Around 'Bout Midnight (**click** part 2)

[Dano]

It was a nice night, actually. Pretty cool for late July, only about 70 degrees, nice breeze, not much humidity. People were hanging out in the Market, but not so many that it seemed like they were crushing in on you. The street kids were out, of course, but they all seemed to be hanging out on the steps of the abandoned Post Hotel, not bothering people or anything, just being young and energetic.

**click**

Saxophone Guy was down the street playing in front of some bar or another, getting change and the occasional dollar bill. It seemed like he was switching fairly well between bombast and gentility. Every once in a while, he'd really get going, and having sat and taken pictures of him before, I could mentally see him straining, eyes clamped shut, neck bulging, sweating, his right foot hopping up and down off the pavement. Like some kind of regal Nubian Prince in his dashiki and sandals, dreadlocks tied back with shoestring, lost in his music.

**click**

Lost. Lost. Lost. Drifting, as I often do, taking shots of the tops of buildings, capturing the moon peeking, clouds mottling the dark sky grey, stars spiraling in their slow dance across the universe. The tops of the trees adding a dash of color, the open windows lit from inside.

**click**

People were walking around me, standing in the middle of the street, pointing my camera up at the world above me, capturing it so I could show itself to itself. Sometimes young men would come over and try to talk to me, trying to be funny or artistic without being pretentious, but always hitting on me, always being ignored. They didn't realize that even if I hadn't been in my own world of world-hunting, my heart belongs to another?

**click**

Smiling at the memory of his scent in the morning, head swimming from sudden recollection of his perfectly lopsided smile, his shag of hair seeming to blanket me. His touch on my arm or back or thighs, his breath in my ears, his lips on mine?

**click**

My focus shifted to the old clock on the corner, and realized that he would be getting off of work soon. I could go and sit, waiting for him. We had so little time together lately, with him working two jobs now, but he felt the need to save up for a trip to Greece, even though I could have gotten the money from the Popodoppolous family easily. He was so bull-headed sometimes, but he wanted to at least pay for his air-fare. I couldn't begrudge him that, otherwise he'd feel guilty about it forever.

**click**

One last shot before I headed over to the store, of Saxophone Guy from a distance, calling this roll "Prince Jayson's Serenade".

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Raise Love / Om Namaha Shivaya / All Stories Are True / My goal's Beyond



[This message has been edited by Dano (edited July 28, 2000).]

[gollum]

i like it...it seems like there's not much there at first, but when you look at it again, it's rather deep (for lack of a better term). i like it a lot.

why "Prince Jayson's Serenade"?

-g

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Sometimes i think everyone on this board is crazy. The rest of the time i'm sure.
-Dan

think i'm at the bottom when i'm really at the top
think i'm at the bottom when i'm dying at the top

[Branflakes]

*sigh* you are so good at this.

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Branflakes, the ninja lesbian milk getter.
The one called "brain" and "brainflakes" and....
Officially declared "cute".

"Hope y're not squeamish. Having said that, it's not so bad. Nothing compared to "She Thinks..." ! "--Ersby

Starkyld, scares old debate partner/dissection partner/project partner/quiz bowl co-captain/valordictorians.

I'm tired of the silent majority. Silence equals death.

[Dano]

"Prince Jayson's Serenade"

Be patient.

[Dano]

Writer's note: This part of the story takes place about 10 months after the last part. Around 'Bout Midnight takes place in July, while the older stuff was in September. A lot has happened, and I'll fill in some gaps, but for the most part, I'm dropping you in cold. Have fun!

My frined Ed's brother had a house on the far south side of town, way out in the suburbs. Strange, considering that his house was a dive in the middle of a reasonably nice neighborhood. But, it was a good party house, and there were always a lot of people there.

We had gone to Omaha earlier that day, and in the car, I finally asked the question that had been bugging me all day.

So, what the hell happened with Mike and Rain?
(he got nervous) I don't know. (long pause) He's a dick.
Well, that's obvious, but why is she living at your house now?
Look, she needed somewhere to go. We aren't doing anything.
(I smiled) Uh-huh.
Dude!
What? I believe you! (no I didn't, but i knew better than to press it)
Fuck you. (he was mad, but he'd get over it)

We rolled up, and saw a few cars in front of the house. Only a few people tonight, but then again, it was early, and a Wednesday too. Probably just the regulars.

Walking up the stairs, we heard someone shout, "Hey! Ed and Travis are here!" Sounded like Jack, but it could have been...

