EoS Extras

Radio Shenanigans

My fingers dug into my knuckles nervously. He looked so good today, not that he didn't look good everyday...did he? He wore a white button up with the sleeves rolled up. I stared, involuntarily, at his right arm that was gripping the steering wheel as his other arm rested against the door.

"What's wrong?" His voice broke me out of my stupor, calling my attention to his eyes. I'd been staring. I felt the heat rise to my face, along with a spoonful of shame.

"Nothing, sorry." I croaked, turning my ahead away to look at my window at the quickly passing scenery. Maybe agreeing to hang out with him today was a bad idea. I pressed my cheek to the passenger door and closed my eyes, enjoying the leather that had been warmed by the sun. The radio surged to life, filling the car with chatter and then silence as I assumed Joji searched for music.

I didn't complain. I listened with closed eyes as he navigated the radio until finally landing on a station that was a playing a distinguishable song with no static.

Yeah, I heard she got a man homie, 

Yeah, he wanna lay the hands on me Yeah, but he should see the way she dance on me 

Yeah, wishing I ain't had no pants on me

I need you 
I'm a lovesick fuck 
I want you
I'm lovesick fuck

The song was quickly cut off as Joji switched the station and continued his search.

"Jeez." He huffed. I opened my eyes at the interruption but didn't comment, instead opting to watch people walk on the street as we drove past. The sunny day had everyone out, it seemed. I watched an elderly couple walking hand in hand and smiled. The man was holding a small umbrella over the woman's head as they shuffled slowly down the sidewalk.

Another song thumped through the speakers then, as Joji settled on a song again.

I get those goosebumps every time, yeah

You come around, yeah 

You ease my mind, you make everything feel fine Worried 'bout those comments

I'm way too numb 
It's way too dumb, yeah

"What the fuck is going on today?" He complained, changing the music for a third time. I looked over at him, noting the frustrated look on his face as his thick brows furrowed and his hand rapidly tapped the seek button on the car radio.

"You okay?" I asked softly, hoping to with whatever was clearly bothering him. He looked at me startled, as if he forgot I was in the car with him.

"Yeah, yeah, I just don't like those songs." He explained, looking away from me quickly as the car came to a stop at a red light. I nodded at his words in understanding before looking back out the window. George was grumbling something to himself that I couldn't hear but he finally landed on a radio station that he seemed satisfied with. Whatever song he'd stopped at, however, came to an end in the next few seconds and the next song began. A quick tempo began and a man yelled over the song before the chorus started.

I don't know if you could take it 

Know you wanna see me nakey, nakey, naked I wanna be your baby, baby, baby 

Spinning and it's wet just like it came from Maytag

"Alright." Joji let out a defeated sigh and turned the radio off completely. I glanced at the radio, looking for any indicator that it had Bluetooth and was pleased to see that it did. I pressed mode on the radio and unlocked my phone to connect it to the car.

"What are you doing?" Joji asked, glancing back and forth between me and the road. I finished the connection and opened a Spotify on my phone before I answered him.

"What do you want to listen to?" I smiled gently, holding my phone in my hand and waiting patiently for his answer. He seemed confused at my question before it dawned on him.

"Olivia, you didn't have to."

"It's no big deal, what do you like?" I scrolled through the genres on the app, trying to guess what kind of music he liked. His song he'd played for me at work was a strange genre...like hip hop but mellow? I never asked him what the name of his song was, now that I think about it.

"Radiohead." He told me, turning the steering wheel as we took a right and continued down the busy street. I typed Radiohead into the search bar and started a started a radio, which randomized their songs and added similar songs to a single playlist. I wasn't super familiar with the band beyond 'Creep,' so when the first song began to play, I listened closely.

I don't want to be your friend 
I just want to be your lover 
No matter how it ends
No matter how it starts

Forget about your house of cards 
And I'll do mine 
Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine

Joji and I both shifted to our opposite sides of the car, putting as much space between us as we could in bizarre synchronization. I felt compelled to change the song but that would have given me away so instead I endured it, trying not to think too much about the lyrics.

Fall off the table 
Get swept under 
Denial, denial

The infrastructure will collapse 

Voltage spikes Throw your keys in the bowl Kiss your husband goodnight

Forget about your house of cards 
And I'll do mine 
Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine

"Great band." Was the only dumb comment I could make at I stared out of my window.

"Yeah." He agreed.

Fall off the table 
And get swept under

Denial, denial 
Denial, denial 
Your ears should be burning
Denial, denial
Your ears should be burning

The ride home was quiet. 

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This was meant to be the ride to the Waffle House but I scrapped it because I didn't want to make this a song fic. I feel like that's really annoying, especially if you don't share the author's taste in music. Still, this scrapped chapter was one of my favorites and I still think about it often. It's very cute and the tension makes me laugh.

The songs are as follows: 

Love$ick (feat A$AP Rocky) -Mura Masa

Goosebumps -Travis Scott

Wild Thoughts (feat Rihanna & Bryson Tiller) -DJ Khalid

House of Cards -Radiohead