Coma White

Little Horn

Chapter 3 – Little Horn

Brian had been standing outside Jessie’s house for a little under an hour listening to the insanely good drumming and electric guitar playing coming from inside the house. It was like she was composing a song… and what a song! Brian wondered if he should just leave. Her mother was out, so she couldn’t let him in, and Jessie wouldn’t be able to hear him over the noise she was making. He turned away from the door and took two steps forward, intending to leave Jessie be for now, when her mother pulled up in the driveway to his left. He watched as Jessie’s mother clambered out of the car, looking a little frazzled, carrying way too many grocery bags. She didn’t look like any of the other mothers he knew…she dressed like an ex-rock band member!

Making his way over to her, he held out his hands. “Here, let me help.” He began, taking two bags she would’ve dropped before she reached the door. “I’m Jessie’s friend, Brian…I came to see her, but she can’t hear me.”

“A friend?” her mother asked, locking the car as she regarded him carefully. Finally, she smiled at him. “Of course, thank-you, dear. No, she won’t hear you when she’s practicing down in the basement.”

Brian gave a coy smile. “I figured as much.” He helped her mother inside with the groceries, still listening to what Jessie was playing. “What’s she practicing for?”

“Oh, she wants to be a rock star someday. She’s been playing that for months…I don’t think she’ll ever be happy with that one.” Jessie’s mother explained as she and Brian dumped the grocery bags on the kitchen counter. “Would you like to go down to see her?”

Brian nodded. “Yeah, is that okay?”

“Of course, dear!” she ushered him out of the kitchen and past several doors. “I thought she only knew young Jayden who’s been helping her with Trig and Calculus…” after that, Brian was pretty sure Jessie’s mother was only muttering to herself. “A friend! A male friend…well, she always did get on better with boys than girls. Less drama, she says…”

“She’s friends with my cousin Chad too…” Brian shrugged as she opened a door at the far end of the house and the sound of the electric guitar became excessively louder; and Brian smiled. He could hear her singing now…lyrics that had more meaning than anything anyone else their age would ever write.

Her voice was carried to them up the stairs, “You were from a perfect world. A world that threw me away today…today… to run away. A pill to make you numb. A pill to make you dumb. A pill to make you anybody else. But all the drugs in this world… Won't save her from herself…”

Brian stood transfixed as images flitted through his mind. He was soon brought back to reality when he heard her mother call out to Jessie. “Jess! You’ve a friend here to see you, dear!”

The music ceased immediately. There was silence for a moment or two before she actually spoke. “Who?” she called up the stairs.

“Brian…” he nodded at her mother when she looked to confirm that she’d said the right name.

“Oh, hey!” her tone immediately lifted. “Come on down!”

As Brian descended the stairs, he cast his eyes around the basement. It looked like this was her room…there was almost another house down there! Her bed against the far wall, a TV and game controller at the foot of the bed with video and cassette tapes piled around an old, acoustic guitar. His gaze finally found Jessie, sitting on a couch opposite the stairs, putting the guitar she’d been playing back in its stand as she stood and went to sit behind her drum kit.

“I’m leaving the door open, okay honey?” he heard her mother call down to them as he reached the last step.

“Sure, Mum! No worries.” Jessie didn’t look up for a while, frowning at the snare drum in front of her. When she did look up, she smiled happily at Brian. “Hey…”