Boy Couch

Beginnings

Honestly, they were only watching this show as a favor to Nari. Watching and -- more importantly -- listening to their cousin sing on that stage in the dingy bar was more painful than actually enjoyable. The only decent thing about the set was the tall, red-headed accompanists' guitar playing. Jeremiah watched Nari and her friend perform while sipping at a foul tasting beer. They had to look like they were paying attention, or Nari might throw a fit.

The pair only played about five or six songs, but to Jeremiah, it felt like a lifetime. They finally finished their set and excused themselves from the stage to be replaced by a different group. Jeremiah heaved a sigh of half relief, half lament over the wasted evening.

Nari bounded up to Jeremiah, a wide grin all over her pale face. "JOHANNA!! What did you think?!" she cried over the bar's din.

Jeremiah put on a fake smile. "You guys were great!"

Nari beamed at them. Her musical partner wandered up after her and gave Jeremiah a small wave. "Hey."

"Yo," Jeremiah replied, lifting a finger from their glass in greeting.

Nari grasped her friend's arm. "Tiberius, this is my cousin, Johanna. Jo, this is Tiberius!"

"Jeremiah," they added.

Tiberius lifted an eyebrow. He turned his head sideways and pointed at his ear. "Sorry? What did you say?"

They raised their voice over the clamor. "Jeremiah. I go by Jeremiah."

"You do?" Tiberius looked a little perplexed.

"It's a nickname," Nari explained matter-of-factually.

It wasn't, but they didn't feel like getting into it. "You're a great guitar player," they said to Tiberius instead.

"Oh, thanks," he responded with a shrug. He looked down at his watch then. "I'm glad you could make it. It was nice meeting you, but I have to get going. I'm supposed to babysit tonight," he muttered.

Jeremiah nodded sagely. "Have fun with that." Tiberius gave a sarcastic laugh and waved as he left.

Nari sat down on a stool next to Jeremiah and pointed at their drink. "Can I try some of that?"

Jeremiah slid the mug closer to their chest. "You're a highschooler."

"Nuh-uh! I graduated last month."

Jeremiah narrowed their eyes at her. "Fine, so you're barely out of high school. I'm not getting in trouble for giving a teenager alcohol," they said, "I can't believe they even let you play in here."

Nari held up her hands which each sported a huge black X in marker. "I guess they don't care about the age of the musicians if we don't drink."

Jeremiah hummed, letting Nari know that they'd heard her, they just didn't care to reply.

"We're doing another gig next week," Nari said after a few moments of Jeremiah ignoring her in favor of sipping their beer. "Tiberius is going to teach me some chords on the guitar so we can play together," she went on.

"I'm busy," Jeremiah interrupted. One of these was enough.

"I didn't tell you when the gig was," Nari said flatly.

Jeremiah looked dead into her eyes. "I have a job. I took tonight off. I'm not doing it again."

Nari stared at them for a minute. "Okay then. The next one, though?"

Jeremiah blinked. They sighed. "Sure."

There was no next one. The last thing Jeremiah heard about their little music duo was that Nari had learned some guitar thanks to Tiberius, and she wanted to try for a solo career. Jeremiah bit their tongue and decidedly did not ask her "what career?" On a whim, with nothing but her guitar, her voice, and her trust fund, Nari hopped on a plane to New York City.