So Much (for) Stardust

I Saw You in a Bright Clear Field

A few days had passed, and the boys had found themselves in the studio with a half eaten box of pizza and several coffees strewn about. Darren had all but worn himself to a pulp as he laid on the couch next to the drum set. He wanted to help with composing the music as best he could, but that day seemed to only drain him of all his creativity. He couldn’t quite place why exactly. When he first agreed to be in the band, he was meant to do dual duty by drumming and singing, but when the task was becoming too much, Leo brought Johnny in. The rest would become history.

“Darren, Earth to Darren.” Leo called as Darren glanced over at him.

“Yeah?” Darren asked.

“I have some new lyrics if you want to try and work something out.”
Darren gave a soft nod and sat up as Leo handed him a small piece of paper. Darren wasted no time grabbing the paper as he read over the lyrics carefully, his gears turning ever so slightly as he read, re-read, and re-re-read. He could begin to feel an arrangement building inside, but it was still very much in the early stages. He hummed softly as the lyrics had looped in my mind ever so slightly. He wanted to make the song as great as possible. However, as quickly as he was able to create an arrangement in his mind, his thoughts had crashed and burned.

“THIS IS HOPELESS!” Darren cried, making the other two boys look over at him and Leo.

“Hey, it’s okay, man. We can pause for now. I know we’re all worn out from the day. Let’s just call it, and we’ll pick it up tomorrow.”

Darren gave a nod as Eric and Johnny began to clean up the studio.

After the boys left, they found themselves back in their apartment, trying their best to relax. For three of the four, it wasn’t very difficult, but for Darren, all he could think of was how to keep on composing for the band. He wanted the song to be great. He couldn’t quite place the why behind the urge to make the song near perfect. He knew it didn’t have to match the caliber of Motzart, Bach, or even Beethoven, but the song had to be good. And the simple fact it wasn’t nearly there yet, even though it was at the early stages, infuriated him. He sat with his friends while they watched what looked like one of the Final Destination movies. Darren couldn’t even focus on that.

With a small sputter, he stood up, earning a confused look from all the boys.

“I’m gonna clear my head. Cool if I take the van?”

Leo gave a soft nod while Eric and Johnny said their goodbyes. With that, Darren grabbed the van keys and went on his way.

Now, for most, driving aimlessly would be a waste of time. Not for Darren. Even when he lived in Chicago, he would drive around to clear his head. Although, when he lived in Chicago, he could also walk from place to place. A luxury not found in Houston without paying a parking fee. So he settled for driving until he could find somewhere to stop.

After a few more minutes of driving, Darren found himself at a local music store called Cactus Records, where he decided to stop in hopes of finding something to inspire him. When he entered, he was greeted by the familiar smell of dust paired with old carpet. Music that sounded like David Bowie’s Life on Mars only muffled and hard to distinguish due to the old speaker system. He greeted the cashier with a polite smile but only got a short grumbled “hello” in response. Darren gave a small shrug and began to wander the store.

After what felt like twenty minutes, Darren had slowly filled a bag with various albums ranging from Frank Sinatra to The Ramones. He had started to scan another aisle when he heard the doorbell ding, followed by some footsteps.

“Hey Joey.” A voice greeted.

“Hey Anna.”

Darren froze slightly when he heard Anna’s name. He quickly turned his head, seeing her bundled up in a jacket with a scarf and beanie. It reminded him of home, strangely enough. The way most people in Chicago would often do everything they could to stay warm. Hats and coats lightly covered in snow. Her appearance was familiar to him - she was comforting that way. Much like the previous times he had seen her, there was always something about her that left an impression. He quickly went back to scanning the albums in front of him as he took note of how her footsteps sounded.
A quiet rhythm resembled a soft drum beat. With his eyes fixated on the albums, he kept listening to her steps, hearing a soft melody. He listened closely to how she moved around the store. Taking mental notes on how she would stop every so often to flip through the albums, which also sounded very rhythmic to him. The song slowly came together in his mind. He knew he had to follow her. As he did, he slowly began to watch her. He observed how she would bite her lower lip when in deep thought and scrunch up her face ever so slightly as she dug through the plastic cases. He would also see her eyes move up to peek just under her eyelashes, making him quickly duck down, fearing she would think he was stalking her.