After the set, Rob tossed his sticks into the audience, before walking off with the others, slicking his hair back with the sweat he had built up within it. A stagehand tossed his a water bottle just off to the side. He thanked them as he downed the water in a single take.

He loved the feeling of the shows, especially now that everything seemed so aligned. Any and all frustration was brought to the stage and beaten to utter shit along with the rest of his drum heads. In fact, he was pretty sure he’d have to make Harold give him some money for new heads soon, seeing as how his floor and rack tom were both starting to give way to dents; the second of the two-layered material cracking from it’s constant, heavy usage. 

Looking off to the side, he saw Jane put her own sweaty hair up. He envied the convenience, and either wished his hair could hurriedly catch up for his to tie it back, or else he’d probably buzz it off to be done with his little experiment. 

Catching up with Sam and Austin after load-out, the three caught up with Jane as she was talking to someone. As he got closer, Rob started wondering. Could it be—?

It was. 

“[i]Holy shit,”[/i] Rob said involuntarily.

Mia gave Rob a sultry smile and greeted him. It was the same smile he remembered from high school. Back in those days, Mia had been quite vocal about her feelings to Rob, especially during the days building up to her move to New York. Her last day at Long Beach, Rob had called her over. He was much more direct during those days: he wasn’t ever interested in relationships, but when he wanted someone…

He had always found her to be really attractive, but knowing she wouldn’t be around anymore escalated things. They spent several hours together that day and night.

Mia was so much like Jane, but she was totally opposite in Rob’s mind. Jane represented emotion, a connection with someone he hadn’t had with anyone else. Mia was a purely superficial entity for Rob. At least…she used to be. Seeing her again now was [i]too[/i] odd.

He was so lost in thought about it, he let the others respond to the suggestion of hanging out with her go by without him. Sam and Austin seemed so eager, but this wasn’t a situation he really wanted to be in.

Once they had gotten to the room, Rob waited for Jane to step out of the shower, and slipped in as soon as he was sure she had left it. As he rinsed off, he could smell whatever fragrances Jane had left in the air behind her. He longed for the evening they had spent together almost like it was a passing memory rather than simply earlier that day. 

He got out, cleaned up his beard a bit, and slipped on a clean white shirt over a bomber jacket and a clean pair of pants. He was in his room when he heard Mia come inside. He couldn’t help but hear them talk about him for just a moment, before seeing Jane peer in as he finished scribbling something down some lyrics he had thought of in a journal.

“Sure,” he said, looking up and setting his work down. He followed her back into the main room, seeing Mia again. 

“Good to see you, Rob,” Mia said, her voice dripping with memories of their past. Rob offered her a cordial smile.

“It’s been a while,” he tossed out, before diving his eyes into his phone. “I’ll grab Sam and Austin. Meet you at the lobby?” 

Before he could hear a response, he slipped out the front door without looking back. He almost forgot to breathe until he got down there, finding Sam and Austin waiting patiently. 

“Where’s Jane?” Sam asked. “With Mia?” 

Rob nodded, swallowing as well. “I wasn’t expecting to see her again.” Before he could continue, Austin laughed loudly as Sam rolled his eyes and handed him twenty dollars. “Wha—you—you [i]bet[/i] on this?” He asked, mortified. 

“Twenty dollars that you fucked her before she moved to New York,” Austin said bluntly. Rob looked around to make sure any kids or moms were around as he said it. 

“I didn’t say that,” Rob about whispered. 

“You didn’t have to.” 

Rob took in a deep breath, before approaching them closer than he had before. “Look,” he said, “I’m just trying to figure out shit with Jane—“

“Well holy shit!” Sam about shouted, “I [i]never[/i] would’ve guessed!”

“[i]Look[/i],” Rob about spat out, “I don’t want things to get any more fucked up. So just…help me out here.”

“So…you [i]don’t[/i] want to fuck Mia?” Sam asked. Rob half-jokingly punched him in the shoulder. But just enough to hurt. 

Before they could continue, Jane and Mia walked around the corner, and soon enough, all of them were off on a night on the town. One that couldn’t end soon enough.