“The phone’s for Robinson!” Zac called.
“Me?”
“You seem to be the only Robinson in the room.”
“But who would be calling me at your house?” I asked Tay.
“Your mother?”
“Why are you always so logical?” I asked, kissing him as I slid from my position on the couch to go receive my call.
“Do you guys always have to do that?” Ike asked, disgusted.
To spite him, I leaned back over the couch and gave Tay a long, lingering kiss. Ike pulled us apart, laughing, “He needs his tonsils to sing... Now go answer your call.”
I entered the kitchen where Zac stood with the phone, “Thanks, Zacky,” I smiled. “Hello?”
“It’s Heidi. Dave just called and wants to know if you want to chill with him before the show.”
“Sure. Why don’t you come over?” I asked her.
“Alise is here. We’re doing that paper I was telling you about for psych.”
“Okay. I’ll call Dave.”
“See ya.” We hung up.
“Hey Zac,” I asked, “Can I use your phone for a sec?”
“Aren’t you already?” he pointed to the receive in my hand.
I laughed, “I guess I am... but can I call someone?”
“I guess,” he said, and the let out a long belch as he went into the living room with his brothers.
“That was sexy, Zac,” I laughed.
“Thanks,” he called out from the other room.
I dialed the number. “Dave?”
“Yea?”
“It’s Tayler.”
“Duh.”
“Shut up. Wanna come over?”
“I guess... are you going to the show, or are you chilling with your man?” he asked.
“I’m pretty sure we’re going.”
“We? You’re bringing a Hanson to one of our shows?”
“Maybe all three of them if you’re lucky.”
He let out an earpiercing scream, mimicking a teenybopper, “I can’t believe it!”
“Hey, maybe he could hook you up with a good record deal.” Dave growled at me. “I’m just kidding... when are you coming over?”
“Now?”
“ ‘Kay... I’ll be at my house.”
“Peace out,” he said as he hung up.
“Who was that?” Tay asked, coming up from behind me and slipping his arms around my waist.
“Dave. You wanna go to the show tonight?”
“If I’m allowed.”
“Ask your mommy.”
“Okay.”
“I need to go home... Dave’s driving over,” I loosed his hands from my waist.
“Don’t leave,” he pulled me tighter.
“No, seriously...” I laughed
“No, seriously...” he didn’t let me go.
“I’ll bring Dave over here.”
“Goodie,” he said, not at all enthused.
“Don’t sound so excited. If you want you all can come over to my house.”
“Okay.”
“Go ask your mother then. No one at the show is going to recognize you, anyway.”
“Thanks hun,” he laughed.
“You know what I mean.”
“College people are way too cool to know who we are...”
“No,” I laughed.
“What then?”
“People who go to punk concerts probably won’t recognize you.” Tay let go of me and hopped up the stairs to ask his mother. I went back into the living room. “Guys, you wanna go to a punk concert?”
“Where?”
“The University.”
“Who’s playing?” Ike wondered.
“My friends’ band.”
“Well, that depends on if we’re allowed...”
“Tay’s already asking.”
“Okay then.”
“Can I go, too?” Zac asked.
“Of course, short stuff.” I wrapped my arm aound his shoulder.
“I’m not short. I’m taller than you are...” he measured himself next to me, and sure enough, he was just a little bit taller.
“Shut up.”
Tay walked into the room, holding a Dr. Pepper. “She says we can go, as long as we’re home,” he took a slug of his soda, “by like, eleven o’clock.”
“Awesome, let’s go,” I grabbed my jacket from the couch and pulled it on.
They all got their coats and blah blah blah... Anyway, so Dave arrived. Now, he’s a pretty physical guy.. I mean, he uses his hands a lot when he talks, he’s always slapping his buddies around, and he like, hugs me and picks me up and throws me around all the time. And so when I opened the door and he swept me up off the floor and spun me around, I didn’t think anything of it. The look on Tay’s face wasn’t exactly saying “Dave looks like a nice guy,” but what could I do about that at the present time?
“Dave, this is Isaac, Tay, and Zac,” I pointed to each one, “And guys, this is Dave.” They all said their hellos and all that boring, polite crap. After a few minutes I spoke up, “Dave, what have you done to your hair?!” He had been wearing a hat, and only as he took it off did I notice.
“I shaved it off.”
His hair, formerly spiky with blue tips, was now basically nonexistent. It didn’t look bad, actually. “You look like a skinhead,” I teased.
“You look like Punky Brewster, but do you hear any of us complaining?” he swatted at one of my pigtails with his finger.
