Lively Lime #8
(note: this story is a continuation from TKO #5)
Julia said goodbye to her bandmates and caught a cab back home. The dawning sun began to grow brighter, but the January weather still made her shiver as she climbed the front steps of her apartment. She fumbled for her keys, reminding herself there was still some reading left for class that day. After washing the glitter off her face, Julia put her glasses back on and opened her textbook to the page where she clipped her highlighter the night before. As she skimmed the chapters, she thought about the double life she was living, wondering what people from school would think of her if they knew this other side. Part of her really enjoyed the secret.
After finishing, she sat down at her computer with a piping mug of coffee and went to Craigslist.com. She usually only checked the Sales section, and was hoping to find a good deal on some new amps for the band, but for some reason, she wandered towards the left and clicked on "Missed Connections". It was her first time visiting this section of the site.
And then she saw it. Third entry from the top, below "You checked me out on the D train - m4w" and "Pastry chef seeks pizza tosser for delicious fun!" It had been posted about two hours after her band's set finished.
"To the bassist of Goldfish Royals. A law student loves you!"
Julia nearly choked on her coffee.
She clicked the link and read more. "Hi, I caught your show last night, and you guys were amazing! I thought you were especially awesome. The way you played your bass just captivated me. Are you a law student too? I might be crazy, but I swear you sat in front of me in CrimLaw last semester. I'm sorry I never found our your name then. Wow, you look so different onstage…I love your style! You are so beautiful. Please email me back, it'd be great if we could hang out and get to know each other. I know my friends from school would love to hear your music too. I hope you read this. Maybe I'll see you in the halls sometime! - Nathan "
It suddenly became a little difficult to breathe. Julia stared at the screen for a few minutes, trying to convince herself that these words were real. Part of her was extremely flattered. Junior high school flattered, with cartoon hearts floating from her chest and beams of majesty blazing behind her head. But another part of her was nervous. Who is this kid? She strained to remember his face. That fat ex-frat kid who sucks up to the professor? No. The frizzy redhead with bad breath? Wait. That skinny kid with black glasses. He never talked much either. But she remembered being impressed with that answer he gave once about the felony-murder rule. Seemed like an ok guy.
Still, Julia, who hadn't had a date in years, felt as if her cover had been blown. Someone had found out about her alter ego. Her performance clothes were like a superhero cape, and someone was about to expose that average, unimportant, invisible girl and make her become (horrors!) a topic of conversation and gossip at school. How would she deal with all of it? There was something special in keeping her little indie rock band a private sanctuary. She loved her fans, but they were something separate and away from school. Was this Nathan going to take away her escape and flash a spotlight in her eyes now?
She hesitated a little before typing.
"Hi Nathan. We have another gig next Thursday. Same time, same place. Stick around afterwards, we'll talk. Until then, the name's Julia. And I thought that chapter on the Model Penal Code was especially dull."
Julia decided she would wear a little glitter to class that day. It was time for a change.
Julia said goodbye to her bandmates and caught a cab back home. The dawning sun began to grow brighter, but the January weather still made her shiver as she climbed the front steps of her apartment. She fumbled for her keys, reminding herself there was still some reading left for class that day. After washing the glitter off her face, Julia put her glasses back on and opened her textbook to the page where she clipped her highlighter the night before. As she skimmed the chapters, she thought about the double life she was living, wondering what people from school would think of her if they knew this other side. Part of her really enjoyed the secret.
After finishing, she sat down at her computer with a piping mug of coffee and went to Craigslist.com. She usually only checked the Sales section, and was hoping to find a good deal on some new amps for the band, but for some reason, she wandered towards the left and clicked on "Missed Connections". It was her first time visiting this section of the site.
And then she saw it. Third entry from the top, below "You checked me out on the D train - m4w" and "Pastry chef seeks pizza tosser for delicious fun!" It had been posted about two hours after her band's set finished.
"To the bassist of Goldfish Royals. A law student loves you!"
Julia nearly choked on her coffee.
She clicked the link and read more. "Hi, I caught your show last night, and you guys were amazing! I thought you were especially awesome. The way you played your bass just captivated me. Are you a law student too? I might be crazy, but I swear you sat in front of me in CrimLaw last semester. I'm sorry I never found our your name then. Wow, you look so different onstage…I love your style! You are so beautiful. Please email me back, it'd be great if we could hang out and get to know each other. I know my friends from school would love to hear your music too. I hope you read this. Maybe I'll see you in the halls sometime! - Nathan "
It suddenly became a little difficult to breathe. Julia stared at the screen for a few minutes, trying to convince herself that these words were real. Part of her was extremely flattered. Junior high school flattered, with cartoon hearts floating from her chest and beams of majesty blazing behind her head. But another part of her was nervous. Who is this kid? She strained to remember his face. That fat ex-frat kid who sucks up to the professor? No. The frizzy redhead with bad breath? Wait. That skinny kid with black glasses. He never talked much either. But she remembered being impressed with that answer he gave once about the felony-murder rule. Seemed like an ok guy.
Still, Julia, who hadn't had a date in years, felt as if her cover had been blown. Someone had found out about her alter ego. Her performance clothes were like a superhero cape, and someone was about to expose that average, unimportant, invisible girl and make her become (horrors!) a topic of conversation and gossip at school. How would she deal with all of it? There was something special in keeping her little indie rock band a private sanctuary. She loved her fans, but they were something separate and away from school. Was this Nathan going to take away her escape and flash a spotlight in her eyes now?
She hesitated a little before typing.
"Hi Nathan. We have another gig next Thursday. Same time, same place. Stick around afterwards, we'll talk. Until then, the name's Julia. And I thought that chapter on the Model Penal Code was especially dull."
Julia decided she would wear a little glitter to class that day. It was time for a change.
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