The screen door slammed open and Ed was promptly tackled by his older brother. The rolled around on the lawn for a few minutes calling each other names and making threats, laughing their asses off the whole time. I decided I wanted a beer, and wandered inside.

Yeah, not too many people tonight. Few on the couch watching TV, Robbie walking back and forth on the phone (probably on the phone with his girlfriend), and two girls I didn't recognize in the kitchen with Jack.

I grabbed a beer from the fridge, and Jack grabbed me, introducing me to Dawn (kinda goth, but in a really cute way) and April (her indie-rock-pixie friend).

(J) Ok, this is the guy I was telling you about earlier, the piano player.
(T) Hey, what's up?
(A) Hi.
(J) This is Travis, the boogie-woogie master!
(T) Stop it. I'm really not that good.
(J) Don't listen to him, he's got Tourette's and doesn't know what he's saying.
(A) I'm sure he's just fine. (laughing)

The goth just kept looking at me, right in the eye, with a strange half-smile on her dark lips. I was trying not to stare, but I was being drawn to her like a magnet. She was cute, tallish, nicely filled out, pale with dark curly hair, in a black Sisters Of Mercy t-shirt and long black dress, no shoes. There was just something about her that was intoxicating me.

(D) Did you lose something?
(T) I'm sorry?
(D) Well, from the way you're staring, I thought that maybe you were looking for something.
(T) (ah shit, busted) Sorry.
(D) Don't worry, no problem
(A) You gonna play for us tonight? (thank god for a reprieve)
(J) Sure he will!
(T) Man, Jack, I'm tired, I just got off the road from Omaha.

Robbie walked into the kitchen and asked Dawn to talk to his girlfriend for him.

(J) Just tell her to shut up and leave you alone! Man, all she's done since they broke up is call him, asking for him to take her back.
(A) Well, what do you expect? They were together for almost 3 years, and then he just dumps her, won't even tell anyone why.
(Dawn waked by me and handed me her drink) Here, hold this, I'll be right back.
(J) What is he, your slave?
(D) (she turned back, smiling) He is now.

I looked back and forth from her as she grabbed the phone and her friend.

(A) Uh-oh (she said, laughing) You're in for it now!
(T) What? (not covering my nervousness well)
(J) No. Don't do it. Set it down now.
(T) What?
(A) She's serious about that slave stuff. Exit now, or you're hers, at least for the rest of the night. (still laughing)

Ed and his brother entered the kitchen, and saw me holding two beers. They both looked at me, quizzically.

(E) Is that Dawn's?
(J & A in unison) Yeah.
(E) You poor bastard (he was smiling and shaking his head)

Dawn looked around the corner and caught my eye. She saw that I still had her beer, and smiled in an almost evil, but incredibly sexy way. Everyone was laughing at me, but I thought about it for a second, and decided that wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.
Might even be fun.


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Raise Love / Om Namaha Shivaya / All Stories Are True / My goal's Beyond



[This message has been edited by Dano (edited July 29, 2000).]

[Dano]

I walked in the door of the store, looking for him. He wasn't behind the counter, so I veered right and made for the back, hoping I could surprise him while he was out of sight from the others.

Walking down the flourescent-lit aisle, past rows and rows of cans and boxes and bags of various foods, I couldn't help but wonder, as I often do, why he chose to work here, of all places. Such an unhappy place, really. He puts up with so much, from his boss, the customers, the various problems he has to deal with as far as homeless people and drunks and street kids. But, he was bound and determined to do it on his own, on his own terms.

I pushed open the double swinging doors leading to the back, and looked around. Not by the butchery table, or the procuce cooler. I rounded the corner and walked back towards the loading dock. Maybe he was taking out trash or something. Nope, not there either. I looked up at the clock on the wall, and noticed that he still had almost 30 min. left in his shift.

I wandered back up front to the counter.

Hey Beth.
Hi. Where's he at?
He left about an hour ago with one of his friends.
Really? Weird. Who?
I dunno, the guy with the red hair.
(ah, Josh) Hhhmmm. Ok, thanks.
No prob.

So, he was out. Or, more likely, he was back at the house, sitting there watching TV with Josh. Well, nothing to do about it but go there myself.

Hopefully he wouldn't be too tired tonight. I'd like to be able to talk to him for once.

[Miral]

No, no! Dropping us in cold is wrong!! WRONG!!!

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~Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.~ T.E.Lawrence
~These posts are for entertainment purposes only. Thank you.~ by D.A.N.
~Murder one I didn't know what I did
I figured it out by murder two
Murder three I stopped feeling ashamed
This is me I'm going for you~ by: dwim