So, I haven't written anything a while. I have been having a tough time writing and I have been going through some pretty tough stuff within my life. I have some news, It's More than Just Life will be continued. I am also writing something new, it is a short story about a guy and his beloved piano (it is a little deeper than it seems and has some personal stuff that relates to me :) and this will be my first stab at creating some allegory :D).
Wish me luck.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Interruption in Paradise
We finished our cupcakes in due time and with a quarter of the mess. It was not as bad as having batter splattered on the wall and flour in our faces, but it was still messy. There were cupcake crumbs all over the floor and icing on the table when we dropped our food while talking.
“So, who are you really?” she asked as we cleaned up the kitchen.
“You don’t believe that I am a secret agent? Damn, I thought I had you fooled,” I replied.
“No, but you almost did,” she said with a smile.
“When I first turned eighteen, I bought a lottery ticket. I was lucky and won.”
“Wow, that is quite special.”
“Yeah. Other than that, I am just a graduate student. I am going into electrical engineering.”
“How is school going for you? I wish I continued to go to school, but I decided to drop when I began singing and acting.”
“You know, it isn’t too late and there are online classes.”
“Maybe I will go back to school,” she said as we finished.
“Well, it is 10 PM. Do you think there are still guys staking out your house?” I asked.
“Probably. Do you mind if I stay here for a little bit longer?”
“No, not at all, want to watch some television?”
“Sure, I haven’t done that in a while.”
We walked over to the living room and sat on my couch. My couch has three cushions. We sat on either end. All though that night was very intimate, I don’t think either of us felt comfortable enough to make any bold moves. It’s funny that I even say this; she did give me a peck on the cheek the first night I took her home but now we distance ourselves from each other.
“Uh, so what do you feel like watching?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Choose a random channel,” she said.
I randomly punched in a combination of numbers. The first thing to pop up was The Thing. Ironic, I thought to myself.
“This movie still terrifies me!” she exclaimed.
“How old are you? This movie isn’t as scary anymore,” I said, although I myself was afraid of the movie.
“Didn’t your mother tell you it was rude to ask a lady her age? Besides, this movie is scary no matter what!”
“Fine, I just hope that you don’t end up screaming in my ear,” I joked.
I couldn’t concentrate on the movie. It seemed as if my eyes would wander over to her every other second. Every time I would see her she would be chewing on her nails. She was absolutely terrified. It was comical to see her with her legs tucked under her and to see the childish expression of fear on her face. It was so difficult to hide my amusement.
“Don’t judge me!” she said.
“Haha, if only you could see yourself then you would understand,” I said.
She suddenly screamed and dived at me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she hid her face on my shoulder. I began to laugh at her.
“I am glad you find my fear so amusing!” she snapped.
“Sorry, but you are kinda choking me right now,” I coughed out.
“Whoops, I think I became a little bit too into the movie.”
“Yeah, you did, but that’s okay,” I gasped as she released me.
She gathered up herself and sat back down. This time, she sat on the cushion adjacent to me. She laid her head on my shoulder and I slowly put my arm around her shoulder. She was so warm. Her soft skin gave me goose bumps as we touched. I laid my head on hers. There was a slight fragrance of Head & Shoulders mixed with a very light scent of perfume. It was intoxicating. Each breathe I took pulled me deeper into a paradise that was unknown to me.
She tilted her head and looked into my eyes. Her eyes searched mine, looking for—something. I did not have a single hint at to what she was searching for. My eyes searched her as well. I searched for my soul mate that could possibly be hidden behind her brown eyes. I remember the next few moments so vividly. The Thing was over and there was an elderly man and woman trying to sell CD’s of songs that came from their youth. My kitchen light was flickering; it was time to change the fluorescent bulbs. Outside, there were sounds of crickets. Inside, all I could hear was my heart beating. Her eyes still searched me. There was a longing within them that called to me.
My head began to move on its own towards her. It was making a preemptive move without me fully comprehending the situation. Our lips touched. They were soft and wet. I could taste her berry chapstick. I pulled away, fearing that I made a mistake. A second after our lips parted, she moved forward and our lips reunited. We continued our previous engagement and now all my fears of being to bold were diminished. The kiss ended and all was silent. The television was off. We must have accidentally hit the remote. Neither of us minded. I was in paradise.
My paradise was suddenly shattered by my phone cell phone ringing. I grabbed in my pocket and checked the caller ID. It was Thomas. Did he know how to ruin a moment or what? I remember thinking to myself “this makes us even now”. I answered the phone.
“Hello?” I said into the phone.
“Mr. P?” a strange voice said from the other line.
“Yes, who is this?” I asked.
“Elizabeth. Thomas is in the hospital . . .” Elizabeth said. I could hear her suddenly bursting into tears on the other line.
“What? How? Where?” I asked.
“Please come down to the hospital, I don’t really know all the details yet,” she somehow managed to say.
“Okay, I will be there soon,” I said.
I hung up the phone and looked at Miss C.
“Do you mind coming with me to the hospital?” I asked.
“Sure. What happened?” she asked.
“I don’t really know, but a good friend of mine is in the hospital.”
“All right.”
We got up and left. The crickets have gone silent like the television. As I was heading out the door, I double checked the house. The light was flickering weekly. It was going to die soon. When I began to shut the door, it died. Darkness was all that remained in my house. I shut the door and got into my truck. We drove off and in my rear view mirror my house disappeared.
“So, who are you really?” she asked as we cleaned up the kitchen.
“You don’t believe that I am a secret agent? Damn, I thought I had you fooled,” I replied.
“No, but you almost did,” she said with a smile.
“When I first turned eighteen, I bought a lottery ticket. I was lucky and won.”
“Wow, that is quite special.”
“Yeah. Other than that, I am just a graduate student. I am going into electrical engineering.”
“How is school going for you? I wish I continued to go to school, but I decided to drop when I began singing and acting.”
“You know, it isn’t too late and there are online classes.”
“Maybe I will go back to school,” she said as we finished.
“Well, it is 10 PM. Do you think there are still guys staking out your house?” I asked.
“Probably. Do you mind if I stay here for a little bit longer?”
“No, not at all, want to watch some television?”
“Sure, I haven’t done that in a while.”
We walked over to the living room and sat on my couch. My couch has three cushions. We sat on either end. All though that night was very intimate, I don’t think either of us felt comfortable enough to make any bold moves. It’s funny that I even say this; she did give me a peck on the cheek the first night I took her home but now we distance ourselves from each other.
“Uh, so what do you feel like watching?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Choose a random channel,” she said.
I randomly punched in a combination of numbers. The first thing to pop up was The Thing. Ironic, I thought to myself.
“This movie still terrifies me!” she exclaimed.
“How old are you? This movie isn’t as scary anymore,” I said, although I myself was afraid of the movie.
“Didn’t your mother tell you it was rude to ask a lady her age? Besides, this movie is scary no matter what!”
“Fine, I just hope that you don’t end up screaming in my ear,” I joked.
I couldn’t concentrate on the movie. It seemed as if my eyes would wander over to her every other second. Every time I would see her she would be chewing on her nails. She was absolutely terrified. It was comical to see her with her legs tucked under her and to see the childish expression of fear on her face. It was so difficult to hide my amusement.
“Don’t judge me!” she said.
“Haha, if only you could see yourself then you would understand,” I said.
She suddenly screamed and dived at me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she hid her face on my shoulder. I began to laugh at her.
“I am glad you find my fear so amusing!” she snapped.
“Sorry, but you are kinda choking me right now,” I coughed out.
“Whoops, I think I became a little bit too into the movie.”
“Yeah, you did, but that’s okay,” I gasped as she released me.
She gathered up herself and sat back down. This time, she sat on the cushion adjacent to me. She laid her head on my shoulder and I slowly put my arm around her shoulder. She was so warm. Her soft skin gave me goose bumps as we touched. I laid my head on hers. There was a slight fragrance of Head & Shoulders mixed with a very light scent of perfume. It was intoxicating. Each breathe I took pulled me deeper into a paradise that was unknown to me.
She tilted her head and looked into my eyes. Her eyes searched mine, looking for—something. I did not have a single hint at to what she was searching for. My eyes searched her as well. I searched for my soul mate that could possibly be hidden behind her brown eyes. I remember the next few moments so vividly. The Thing was over and there was an elderly man and woman trying to sell CD’s of songs that came from their youth. My kitchen light was flickering; it was time to change the fluorescent bulbs. Outside, there were sounds of crickets. Inside, all I could hear was my heart beating. Her eyes still searched me. There was a longing within them that called to me.
My head began to move on its own towards her. It was making a preemptive move without me fully comprehending the situation. Our lips touched. They were soft and wet. I could taste her berry chapstick. I pulled away, fearing that I made a mistake. A second after our lips parted, she moved forward and our lips reunited. We continued our previous engagement and now all my fears of being to bold were diminished. The kiss ended and all was silent. The television was off. We must have accidentally hit the remote. Neither of us minded. I was in paradise.
My paradise was suddenly shattered by my phone cell phone ringing. I grabbed in my pocket and checked the caller ID. It was Thomas. Did he know how to ruin a moment or what? I remember thinking to myself “this makes us even now”. I answered the phone.
“Hello?” I said into the phone.
“Mr. P?” a strange voice said from the other line.
“Yes, who is this?” I asked.