“I do not look like Punky Brewster...” I frowned. Dave laughed at me. I noticed Ike was trying to hide a smile, too. “I do not look like Punky Brewster!” I whined, scrunching my nose at Ike. “Do I look like Punky Brewster?” I turned to Tay. He shook his head, but I could see the traces of a smile on his lips. “I hate you all,” I pouted.
Changing the subject completely, Dave said, “Is Heidi coming tonight?”
“I don’t really know,” I said, still pouting slightly, “she said she might not be able to.”
“Are you guys coming?” Dave addressed Ike, Tay, and Zac. They nodded. “Good, at least we’ll have four fans there.”
“What makes you so sure they’re going to like your sucky band?” I asked.
“I know you did not just call my band sucky.”
“What if I did?”
“Then I’ll kick your little Punky Brewster ass.”
“Your band sucks,” I affirmed. Sure enough, as he promised, Dave kicked my ass. And not lightly, either. I put my hands over my butt and pouted. “Ow, man! You broke my ass!”
“I told you I would.”
“Okay, so anyway,” I stuck my tongue out at Dave, “What do y’all want to do?”
“Y’all?” Dave laughed.
“Shut up,” I pointed at him.
“I’m hungry,” Ike spoke up.
“You're always hungry!" I laughed."We can order pizza. I could make pie!”
“Pie?” Dave repeated me again.
“Shut up!” I insisted.
“Do you want pizza?” I asked. Ike, Tay, and Zac shrugged in reply. “We can order Chinese food if you want.”
“We can order Chinese food if you want,” Dave mocked me in a high whiny voice. I jumped on his back and covered his mouth with my hand. “What do you want to eat?”
“I want pizza!” Zac declared.
“Well then we can order that. Is that okay with everyone else?” Everyone nodded, including Dave, whose mouth I still covered. “Can you hand me the phone?” I asked Zac. Dave latched his arms around my legs so that I wouldn’t slide off. I uncovered his mouth in order to dial (pathetic as it is, I know the pizza place’s number by heart). I ordered two pizzas and a bottle of Coke. “Okay, who’s got money?” I asked.
“I’ve got fifteen cents and a fake I.D.,” Dave supplied.
“That helps a lot,” I rolled my eyes and spun his hat around backwards.
“I’ve got like, five bucks,” Ike reached into his back pocket.
“Leave it to Ike. You always have money, don’t you?”
“Ike’s a boy scout, always prepared,” Tay laughed.
I laughed, “Well, Boy Scout, fork it over.” Ike handed me the money. “We only need eighteen more dollars. I think I have a ten in my pocket. Let me down,” I instructed Dave. He let me down and I collected the money from my pocket. “Eight more.”
Tay handed over another ten, and we had enough. While we waited for the food, Dave entertained us with tales of some huge party he went to the week before. Then, Zac decided that he wanted to listen to some music. While he rummaged through all my cds and tapes, Ike told some stories of the road.
Just as Ike was about to start some story about the room service guy who they harassed or something, a strangley familiar voice sung out from the stereo.
“What the hell is this?” Dave asked.
Covering my face, I shook my head saying, “It’s me.”
“You?”
The me on tape squealed out the song “Tomorrow” from Annie. “I used to like, hijack my uncle’s tape recorder and tape myself singing, but I didn’t really know how to work it,” I winced as the tape clicked weirdly, and it switched over to me singing “Lady Madonna” by the Beatles.
“That’s pretty apparent,” Tay bit his lip to hold back laughter as the tape spazzed out again and I was singing “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston. I guess I didn’t really know the words because in between belting out flat high notes, I mumbled.
“Shut up,” I hit him in the stomach. I guess that made him lose self control, because then he bust out laughing. “Leave me alone.. I was six...”
“You were only six?” Dave asked. The tape clicked and I was singing “Desperado” (which is by Don Henley, but I used to simply adore the Linda Ronstadt version).
“Yea.”
“You’re not so bad for a six year old,” he pointed out. On tape, I belted out a perfect note.
“Why thank you,” I took on a Southern accent.
“He’s right though,” Ike said, listening with that ever-critical musical ear he has, “You’re not so bad...”
The tape switched over to me singing this song that I was making up as I went along. It made absolutely no sense, and I just kept repeating the same musical notes over and over, but I remember thinking that was the coolest song ever. “Oh, and I’ve got song writing skills, too,” I laughed as I started to repeat the same line over and over. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Dave staring at me. “What?” I said.
“Sing.”
“Now?” I asked.
