supposed people didn’t treat their friends that way – just pretty strangers in six-inch heels.
“No, honestly, no,” Jimmy answered. “I was just looking for a good time – a good time to make me forget about the bad ones. That is really, really hard to do because I’ve had a lot of bad ones, but this young man managed to do that.”
“You’re so weird,” Clair muttered.
“Clair,” Nathanial was surprised. “Don’t be rude – this band needs all the fans it can get.”
“Thank you,” Jimmy said. “I appreciate that. I get pick-picked on a lot.”
This saddened Nathanial a great deal. He noticed how Jimmy’s stutter occurred when he was nervous.
“I used to get picked on too,” Nathanial decided to share. “I have ADD. My dad made fun of me for it. He always said I was a disappointment – and then the kids at school were jackasses…its terrible when people make fun of other people, when people are just mean for no reason. I’m sorry you have gone through that, Jimmy.”
Marisa looked like she was asleep but she was listening. Oh, how she adored Nathanial.
“See!” Jimmy brightened up. “I knew there was something about you I related to, I could tell.” It was just like how Nathanial related to Josh, Nathanial realized. A traffic light stroked the cab and he saw his hand there wrapped up in Marisa’s. Well so there were perfect endings to some days…
“We’re here,” the driver announced, abruptly cutting off Nathanial’s singing when he ejected the CD.
Bushwick was dark and sinister at 4 am.
“Thanks for playing that for me, how much do we owe you?” Jimmy asked.
“Fifteen.”
Everyone sleepily scrounged for money while Jimmy handed him a twenty.
“Thank you – have a great night, keep the change.” Jimmy got out before anyone else and stood aside, only looking at Nathanial.
“Hey man,” Nathanial walked over to give him some money but Jimmy quickly waved it away.
“No, no, its fine. Keep it for your trip.” Jimmy produced a bright smile. “I want you to have the best time because tonight I had the best time because of you.” When Jimmy tried enough, he could talk just fine, he didn’t stutter. This made him proud in the same way an athlete was proud when they scored another medal.
“Besides,” Jimmy looked around for a moment and shrugged. “My lovelife and social life may be shit for flies but financially – that I’m doing well in, so I like to help people out. Good night.”
With that, Jimmy started to walk off. That was it? Nathanial was amazed. Jimmy was a nice guy. Maybe a little kooky, but harmless. Nathanial kept watching him as this realization grew. Then he thought about how back in the day when he was down on his luck he met Jeremiah and having a friend made all the difference.
Nathanial ran after Jimmy.
“Hey man?” Nathanial called out right before Jimmy turned the corner. “Listen, we’re freakin’ going to L.A., which means we’ll pass right through Wisconsin. Why don’t you come with us?”
Jimmy’s eyes filled with fresh light. “Really?”
“Why not?” he turned and gestured at his friends. “We’re set, I mean if you wanna just get out of this city for a while – I totally understand. You should just come with us.” Nathanial gave Jimmy a slap on the arm. He touched him. Jimmy couldn’t believe it.
“Well, okay, sure,” Jimmy smiled.
“Cool, meet us at Dark Coffee tomorrow at nine am,” Nathanial said, walking backwards back to his friends. “See you,” he waved.
Jimmy nodded, pretty shocked by the invite.
“What was that?” Clair asked. “Seriously, tell me you didn’t just invite him along!”
“I didn’t just invite him along,” Nathanial smirked, heading towards the end of the street. “Oh and by the way, I just invited him along.”
“Nathanial – what?” Clair snapped, trying to keep up with him. “We don’t know him.”
“Hey,” Marisa kindly interrupted, wanting to hug Nathanial before she parted.
“Gonna head home,” she said.
“Oh, okay…” Nathanial sounded a bit aloof. He hugged her nice and tight and looked at Jeremiah when the hug ended. “He’ll walk you home,” Nathanial appointed Jeremiah. “Make sure she gets home safe, okay?”
“Yeah,” Jeremiah would, but he was too grumpy to say anything else. Nathanial turned around to see Clair had already walked off.
8 “So How About Last Night?”
“I don’t know,” Clair said. It was very early in the morning and her head ached and if she moved too fast, she felt nauseous.
“Well you should check,” Nathanial said, nagging her about the packing list. Make sure you have the mix tape and wine.
