I was here. I was enthralled. The air was sauntering in mystery and lore. I had made it to New Orleans. It was so beautiful.
I dressed for a night on the town. I was feeling the new get-up Daniela and I had done, our transformations. I had black and gray hair now; black on top and gray on the bottom. My gauges (which I previously had) were now down to a zero in my first hole, a four in my second, and a size six in my third hole. I had gotten tattoos, more than I already got when I turned eighteen- I now had the octopus on the side of my throat, a full left arm sleeve, most of my back piece and most of my full right leg sleeve.
Tonight I decided to wear something to hide all of my tats, but add emphasis to my gauges and limbs. I pulled my hair back into a high ponytail and left a few wisps out by my face that were gray. I had on a black turtleneck sweater and some black jeans with my creepers. My makeup was just simple, sort of thick black eyeliner.
I was feeling great. I was so happy to be here!
I was walking down the streets, just shy of 10:00 pm. There were shit loads of people everywhere, but let me tell you, I've hardly fit in anywhere better. There were people dressed in body suites and skirts, booty shorts, Victorian era dresses; you name it, they were in it. A woman walked past me with black and green hair, and equally brightly eyeshadowed eyes. The man with her looked like those 80's goth kids with short, spiky, black hair, and some eyeliner, black garb, and a lip piercing dead in the center of their bottom lip. Another group of typical skater boys passed me and whistled, but I paid them no mind.
There were shops lining both sides of the slightly wettened roadway. I was on a main walkway where no cars were allowed to drive down. There were bars and "taverns" and clothing shops, walk in art stores and a fortune teller or two every other block. There were a few HUGE mansions parallel to all of this; they were gated with tall, black metal bars and had Spanish mosses all around their yards.
I was enjoying this beauty, this splendid grandeur. I had been walking around for maybe an hour when I heard it. It came over a period of time since I came onto the block, but I couldn't place it, nor figure out exactly what it was. As I came closer, it became louder, and even more touching; I knew what it was, but just simply could not place it! Then I neared an open bar, and found the source of my troubles.
Music.
Music played from this bar. I had only been here for a day, and already felt so homesick just listening to the music. It gave me butterflies and chills- I suddenly felt like such an outsider here, so out of place. I felt like crying.
I entered the bar, on the verge of tears, and sat down.
"Make that money, fake that dummy. On the fence all the time...."
There was the bartender and one other man sitting at the other end. This man immediately made me feel like I had just seen a ghost, an angel maybe. I don't know what had come over me, but I felt like I needed him. I needed to have him hug me so hard as I cried, just poured myself out into him. He wasn't even facing me, and he was dimly lit by the pink and green lights. He stared at his drink, so vacantly and absentmindedly. His features were so shadowy under the light, and I saw the shape of his eyes. Maybe it was me, or maybe it was The Neighbourhood's music, but I felt like I was seeing something dramatic take place. I watched with teary eyes as this man did nothing, but stare off into his drink, searching for answers to some unforseen questions. He was actively dying in front of me.
But then he was gone.
I looked around for him but saw no sign. My heart fell. Perhaps it was the overwhelming homesickness that had a terrible grasp on me, but whatever it was, was worsening with the seconds with this man out of my sight. I was really out of the norm for myself.
He suddenly reappeared in the seat next to me.
I stared at him as if I were seeing The Light. In the dimness, I could barely make out the shape of his face, and the glint off of his eyes.
"Hi." He said.
The first word of the evening.
"Hi."
I saw a cheek upturn in his smirk.
A new song started. "Unfair".
I inhaled deeply and turned to look at the speakers in the ceiling.
"You like them huh?" He asked.
"Yeah." I stared above me. "Yeah, I do."
He nodded. "The Neighbourhood are pretty good."
"I just wish Bryan didn't leave."
The Man twirled his drink then said, "Did you like him or something?"
I shrugged. "He wasn't my favorite, but I just liked him. The Neighbourhood with him in it was just aesthetically pleasing."
He chuckled.
"I fell in love with The Neighbourhood when it was the original five- not that I don't love them now, but it just doesn't feel the same without the original drummer."
"Do you think his leave was a bad thing?" He asked.
"No," I shook my head. "Bryan left for reasons all his own. If it made him happy, that's all that matters. I'll just forever see them as Jesse, Jeremy, Mikey, Zach, and Bryan."
"Unfair" was drawing to a close. Me and The Man sat there, staring off into space, delicately waiting for the other to speak. I watched the bartender clean glasses.
"Come with me."
I looked over and saw him now standing, throwing his jacket over his shoulders. He laid some money on the bar top and looked at me again.
"O-okay."
I was leaving with this man.