“Elizabeth. Thomas is in the hospital . . .” Elizabeth said. I could hear her suddenly bursting into tears on the other line.
“What? How? Where?” I asked.
“Please come down to the hospital, I don’t really know all the details yet,” she somehow managed to say.
“Okay, I will be there soon,” I said.
I hung up the phone and looked at Miss C.
“Do you mind coming with me to the hospital?” I asked.
“Sure. What happened?” she asked.
“I don’t really know, but a good friend of mine is in the hospital.”
“All right.”
We got up and left. The crickets have gone silent like the television. As I was heading out the door, I double checked the house. The light was flickering weekly. It was going to die soon. When I began to shut the door, it died. Darkness was all that remained in my house. I shut the door and got into my truck. We drove off and in my rear view mirror my house disappeared.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Golden Silence
I was relieved to find that the front of my house did not have a swarm of vehicles in front of it. Then again, why would there be? No one of celebrity merit knew who I was and where I lived. My house was at the tip of a cul-de-sac and my neighbors always kept to themselves. I wondered a few times if they were collaborating against me to take my hammock but that was definitely pushing it.
“Do you mind if I park in your garage? Everyone knows how my car looks like, well at least ‘they’ do,” she asked.
“Sure, let me just move my truck,” I replied.
I ran out and went inside to grab my keys. When I went back outside I was expecting to suddenly see a mob of cars coming down the street. Nope, it was still clear. I moved my truck out of the way and opened up my garage. With a quick rev of her engine she was inside. I stepped out and joined her inside the garage. I quickly closed the big metal door and we went inside.
“Do you usually have that intense of a first date?” I asked.
“No, only for special occasions,” she said with a wink.
“Well, are you still hungry? You were barely able to eat your meal earlier.”
“Yeah, let’s make something from scratch. I have never done that in my life,” she said, excitement glowing in her eyes.
“Sure, I haven’t made anything from scratch in a long time. It would be an adventure, except not like one of yours. I don’t think I would be able to handle that,” I said.
“Yeah, maybe I should stop with that stuff. I am getting quite old,” she joked.
We went into my kitchen and raided the fridge and pantry looking for possible dinner ideas. After several minutes of turning my kitchen upside down we decided to make the most delicious creation that mankind has ever had to offer. It required lots of patience, stamina, and skill. We had all the ingredients laid out in front of us on my table. When mixed all together, it would create an army of sweets. I feared for my kitchen and our lives.
“Do we have to do this?” I asked nervously.
“Yes, it’s the only way,” she said with conviction burning in her eyes.
“Fine, but I sure hope that you know what you are getting us into.”
“Don’t worry. If anything goes wrong, I have a wonderful doctor.”
“Well that is reassuring. Let’s do it then. Let’s make cupcakes!”
We began to create the batter. It was a frenzy of egg cracking, flour adding, and egg beating. We were a mess. Anyone could see that we were definitely not even close to being the next Iron Chef. All over my walls were hints of the batter. Once that was done, we started to create the frosting. This time, we made it without a mess. Well, not a big mess at least.
“I think we added too much sugar Mr. P,” she said.
“I am living on the wild side, this was your idea by the way,” I replied.
“True, but I don’t always have the best ideas . . .”
“Don’t be a big baby, a little bit of extra sugar won’t kill us,” I boldly said.
“So when it comes to baking cupcakes you are high and mighty, but when I go over the speed limit a tiny bit you freak out?”
“A little? A little bit a lot is more like it. That was life and death, ma’am. This is for pure enjoyment.”
“So was that!” she snapped.
“Haha, don’t get your undies in a bunch Miss C, we still have cupcakes to bake. Shit . . .”
“What?” she asked.
“We forgot to pour the batter and bake the cupcakes. We could have killed a good thirty minutes.”
“See what happens when you get to excited?” she joked.
“Hey, you could have reminded me,” giving her a small push as I said it.
“Well, what should we do until everything is ready?” she asked.
“Clean ourselves. You have a bit of flour on your face.”
“Where?”
“All over your face,” I motioned with my hand.
“Oh, haha,” she blushed although it was difficult to exactly see her face.
“You can use my bathroom, I will use the sink,” I said.
“Thanks, do you mind if I change back? I think I should have changed before we started.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
She left the kitchen and I began to clean up. I had a fair share of cupcake ingredients on my face as well. It was worth it, I hadn’t had this much fun since . . . ever. As I put the bowls inside the sink I began to wonder if there was anything between the two of us. I may be a fool for thinking this but one must remember that she is an actress. All the emotions that she presents to me could just be a game to her, just like driving away from the paparazzi. There are many reasons why she could be doing this. I will test this theory out, I thought to myself. When everything is done, I will see if she is interested in me or her public persona.
I finally put the cupcakes back into the oven and I put the icing in the fridge. When I closed the door, I saw her coming down the stairs in her sweatshirt. She was beautiful even in casual clothes. I think she looks a lot more elegant in regular clothing than in ritzy clothing. She seemed more . . . normal. Don’t get me wrong, she looks beautiful either way, but just seeing her with a ponytail and a blue sweatshirt seemed unreal. I suppose it is because I have only seen her in something that would take most people a few paychecks to pay off.
“Almost done cleaning,” I said.
“You could have waited, I wanted to help. I made most of the mess by the way,” she said thoughtfully.
“It’s fine. I put the cupcakes in as well. So, all we have to do it wait.”
“Cool, so what should we do until they are done?”
“Would you like to continue our date?”
“Gladly,” she said with a smile.
She walked over to the table and sat down. I joined, sitting in the seat across from her.
“So, how is a graduate student able to afford such a big house? Do you sell drugs? Roomies? Special agent perhaps?” she asked.
“Well, I am really a special agent trying to root out terrorist cells in America. My current assignment is to do some recon on this beautiful actress, whose name I cannot disclose to you. At the moment, it is difficult to say if she is currently involved in any unpatriotic activities,” I said.
“Oh dear, this sounds very important. Now, how were you able to come in contact with this ‘terrorist’?” she interrogated.
“My partner, whose name I also cannot disclose to anyone, got me into a party of a famous person. I knew that the person I am investigating must be there so I decided to attend. Alas, I was right. She was there. Her camouflage was perfect. She was in a beautiful red dress. Absolutely gorgeous. I was about to confront her that night but then I feared to blow my cover. So, instead I wandered into the garden and pondered.”
“My my, that is a truly remarkable tale,” she joked.
“I would tell you more of the story, but if I did the cupcakes would become burnt.”
“You must tell me after we finish with the cupcakes,”
“All right, but I must warn you, most of this stuff is classified information,” I somehow said with a straight face.
“You can count on me,” she said with a comical salute.
We got up and started to put icing onto our cupcakes. We didn’t talk during the whole process. There were a few moments where we would just quickly glance up and see the other staring and we would return with a smile and continue decorating each cupcake. White icing. Brown Cupcakes. Golden Silence.
“Do you mind if I park in your garage? Everyone knows how my car looks like, well at least ‘they’ do,” she asked.
“Sure, let me just move my truck,” I replied.
I ran out and went inside to grab my keys. When I went back outside I was expecting to suddenly see a mob of cars coming down the street. Nope, it was still clear. I moved my truck out of the way and opened up my garage. With a quick rev of her engine she was inside. I stepped out and joined her inside the garage. I quickly closed the big metal door and we went inside.
“Do you usually have that intense of a first date?” I asked.
“No, only for special occasions,” she said with a wink.
“Well, are you still hungry? You were barely able to eat your meal earlier.”
“Yeah, let’s make something from scratch. I have never done that in my life,” she said, excitement glowing in her eyes.
“Sure, I haven’t made anything from scratch in a long time. It would be an adventure, except not like one of yours. I don’t think I would be able to handle that,” I said.
“Yeah, maybe I should stop with that stuff. I am getting quite old,” she joked.
We went into my kitchen and raided the fridge and pantry looking for possible dinner ideas. After several minutes of turning my kitchen upside down we decided to make the most delicious creation that mankind has ever had to offer. It required lots of patience, stamina, and skill. We had all the ingredients laid out in front of us on my table. When mixed all together, it would create an army of sweets. I feared for my kitchen and our lives.
“Do we have to do this?” I asked nervously.
“Yes, it’s the only way,” she said with conviction burning in her eyes.
“Fine, but I sure hope that you know what you are getting us into.”
“Don’t worry. If anything goes wrong, I have a wonderful doctor.”
“Well that is reassuring. Let’s do it then. Let’s make cupcakes!”
We began to create the batter. It was a frenzy of egg cracking, flour adding, and egg beating. We were a mess. Anyone could see that we were definitely not even close to being the next Iron Chef. All over my walls were hints of the batter. Once that was done, we started to create the frosting. This time, we made it without a mess. Well, not a big mess at least.
“I think we added too much sugar Mr. P,” she said.
“I am living on the wild side, this was your idea by the way,” I replied.
“True, but I don’t always have the best ideas . . .”
“Don’t be a big baby, a little bit of extra sugar won’t kill us,” I boldly said.
“So when it comes to baking cupcakes you are high and mighty, but when I go over the speed limit a tiny bit you freak out?”
“A little? A little bit a lot is more like it. That was life and death, ma’am. This is for pure enjoyment.”
“So was that!” she snapped.
“Haha, don’t get your undies in a bunch Miss C, we still have cupcakes to bake. Shit . . .”
