The Music Project (boyxboy)

nine

        When I opened my eyes. I shot up to a sitting position and rushed to grab my phone, which was just beside my pillow. Fuck. I fell asleep. I unlocked my phone. The light shone brightly at my face. The message was still there. Unsent.

        I saved it to drafts.

        I went to my contacts and dialed Linden Blisser. He picked up at fourth ring. Different scenarios surfaced my mind because he didn't pick up instantly. One was waking up and reaching for his phone with those droopy sleepy eyes. The other was solving a math problem and another was testing the phonograph to know if it had some more defects.

        "Hello? Who is this?" His voice was hoarse and sounded like someone who just woke up. And I can say that he didn't bother looking at who was calling him in the middle of the night.

        I ended the call. I thought I did it because I didn't know what to say aside from saying my hello. But it was mostly because I was afraid I'd freak out again. Or what calling him would imply to him. And his voice... I don't know what to say about his voice. It's... I don't know. It kind of had a welcoming feeling. Like I was being invited to my own home after fighting in the war. Like a welcoming party--no, more like a welcoming hug.

        Not like I know how it feels to walk home after a war.

        I wonder how it feels like. Walking home from a war. Will I be feeling happy and teary-eyed because I'll finally be with my family or will I be feeling sad and teary-eyed for all the lives claimed by the war? I know I shouldn't think of such things. But the idea seems thinkable.

         My phone buzzed and I sighed. I had no choice but to answer him. So I did. "Hey, there."

        "Hey, yourself." I could say he's smiling.

        "Um..." I began. I didn't know what to say. We kept silent for a moment. "Sorry... for waking you up."

        "I wasn't sleeping. I'm out." I heard sounds I didn't notice before. Video games and cheers and shouts.

        "Where are you?" I asked. I knew I sounded a bit like my mom when I don't tell her where I am.

        He stiffled a laugh. "Feeling possessive, are you now?" I didn't respond. I didn't know what to say. So he said, "I'm at an arcade."

        "Crazy Cade?" I asked.

        "How'd you know?"

        "It's the only arcade in town, Blisser."

        "Oh... right."

        "Stay put. I'm coming," I said.

Linden Blisser was leaning on the hood of his car. The smoke from his cigarette made white curves in the slightly lit street. I could hear the noise from Crazy Cade when I stepped out of the truck. I walked towards him but stopped two meters away and let the light of the yellow lamp post bathe me.

        "Hey," I said.

        "Hey, yourself." He noticed the distance and gave me a look. "I'm not gonna bite."

        "I know." I smiled. "Why didn't I see you at school?"

        "I thought I was the last person you wanted to see. So... yeah." He looked up and studied the sky.

        "You can't do that. Stop ruining your life."

        "I don't care. I'm already a year late and another year's not gonna change anything." He turned his head to the side.

        "Yes, it will, Blisser." He didn't respond. "You are so immature. Don't you care about anything?"

        "I care for you."

        I didn't know how to respond to that. So I let the silence fog the space around us.

        He took a puff from his cigarette. Another puff. And another. He went on until it was shorter than his thumb. Then, he threw it away and grabbed another one from his pocket.

        "Will you stop that?" He lit the cigarette. "Please?" He won't listen. "Why are you doing this?"

        "Smoking makes me high."

        "That doesn't answer my question, Blisser."

        "I need to get high so I won't think of you all the time. Because if I keep you out of my head then I won't fall too deep in love with you." He exhaled. "I know I don't have a chance with you, Theo."

        I closed the distance between us in three steps. "That's not true," I said and took his face in my hands and kissed him. I noticed his cigarette fall to the ground as shouts from the Crazy Cade went louder. I pulled away and felt silly. I could say Linden Blisser felt silly too because he was smiling slyly.

        "I thought someone's coming," I said.

        "I know." He was still smiling.

        "Will you cut that out?" I said impatiently.

        "Cut what out?"

        "That grin like you've won a basketball match."

        He laughed. "It felt more than that. Wanna go somewhere?"

        I looked at him with a question mark written on my face.

        "Someone I know has a friend who's throwing a party."

        "A party in the middle of the night."

        "Cool, eh?"

        "Not really." I smiled. "But sure. Let's go."

        We drove separately to the next town. It was a long drive, but not that long. It was tragically boring since we couldn't talk to each other. I considered calling him on the way but calling while driving is strictly prohibited. Not like someone's gonna see us. But, yeah. Hail to the good citizens of the United States.

        I stayed on his tail since don't know where we'll be going. I considered leaving my truck at a gasoline station and just pay for the parking lot so that I could ride with Linden Blisser. But I had no luck on finding one. So, yeah.

        We arrived at a mansion at the center of a street. It was packed with people and spot lights. I can hear the beat of the music even inside the truck. There were no parking space so we had to turn around and park a block away.

        He was smiling wide as he waited for me to step out of the truck.

        "Don't be too obvious," I winked at him.

        "Can't help it. My pants get tighter just by staring at you," he grinned and bit his lip.

        I punched his shoulder. "You are sexually aggresive, aren't you?"

        "Ain't it obvious?"

        The mansion was even more packed at a closer look. There were gyrating bodies everywhere I looked, even inside the pool-- where people only wore a piece of cloth. The good thing is that I don't recognize any of these people.

        The moment we stepped into the yard, my ears felt numb that all I could hear was noise along with the vibrating beat of a music I had never heard of.

        I had to lean and put my lips in front of Linden Blisser's ear just so I could tell him, "So this is what a party looks like!"

        He turned his head and gave me a mischievous grin. "Let's dance!" he shouted but I didn't hear him. I just found a way to read his lips. He pulled me by the hand but I didn't budge. He gave me a puzzled look so I leaned in to his ear again.

        "I'd rather not!" I shouted at his ear.

        "How about a drink, then?"

        I haven't tried that before. So I nodded. Atleast no one will notice us if we just drank.