Sweet Dreams, Tennessee

Fuckabout

Steady hands gripped the microphone, a black Sennheiser e935. He shut his eyes as he inched his mouth closer to the tip of the mic. The smell of sweat and cigarettes filled up the bar as the crowd waits in silence, the humming of the amplifiers filled his ears. He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly. Eventually, he opened his eyes, narrowing them as he scanned the dimly lit bar. His mouth now slightly ajar, "Bow down, you pigs." He mumbled into the microphone, soft yet full of authority. The crowd cheered, their patience had paid off as he retreated backwards, strumming the first few chords of the song on his black and brown Talman bass.

***

You grabbed your house keys from the bowl full of random loose items on the kitchen island. Your apartment was tiny, but it fulfilled the purpose of having a roof over your head. You supposed you should be thankful enough as you glanced around the room, making sure that you've grabbed anything you needed for the day. God forbid you forgot your mobile phone or something else that's essential, you didn't have any mode of transport apart from your rusted bicycle you locked up a year ago right outside of your apartment complex. Cycling was good exercise, but you preferred walking from point A to B.

You patted the back pocket of your jeans, feeling for your phone. Check. You turned and lowered your head to the right and looked into your favourite black tote bag; laptop check, wallet check. Your buds! You sighed and briskly walked into your room, grabbing your AirPods from the bedside table. Your cat meowed lazily on your bed as you walked back out, opening the main door of your apartment to leave.

Your phone played a short tune as you started to lock your door from the outside. You pulled your phone out of your back pocket as you walked along the corridor towards the lift lobby. The glow of your phone screen illuminated your face, since it was still dark out. A text message from Jean was shown at the top of your notification screen.

Jean: Mornin :) Will wait for you at the usual place, see ya!

You smiled as the lift doors opened, texting Jean a reply to let him know you're on the way. You met Jean during your freshman year of University, he accidentally bumped into you and spilled his apple juice all over your new shoes. You met him again and he entered the same lecture hall as you, both of you realising you were in the same major. You've been really good friends since then and have spent almost every waking hour with him to either study or hang out.

You weren't going to lie, he was good looking and you did have a little crush on him but you were too afraid to change your current dynamic as good friends. Plus, he has a crush on someone else anyway. You remember how your heart ached each time he talked about this black-haired Asian girl he likes. Your crush on him dwindled down recently, you didn't want to get hurt when he finally decides to ask her out.

The lift doors opened again, revealing the ground floor of your apartment complex. The morning was silent, the sound of your Converse shoes tapping the floor filled the air as you walked out, passing by your rusted bicycle along the way. You breathed in the cool morning air and popped in your buds, pressing the shuffle music button on your phone as you made your way to campus.

***

Butterflies filled your tummy as you saw Jean leaning against the wall of one of the many buildings in your University campus. This little crush isn't as little as you had initially thought. You took out your buds as you approached him.

Jean pushed himself off the wall and took off his headphones when he noticed you walking towards him. He kept his headphones in his loose sling bag and made a little wave with his hands, "Tennessee, hey!" He grinned, knowing that it annoyed you a little, "Ready for your first day as a Junior?" You cringed a little when Jean called out your full name. You didn't hate your name but you didn't quite like it. You always introduced yourself as Tanny.