“I am…give me a minute.” They sounded like a couple having an argument. They’d skipped all the fun stuff – romantic dinners, crazy sex, and jumped to the snippy stage. Fun. She tried to calm down, but her head continued to throb. Nathanial looked paler than ever. His body odor carried an even heavier funk today.
` “Oh my god, Nathanial, if you don’t take a shower I swear to God…” She got a little nauseous when she became upset. Maybe she should just make herself throw up. The sun shined bright and it was destined to be a hot day, with temperatures already in the mid-80s at 8:30 am. She’d been planning this morning for a while, and feeling terrible certainly had never been part of the plan. Her body wanted to turn itself back over to bed but she wouldn’t allow it. She just needed to go over the packing list and get a strong iced latte and she’d be fine.
“Bug spray?” Nathanial asked, still focused on the list, scratching his greasy hair and ignoring her request to shower.
“You need it for your hair?” she joked. He smiled but said nothing as he trudged into the kitchen. He started looking through the cupboards.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Looking for bug spray,” Nathanial answered.
“In the kitchen cabinets??”
He looked back at her and shrugged, “The kitchen has bugs.”
“Nathanial, you are gross,” Clair said, looking over her packing list one more time. Nathanial flaunted a smile like he’d just been paid a compliment.
“So how about last night?” He was actually gloating. He came strutting over to her.
“Oh my god you think you’re such a stud now huh? A stud that smells like death.”
He stood next to her, towering over her, snickering. She pushed him away but couldn’t help but laugh.
“NATHANIAL, GO! SHOWER! Seriously, you smell like horse dick.”
Nathanial fell over laughing. The fit lasted almost five minutes. He was rolling on the floor like a kid. He was so amazingly obnoxious. His face got red and his stomach muscles hurt from it.
“Clair…” he said, still in a cackle, sitting on the floor with his hands out behind him. “That was so funny. Oh my god…oh my god,” he gasped. “Horse dick.” Then he looked very troubled all of the sudden. “Do I really smell that bad?”
“Nathanial, when was the last time you showered? Honestly.”
He stood there, thinking.
“When did John Lennon die?”
“AHHH! GO!” she pushed him again, enjoying the physical contact, but her head was not. Nathanial actually turned and headed into the bathroom. Was he actually…? No, she couldn’t believe it. She listened as the water turned on. She listened so hard she knew when the water flow was disrupted by his body. He was under the water now – it was beating off of his naked body. Oh god Clair, get a hold of yourself! But all she could do was think about last night, his body, his smooth skin, his warmth, the freckles on his chest, the honest smell of sex wafting off of him. She giggled. Okay, really? You need to go over the packing list – its 8:30!
She pulled it out and started going over it with a pen. Nathanial came out a few minutes later. She turned and stared at his clean, glistening skin. Water drippe
d from his hair to his shoulders. He was wearing a raggedy blue towel around his waist. He had that dirty Wilco hat back on already. That and his towel was his current ensemble. Clair kind of wanted to take a picture. She remembered the day they were scouting through stuff at a thrift store and he found that hat. You’d think he found gold from the way he reacted. Wilco was his third favorite band, right after The Dead Joneses and Sex Pistols.
“I’m’s totally clean as a whistle but fill free to check me if you’s want to,” he said, playing around, taking on a southern accent midway through. How could he be so happy on just three hours of sleep?
“You are a silly boy, but at least you are a clean silly boy,” Clair smiled. He bit his bottom lip but it didn’t cap the goofy grin expanding across his face.
“What’s that?” he asked, pointing at the packing list.
“Nothing,” Clair said. “We should get go…” Nathanial snatched the list out of her hand and started reading it aloud.
“Bug spray, bathing suit, flip flops, David Bowie t…” he paused to look at her. “Like really? Like you’d forget that, Clair? Can you forget the skin on your back?” He went back to reading the list. “Espresso beans, notebook, mix cd, tampons!” he cackled. “Oh Clair,” he played, looking into her duffle bag. “Did you remember your tampons?” He started rummaging through her things.
“Stop it!” she playfully punched him and he grabbed her and turned her around to face the duffel bag, keeping his strong arm around her neck. The aggression was turning her on. He put his hat on her head. It was wet, and smelled of shampoo. It felt good. It