Call it Fate, Call it Karma

Mysterious Behaviour

"So we sent in a couple of the demos we recorded with that producer guy," Nick started to explain. "...I think his name was Gordon or something? He said he'd pass them on to his friend that owns a little record label."

I looked at him, feeling very unamused. "You recorded and trusted your demos with some guy and you don't even know his name? Sounds sketchy, man."

"Nick didn't pay very much attention the whole time." Nikolai informed me. "The guy's professional."

"He was cool." Nick shrugged, inhaling some smoke from his cigarette. I don't know what he was so nonchalant about. I kept my thoughts about them getting ripped off by that guy to myself though.

I tapped the ash off my cigarette and watched Nikolai repetitively poke Fab, who was still asleep.

"Damn, what did you do to him?" Nikolai chuckled softly.

I passed him my cigarette, huffing out my slight irritation with the upcoming topic. "It's called getting locked out at four in the morning and sleeping in the hallway."

"No way!" Nick started to laugh. "Albert?"

I nodded. "Albert."

"Anyone else notice he's been acting weird lately?" said Nikolai. "I hung out with him a couple days ago and he was being really dry."

"Tell me about it!" I exclaimed, glad it wasn't just Albert's encounter with me where he was acting sour. "He got really sensitive earlier and stormed out." I told Nick and Nikolai about everything that had happened and how Albert pretty much overreacted about everything and got all control freak-y. They agreed that he went a little over the top.

Julian soon walked into the room holding my guitar and he sat on the floor by the couch crosslegged. He extended the guitar in my direction whilst looking at Nick.

"Can you give teaching her a shot?" he asked, scratching his neck. "I've tried and it's impossible. I don't want that thing going to waste."

"Impossible?!" I gasped. "Why I never!"

"It's true! You can barely name all the strings!" Julian protested, shaking his head.

"What's in it for me?" asked Nick with a raised eyebrow.

"I won't kick you out of my apartment right now?" I batted my eyelashes with my hands clasped together.

Nick scowled and took the guitar off me. He tuned it for a while before he started plucking the strings. "Not bad." He shrugged.

"Of course it's 'not bad', it's kinda new!" Julian scolded him.

"Oh! This the one you bought for her?" Nikolai reached over to run his hand over the strings. "It is nice."

"Too nice for someone that lacks experience." I said, with a laugh. "Honestly, Jules...I'm really grateful and all, but I would've been cool with a cheap old guitar."

"You deserve the best." he said softly, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Aww..." Fab muttered with his eyes half open.

"Look who's awake." I chuckled.

Fab yawned, stretching his arms high above his head and he looked around. "Oh, hey guys." he said, looking over and Nick and Nikolai. "Where's Albert?"