Pretty Boy

Chapter VIII: Cig, short for cigarette

Ollie took Scarlett by the hand and led them both off of the dance floor. They walked over to a curtain on the other side of the room. A sign hung on the curtain stating that only band members were allowed past the curtain. Ollie stopped in front of the curtain. "Or we could just wait for them after the show-" Ollie said meekly. Scarlett sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's a goddamn curtain Ollie now go back there and get your man!" She yelled as she finished her drink. "You aren't coming back?" Ollie asked. "This is all you- meet me outside- I wanna get a burger- this place totally blows!" she said encouragingly. Ollie looked down at the ground and up at the curtain, uncertain of what he was actually doing. "You got this girl!" She yelled as she began to walk away. Ollie smiled and pulled back the curtain just enough to slip back into the back. It was dark, in the distance a single light bulb illuminated the entire backstage area. His breath shuddered, his hands felt clammy. He made his way through the dark corridor. Suddenly a woman came bolting through the small curtain to his left, she was making out with a man, he pressed her up against the wall and began to kiss her neck, she gasped. "Excuse me" Ollie mustered as he squeezed past them. Hetero was hanging out around an amp. The long haired one, Jody, lit a cigarette.
"Hey!- no smoking back here, you know the rules" The announcer woman in all leather said to him.
"Do you know how many people are smoking out there?!" Jody said sternly to her. "I
Don't give a fuck about them-" She said as she walked up to him and took the cigarette out of his mouth, she then proceeded to smother it with her foot. Ollie stayed silent the entire time, in the shadows. "How many times have you entered this contest?" She asked. "Six" He replied with a sigh. "And remind me how many times you and your band have won?" She said smoothly. "They love us- you just don't want us to win!" Jody yelled. He was starting to get in her face. "What's the use of trying anymore? You know I could never let you guys win,"She said. "And why not?" Jody said, nodding his head. "You know why," she stated promptly. "Jesus fucking Christ what fuckin' year are we living in here?" He yelled back. Suddenly Peter, the drummer, stepped in.
"Hey- Jody calm down," He said, trying to hold him back. "We're outta here" He said as he lit another cig. "Those things'll kill ya you know" She said, trying to get a rise out of him. "I sure hope they do," He said as he picked up his guitar case. They began to leave one in front of the other out of a garage type door in the back. "Don't even think about coming back!" She yelled as she closed the door violently. "Fuck me," she sighed as she dug into her pockets, she pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
    Ollie backed into the shadows, accidentally bumping into the kissing couple who were just one slip away from fornication. "Sorry," he muttered as he made his way back to the front of the club. He proceeded to the exit, outside he met Scarlett at the car. "Hey lover boy!" She said as she rolled down the window. "How'd it go?" She asked with a smile. "What do you think?" He said as he leaned against the car. "Oh- well he wasn't that cute anyways- plus his band fucking sucked I mean did you hear them?" She laughed, trying to cheer him up wasn't always her strong suit. Ollie turned around in the direction of Burger Palace. The band walked in single file, each mingling with eachother about how fucked up Club Theron was. "You still up for that burger?" Ollie asked with a grin.
    The band was pretty much settled into their booth when they arrived. "Do you want anything?" She asked Ollie. "No- I'm gonna get us a table," Ollie said as he made his way to the booth right behind the band. He slid into the booth and began to eavesdrop on their conversation. He didn't mean to, it was just hard not to. "Fuck it we'll just make it some other way," Jody said. "How? Club Theron is the only rock club out here-" One of them said in reply. "We'll find another city" Jody said, taking a sip of his Coke. "No fuckin' way dude- I can't leave- I haven't even finished school yet," Peter said. "Order for Peter!" The man at the counter shouted. Peter got up to receive the tray of food. Scarlett walked over to Ollie with her fountain drink in hand. She sat on the other side of the table. "What are you doing? Say something." She whispered as she reached for the straws with her tongue. Ollie sighed and got up. Peter was just returning to the table with the food. He was short yet fit. "Excuse me" Ollie stuttered to them as Peter set the tray down. "Are you hetero?" He asked weakly. "No, were fags" One of them muttered. Peter nudged him in the arm. "Yeah- who wants to know?" Jody asked. "My friend and I just saw you guys- you were really good." Ollie started. "Superb to be exact-" Scarlett said as she walked over to the table. "Order for Scarlett!" The man yelled once more. "I'm right here, you don't need to shout." She said as she made her way from the table to the counter. "Thanks, sorry you had to see us like that" Peter said. "Like what?" Ollie asked, intriguingly. "Club Theron is a shit hole, chalked full of homophobes-" Peter said as he unwrapped his burger. "Well, I thought you did good," Ollie said shyly. "I did too," Scarlett said over Ollie's shoulder. "What's your name?" Peter asked. "Ollie- well Oliver, but everybody calls me Ollie." Peter smiled and ate a fry. "Well Oliver- this here is Jody, Mark, and Josiah." Ollie smiled, he was shaking inside. He had never done this before, introductions that is. "Do any of you boys by chance have a cigarette?" Scarlett asked, knowing damn well she didn't smoke, not yet at least. "Yeah we were gonna smoke after this, wanna join?" Jody asked. "We would love to- wouldn't we Ollie?" She stood up from the table and wrapped her arms around Ollie. Ollie rolled his eyes. "Sure," he said with a smile.
    They smoked in the parking lot. Scarlett took the cig in between her lips as Jody lit it for her, she coughed at the first inhale. Peter and Ollie sat on the curb. "So- where you from? Peter asked. "Here- well not right here I live outside the city" He smiled. "What about you?" Ollie asked. "I go to school here- community college you know- downtown," Peter said. "So, do you do the band full time or-" Ollie started. "Hell no- this is just my side hustle, Jody there has big dreams about where we could end up- we haven't landed anything yet." Peter said in a whisper. "This isn't really what I had in mind for my college job" Peter said, leaning into Ollie. He was happy Peter hadn't asked any invasive questions about himself. He was worried he would ask how old he was, but he never did. 
And he never would.