“What?” she asked.
“We forgot to pour the batter and bake the cupcakes. We could have killed a good thirty minutes.”
“See what happens when you get to excited?” she joked.
“Hey, you could have reminded me,” giving her a small push as I said it.
“Well, what should we do until everything is ready?” she asked.
“Clean ourselves. You have a bit of flour on your face.”
“Where?”
“All over your face,” I motioned with my hand.
“Oh, haha,” she blushed although it was difficult to exactly see her face.
“You can use my bathroom, I will use the sink,” I said.
“Thanks, do you mind if I change back? I think I should have changed before we started.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
She left the kitchen and I began to clean up. I had a fair share of cupcake ingredients on my face as well. It was worth it, I hadn’t had this much fun since . . . ever. As I put the bowls inside the sink I began to wonder if there was anything between the two of us. I may be a fool for thinking this but one must remember that she is an actress. All the emotions that she presents to me could just be a game to her, just like driving away from the paparazzi. There are many reasons why she could be doing this. I will test this theory out, I thought to myself. When everything is done, I will see if she is interested in me or her public persona.
I finally put the cupcakes back into the oven and I put the icing in the fridge. When I closed the door, I saw her coming down the stairs in her sweatshirt. She was beautiful even in casual clothes. I think she looks a lot more elegant in regular clothing than in ritzy clothing. She seemed more . . . normal. Don’t get me wrong, she looks beautiful either way, but just seeing her with a ponytail and a blue sweatshirt seemed unreal. I suppose it is because I have only seen her in something that would take most people a few paychecks to pay off.
“Almost done cleaning,” I said.
“You could have waited, I wanted to help. I made most of the mess by the way,” she said thoughtfully.
“It’s fine. I put the cupcakes in as well. So, all we have to do it wait.”
“Cool, so what should we do until they are done?”
“Would you like to continue our date?”
“Gladly,” she said with a smile.
She walked over to the table and sat down. I joined, sitting in the seat across from her.
“So, how is a graduate student able to afford such a big house? Do you sell drugs? Roomies? Special agent perhaps?” she asked.
“Well, I am really a special agent trying to root out terrorist cells in America. My current assignment is to do some recon on this beautiful actress, whose name I cannot disclose to you. At the moment, it is difficult to say if she is currently involved in any unpatriotic activities,” I said.
“Oh dear, this sounds very important. Now, how were you able to come in contact with this ‘terrorist’?” she interrogated.
“My partner, whose name I also cannot disclose to anyone, got me into a party of a famous person. I knew that the person I am investigating must be there so I decided to attend. Alas, I was right. She was there. Her camouflage was perfect. She was in a beautiful red dress. Absolutely gorgeous. I was about to confront her that night but then I feared to blow my cover. So, instead I wandered into the garden and pondered.”
“My my, that is a truly remarkable tale,” she joked.
“I would tell you more of the story, but if I did the cupcakes would become burnt.”
“You must tell me after we finish with the cupcakes,”
“All right, but I must warn you, most of this stuff is classified information,” I somehow said with a straight face.
“You can count on me,” she said with a comical salute.
We got up and started to put icing onto our cupcakes. We didn’t talk during the whole process. There were a few moments where we would just quickly glance up and see the other staring and we would return with a smile and continue decorating each cupcake. White icing. Brown Cupcakes. Golden Silence.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Unwanted Encounters
We drove all the way to Long Beach. Normally, it would take me and hour and a half to drive there, but it took her forty five minutes. I have no clue how we got there without being hit or pulled over. She looked so happy while driving. I heard somewhere that there is no such thing as multitasking. It originated with computer being able to do processes so quickly that they just considered it doing several things at once. They’re wrong. She was talking while stepping on the clutch. Her hand changed gears while the other moved the wheel. My mind raced between admiring her and thinking about death. I would say that my life flashed before me but I was so preoccupied by the cars flashing past me that I didn’t have time to think about it.
“Hey, so do you have a dinner reservation or do you like to play around with Death this often?” I asked.
“Oh you big baby, you have to live a little. Besides, I am trying to outrun ‘them’. Those damned bastards always know where to find us,” she calmly replied as we swerved in and out of traffic.
“Uh, who is this ‘them’ and ‘us’ you speak of?”
“The paparazzi are ‘them’ and ‘us’ refers to celebrities” she said.
As she said this, I could tell that she had a deep hatred for “them”. There was a small glimmer of discomfort as we spoke of this so I decided to drop the subject. Something must have happened in the past, I thought. Maybe she will tell me one day.
We arrived in Long Beach at around 6:15. I thought we were going to go to some fancy restaurant that all the starts go to, but yet again she surprised me. We went to an In N’ Out.
“I absolutely love this place!” she exclaimed as we pulled into the parking lot.
“I haven’t been to one of these places in forever,” I replied.
“You are missing out. I hope my agent doesn’t know I came here. He said that I should really start eating healthy, but how can one live that way? This food is so delicious,” she said as we were walking through the parking lot.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw some type of flash. I turned my head but when I looked, nothing was there. It must have been the car reflecting of a passing car.
“What’s wrong?” Miss C asked.
“Nothing, I just thought I saw something,” I replied.
“Oh all right, well let us go in and eat. I’ve had major cravings for one of these burgers and if I have to wait any longer, I will go berserk!” she said.
We walked in and ordered. She has an appetite! She ordered a double-double with animal style fries. I myself could barely finish a single burger. Once our orders were ready we sat down at a table that overlooked the sunset and beach. It was a bit awkward having everybody look at us, well her, but either way it was still odd. I only took a bite in my sandwich and there was a little girl who walked up to us.
“Excuse me Miss C, may I get your autograph?” the little girl asked.
“Oh, sure thing,” she said with a bit of sauce on her lip.
“Hey, you have a lil’ something on your lip there,” I told her.
“Thanks, mother. Do you have a pen?” she said. I gave her a pen and a napkin.
“To my little fan. Love, Miss C” she narrated.
“Thank you!” the little girl said ecstatically. She ran back to her parents overjoyed by her encounter.
“Does that bother you?” I asked.
“Not really, as long as I can finish this before it gets cold I am fine.”
I saw another flash, this time I saw where it came from. There was a car parked outside and behind the windows I could see a bald, middle-aged man with a camera.
“Hey, I think there is someone taking pictures of you,” I discretely told her.
I grabbed a napkin and a pen. I drew an arrow and pointed it in the direction of the car. She looked over with her eyes and her mood instantly changed.
“Damn it. Let’s get out of here. There will be tons of them soon. I can see the headlines now ‘Miss C’s New Diet’ and the picture will be of me with sauce on my lip.”
“All right, you have a battle plan?”
“Guns blazing,” she said with a smile.
“So, would you like a bag?”
“No, I just lost my appetite,” she said with a sad look on her face.
We quickly got up and threw away our food. Everybody just stared at us. When we first stepped out I saw three more flashes. They were multiplying. We were only halfway to the car and we were swarmed by cameras, clipboards, and people.
“Miss C, who is your new love toy?” one of them said.
“Miss C, how is this diet working out for you?” another yelled.
“Why are you with this average guy? Are you too good for the other celebrities?” a voice cut through.
We pushed all through all of them and got into her car. She gave out a huge sigh and started the car. She slowly backed up trying not to hit one of the jackals outside. I am sure that she would have stepped on the gas pedal if she wasn’t afraid of having handcuffs slapped on her for murder. They slowly parted as if the car was Moses and they were the Red Sea. Once we were clear she sped out of the parking lot.
“Why are you driving so fast?” I asked.
“Because, they have a fleet of vehicles getting ready to follow me,” she replied.
Now I know where she learned how to drive. After several years of being famous, she picked up on another talent other than singing and acting; driving. We sped in between the traffic. I couldn’t see anyone following us. It must take a trained eye to find out which cars were the paparazzi cars. Once we got onto the freeway she began to slow down. There was a black SUV following us. The windows were tinted and it was getting closer to us. It pulled up beside us and one of the back windows began to roll down. Out popped a camera lens and a flash soon followed.
“Shit, I told you they would follow us. I have an idea, don’t freak out too much. Okay?” she said.
“Uh, okay,” I replied.
As I finished she stepped on the pedal. My head was pushed back against the headrest. She cut off a truck and went straight onto an exit ramp. My heart was racing and my palms began to sweat. I wondered if anyone was hurt. By looking in her eyes, I couldn’t tell if she was thinking about anyone else other than those jackals following us. At the end of the ramp was a stop light. I was so relieved that she actually stopped. For a second there I believed I was in an actual movie and we were about run the red light and miraculously live to tell about it. I looked back. She evaded them. Damn, she has some crazy adventures.
“Well, that was fun. Uh, I have a favor to ask of you,” she calmly said as if
nothing ever happened.
“Sure, as long as we are not going on anymore of your insane driving adventures,” I replied.
“Oh, that was nothing. If I get to know you well enough I will tell you about my craziest one,” she said with a smile.
“Let’s just hope that there is still enough time in my life for you to do that. I think you just shaved off a good remainder of my life.”
“You really need to live your life to the fullest; it’s no fun always living in the center.”
“Yeah, I bet. So what was your favor?”
“Oh yeah, do you mind if I lay low at your place for a few hours? They know where I live and they will be expecting me. I don’t feel like being an offensive lineman today.”
“Sure, as long as you promise that I will be driving from now on.”
