Birds Of a Feather

12. Sara Astrid Fancini

"Sara, can I talk to you?"
After hearing those words, the girl immediately took away her legs from the counter and looked at Bob a little bit worried.
"Did I do anything wrong? Is this happening because of all the phone calls between me and Layla? You can't tell me anything, man: we had a pact, and my famous long-windedness has been certified since you decided to hire me, so-"
"Shit, Sara, breathe! I bet you've got some fuckin' gills there!" her boss laughed and sat next to her, while Sara relaxed a bit.
"C'mon, spit it out" she added, looking at him.
"Well, I can't deny the fact that you're my best employee and that I really esteem you... But my activity here in Seattle is almost finished: just a couple of weeks and I'll move to another town"
"... Wait, what?!"
"Yeah, my business here isn't that good: too much competition, they're fuckin' eatin' us! So I thought about selling this record store and buyin' another one which is already successful and in a place where there's less competition..." the man paused, scratching his beard "Seattle's full of music experts, they literally spend days and days looking for the holy shop where they can buy a LP for a cheaper price, and I can't afford the luxury of perpetual discounts!"
"Yeah, I can see that..." she snorted "This is really comforting, I'm gonna sleep under a bridge"
"No fuckin' way, Sara! I told you that you don't have to worry and I'm gonna keep my promise: you know Easy Street Records, don't you? Well, the owner is a friend of mine... I've already put in a good word for you: in a couple of days or so he's going to call you for a job interview... That's going to be just a pure formality, I guess you can already consider yourself an Easy Street Records' employee!" he grinned, while Sara looked at him in disbelief.
"... You did what?"
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you, Sara..."
"But you don't know if I'll like working there! Maybe I'll be damned to work there for the eternity and I fuckin' hate this idea!"
"What about presenting a resignation?"
"Yeah, and what about ending up on the street? Oh, wait, and what about committing suicide?"
"You're overreacting, darling"
"Yeah, I need a fuckin' bag of pralines and some pineapple juice, I think I'm having one of my nervous breakdowns... that's all" Sara muttered, going to lay down on the couch in a theatrical way.
"They're comin'!" Bob indulged her.
"Ok, I'm still alive..." she added after a while, still munching some pralines.
"How's it going? Better?"
"Yeah, they won't arrest you for mistreatment" Sara smirked, while Bob laughed.
"Yeah, it seems that I'll get away with it for the umpteenth time"
There was a minute of silence, then the girl decided to talk again: "And, tell me, where is the Holy Land? Which town will be evangelized by you?"
"Actually, it's Portland"
"... oh, I see"
"Didn't you live in Portland too?"
"Yeah, man, but that was a long time ago"
"I see"
After a while, Sara resumed to talk: "Ya know, my mother is from Portland"
"Really? I didn't know that"
"Exactly, I don't talk about her... I don't like talking about her"
"You're not obliged to do that with me, Sara"
"Yeah, I know, it's just..." she paused "I don't know, she disappeared and fucked up my dad's life and mine too, and then she came back and thought that, because my life had suddenly turned into shit, she could claim me back without any problem... Man, the woman is really evil, I don't wanna be a bitch like her"
"Well, I don't know her and your life vicissitudes but, after all, she's your mother... she's the one who gave you birth"
"Yeah, and she's also the one who left us when I was four years old..." she snorted "You know what? If you see her, say 'go to hell' to her... But I don't think she's in Portland, I bet right now she's on the other side of the world" she finally stood up and smiled.
"Do you wanna go home?"
"Yeah, if my boss allowed me to end my shift soon"
"I grant leave" Bob smiled "Oh, wait a minute, I got somethin' for ya" he added, then disappeared in the back.
"There you go!" the man came back and handed her something square "Thought I'd give it to you the last day of work, but this occasion seems more appropriate"
Sara ripped the paper and grinned when Facelift appeared in her hands.
"I bet you still haven't bought it... If you had done it, you would have told me"
"Yeah, you're right... So little money, so many albums to buy!" she chuckled "So, this means that you've just given me my golden handshake..."
"Oh, don't be silly! You'll have all your money, don't worry"
"Suuuuuure" she stuck her tongue at him.
"Alright... give it back to me, then: I'm sure that in Portland I'll find less ungrateful employees, you little bastard!" Bob began to approach her.
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" she ran away, then the two chased each other and laughed together.
Finally, they were face-to-face.
"You know, Sara, you're a nice kiddo... I'll miss you"
"Shit, Bob, don't start you father-like speeches, otherwise I'll cry like a stupid baby!" she muttered, then hugged him "I think I'll miss ya too, thank you for everything you did for me."

