As Sin

driftwood

He was plucking the strings of his different guitars when Kimi called. He snatched his phone right up as her name flashed on the screen. He hadn't heard from her for nearly two weeks after the party. She spent the whole night by his side, giving him a bit of hope that things would be easier after she left Pixel Girls. He forgot that leaving didn't take away her fame, the same way rehab didn't take away his. He couldn't turn on the TV without seeing her swarmed with questions. It was funny how much their lives paralleled each other's.

Phone pressed to his ear, he waited for her to speak. He could hear her breathing hesitantly. She took a deep breath on the other end.

"Are you free right now?" she asked. Excitement built up in his stomach. He wanted to see her more than anything.

"Yeah," he answered quickly. "Are you?"

"Yes," she murmured. "Sorry, I didn't think my schedule would be so busy, but there's been so much I had to do."

Nate shook his head. He stood up and looked out the window. The sun was pouring through the glass, illuminating the studio he stood in. He could see the light sparkling in the fountains outside. Birds perched on the rim of the fountains, dipping their beaks into the water.

"You have to stop apologizing, I don't mind."

He heard her suck in air. There was silence for a minute. Then, he heard the sound of her pacing around.

"Can I see you?" Kimi asked. His heart leapt.

"Of course. Where are you now?"

The sound of a door opening came through the speaker. Kimi muttered to herself. People were in the background yelling her name. He frowned.

"At home, but there're too many people around. Let's meet somewhere private."

He stared at two birds perched next to each other. His mind was whirling, thinking of the few places he could go where no one would bother him. He remembered a dilapidated studio the band used to record at. They never told anyone about that studio. In a world where everyone wanted to carve out every bit of them, they wanted to keep that place sacred. He thought about the busted amps and soundboards Xia would turn up to the highest setting. He grabbed one of his oldest guitars, decorated with yellowing stickers and peeling paint.

"There's a studio we used to record at. I'll send you the directions, if you want to meet there."

The yelling grew louder. Kimi's footsteps came through from the other end.

"Okay. I'll meet you there. Bye."

A click sounded as she hung up. He sat there for a moment, drinking in the sunlight. He listened to the sounds of birds chirping and the fountain gushing outside. He got up to head downstairs while typing in the directions to Kimi. His feet padded against the wooden stairs. He ran into Xia when he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Where're you rushing to?" he asked. He smiled at him.

"I'm going to meet Kimi."

Xia went quiet. He put his hand on the stair railing. His dark eyes looked past him.

"Okay. I'm going to try and write. Come join me once you get back."

He nodded. Xia patted his shoulder and started going upstairs. He tilted his head up to watch Xia until he disappeared into a corner. He walked all through the house to get to the garage.

Nate zeroed in on his first car. It seemed like a nostalgic day, he wanted everything to remind him of being younger. His first acoustic guitar, his first studio, his first car. The trunk of the car was dented, and there was a large scratch all throughout the right side. He never bothered to get it fixed. He liked how it gave the car a bit of personality. He carefully arranged the guitar in the trunk, making sure it closed properly.