“Deal, I hate being the driver anyway.”
“Hey, so do you have a dinner reservation or do you like to play around with Death this often?” I asked.
“Oh you big baby, you have to live a little. Besides, I am trying to outrun ‘them’. Those damned bastards always know where to find us,” she calmly replied as we swerved in and out of traffic.
“Uh, who is this ‘them’ and ‘us’ you speak of?”
“The paparazzi are ‘them’ and ‘us’ refers to celebrities” she said.
As she said this, I could tell that she had a deep hatred for “them”. There was a small glimmer of discomfort as we spoke of this so I decided to drop the subject. Something must have happened in the past, I thought. Maybe she will tell me one day.
We arrived in Long Beach at around 6:15. I thought we were going to go to some fancy restaurant that all the starts go to, but yet again she surprised me. We went to an In N’ Out.
“I absolutely love this place!” she exclaimed as we pulled into the parking lot.
“I haven’t been to one of these places in forever,” I replied.
“You are missing out. I hope my agent doesn’t know I came here. He said that I should really start eating healthy, but how can one live that way? This food is so delicious,” she said as we were walking through the parking lot.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw some type of flash. I turned my head but when I looked, nothing was there. It must have been the car reflecting of a passing car.
“What’s wrong?” Miss C asked.
“Nothing, I just thought I saw something,” I replied.
“Oh all right, well let us go in and eat. I’ve had major cravings for one of these burgers and if I have to wait any longer, I will go berserk!” she said.
We walked in and ordered. She has an appetite! She ordered a double-double with animal style fries. I myself could barely finish a single burger. Once our orders were ready we sat down at a table that overlooked the sunset and beach. It was a bit awkward having everybody look at us, well her, but either way it was still odd. I only took a bite in my sandwich and there was a little girl who walked up to us.
“Excuse me Miss C, may I get your autograph?” the little girl asked.
“Oh, sure thing,” she said with a bit of sauce on her lip.
“Hey, you have a lil’ something on your lip there,” I told her.
“Thanks, mother. Do you have a pen?” she said. I gave her a pen and a napkin.
“To my little fan. Love, Miss C” she narrated.
“Thank you!” the little girl said ecstatically. She ran back to her parents overjoyed by her encounter.
“Does that bother you?” I asked.
“Not really, as long as I can finish this before it gets cold I am fine.”
I saw another flash, this time I saw where it came from. There was a car parked outside and behind the windows I could see a bald, middle-aged man with a camera.
“Hey, I think there is someone taking pictures of you,” I discretely told her.
I grabbed a napkin and a pen. I drew an arrow and pointed it in the direction of the car. She looked over with her eyes and her mood instantly changed.
“Damn it. Let’s get out of here. There will be tons of them soon. I can see the headlines now ‘Miss C’s New Diet’ and the picture will be of me with sauce on my lip.”
“All right, you have a battle plan?”
“Guns blazing,” she said with a smile.
“So, would you like a bag?”
“No, I just lost my appetite,” she said with a sad look on her face.
We quickly got up and threw away our food. Everybody just stared at us. When we first stepped out I saw three more flashes. They were multiplying. We were only halfway to the car and we were swarmed by cameras, clipboards, and people.
“Miss C, who is your new love toy?” one of them said.
“Miss C, how is this diet working out for you?” another yelled.
“Why are you with this average guy? Are you too good for the other celebrities?” a voice cut through.
We pushed all through all of them and got into her car. She gave out a huge sigh and started the car. She slowly backed up trying not to hit one of the jackals outside. I am sure that she would have stepped on the gas pedal if she wasn’t afraid of having handcuffs slapped on her for murder. They slowly parted as if the car was Moses and they were the Red Sea. Once we were clear she sped out of the parking lot.
“Why are you driving so fast?” I asked.
“Because, they have a fleet of vehicles getting ready to follow me,” she replied.
Now I know where she learned how to drive. After several years of being famous, she picked up on another talent other than singing and acting; driving. We sped in between the traffic. I couldn’t see anyone following us. It must take a trained eye to find out which cars were the paparazzi cars. Once we got onto the freeway she began to slow down. There was a black SUV following us. The windows were tinted and it was getting closer to us. It pulled up beside us and one of the back windows began to roll down. Out popped a camera lens and a flash soon followed.
“Shit, I told you they would follow us. I have an idea, don’t freak out too much. Okay?” she said.
“Uh, okay,” I replied.
As I finished she stepped on the pedal. My head was pushed back against the headrest. She cut off a truck and went straight onto an exit ramp. My heart was racing and my palms began to sweat. I wondered if anyone was hurt. By looking in her eyes, I couldn’t tell if she was thinking about anyone else other than those jackals following us. At the end of the ramp was a stop light. I was so relieved that she actually stopped. For a second there I believed I was in an actual movie and we were about run the red light and miraculously live to tell about it. I looked back. She evaded them. Damn, she has some crazy adventures.
“Well, that was fun. Uh, I have a favor to ask of you,” she calmly said as if
nothing ever happened.
“Sure, as long as we are not going on anymore of your insane driving adventures,” I replied.
“Oh, that was nothing. If I get to know you well enough I will tell you about my craziest one,” she said with a smile.
“Let’s just hope that there is still enough time in my life for you to do that. I think you just shaved off a good remainder of my life.”
“You really need to live your life to the fullest; it’s no fun always living in the center.”
“Yeah, I bet. So what was your favor?”
“Oh yeah, do you mind if I lay low at your place for a few hours? They know where I live and they will be expecting me. I don’t feel like being an offensive lineman today.”
“Sure, as long as you promise that I will be driving from now on.”
“Deal, I hate being the driver anyway.”
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Her Cell Phone
Her Cell Phone
“So, I saw you with someone last night,” Thomas said on our way to class.
“Yeah, so?” I questioned.
“Come one, give me the details. Was she a celebrity? I was too drunk to really tell,” he said with a smile.
“You know, maybe you should stop drinking. It might be your undoing one day and what,” I replied.
“Oh forget the minor details. So who was it?”
“Nobody, now can we please get to class?”
“Fine, let’s see if I ever invite you to another party,” he said jokingly.
As I sat in my thermodynamics class, all I could think of was the night before. There were no words coming from my professor’s mouth. I could see his lips moving, but all I would here is silence. My mind continued to wander throughout the whole lecture. Class was dismissed early and Thomas began his pestering.
“I saw how interested you were in class today. Someone seemed to be quite preoccupied. So do you mind telling me who you were with last night? I made a bet with Elizabeth saying that it was a guy.”
“Well thanks Thomas for having faith in me. You and Elizabeth are pretty close, how long have you two been together?”
“For several weeks now, but don’t change the subject!”
“Do you know who Miss C is?”
“No way! Miss C, the actress gone singer? Don’t mess with me; you did not talk to her. Who was it, really?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, I was with her last night and I took her home,” I said with a smile.
“Whoa, did you guys . . . you know?”
“No. Chivalry is not dead Thomas. I just took her home and I was on my way,” I simply replied.
“Well, that was a one in a million chance and you blew it. You know, you probably won’t ever see her again.”
He was right and I was trying to avoid thinking it. I never even asked for her number and just randomly dropping by her house was out of the question. I would feel like a stalker. Besides, she probably forgot about me.
“I’ll live Thomas, thanks for your input . . .”
“Oh come on, let’s go to the bar later on tonight and see if we can get you with someone new.”
“You know that I don’t drink and we have a test coming up, I think I will go study instead.”
“You . . . are . . . so . . . boring! Whatever, it’s your loss, but if you change your mind call me.”
“Okay Thomas, well I drove here today so I’ll see you later.”
I remember it being a particularly long walk back to my truck. From afar I could easily spot it out with its windshield stickers. I dragged my feet all the way to my vehicle with the thought of never being able to see her again. C’est la vie, I thought. Memories are always good things. After several minutes of wallowing in self pity, I finally got into my truck. When my engine finally turned over I put in one of my many mix CD’s. With my luck, it was the CD with all my depressing songs. I have a minor case of obsessive compulsive disorder and whenever I make a new CD I have to have songs of the same genre on it. I left the parking lot listening to songs that had the power to forever keep me in a state of darkness. I let it be, I was in no mood for upbeat music.
As I pulled into my driveway I heard a cell phone ring. It wasn’t mine. The ringer was different, the vibration was different, and it wasn’t in my pocket. I checked the passenger seat and there it was; some random cell phone. It was hers! She must have dropped it while she was dozing off this morning. I did not know if I should have answered it or not. It could be someone important and I could ruin it for her. No, I should not. “Integrity” was a word that a biology professor lectured on and I tried hard many years to keep. I failed; I had already picked it up.
“Hello?” I asked the person on the other line.
“Mr. P! Thank god, I thought I left it somewhere else and the paparazzi might have gotten it,” the voice said from the other line.
“Who is this?”
“Already forgot me? I will give you a hint ‘No, I want to stay like this forever’.”
“Miss C! I’m sorry, please don’t get mad for answering your phone. I thought about it and then I started to think about my professor and . . .” I began to ramble.
“Don’t worry about it. I am just glad that you answered my phone. I feel so lost without it. Haha, I know, I am pathetic.”
“It’s okay; I am the same way with mine. So, would you like me to send it to you or are you going to have someone pick it up?”
