well, education to become an art teacher of some sort.”
“That’s dope,” Dani added. “So you’re an artist?” I nodded my head. For some odd reason, I felt more intimidated talking to Dani than I am to Tanner; probably because of her status with Micah was more like family than friends.
“I paint and draw when I get the chance,” I explained. Dani nodded her head and got up from her seat, walking to the kitchen.
“You guys want a drink or something before we start rehearsal?” Dani shouted from the kitchen. “Rosie, you’re more than welcome to get a drink too.” I looked at Micah, a bit confused in what she meant by that. Don’t musicians drink water at rehearsal or something? Micah starts talking out a little bag of weed from his pocket, placing his phone on a lap in order to roll up.
“I’m good for now; thank you though,” I answered back.
“Rosie’s a smoker,” Micah added. I nudged him on the shoulder as he laughed. “She likes to get high like me.”
“Coincidentally, I only smoke when you’re around, so perhaps you’re just a horrible influence,” I spat back. Micah nodded his head as Tanner ‘oh-ed’ at my comeback.
“Touche, Roe,” Micah teased.
“Smoking is horrible for you anyways,” Dani chimed in. “Like how are you a musician but you smoke weed, on top of that cigarettes?” I looked at Micah, learning of the news. I didn’t know he smoked cigarettes.
“That’s because I’m not a singer, smart ass,” Micah said to Dani. She rolled her eyes and put two shot glasses in front of Micah and I. She then gives one to Tanner before sitting down.
“So this is what we’re gonna do tonight,” Dani started to say before holding up her shot glass. Micah and Tanner do the same, so it was only right that I do it with them as well… despite telling Dani I was alright. “We’re going to go over the two songs for the show next week; Micah, I need you to stay focus on the mixer–“
“The fuck you mean–” Micah said before Dani interrupted him.
“I said what I said,” Dani said in a stern tone. “Tanner, I’m gonna need that guitar to be in tune before we start rehearsal, so get it together, babe.” Dani raised her glass even higher; we all follow her along. “Let’s have fun, rock this rehearsal out, and enjoy the rest of the night.” Before I knew it, they began to chug their glasses; I immediately followed through too. I winced once the alcohol hit the bac of my throat; I wasn’t used to taking strong shots like this.
“Let’s fucking go!” Micah shouted, getting up from his seat and getting his mixer out of his bag. Dani and Tanner begin to set up for the rehearsal; I felt kind of stupid for being the only one sitting down.
“You gotta tell us the truth, Rosie,” Dani turned around and said to me. “If we sound fucked, tell us. Sometimes these two are too up their own asses to realize they aren’t perfect-” Both Tanner and Micah start to whine and complain, which makes me laugh. Micah rolls his eyes and puts his headphones on while Dani and Tanner get ready to rehearse.
The first song starts and they all seem to get really professional out of nowhere. Dani has a soft singing voice, but her strongest feature is the way she still sounds feminine as she raps. Tanner looks like your typical guitarist although has a more mellow approach to it. Micah turns into a completely different person when he performs, so I wasn’t surprised that he was any different in rehearsal. I knew people Like Micah existed in the world; the ones that throw their whole life into their passion without looking back. What set Micah aside from the others was that he was good at balancing his passion with who he was as a person. He still managed to go to class every day and still got good grades. He managed to still have a personality outside of his passion and never acted different when it came to working with other people. Sure, as a person Micah would sometimes get under my skin, but i have not met someone like Micah ever in my life and that’s saying a lot considered many people have came and left my life for the last 20 years. That’s what scares me the most.
During their rehearsal, I see my phone screen lighting up, buzzing as if someone was calling me. I looked down and see that it’s one of Prescott’s unsaved numbers. He’s probably wondering where am I.
Who cares? I swiped the phone left, ignoring his calls, accepting the havoc to come about it when I see him again.
Letters From Liz. 