♣♦♣

Am I your reflection
Melting mirror smile
Am I worth the value
Do my love defile

"C'MON, THREATT, MOVE YOUR FUCKIN' ASS! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE ALL LETTIN' JORDAN FREE TO DO WHATEVER THE FUCK HE WANTS WITH THAT FUCKIN' BALL!"
Those were the lovely words coming out Jeff's mouth, intent on watching the basketball match between Seattle SuperSonics and Chicago Bulls.

Then some dude came down to touch the Mother
Mother touched and dude ain't here no more

"SHIT, I'M SO GLAD I WASN'T ABLE TO FIND A TICKET, OTHERWISE I'D BE THERE, KICKIN' THE ASSES OF EACH ONE OF YOU!" he shouted again, almost throwing the remote control against the television.

Ain't no day the sun don't crack
Then to brand some name across my back
So you care?
Find someone to tell you

"ED, COULD YOU PLEASE DIM THE STEREO VOLUME? I KNOW YOU WANT TO BE WELL-PREPARED FOR YOUR MEETING WITH THE ALICE GUYS, BUT DO YOU HAVE TO PREPARE YOURSELF JUST WHEN THE SONICS ARE PLAYING?" Jeff yelled at his roommate, but Eddie's answer came from the armchair near him.
"I'm listenin' to no shit, dude" the singer retorted, diverting his attention from the book he was reading.
Jeff suddenly realized he had been so wrapped up in the match that he hadn't noticed Eddie's presence.
"Then what the hell was-"

Sunshine... sweet love, my labour
Don't mind... I don't care no more

The bass player immediately stood up and ran to the window, trying to verify if his sudden suspicion was right.
<I knew that!> he thought, looking at Sara, who was dancing all over her apartment and enthusiastically head-banging.
Without noticing it Jeff smiled, softened.

♣♦♣

"Ed, move your ass! I can't be late for work!"
"Just gimme a minute, I'm comin'!"
A few days had passed since the match: Jeff was waiting for his roommate outside the loft, when his neighbors suddenly came out from their apartment.
"Oh, look who's here! The sanitarium finally opened its doors?" he greeted the two girls with a grin.
"Yeah: they also told us to inform you that, because of your escape, very soon you're goin' to cope with an anal inspection" Sara innocently smiled, making her friend laugh.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm laughing my ass off, Fancini"
"Enjoy it while you still can, Ament"
He hid a little smile and decided to finally satisfy his curiosity "Sooo, I heard through the grapevine that somebody here is a huge Alice In Chains' fan! Do you know them in person?"
"Well, we went to see them a couple of times and we were always first row... That's how Sara got to know their bass player!" Layla began to explain.
"Wait a minute: 'knowing' is a huge word..." the other girl pointed out.
"... yeah: let's simply say that he just hit on you!"
"More or less, if we wanna put it this way..." Sara sneered.
"Who hit on who?" a breathless and upset Eddie asked, suddenly appearing out of thin air.
"The bass player of Alice In Chains tried to make a move on Psycho..." his flatmate quickly explained to him.
"Huh, Mike Starr?" the singer asked again, this time completely relaxed.
"Yeah, Mike Starr: I'm glad you studied, Ed" Jeff ended their small chat, a bit irritated.
"Anyway, she didn't give in!" Layla exclaimed, addressing the guys "I still can't understand what happened to you: that guy has one of the most beautiful faces I've ever seen!" she added, looking at her friend as if she were actually crazy.
"Yeah, I can't deny it..." the other girl admitted, then paused a bit "But I heard that he's an A++ asshole, and I gave up on assholes five years ago."
With that last statement she stared at Jeff and addressed him a poisonous smile, and the guy couldn't help but feel a shiver running down his spine.