“Well, if I was that shallow, I would have someone to pick it up and if I was worse, I would have you send it to me. How about I meet you somewhere and we make a date out of it? I think it is the best way to repay the savior of my phone.”
“That sounds great! But aren’t you busy? You don’t have to take the time out of your schedule.”
“Oh, I am sorry. Did you not want to see me? I totally understand. I guess I will just ask you to send it to me . . .”
“No, I didn’t mean to offend you. I will gladly go out with you.”
“Good, I will pick you up at five. Where do you live by the way?”
“I live in Irvine. Westminster Street, look for the house with the truck that has a lot of stickers on it.”
“All right, I remember how it looks like.”
“Great, I can’t wait.”
“Cool, it’s a date then.”
That gives me about four and a half hours until then. I ran into my house once again feeling like a young boy on his first date. In a matter of minutes my room was a complete mess of clothes all strewn about. Great, I thought to myself, I have millions of dollars and I do not even have a single decent outfit. I didn’t even know where we were going. I was beginning to stress out. I needed to calm down I put all my clothes back neatly in their proper place and I went to take a shower. I felt so relaxed after I got out. I began to rethink my outfit. Hmm . . . Maybe I should have her choose my outfit. It would be interesting; she did say that she was going to be spontaneous.
I only killed about an hour, what am I going to do until then? My house was clean; I hardly ever do anything in there but study and go in my office. There was my piano; I have not played on it in ages. Ever since I became a grad student, I had no time to practice. I travelled downstairs to my living room. There it was, accumulating dust and hoping to one day be played. Today was its lucky day. I sat down and opened her up. She was still in tune, surprisingly. I began playing a song that I started so practice several years ago. A few measures in and I began to mess up. I searched my piano bench for the music and there it was, right on top. It looked a lot more menacing then I remember. About a half an hour passed and I only mastered one extra measure. I really should have taken more lessons when I was younger, I thought.
I continued to practice and practice. And practice. I was suddenly interrupted by Miss C’s phone ringing. It was her calling.
“Hi, do you mind if I change at your place? I generally go out with clothes that can hide me. I love my fans and all but I want my own personal space,” she said.
“Sure, are you on your way?”
The doorbell rang.
“Hold on, someone’s at the door,” I said.
I looked through my peephole. There was someone with a dark baseball hat standing outside. They were dressed in a sweatshirt and baggy blue jeans. I couldn’t see their face due to the bill of their cap. I wasn’t expecting anyone at the moment. Jeeze, I hope it is not a door-to-door salesman. I opened the door.
“Sorry, I am not interested,” I automatically said.
“How rude! Is that how you greet your date?” the stranger in the cap said.
“Excuse me?”
They finally looked up and my jaw dropped. It was Miss C!
“I am sorry, I thought you were a salesman,” I apologized.
“Haha, it’s ok. I was hoping for that reaction.”
“You are here a bit early, I wasn’t expecting you for another . . .” I looked at the clock. It was already five!
“I believe that I am right on time” she said with a smile.
“Haha, yeah you are. I guess I lost track of time when I was practicing.”
“What do you play? Can I hear?”
“I was playing piano, and I don’t really think you would want to hear it. I am not very good.”
“I see, well some other time then. So, can I change?”
“Sure, you can change in the guest room.”
As I led her up the stairs, I began to think of how incredibly lucky I was. How many graduate students could actually say that they had an actress in their house?
“So, is it just you who lives here?” she asked as we reached the top.
“Yeah, it is just me. I don’t even know why I bought such a big house. I barely use any of the space in here as is. Well, here is my room. Want to do me a favor?”
“Whoa, a little bold aren’t we? You just had my phone bucko, not that special,” she said jokingly.
“Well, aren’t you the great comedian, but my request was for you to pick out my outfit. I didn’t know what to wear,” I began to blush.
“Aww, aren’t you cute. Sure, just tell me where your clothes are. I don’t want to find something deep and dark about you.”
“Don’t worry. The only thing that might be bad is that my trash can hasn’t been emptied out yet. My clothes are in my closet over there. Now, can I trust that I will not be wearing something ridiculous?”
“Cross my heart, hope to die,” she replied with a wink.
I went back downstairs and began to play. Everything began to come to me. I remembered how to play the song again! Even the parts of the song that I didn’t learn came easily to me. Granted, I messed up a few times but I was able to fix it after a few repeats of the measure. I replayed the song. When my fingers first pressed down the keys to create the first chord, I suddenly fell into a dream like state. I could see myself in third person. All of my emotions began to flow out of my fingers and onto the keys. Each key I pressed down was another emotion released. I was never this into playing piano, I was never even this good at playing piano. I finished the last note of the song and I heard clapping from behind me. I turned around and she was standing at the bottom of the staircase, leaning on the banister. She was fully changed. The only thing that was the same was her jeans. She had on a red spaghetti strap and in her arms was a white track jacket. She was absolutely stunning just standing there.
“Bravo. You lied. You said you weren’t very good. That was beautiful,” she said.
“Thank you, but I usually can’t play that well. I don’t know where it came from.”
“So I chose your clothes. I hope you like them.”
Behind her, on a hanger was a set of clothes. It was a suit jacket and a blue button up shirt. I didn’t even know that I had those.
“I don’t see how you could not choose clothes. You had a wonderful array of clothing up there. Oh, and the jeans you are wearing now should be fine. Now, go change. I am getting kind of hungry.”
“Well, isn’t someone a bit picky? All right, I will be back, feel free to do whatever you want while I change.”
I ran up and changed quickly. When I was buttoning up my shirt I began to hear a familiar tune being played on the piano. It was from Casablanca, the song was “As Time Goes By”. When I finished changing I walked back downstairs. She began to sing. I quietly sat on my couch and listened. Her voice was so soothing. I just wanted to stay like this. I stood up and walked behind her. My arm softly touched her shoulder. She turned to me.
“You look quite handsome. Want to get going?” She asked.
“Sure, you play beautifully.”
“Thanks! I have always been in love with the piano.”
“So whose vehicle are we taking?”
“Let’s take mine, we already rode in yours.”
“Okay.”
We stepped out and on the curb was a black Mustang. I don’t know much about cars but I know enough to know that it was very expensive. The interior was filled with leathers and state of the art electronic systems. Compared to my truck, this car was full luxury on wheels. What surprised me the most was her transmission, it was stick! She got in and with a somewhat ominous smile she said “Let’s go”. We sped off, in a matter of seconds my house was already out of sight.
“So, I saw you with someone last night,” Thomas said on our way to class.
“Yeah, so?” I questioned.
“Come one, give me the details. Was she a celebrity? I was too drunk to really tell,” he said with a smile.
“You know, maybe you should stop drinking. It might be your undoing one day and what,” I replied.
“Oh forget the minor details. So who was it?”
“Nobody, now can we please get to class?”
“Fine, let’s see if I ever invite you to another party,” he said jokingly.
As I sat in my thermodynamics class, all I could think of was the night before. There were no words coming from my professor’s mouth. I could see his lips moving, but all I would here is silence. My mind continued to wander throughout the whole lecture. Class was dismissed early and Thomas began his pestering.
“I saw how interested you were in class today. Someone seemed to be quite preoccupied. So do you mind telling me who you were with last night? I made a bet with Elizabeth saying that it was a guy.”
“Well thanks Thomas for having faith in me. You and Elizabeth are pretty close, how long have you two been together?”
“For several weeks now, but don’t change the subject!”
“Do you know who Miss C is?”
“No way! Miss C, the actress gone singer? Don’t mess with me; you did not talk to her. Who was it, really?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, I was with her last night and I took her home,” I said with a smile.
“Whoa, did you guys . . . you know?”
“No. Chivalry is not dead Thomas. I just took her home and I was on my way,” I simply replied.
“Well, that was a one in a million chance and you blew it. You know, you probably won’t ever see her again.”
He was right and I was trying to avoid thinking it. I never even asked for her number and just randomly dropping by her house was out of the question. I would feel like a stalker. Besides, she probably forgot about me.
“I’ll live Thomas, thanks for your input . . .”
“Oh come on, let’s go to the bar later on tonight and see if we can get you with someone new.”
“You know that I don’t drink and we have a test coming up, I think I will go study instead.”
“You . . . are . . . so . . . boring! Whatever, it’s your loss, but if you change your mind call me.”
“Okay Thomas, well I drove here today so I’ll see you later.”
I remember it being a particularly long walk back to my truck. From afar I could easily spot it out with its windshield stickers. I dragged my feet all the way to my vehicle with the thought of never being able to see her again. C’est la vie, I thought. Memories are always good things. After several minutes of wallowing in self pity, I finally got into my truck. When my engine finally turned over I put in one of my many mix CD’s. With my luck, it was the CD with all my depressing songs. I have a minor case of obsessive compulsive disorder and whenever I make a new CD I have to have songs of the same genre on it. I left the parking lot listening to songs that had the power to forever keep me in a state of darkness. I let it be, I was in no mood for upbeat music.
As I pulled into my driveway I heard a cell phone ring. It wasn’t mine. The ringer was different, the vibration was different, and it wasn’t in my pocket. I checked the passenger seat and there it was; some random cell phone. It was hers! She must have dropped it while she was dozing off this morning. I did not know if I should have answered it or not. It could be someone important and I could ruin it for her. No, I should not. “Integrity” was a word that a biology professor lectured on and I tried hard many years to keep. I failed; I had already picked it up.
