Shitty at Best

Chapter 2

 Michael traced the keys on his piano lightly with his fingertips. College felt like a long distant memory, but it had only been a year. It felt like he graduated and got his diploma years ago. Though it had been a long time since he last talked to Isaac or anyone else from his friends.

Not like he didn't have time, he just didn't feel like socializing with anyone when he was in the middle of writing a piece. And he was in the middle of writing one particular piece.

It was still a secret to everyone, but he planned on that being his breakthrough.

He sighed.

It would have been a breakthrough if he actually put anything solid on his sheet music, not just scribble something and then cross it. Of course, he didn't like wasting paper, so he filled the whole sheet with crossed out notes, before he threw it away.

He was working at a bar for meantime. It was nothing special, just a small bar down town held by a cute couple in their early thirties. He enjoyed playing there and that was all that mattered to him.

When he was done with scribbling and scattering crossed sheets around, he stood up and cracked his back. He reached for his box of cigarettes and lighter, and went outside on the balcony to light one up.

He leaned on the fence and lit it up, putting his hand over the flame to shield it from the wind. When it lit up he took a deep breath and let it down, looking down at the street in front of him.

It was so quiet and peaceful. The only sound was the rustling of the leaves and the song that Michael was humming to himself.

He slumped down on one of the chairs and glanced at his apartment. It was too quiet for him now. He usually had his TV on even if he didn't watch it, just to have something to distract him from the loneliness. But he turned it off whenever he was working. Now that no sound was present, he had nothing to distract him.

He had even considered selling that apartment and buying a smaller one on the loudest part of town.

But if he did, his parents would've been mad. They gave him that apartment as a present for his birthday and also as means of using when arguing with him and point out that everything he has comes from them and he needs to listen to them.

Maybe he needed a pet...Something to fill up the silence and make him company. But he scratched that idea as well, since he couldn't even take care of himself properly. The closest thing he had to a pet were the tulips he was taking care of on the fence of the balcony. He liked to talk to them and pretend like they can hear him. But he knew that he looked ridiculous, so he did it only when there was no one around to hear him.

Like right now.

"Do you think that I should get a room mate, Rose?" He asked one of the flowers. "Or is it too dangerous? You know what? I don't care. I am getting a room mate. Thanks, Rose. By the way, remind me to water you." Yes. He named one of his tulips Rose. Isn't so different from naming your cat Whiskers.

He got up and went over to his laptop, turning on the TV on the way there.

Now that something was buzzing in the background, he could finally be at ease. He quickly posted an ad for his extra bedroom and just went by with his daily rituals. Such as laying face down on the couch and listening to the humming of the TV in the background.

-

Soon from morning, it became noon and he was getting ready to go to the bar.

It seemed to be a slow night for a Saturday, as he made his way over to the bar and greet the short man behind it with a smile.