Music Masters: CD One

SAD TOMORROW: PART ONE

For the first time in many weeks, Kimberly Ramone reached for her alarm.

Under the haze of grogginess and trick of recent dreams, it took her empty fingers more than a few seconds to realize that she had no alarm to be turned off.

It wasn't repeated beeping that had interrupted her afternoon nap, but rather familiar thoughts that had translated into familiar dreams.

Besides, Kim had smashed that mechanical annoyance of a clock a long time ago.

She groaned loudly as she rolled over in bed, grabbing her phone nearby as she realized the time.

Kim scratched her chin as she sat up, rolling her tongue in her mouth as she blinked into wakefulness.

Even on an afternoon like this, the house remained impossibly silent. The frame of her bed creaked ever so slightly as her feet dropped onto the floor.

Clothes of all kinds and colors were strewn about her crimson-rugged floor, but Kim just kicked them out of the way as she checked herself in the mirror. She pushed aside various lipstick tubes, eyeliner pencils and hair dye cases in the process.

She scanned the mirror with sudden wakefulness. Her appearance was one thing. The state of her hair was another.

All around her, various music posters displaying punk rock artists from 1974 onward hung all around her room. Some were worn beyond their years, edges beginning to peel away from the black wall, while others looked like they were just fresh out of their plastic wrapping.

In the right corner by her window, a towering stereo system, complete with a vinyl player and digital audio setup alike, watched over Kim's bed like some motionless Sentonal. Many a loud punk rock song had been played on those speakers, whether the rest of the house wanted to hear them or not.

When Kim was finally done checking her messy brown locks, she closed her room door shut behind her as she finally made her way downstairs.

As if to contrast the messiness and punk rock decor of her abode, the rest of the house was a sparkling, spotless picture of suburbian perfection. Various paintings of the ocean lined the walls, while of the furniture seemed impeccably clean and without a scuff or scratch.

Nevertheless, Kim stomped her way down the staircase, a look of disdain pasted on her face.

She made absolutely no effort to keep the noise level to a minimum. After another night out partying, full of drinking and frivolous spending, her mother would sleep through just about anything.

So with that thought in mind, there would be no better time than now to raid the fridge.

Her mother was constantly forgetful and lazy, but thankfully the day maid was not. Kim helped herself to the last night's lasagna, devouring it with quick, greedy bites.

With headphones around her neck and stomach now full, the girl heaved back onto the comfortable living room couch, staring up at the ceiling as she debated her plans for the day.

The thought crossed her mind of seeing what Michael and Aeris were up to, as they remained to be the closest thing she had to friends. Calvin didn't even make a blip in her mental checklist, even as Kim found herself scrolling through old texts.

A small smile crept up on her face at Michael's constant questions from last week on where everyone was, even as they waited in the lobby of Rob's building for him to buzz them in.

He remained to be an airhead, that much was for sure, but even Kim couldn't deny that there was a kind person in him that could make just about anyone comfortable.