Mean Girls Missing

17

May 3

12:51 pm

Samantha

Weeks after we received our CD player, Arnie finally delivered the CDs we'd requested. We had asked the same day he brought it to us and he said he would have to find the time off work to search the stores for them. We gave Arnie a hefty list of artists we liked and what kind of music we typically listened to.

The CD player didn't take away all our pain. In fact, it barely took away any of the pain we dealt with. It just made it so we didn't have to focus on our traumatizing thoughts. A quick escape from the brain. Shit, I would gladly take ten minutes away from the chaos, even if I didn't know what the hell I was listening to.

Arnie brought us four albums. They still had stickers from the bookstore. I didn't know before now that bookstores even sold CDs. That was surprising to me. Why didn't they call it the book and music store? Hmm. I guess that didn't have the same ring to it.

Steph and I were excited to receive our Nicki Minaj album. It wasn't our preferred one, but she was still one of our favorite rappers, so we welcomed her music. Steph was ecstatic about Mac Miller, clutching the plastic CD to her chest as she rocked back and forth on the cement ground. Khalid was the third one we got. I wasn't a huge fan of his, but I also couldn't say that I didn't like him, either. He was just another singer to me.

And then we got AM. The black and white sound wave cover didn't look familiar in the slightest and I never heard of Arctic Monkeys before. They definitely weren't on our list of favorite singers and rappers and bands. Looking through the songs on the back, I couldn't pinpoint any that I had listened to or what they could be about. Each one had a strange title. I mean, I couldn't even tell what genre of music they were. For all I knew, it was ear-shattering metal.

I popped it into the player and watched it spin around before pressing play. The first song started. Steph peered at the case. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting. The drums and guitar – was it electric or bass? – pumped energy through me and I couldn't help but tap my foot against the floor and bounce around to the beat.

I dreamt about you nearly every night this week.

I couldn't help but think about Austin as the lyric filled the silence of the living room.

"What song is this?" I asked Stephanie, who was still curiously investigating the album.

"Umm..." She flipped it to the back. "What number is it?"

"One."

"Do I Wanna Know?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, but I would like to know."

She laughed. "No, that's what it's called. Do I Wanna Know?"

"Huh."

Strange title indeed. The lyrics were sung slowly, steadily, but confidently. I had to guess Arctic Monkeys was a rock band, which wasn't my first choice of music, but at the same time, I liked it. Before I could memorize the chorus and hum along, the song ended and the second one began. It was heavy with drums and guitar and I could tell I already loved.

I go crazy 'cause here isn't where I want to be.

"Holy shit," I whispered. Was this dude singing about my life? I was going crazy in this dungeon.

Steph turned her nose up. "I don't like this," she grumbled. She reached towards the off button but I slapped her hand midair. "What the hell? Do you like this crap?"