I LIVED FOR YOU • Fab Moretti

Chapter Four

That  night, Julian came home. Senor Casablancas reluctantly allowed me to stay at their apartment, after Julian explained to him his addiction that he had established years prior, and reminded him of everything that my parents did for them. 

"Come out with me tonight," Julian said the next day, sifting through his closet for a jacket. At my raised brow, he replied, "Not like that. To Nick, Albert, and Niko's house in Bushwick. It's where we practice. I want you to meet them. See us as a band."

"Fab will be there?" I asked, still wary of his desire to "go out" at all.

"Yes, Fab will be there. Why do you ask?" Julian replied, turning around to look at me.

"Because he's the only other one I can trust to babysit you," I said without looking up from the book I was keeping my nose in for the day: Albert Camus's The Plague.

"Jeez," Julian sighed, before turning back into his closet. 

-

Julian pushed open the door, ushering me in before leading me to the basement, the walls painted red and covered in soundproofing. 

"Hey, dudes," Julian greeted as we walked down.

"Jules," a boy with even fluffier hair than Fab said, looking slightly surprised. "How you doing, man?" He asked.

"I'm walkin' on sunshine, brother," Julian replied in his low, gravelly voice. "Guys, I wanted to introduce my best friend, she moved away a few years ago and is back in town. This Claudia," he said, pulling me to his side and addressing the three men in the room.

"Hi." I waved slightly.

"Hey, Niko," another tall boy introduced himself from across the room, without making any other moves.

"I'm Albert, nice to meet you," the curly haired one said, shaking my hand.

"Likewise," I said.

"Nice to see you again. We met the other night, if you remember?" the blue-eyed one I recognized said.

"Yeah, nice to see you, Nick," I said. We turned at the sound of someone rushing down the stairs.

"Oh shit, hey Claudia," Fab said, smiling at me slightly. "How ya doing, beautiful?"

"I'm alright, and yourself?" I asked shyly.

"Pretty good," Fab said, swiftly moving to the drum set in the corner without taking his eyes off me.

"Dia, do you wanna just hang out for a while? I'd love to show you some of our stuff from out album," Julian said.

"Of course," I replied. He smiled and nodded to the sofa on the side of the room, which I sat myself down on. Pulling my knees to my chest and leaning back, I observed them all keenly. 

Nick stood, with a large semi-hollow guitar hanging low across his body. Albert was on the opposite side of the room, with a telecaster attached tightly, on a short strap. Niko stood in corner, so still I hardly noticed him. My eyes then met Fab's, who looked away in response, forward at Julian. 

"What do you guys wanna play?" Fab asked after clearing his throat. 

"Someday?" Julian asked. 

-

"You guys wanna go get a bite to eat?" Julian asked as they all packed up their things, myself quietly waiting. "I'm starving. Claud, could you eat?"

"Could you pay?"

Julian chuckled.

"Got you covered," he said. "What do you guys think?"

"Sounds good to me," Fab said quickly, perking up from behind his drum set.