“Sure,” he shrugged.
“I don’t want to,” I felt embarrassed.
“Why?” Taylor asked, situating himself on the couch next to me.
“Because I said so,” Dave prodded.
“Come on,” I was blushing, and I knew it, “Leave me alone.”
“Sing, Robinson,” Zac said in more of a request than a demand. “You have a good voice.”
“And how do you know?”
He pointed at the stereo. The little me on tape began to croon the song “Castle on a Cloud,” which is from Les Miserables.
“That was when I was six,” I said, tucking my legs under me to try to disappear.
“Yea, but I’ve heard you sing to the radio, and you’re good,” Ike insisted.
“Oh, come on, just sing something,” Dave prompted.
“I-I...” I stuttered.
Thank God for me, Taylor spoke up on my behalf, “All right, all right, leave her alone. You’ve gone and put her on the spot...”
“Yea,” I agreed, nodding.
“You’re such a chicken,” Dave shook his head at me almost as if he was disappointed with me.
“Shut up!” I whined pitifully. I looked to Tay again for help, “Make him leave me alone.”
“Considering that he’s like, five inches taller than me, three years older, and like, 20 pounds heavier, I don’t think I can make him do anything...”
“What good are you?” I shoved Tay. I was joking, of course. Had he not just gotten them off my back for not wanting to sing?
“He’s right though,” Dave spoke up with a smug grin, “I’m pretty ripped.” He held one arm up, flexing to make a muscle.
“How many cheeseburgers did you have to eat to get those?” I asked. Truthfully, he’s not fat, but he’s not exactly “ripped” either.
“I won’t hesitate to kill you, you know,” he informed me.
Before I could make a snide remark back, the doorbell rang. It was the pizza man. For the next two pizza pies, there were no nasty insults being flung around the room. Then, after we were greasily stuffed, Dave decided we should go to the show. Heidi called to say that she might be able to make half the show, but that she and her friends were like, going somewhere or doing something, I dunno. Anyway, so we all scrunched into Dave’s beat up, nasty old blue car to go to the show. The ride was pretty amusing because Zac was sitting in the front seat next to Dave, and he kept putting on talk radio to piss Dave off. Finally, Dave threatened Zac’s life, and Zac finally gave up. We weren’t all that early, and so Dave scooted off with the rest of the band while all the rest of us piled into the little club thing. It was cool. Apart from the college shows, Total Concept also had regular gigs at this little club that college kids frequented often. It was cute. The band would like, stop in between songs to smoke cigarettes every once in a while, and sometimes they even told stories about parties they went to (but that was usually when they were mad drunk).
“I like this place,” Ike said, sitting in one of the comfortably cushioned chairs.
“It’s cool, right?” I asked.
“Hip,” Ike replied.
“Anyone thirsty?” I asked.
“Hook me up with a Coke,” Zac plopped down into a chair. Ike wanted one, too.
Tay and I went upto the little bar to order drinks. “So,” Tay said, leaning on the hardwood counter. He was looking straight ahead at the pictures on the bar, “You and Dave seem to be good friends.”
“We are,” I said slowly, inspecting his face to see where this conversation was going. In my hands, I fiddled with a pink drink umbrella which I had found on the bar stool next to me.
There was a silence, during which Tay still inspected the pictures and stuff around the bar area. He ran his hand along the smooth wood of the bar. He inspected everything, except me. The bartender put the drinks we ordered in font of me. I paid him (with some money Ike had given me), but I didn’t move. As if snapping out of a little dream, Tay took a deep breath and turned to me, still leaning on the bar. He didn’t say anything.
“What?” I said almost inaudibly, trying to think of why he would be so pensive.
“Nothing,” he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. He wrapped his hand around one of the Cokes to take back to our little table.
“There’s something,” I put my hand in the crook of his arm. “Don’t even try to lie to me,” I smiled, “because I can tell something’s bothering you.”
“Well, it’s just like,” he paused to take his hand off the drink and wipe the condensation that had formed off with a napkin, “well, I mean, let’s figure, a nineteen year old guy like, who’s got his license, is going to college, and is in this band and everything... he’s hanging around with this sixteen year old girl... No offense or anything, Robinson, but it’s just kinda...” his voice faded out and he seemed preoccupied with a straw wrapper that he had crumbled up.
I didn’t say anything for a second. What exactly was he getting at? I mean, was he saying that he was jealous? Was he saying that he suspected something was going on between Dave and I? “What exactly are you insinutating?”
“I just...”
“Hey guys, what’s the hold up?” Zac called from the table.
