Keep the Change, You Filthy Animal

Chapter 5

Alex. 

- 

I had definitely learned my lesson. No more expensive Russian chicks. It's understood. Loud and clear. You hear that, Almighty Lord? I GET IT. So why does your fucking punishment stretch out endlessly!? I got the money, I gave it to the fucker who almost blew my brains out, problem solved! Right? WRONG. Oh no, now the generous stranger-friend of mine who'd been nice enough to help me pay my dues - and who had seen me cry more often than my mother - needed the money back. So basically, we were back to square one. 

The good part? No one was threatening to murder us this time. Well, not directly anyway. Then again, I didn't know Jack's parents, and according to his reaction after that dreadful phone call from his dad, maybe his life WAS in danger. And all that because he was a good person. And because I was a reckless idiot with nothing but cigarette smoke and solidified booze in his head.  

But I was going to make up for it. I was going to turn my fucking life around until eight hundred dollars wasn't just a sweet dream anymore. I just needed a plan... 

I suddenly stopped pacing and pointed a triumphal finger into the air. "I know!" Jack's head snapped up. After almost three hours of sitting on my ruined couch looking defeated, a flicker of hope finally crossed his face. "What if I made one of my bands famous? The one you saw the other night! We're called The Hustlers, isn't that an awesome name? We could go so far! I could make all the money you need! I could make even more! Wouldn't that be awesome? Wouldn't it... what?" Jack's expression made my words trail off. He didn't look like he shared my enthusiasm.  

"Alex... I don't wanna be rude or anything, but... well, first of all I could teach your guitarist a thing or too. What I mean to say is..." I waited patiently while he searched for the right words. "Your band kinda sucks."  

Oh.  

Right. I'd forgotten about that. 

"Well, maybe we could..." But I didn't know what to end that sentence with. I let out a deep sigh and was about to flop down on the ugly piece of furniture next to Jack when suddenly, "I KNOW!" Jumping back on my feet, I grabbed Jack's shoulders and pulled him up too. "Don't just sit there, we have work to do!" 

"What work? What?" 

"We're stating a band, Jack! You just said you played guitar, right? It'll be just me, you, maybe Rian too." I chuckled at the thought of Rian's reaction when he heard that idea. "Definitely Rian." 

"Wait, wait! Whoa! I'm not THAT good at-" 

"Sure you are! This is gonna be awesome!" By then I was jumping around the room in circles, not making one single effort to contain my excitement. "Let's go find Rian!" And miraculously enough, Jack didn't look so desperate anymore.  

* 

"Nope. Forget it, Lex. I'm not doing that."  

"Aw, please, Ri. Please, please, please, please with a beer on top?" I begged again. 

"Dude, I haven't drummed since like, fourth grade! I don't even know how many sticks there are anymore!" 

"Two. In general." I thought about that for a second. "Unless you're Henry the Octopus. But that's not the point! Don't you wanna learn again? Aw, come on! For me...?" Rian's pouty face faltered for half a second. I was winning! "I'll buy you a teddy bear once we're rich and famous! A golden teddy bear with diamonds for eyes, and you can call him... Bear-Rian, or Bearian... BRIAN!" How did I even come up with this stuff? "And you'd be best friends forever and ever and ev-" 

"Alright, alright! I'll do it!" He gave me a friendly shove and pretended to be angry. "But just to shut you up."  

"Aw, Ri, you know it's because you love me..." I smiled innocently and batted my eyelashes at him.