“Hello?” I asked the person on the other line.
“Mr. P! Thank god, I thought I left it somewhere else and the paparazzi might have gotten it,” the voice said from the other line.
“Who is this?”
“Already forgot me? I will give you a hint ‘No, I want to stay like this forever’.”
“Miss C! I’m sorry, please don’t get mad for answering your phone. I thought about it and then I started to think about my professor and . . .” I began to ramble.
“Don’t worry about it. I am just glad that you answered my phone. I feel so lost without it. Haha, I know, I am pathetic.”
“It’s okay; I am the same way with mine. So, would you like me to send it to you or are you going to have someone pick it up?”
“Well, if I was that shallow, I would have someone to pick it up and if I was worse, I would have you send it to me. How about I meet you somewhere and we make a date out of it? I think it is the best way to repay the savior of my phone.”
“That sounds great! But aren’t you busy? You don’t have to take the time out of your schedule.”
“Oh, I am sorry. Did you not want to see me? I totally understand. I guess I will just ask you to send it to me . . .”
“No, I didn’t mean to offend you. I will gladly go out with you.”
“Good, I will pick you up at five. Where do you live by the way?”
“I live in Irvine. Westminster Street, look for the house with the truck that has a lot of stickers on it.”
“All right, I remember how it looks like.”
“Great, I can’t wait.”
“Cool, it’s a date then.”
That gives me about four and a half hours until then. I ran into my house once again feeling like a young boy on his first date. In a matter of minutes my room was a complete mess of clothes all strewn about. Great, I thought to myself, I have millions of dollars and I do not even have a single decent outfit. I didn’t even know where we were going. I was beginning to stress out. I needed to calm down I put all my clothes back neatly in their proper place and I went to take a shower. I felt so relaxed after I got out. I began to rethink my outfit. Hmm . . . Maybe I should have her choose my outfit. It would be interesting; she did say that she was going to be spontaneous.
I only killed about an hour, what am I going to do until then? My house was clean; I hardly ever do anything in there but study and go in my office. There was my piano; I have not played on it in ages. Ever since I became a grad student, I had no time to practice. I travelled downstairs to my living room. There it was, accumulating dust and hoping to one day be played. Today was its lucky day. I sat down and opened her up. She was still in tune, surprisingly. I began playing a song that I started so practice several years ago. A few measures in and I began to mess up. I searched my piano bench for the music and there it was, right on top. It looked a lot more menacing then I remember. About a half an hour passed and I only mastered one extra measure. I really should have taken more lessons when I was younger, I thought.
I continued to practice and practice. And practice. I was suddenly interrupted by Miss C’s phone ringing. It was her calling.
“Hi, do you mind if I change at your place? I generally go out with clothes that can hide me. I love my fans and all but I want my own personal space,” she said.
“Sure, are you on your way?”
The doorbell rang.
“Hold on, someone’s at the door,” I said.
I looked through my peephole. There was someone with a dark baseball hat standing outside. They were dressed in a sweatshirt and baggy blue jeans. I couldn’t see their face due to the bill of their cap. I wasn’t expecting anyone at the moment. Jeeze, I hope it is not a door-to-door salesman. I opened the door.
“Sorry, I am not interested,” I automatically said.
“How rude! Is that how you greet your date?” the stranger in the cap said.
“Excuse me?”
They finally looked up and my jaw dropped. It was Miss C!
“I am sorry, I thought you were a salesman,” I apologized.
“Haha, it’s ok. I was hoping for that reaction.”
“You are here a bit early, I wasn’t expecting you for another . . .” I looked at the clock. It was already five!
“I believe that I am right on time” she said with a smile.
“Haha, yeah you are. I guess I lost track of time when I was practicing.”
“What do you play? Can I hear?”
“I was playing piano, and I don’t really think you would want to hear it. I am not very good.”
“I see, well some other time then. So, can I change?”
“Sure, you can change in the guest room.”
As I led her up the stairs, I began to think of how incredibly lucky I was. How many graduate students could actually say that they had an actress in their house?
“So, is it just you who lives here?” she asked as we reached the top.
“Yeah, it is just me. I don’t even know why I bought such a big house. I barely use any of the space in here as is. Well, here is my room. Want to do me a favor?”
“Whoa, a little bold aren’t we? You just had my phone bucko, not that special,” she said jokingly.
“Well, aren’t you the great comedian, but my request was for you to pick out my outfit. I didn’t know what to wear,” I began to blush.
“Aww, aren’t you cute. Sure, just tell me where your clothes are. I don’t want to find something deep and dark about you.”
“Don’t worry. The only thing that might be bad is that my trash can hasn’t been emptied out yet. My clothes are in my closet over there. Now, can I trust that I will not be wearing something ridiculous?”
“Cross my heart, hope to die,” she replied with a wink.
I went back downstairs and began to play. Everything began to come to me. I remembered how to play the song again! Even the parts of the song that I didn’t learn came easily to me. Granted, I messed up a few times but I was able to fix it after a few repeats of the measure. I replayed the song. When my fingers first pressed down the keys to create the first chord, I suddenly fell into a dream like state. I could see myself in third person. All of my emotions began to flow out of my fingers and onto the keys. Each key I pressed down was another emotion released. I was never this into playing piano, I was never even this good at playing piano. I finished the last note of the song and I heard clapping from behind me. I turned around and she was standing at the bottom of the staircase, leaning on the banister. She was fully changed. The only thing that was the same was her jeans. She had on a red spaghetti strap and in her arms was a white track jacket. She was absolutely stunning just standing there.
“Bravo. You lied. You said you weren’t very good. That was beautiful,” she said.
“Thank you, but I usually can’t play that well. I don’t know where it came from.”
“So I chose your clothes. I hope you like them.”
Behind her, on a hanger was a set of clothes. It was a suit jacket and a blue button up shirt. I didn’t even know that I had those.
“I don’t see how you could not choose clothes. You had a wonderful array of clothing up there. Oh, and the jeans you are wearing now should be fine. Now, go change. I am getting kind of hungry.”
“Well, isn’t someone a bit picky? All right, I will be back, feel free to do whatever you want while I change.”
I ran up and changed quickly. When I was buttoning up my shirt I began to hear a familiar tune being played on the piano. It was from Casablanca, the song was “As Time Goes By”. When I finished changing I walked back downstairs. She began to sing. I quietly sat on my couch and listened. Her voice was so soothing. I just wanted to stay like this. I stood up and walked behind her. My arm softly touched her shoulder. She turned to me.
“You look quite handsome. Want to get going?” She asked.
“Sure, you play beautifully.”
“Thanks! I have always been in love with the piano.”
“So whose vehicle are we taking?”
“Let’s take mine, we already rode in yours.”
“Okay.”
We stepped out and on the curb was a black Mustang. I don’t know much about cars but I know enough to know that it was very expensive. The interior was filled with leathers and state of the art electronic systems. Compared to my truck, this car was full luxury on wheels. What surprised me the most was her transmission, it was stick! She got in and with a somewhat ominous smile she said “Let’s go”. We sped off, in a matter of seconds my house was already out of sight.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Beginning chapters of my book.
I Am Mr. P
Please call me Mr. P. I choose to give myself an alias for reasons only known to myself. Maybe you will understand my ploy to keep my identity hidden.
I am just that guy down the block. Not one to gather your attention. Not outstandingly good looking and not grotesquely ugly. Just average. My profession you wonder, I am a graduate student. When I first graduated high school, I was lucky enough to win the lottery on my 18th birthday. I would like to lie and say that I am a secret agent that fights terrorists here in America. Oh how would the ladies love to see that but then why not speak the truth? I have noticed that men generally inflate their appearances in order to impress members of the opposite sex, and I would have to say that I was one of those. In a society of cut throat competition for the beautiful women, men have no choice but to do so. I wish this wasn’t the case but it is.
I guess the only specialty that I have is my love in music and my vivid imagination (or so I am told). Being a musician I wanted to learn many types of instruments. It was always my ambition to learn some new horn and explore the wonders of each style of music. Sadly, I was not very ambitious. Once I began learning some new saxophone or a brass instrument I would give up once I heard how horrible my tone would be. C’est la vie, I guess. But there are certain times in my life where I suddenly became very ambitious and strove for what I wanted. Also, being very imaginative, I tend to write stories for no apparent reason. I would awaken in the middle of the night and just turn on my computer and type until the sun would rise and the light would enter my window. Never true stories mind you, just my fantasies and wishes—until now.
First Impressions
I have a curious habit of turning on the television whilst on the computer. Why? I don’t know. I am assuming I was afraid of missing something interesting on some random commercial or some special broadcast that clearly stated “Mr. P! We want you to be the next president!” Okay, maybe not really but it was just a habit of mine.
One night, when I returned home it seemed nothing out of the ordinary. I Got out of my truck, unlocked my door, walked in, and hung my keys on the wall. I went upstairs and sat down at my desk and turned on the television while simultaneously turning on my laptop. Thinking back, I don’t even know why I even bothered going on the computer. I never did anything productive.
I looked around at my office. The first thing I saw was a painting given to me as a house warming gift. There was a man on top of a building and down on the ground was a child in the middle of the street and a truck was coming down upon him. The drop from the top of the building must have been some twenty feet. Conveniently for him, there was a mattress right below him. At the bottom of the painting was a saying “When courage is needed, it is created. Never search for it; it will come when the time is right.” It was an odd painting, but I quite admired the quote. I began to wonder, when that time will come to me and with a sigh I began my tedious night of routine nothingness.