“Be there in a sec,” Tay called. “Look, Robinson, forget it, we can talk about it later,” he gave me a soft, brief kiss, and took two of the drinks. Slowly, I took the other two drinks back to the table. That was weird.
Dave’s band came on stage, and we listened to them play for a while. It was especially fun because they played a lot of covers (like “Basket Case” by Green Day and “Pretty Penny” by Stone Temple Pilots). We all sang aond and had a grand old time, but in the back of my mind was the weirdness of Tay’s statements. It was kind of true, I mean... What would a nineteen year old boy need with me?
Dave’s voice broke my thoughts, “Guys and Gals out there tonight,” (there were only about five people), “I have a friend here tonight who wants to sing a number with us.”
“Anyone else want more?” I held up my empty water glass.
“Her name is Tayler.”
“What is he doing?!” I whispered loudly.
“Tay, why don’t you come up here?”
“Oh my God, I don’t believe it... What the hell is he doing?!” I looked around. The few people there were looking around for the person he was addressing.
Travis spoke up, “Come on, Tay, they’re waiting.”
My heart started beating again when Tay’s fingers glided across my hand, “Robinson...”
“I-I...”
“Just go up there... you used to do it all the time...”
Heeding his advice, I took slow, careful steps up to the stage. When this was over, Dave was going to ge it. Oscar clapped his drumsticks together for me when I approached the mic. “What do you want to sing?” Travis whispered in my ear.
“Wishlist,” I whispered back. Travis consulted with the band, and they agreed. Why that song came to my head, I’ll never know. I like Pearl Jam and all, but I don’t know whay a Sublime song or something didn’t pop into my head. They band played the first few chords, and then I started singing. It felt so cool. It seemed like I sang forever, but that song is only like a minute long. In Les Mis, it had been different. There was an orchestra and everyhting backing me up then, and plus there really isn’t such a thing as major embarrassment when you’re eight and you think you’re the coolest thing in the world. During the little instrumental part in the middle of the song, I glanced over at Dave, who nodded at me in approval as he strummed. Travis smiled as my eyes shifted to his. I began to sing again, more confidently this time, smiling into the non-exsistent crowd as the notes floated out of me. I’d hardly noticed I was done when I heard Tay, Ike, and Zac cheering for me. That wasn’t so bad... I still wanted to kill Dave, but other than that I was still breathing. Travis kissed me on the cheek as I took a little bow. Then, as I walked past Dave, he winked at me. As I returned to my seat, the band launched into a lovely rendition of Orgy’s “Stitches.”
“Awesome job, Robinson!” Ike said, slapping my back.
“Thanks,” I was smiling brightly. I could feel my hands shaking as Tay gave me a hug.
“I told you you were a good singer,” Zac smiled as I high-fived him.
“I thought I was going to pee my pants,” I laughed as we sat down.
“You looked calm,” Ike assured me.
“Thanks,” I smiled again. Tay pushed a full glass of water over to me. That was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me. He’d gotten me a glass of water. I know it sounds like no big deal, but it meant a lot.
“What?” Tay wondered. I guess I had a pretty astonished look on my face.
“You got me water,” I said quietly.
I didn’t have to show my appreciation by saying anything more. Tay smiled and reached under the table for my hand. Ike and Zac hadn’t seen, which made it even more special. Sipping my water, we listened to he band rock on with a few originals, one being “Jungle.” I like that song a lot. It’s about how life is just like a jungle with wild parties and snakes and lots of rain... They played a bunch more, like “In Bloom” by Nirvana, “Chick Magnet” by MxPx, and “Sell Out” by Reel Big Fish. I got so excited when Dave sang “Chick on my Tip” by Sublime. When they were done, some poetry girl came on, sat on the floor in the middle of the stage, and began to read from a tattered notebook. During the middle of a poem in which she lamented the loss of her rosebush, Dave and the band came out.
“What up, dawg!” D.J. Muffled (who really doesn’t serve much of a purpose in the band except for scratching on like, three songs) called out.
“Ike, Tay, Zac, this is the band, Total Concept. This is Oscar, Travis, and D.J. Muffled. You already know Dave...” I looked at Tay when I said that, and he didn’t look pleased.
“You sang butter, Tay,” Travis slapped me on the back.
“Thanks. You guys rocked.”
“We played ‘Chick on my Tip’ for you,” Dave smiled.
“I heard. Thanks.”
Oscar spoke up, “Where’s Heidi and Alise?” I shrugged as a reply. “Bitch has my car!” Oscar got angry.
