✦ night knuckles ✦

ｏｎｅ

ＮＯＶ　３０，　２００９

— 

8:13 AM

it was still too early to get up.

the previous night hadn't been much of a favour to taylor. his friends managed to get him wasted when he clearly stated earlier that evening that didn't want to. though, he felt like he owed them. sure, they drowned him in alcohol that was bad for his health, but they also drowned him in alcohol that made him feel better more than anyone he knew could. he was the happiest living man on earth last night; it had been a long time since he felt that way. he was grateful.

however, happiness gave him a headache. happiness didn't even solve any of his life problems. how selfish.

taylor hadn't slept very well that year. he couldn't make himself fall asleep again, so he forced his eyes to stay peeled. he wanted to wait for zac to wake up so they could get up and go to class, but after waiting three hours, just lying motionless in his bed and staring at the cracked drywall ceiling the whole time, he decided that he was going to skip the day. again. 

zac was finally awake. he got up, instantly stretching out his arms before letting them fall back down to dangle limply at his sides. he looked like he slept well, judging by the smile on his face.

"what time is it?" he asked his roommate, mid-yawn. it didn't even faze him that two of his classes already passed.

"eleven forty-three."

"shoot!" what a clean, christian mouth. "i'm late for class!"

taylor shook his head, snickering. "chill out. it's just another one of professor gilbert's lame lectures. you can get notes from cindy later."

zac stopped putting on his shoes and sighed, falling back on his bed. professor gilbert had one of the most sleep-inducing classes they've ever known. zac was a hardworker when it comes to his studies, but even he knew that gilbert's classes were worth skipping. it was almost like a sin not to skip them.

for taylor, nothing about college concerned him anymore. he planned to drop out next month, but zac practically begged him to stay and get at least one degree. though, taylor knew that zac only wanted him to stay because he needed a roommate he felt comfortable venting about his problems to. besides his brother, josh, who lived in a fraternity house with his other friends, taylor was zac's only buddy.

the three boys have been friends since pre-school, when their families still lived in franklin. now, they lived in nashville, where most of their friends and relatives are.

"oh, thank god you told me. i can't stand another hour of him and his robotic voice. he keeps teaching the same thing over and over again! teach us something new, for christ's sake."

"no problem, zachary canary."

zac flinched at the nickname. he swung his head and glared at taylor, who had a smug look on his face. "you and josh promised not to call me that anymore."

"no, we promised not to call you that when you're not all loud and noisy with your complaints, but yet, here you are," taylor said, shrugging.

the boy rolled his eyes. "i swear, if someone thinks 'canary' is my last name and carves that into my gravestone, i'll be shouting at you guys all the way from the afterlife."

"well, that's a morbid thing to say. what ever happened to happy zachary?" of course, the teasing continued.

"happy zachary took a vacation 'cause he's so tired of you and josh still calling him nicknames from pre-school. it's sad zac now."

"i mean, you are the youngest among us."

"doesn't mean he's a child!"

taylor burst out in a fit of laughter. zac tried to get him to stop, because he was supposedly being serious about it, but couldn't help but eventually laugh too.

6:24 PM

the blades of the ceiling fan spun around in a painfully slow speed. it was humid in the room, but he didn't feel like pulling off the covers on him, or even showering that day. he didn't feel like doing anything except stare at the boring ceiling. taylor didn't need to look in the mirror to know that his eyes were bloodshot and baggy. he finally blinked. it felt like his first blink in forever.

"god, i need a life," he said aloud to himself.

josh was probably having fun, like every college kid should, with his fraternity friends. zac was probably getting it on with his new girlfriend, laura. his parents were probably glad to finally have the house all to themselves again after nearly four decades of taking care of taylor and his brother, justin, so he wouldn't want to bother them. he had no where to go and no one to be with. to everyone he knew, that was just sad.

1 new message from zac

taylor sighed and lazily picked up his phone from the floor, opening the message.

zac: hey t, laura n i are gonna see a band at exit/in tonite. theyre from our college 2 n theyre p good. i think i gave you a cd of their songs b4. this will b their first official show after playing in ppls basements 4 so long. since its friday nite n im sure ur bored, come join us itll be fun i swear

is he talking about hidden corporate messages? must be.

you: oh hcm. i like them. first official gig huh?

zac: yeah!! how cool is that

you: it's pretty cool. i think i'll come.

zac: yayyy

zac: oh btw they changed their band name to paramore bc hcm was 2 long 4 them. they also have a new lead singer n its a girl. shes pretty 2!

you: jesus dude i thought you were dating laura

zac: i am!! i just thought youd want to come n meet the girl

you: i told you i'm still not ready to start dating again.

zac: u dont have 2 d8 her. just talk to her shes nice n cool n i think youll like her

you: hmm ok

you: i'll be there in 10

how nice and cool can she possibly be? girls are monsters.