The computer started up and I began my ordinary routine. E-mails? Nope. Myspace messages? Nope. Facebook? Ah, a notification! “You have been invited to join this application!” It said. Damn, I was hoping for a message. This is where I begin my never ending search for entertainment. I began to click and clack on the keyboard, searching for something interesting to watch on a random website. Then out of the jumble of noises coming from the computer and my TV I began to hear a voice. I checked several windows that I have opened on my internet browser. Nope, no video or media player was active. I began to go crazy; I just had to find out where it was coming from. After a second or so I remembered; the television was on!
My eyes quickly shifted onto the television screen. There, on the screen, was the most beautiful voice accompanied by the most beautiful voice that I have ever heard. She looked familiar, I have seen her a few times on television as I flipped through the channels, and I did not pay very much attention until now. I was drawn in to the television. Then as suddenly as I heard her voice, the channel changed. I frantically searched for the control. I wondered if I would be able to find out who she was, but when I finally found that damned remote she was gone.
After that moment I did not have any enthusiasm to be awake. I shut off everything in my office and walked downstairs to grab a bite to eat before I slept. While gathering the materials needed to make a sandwich I began to hum the ten seconds of the song I just heard. The tune was very catchy and although I only knew a short snippet of the song I continually hummed it. After preparing and snacking on my sandwich I decided to get to bed early. I once again travelled up the stairs, changed, and got into bed.
That night, I dreamed I met her. We just randomly bumped into each other in the mall, and as if we were not strangers to each other we began to have a deep conversation on life and love. We continued to converse with each other for what seemed like hours. Then, I just woke up with a smile on my face. “I just had to meet her!” I thought, but what was I to do? I am just an average guy who only won the lotto. With that depressing thought, I fell back asleep and never dreamt of her again.
Several hours later, I awoke to the sounds of my cell phone ringing. I was too dreary to find exactly where my cell phone was and when I finally found it I had missed the call. It was Thomas, my long time college friend. Right when I was going to hit redial he called again.
“Mr. P! Where the hell have you been?” he said frantically.
For a second, I was wondering what he was talking about. I never received a call from him. Then I remembered. My phone, which I always set on high, did ring except I chose to ignore it because I was too preoccupied with my encounter with that beautiful lady.
“Sorry Thomas, I was preoccupied last night. Is there something wrong?”
“Yeah there is! There is a huge party going on tonight and guess who got us in.”
“Oh man, not again. Every time you take me to one of these parties you end up drunk and I just have to be your chauffeur.”
“Don’t worry. I have a date. She can take me. You should get one too! Or you can search there.”
“I think not Thomas, but I guess I will join you tonight.”
I don’t know why I finally took this offer. I have a bad habit of just doing anything asked of me. I usually never think too much about it, I just say yes. One day, I thought to myself, I will regret doing these things on impulse.
“Where is it going to be?” I asked, remembering that I had no clue where I was even going.
“Hollywood!” he said excitedly.
“What?!” I replied in disbelief.
“Yup, I have a friend in the film industry and he is inviting me to his house warming party. All the celebrities will be there!”
At that moment, my mind raced. Would I be able to meet that lady I saw last night on the television? This is my chance!
“I will see you there. I need the time and place,” I said boldly.
“Eight o’clock tonight. I will e-mail you the address,” he replied.
“See you there then,” and with that our conversation ended.
An Attraction to Be Remembered
When I arrived around eight that night I immediately called Thomas. I was not about to enter this place unless I know at least one person. As I dialed his number I looked at the house for the first time. In front of me was a huge mansion. Beautiful gardens on each side of the door. The lawn was neatly mown and not a single blade was out of place. The place where I parked felt as if I was in a mall parking lot except for the variety of vehicles. I felt so lost among the BMW’s, Mustangs, and limousines. The phone began to ring and right when the phone rang twice I heard someone call out my name. He had already spotted me.
“There you are! Why don’t you look dashing Mr. P. Tuxedo and all. You know, I could not have seen you in one of those until now. Oh, by the way, this is my date Elizabeth” he said.
I looked at the woman at his side. She was a tall, beautiful blonde. I should have expected as much; he always leans toward the same type of girl. Blonde, beautiful, and a boob job.
“Nice to meet you Elizabeth,” I said, “I hope you like to drive,” I finished with a quick glance at Thomas.
“Nice to meet you as well, Mr. P. Thomas has told me much about you” she said with a smile.
After a few more exchange of words, we left our vehicles to go inside. When I first stepped inside I was in total awe. The roof seemed to be thirty feet high. It was painted in great detail with images of angels, clouds, and the sun. I felt as if I could feel actual warmth coming from the artificial sun but in reality it was just the heat being given off of the massive amount of people packed into the gargantuan house. Around me were stone statues of Greek gods. I felt like I was in a museum. The only difference was that it was packed with people not actually there for the wonderful art. I began to look at all the faces around me. Everywhere I looked there was a celebrity or a famous director and here was I, some guy that would probably be mistaken as a waiter.
Where did Thomas go? I suddenly wondered. We must have lost each other in the crowd. I did not worry too much; I did have his cell phone number after all. Sigh. He never ceases to do this to me. He is probably getting all boozed up already.
I began to give myself a tour of the place. I nodded politely and smiled at anyone kind enough to look my way. As I walked farther into the house I saw a stunning spiral staircase. The banisters were gold and the steps were a finely polished mahogany. As my eyes slowly climbed the staircase I saw something that instantly caught my eye. It was a beautiful red dress that gracefully flowed behind the one wearing it. When I finally saw the face of the person wearing the dress, my heart dropped. It was her. I just had to know who she was.
“Excuse me, who is that lady in the red dress?” I asked the man next to me.
Again, for my own purposes, let us give her an alias.
“That is Miss C, now if you will excuse me, I have to say hello to Tom Cruise,” the man snobbishly replied.
Finally, I had a name to match with her face. Now is my time, I told myself. I will meet and get to know her. I could feel the courage building up within me. I felt like a young schoolboy going up to their crush and just when I was about to go up and introduce myself, I had a sudden gut wrenching feeling.
“What am I going to do? How am I supposed to approach her?” I asked myself.
This question never actually passed through my mind at all. How is a regular guy going to approach someone like her? There is no way that I could compare to her. She probably knows all the hotspots in and around Southern California, New York, France, and so many other places. I just know the hot spots around my house, my hammock.
With this sudden sense of despair I decided to walk the opposite direction onto the patio. As I stepped out of the glass doors leading outside I noticed that I was the only one outside. I rapidly felt at peace with myself. The moon was out and full. She was sharing her light upon me, as if comforting me for thinking of my foolish ideas. I could hear the birds chirping at each other, snickering behind my back. I decided to put this all of this behind me and I continued farther out on the patio.
Looking upon the beautiful garden I noticed an exquisite fountain in the center. I decided to walk down the neatly made path of stepping stones that lead up to it. Just standing next to the statue I saw the great detail put into sculpting. The bowl of the fountain was made of very expensive clay. Lining the interior bowl was a beautiful mosaic of glass that made formed the face of a woman. It was hard to truly distinguish her facial details due to the water rushing down upon it. My eyes glided up to the top of the fountain and on it was a small sculpture of two people, a man with his arms around a woman. His lips were close to her ear as if he was humming a beautiful love ballad into her ear. Her arms were placed over his, making the lock between them twice as strong. It seemed as if they were dancing. They were forever frozen on the top of a fountain in the middle of what seemed like Eden. It was a dance that the two of them can share for the ages.
I began to daydream. I wished that I could be that guy, I thought. My surroundings slowly morphed into a ballroom. Of course, I was not alone. I was with Miss C and her beautiful red dress. I held my hand out and she took my invitation. Music began to drift into the hall from an unknown place. We glided to the center and we began to dance. Our dance was suddenly interrupted.
“Mind if I join you?” a voice from behind me asked.
I abruptly turned, and to my disbelief, it was Miss C.
“Sure, be my guest” I somehow spat out.
“I don’t exactly like being in there, I feel so fake talking to all those guys about movies, music, and politics. It just isn’t my style, you know what I mean?” she said exasperatedly.
“I am sorry, I don’t. I am not an actor or director. This is my first time to one of these big parties . . .” was my reply.
“Oh, my apologies, I never would have guessed. Well, you look quite handsome in that penguin suite” she said jokingly.
“Why thank you. You look quite stunning yourself,” I replied in a laugh.
“So, may I ask what you are doing out here by yourself?”
“Oh, just marveling at this statue and parties are not really my sort of thing.”
“Haha, I hate these parties!!! I only go because my agent says it will help me look good among the others. You know, now that I look at it, this is a really beautiful fountain. I wonder what those two up top are feeling right now. It must be so wonderful to be locked in time together; knowing that there is a person there to hold you forever and never fear of being torn apart . . .” she said with a melancholy expression on her face.
“I was thinking about the same exact thing. You surprise me; I would have expected you to have someone with you. No Mr. C?” I boldly asked.
“Haha, oh no. I am way too picky in my choice of men. Most of the men in there are too egotistical for my liking. I just wish that I was a regular person, but then again I absolutely singing and acting. Oh well, C’est la vie,” she replied.