“Chill, Osc, chill,” I put my hand on his shoulder. I’d become acustomed to calming him when it came to that stupid car because he and Alise constantly fought about it. “Dave can give you ride home.”
“Oh, I can?”
“Yea.”
“With four of you already in the car?”
“I can sit on Tay’s lap.”
“You two have the same name?” Travis asked Tay and I.
“Yea.”
“That’s really freaky.”
“Uh huh.”
“I guess... Osc, I can take you home,” Dave shrugged.
“Are you sure you guys don’t mind smushing in the backseat?
“No protests here,” Tay laughed. I elbowed him because it made him sound like a horny bastard.
Ike, Taylor, Zac, and I piled into the backseat (I managed to kick Ike in somewhere inappropriate when I moved over so Zac could get in the car, and Ike yelled at me). Oscar and Dave made fun of us becuase they were all comfy and had lots of room in the front. Travis and D.J. Muffled pulled out of the parking lot at the same time as Dave, and so at the traffic light they all revved their engines to have a drag race.
“I’m not wearing a seat belt,” I informed Dave. I was sitting behind him, so I was kinda yelling in his ear over the radio.
“So?”
“So if you go too fast, I’ll go through the windshield.”
“All right!” he high-fived Oscar.
“Hey! That’s mean,” I frowned. “If I went through the windshield, who would go to your shows?”
“Dammit, she’s right Dave,” Oscar pretended to be disappointed.
“I’m always right,” I smiled smugly.
“Taylor, can you please shut your girlfriend up?” Dave looked at Tay in the rear view mirror.
Tay put his hand over my mouth. “That’s not funny,” I managed to mumble.
“Oh yea, like we can really understand you,” Tay laughed.
I removed his hand from my mouth, “That’s not funny.”
“Hold on everyone!” Dave yelled as he revved the engine of his busted car and took off as the light turned green. The P.O.S. peeled out and we sped into the intersection. Muf was ahead because he’s the only one with a decent car.
“Muf won,” I sang in Dave’s ear.
“I see that,” Dave assured me. When he had to break suddenly, because he’d come upon another red light, I slammed my head against the back of the seat. “Ow, dammit!” I yelled.
“Are you okay?” Zac was laughing.
“It’s not funny, man,” I couldn’t help letting out a giggle as I put a hand to my forehead. “I told you I was gonna hurt myself,” I slapped Dave upside the head.
“Can you not slap me while I’m driving?”
Oscar broke up our little fight by asking, “Dave, are where are we playing tomorrow?”
Dave went on this spiral about how he couldn’t remember but he thought it was at the firehouse but he couldn’t be sure because he was drunk the last time he read the schedule that Travis had written up when he was high or something.
“I hurt my head,” I pouted as I lay back against Tay’s chest. In reply, he put his hand over my own hand on my head.
“Cry me a river,” Zac mumbled sarcastically, thinking I was faking it for sympathy.
“Shut up, Zac, it really hurts.” It did. As a matter of fact, within a few minutes, I was experiencing one of those nasty headaches again.
After about ten minutes, Dave laughed, “You must have really hurt yourself... it’s quiet in here.”
I was in too much pain to respond with a nasty comment. My eyes were watering now and I was getting a stomach ache. Feeling sick then made me depressed because I didn’t want to feel nasty when Ike, Tay, and Zac were only going to be home for the weekend. Sucking it up and taking one for the team, I decided to ignore the dizzying pain. “So what do you guys want to do now?”
“We have to be home by eleven,” Tay reminded me.
“It’s only 10, chill,” I looked up at him.
“We could go to Dean Armandi’s party,” Dave suggested.
“Oh yea, sounds like fun, we can watch you get drunk, throw up, and pass out,” I rolled my eyes.
“You all could always get drunk, too,” he suggested.
“Yea, great idea,” I rolled my eyes again, “Then I’ll wake up in the morning, not knowing where I am, pregnant, and puked on.”
“Sounds like a party to me,” Oscar laughed.
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Make a left,” I instructed Dave.
“I think I know where your house is by now,” he laughed.
“Well I just-”
“I’m only at your house like every second of the day...”
“You are not,” I said, aware that Tay’s arms loosened from my waist a little at Dave’s comment.
“Close enough.” We pulled onto my street. Upon approaching my house, Dave said, “Call you tomorrow?”
“Whatever floats your boat,” I said as I climbed out of the car.
“See you guys later,” Oscar said to Ike, Tay, and Zac. They all said their round of good-byes, and Dave sped away.