She said it!!! I thought to myself. That was my saying. My friends always made fun of me for saying it but now this gorgeous star that I have wanted to meet shares something with me. My heart began to flutter and my body grew warmer. I could feel my blood beginning to pump faster. The night was absolutely perfect.
“I guess I should get back in. It’s nice meeting you, umm . . . How rude of me, I did not even ask your name,” she said.
“Oh yeah, well my name is Mr. P.”
“Nice meeting you, Mr P,” she said as she flashed me with the most beautiful smile.
“Well, if you ever feel like you are being too overwhelmed by stardom, feel free to find me by this fountain” I said as she turned.
“Promise?” she asked.
“Cross my heart, hope to die,” I said trying to hold back the excitement of meeting her.
“Well you better be here, I won’t be in there for long.”
And with that, she left.
I began replaying what happened in my mind. I just could not believe it. The two of us actually shared a moment! I began to smile uncontrollably. This is what a fan girl must feel, I thought. How embarrassing it would have been if I acted like this in front of her. Wait, where did that courage come from? As I reflected on our conversation, I thought about the things I said. None of it sounded like me. Is she the one that brings out the courage within me? I thought back to the painting in my office. I have always been told that I am too timid. There was just that special feeling about her that let me say what I have always wanted to say. If only she would come back, I thought.
After a few more minutes of thinking I began to feel adventurous. There were three paths leading away from the fountain. The first was the one I took to get here. One of the paths would have led me to an elongated path back to the house and the other path seemed to lead moon. If I were to walk straight, it would have felt as if I would be able to walk straight onto the moon. I took that path, and who knows; tonight was the night of nights.
I began my journey towards the moon. As I walked down the path a feeling of weightlessness grabbed me. I felt like I was gliding. All the happiness within me began to lift me up. A skip was soon added to my step. It seemed like I have become a brand new person. My life just went from average to outstanding. The flowers glowed at me, illuminating the path before me. I could hear the owls hooting at me, telling me to live on with my life and take what is happening to me and live it to the fullest. I continued to stroll down the path, listening to the medley of sprinklers, animals, and my footsteps. Bliss.
When I returned, she was there sitting on one of the stone benches. She looked exhausted. I sat beside her, and put my back against the wall.
“Tired much?” I asked.
“Oh, you have no clue” she drearily said.
“Why don’t you go home?”
“That is a grand idea! But I am much too tired to get a cab,” she said.
“A cab?!? You? Why not a limo or fancy car like the rest?” I responded.
“I wanted to be spontaneous,” she said with a weak smile.
And with that she collapsed on my shoulder. I was afraid to do anything. I just let her rest. Hearing her breathe was somehow soothing. Usually, this would have been an awkward situation but it was not. It just felt right. Maybe I am just overly excited. Yes . . . That was it.
From the corner of my eye I could see Thomas and his date. The jerk was leaving! He didn’t even try to look for me. He is probably drunk off his ass again. Yup, he is. Oh well, I guess he gets this one off. Without him, I would have never had this wonderful experience. I’ll let him be.
I looked at her. She looked very peaceful. The moonlight was making her glow. She was absolutely radiant even when asleep. Her face was absolutely perfect. From the top of her long, straight, black hair to her chin. Not a single abnormality or sign of facial reconstruction; pure, unaltered beauty. I let her stay on my shoulder for a while. I glanced at my watch, it was already twelve!
“Hey, wake up,” I whispered into her ear.
“No, I want to stay like this forever,” she sleepily replied.
After hearing her say this, I had no other thought in my mind other than wanting to be with her. A few more seconds later she was fully awake. She shyly smiled and apologized. She need not have apologized, the pleasure was all mine, I thought. With enough courage I gave her a modest proposal.
“Hey, would you want a ride home?”
“May I ask with whom I shall ride with?” she asked.
“Well, I know this guy who I know wouldn’t mind at all” I said with a smile.
“Ah, well I don’t like to ride with strangers, so can you give me a ride?” she said while looking into my eyes.
As our eyes locked, her eyes began to fill with a certain glow. It was a glow of passion and deep down within her brown eyes I am sure I saw look of longing.
“Well then, would you care to join me?” I asked as I elbow extended out.
She slid her arm between my arm and we walked to the parking lot. We got into my truck and I drove her home. It was a bit difficult to understand her words in between her waking moment but after an hour or so of driving, we arrived. I got out of my truck and opened her door. I helped her out. Holding her soft, cream colored hand and watching her step out of my truck is a moment I will never forget. Her red gown, although it was dark, glowed. Although she looked absolutely exhausted she was still as beautiful as when she was fully awake.
I walked by her side up to the door. Her house was very humbling. I would have never guessed she would have lived there; a simple two story house. She never ceases to amaze me, I thought to myself.
“Thank you for driving me home Mr. P,” she said as we arrived to her door.
“Any time, I really enjoyed meeting you, Miss C” I politely replied.
As I was about to turn and leave, she gave me a quick peck on the cheek. By the time my mind finished processing, she was already inside. I slowly walked to my truck. I got in, and then drove home. When I finally arrived home it was already three in the morning. As I stepped out of the truck I barely noticed something. My face was sore. I looked into my mirror I remember having a confused look on my face. I looked okay. Then it hit me, I was smiling. I never stopped ever since Miss C and I first spoke. There was never a time in my adult life where I had ever smiled for so long. It was an attraction to be remembered.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Update on my book
So, the entry I first posted was from a book I began to write a while ago. After lots of positive feedback from friends, I have decided to rewrite the book. So, the blog "The Most Perfect Night" is actually somewhere between the 5-7 chapter of my book. The other chapter will be posted up soon. I hope you like them!
The Most Perfect Night
We have been together for a few months now. All seemed well until the night of December 3rd. The usual date and whatnot. Go here. Eat there. Romantic walk on the pier.
We walked by some old men playing some records on their stereo. It was a familiar tune from the movie "Casablanca". The song was "As Time Goes By".
"Would you like to dance?" I asked
"Here? In front of all these people?" she replied.
Looking around, I saw nobody. I looked back at her with a confused look. She smiled and drew closer to me. We slowly glided in a small circle on the pier. Quietly I hummed the tune being played by those old men into her ear. Soon our dance ended and we continued to stroll down to the end of the pier
As we sat on a bench that overlooked the most beautiful view of the sun setting she moved in closer to my side. This surprised me because in the past few months she has never been this intimate. From a distance, I could hear Nat King Cole's beautiful voice singing "Unforgettable". I put my arm around her. All seemed sublime. But then there was a curious sound emanating from somewhere close. It did not sound like the waves happily lapping at the pillars underneath us. It also was not the sound of the seagulls squawking to each other about the fish they had just attained.
It came from her. She was crying. Oh how surprised I was when I saw this. A horde of feelings rushed through me. What did I do wrong?
"What's wrong?" I asked as I pulled her closer to me.
"..."
I put both my arms around her. Her head on my shoulder, I could feel her warm tears as her sobs began to intensify. I felt helpless, what can I possibly say? (I assume that it is just the nature of a male to not know what to do in such times. Is it that our gender goes through a state of shock by seeing someone so dear to us fall into such a tragic state at some random moment?) Frozen, I just held her. It was the best thing that crossed my mind out of the many that shot through me.
"This . . . is just too good to be true," she suddenly said through a burst of breaths.
"What is?" was my dumbfounded reply.
"How can we be together? You are an average guy, and I am an actress. There is a three year difference between us. Yet, you just seem so perfect."
Thinking back on those past months of when we were dating, this was the only other emotion I have ever seen from her. As odd as it sounds, it was a relief to see something other than happiness, for I also believed that it was too perfect.
I was in shock. If only she knew what was going through my mind just a few moments ago.
"Me? Perfect? Why thank you m'dear, but you give me way too much credit. And age, what about it? We are having fun aren't we? I enjoy every moment I share with you. Now, I hope this is not only how I feel."
She began to sob even harder. I was still in total confusion. My mind was trying to go though as many different possibilities to handle this situation. Still, I had not a single clue on how to work it out. Instead, I just held her closer, I just wanted her to know how my heart felt. My hand pushed her hair out of her face. I wiped her warm tears away from her cheek. My shoulder is slightly warm and wet. Strangely enough, I never felt closer to her than that night. It was odd, seeing her in such a horrid state, not even knowing what can possibly be going through her head.
She pulled her head away from my shoulder and then she looked at me. Still crying, I couldn't see a small glimpse of actual sadness in her face. She searched me with her watery eyes as if looking for a reason for me being there with her, other than liking her.
As she continued to look at me, the last bits of light faded from the sky. Behind her, I could see the moon slowly beginning to give out its share of illumination. It was one of those wonderful movie moments where the butterflies begin to flutter in your stomach. Then, she made a move so sudden that it took me several seconds to comprehend what just happened.
She kissed me.
Her arms wrapped around my neck. Her lips were salty from her tears. (Note that I still did not know what happened until a good five seconds after her first movements.) Soon, my arms wrapped around her. It lasted about ten seconds, but those ten seconds made it seem like we have known each other for an eternity. As our lips parted, she laid her head on my shoulder again. Our arms still locked around each other.
Silence. The perfect ending to what seemed the most perfect moment.
As her tears subsided and the moon began to shine upon us even more intensely, I began to hum softly into her ear the lovely tune "As Time Goes By".
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