visuals were just for the opening band and that he had something with more visual interest for the main act.
I scanned the room for him but he wasn’t by the laptop at the rear of the room where a girl I vaguely recognized was sitting. He would be somewhere about, and when he knew I was here, there would be the usual taunting. I was suddenly very glad that Daniel couldn’t make it.
“Did you know Craig was part of this?”
“Is he going by Lucid Visuals now?” Leanna asked pointing to the name in small print on the flyer under the band’s name.
I laughed. “Um … I guess we’ll find out.”
I slipped earplugs in because the opening act wasn’t worth killing my hearing over and the main band wouldn’t be on for another half hour. In the meantime, Leanna and I mingled, talking loudly over the music. It was strange to see people I knew from school, from that social scene. Everyone wanted to know why I’d been M.I.A.
“Emily sold out,” Leanna said mischievously. “She’s working for the man now.”
I opened my mouth to protest but when Sasha exclaimed, “But what about Barrows!” and Dorit stared at me in horror, I assumed a resigned expression and nodded.
“I did. And really, I don’t know what I was doing all these years. Designing posters and murals is no way to finance a wardrobe.”
“This? From the girl who had purple streaks at graduation?”
“It’s so sad, Emmy,” Dorit said. “You and Craig were like, the art school power couple. Him, flashy and cool, and you, the studious art nerd.”
“Art nerd!” I laughed incredulously at this description. I shot a glance at Leanna, who merely shrugged.
“Look at Craig, pursuing his dream while you’re being a corporate hack.”
I followed Sasha’s pointed finger and did look at Craig, who was adjusting a screen on the far side of the room. I’d never thought of our relationship the way Dorit did. When it had ended just before spring break, I hadn’t looked back.
“I’m working a summer job,” I admitted with a resigned sigh. “I’m still going to Barrows in August.” Just like that everyone was impressed and happy again.
“I love what you did with their CD cover, Emmy. So brilliant.”
I tuned them out. They might be happy but I thought about how Julian had denigrated the closed-mindedness of pretentious college kids. The closed-mindedness of everyone, really. I’d been enjoying my work at Hartmann Enterprises. I’d been enjoying the entire experience.
Suddenly I wished Daniel were there because my worlds felt too diverged.
I
felt too diverged.
“I’m going to go scrawl something on the wall.” I gestured to the graffiti area and walked off. A moment later Leanna was next to me, shaking her head even as she laughed.
“Ok, are you PMS-ing or something?”
“No, I’m
epiphanizing
.”
“Ah, that’s OK then,” Leanna said, laughing, “You can share your wisdom later, after you’ve tagged Craig’s installation.”
I laughed, picked up the can of red spray paint, and shook the thing idly. I wasn’t skilled at graffiti, by any stretch, but I drew on my best calligraphy and started a stylized version of “Emily was here”.
I stepped back, watched Leanna shake a can and let loose on the screen. Not such a bad idea on Craig’s part after all. I moved my hips to the drummer’s beat, finally relaxing into the night. My old clothes, my old scene, but a newer Emily.
• • •
“Is that Daniel?” Leanna asked a few minutes later, grabbing me and whirling me around. I followed my friend’s pointed finger, caught his familiar form as he stepped up the stairs.
“He came,” I said, shocked.
“Uh, yeah, and it looks like he’s leaving.”
Leanna’s words galvanized me into action, and I reached into my purse for my phone even as I slipped through the crowd.
Had he not seen me? Had he just not liked the scene? And what was he doing here in the first place?
I stumbled out into the heavy, humid
I scanned the room for him but he wasn’t by the laptop at the rear of the room where a girl I vaguely recognized was sitting. He would be somewhere about, and when he knew I was here, there would be the usual taunting. I was suddenly very glad that Daniel couldn’t make it.
“Did you know Craig was part of this?”
“Is he going by Lucid Visuals now?” Leanna asked pointing to the name in small print on the flyer under the band’s name.
I laughed. “Um … I guess we’ll find out.”
I slipped earplugs in because the opening act wasn’t worth killing my hearing over and the main band wouldn’t be on for another half hour. In the meantime, Leanna and I mingled, talking loudly over the music. It was strange to see people I knew from school, from that social scene. Everyone wanted to know why I’d been M.I.A.
“Emily sold out,” Leanna said mischievously. “She’s working for the man now.”
I opened my mouth to protest but when Sasha exclaimed, “But what about Barrows!” and Dorit stared at me in horror, I assumed a resigned expression and nodded.
“I did. And really, I don’t know what I was doing all these years. Designing posters and murals is no way to finance a wardrobe.”
“This? From the girl who had purple streaks at graduation?”
“It’s so sad, Emmy,” Dorit said. “You and Craig were like, the art school power couple. Him, flashy and cool, and you, the studious art nerd.”
“Art nerd!” I laughed incredulously at this description. I shot a glance at Leanna, who merely shrugged.
“Look at Craig, pursuing his dream while you’re being a corporate hack.”
I followed Sasha’s pointed finger and did look at Craig, who was adjusting a screen on the far side of the room. I’d never thought of our relationship the way Dorit did. When it had ended just before spring break, I hadn’t looked back.
“I’m working a summer job,” I admitted with a resigned sigh. “I’m still going to Barrows in August.” Just like that everyone was impressed and happy again.
“I love what you did with their CD cover, Emmy. So brilliant.”
I tuned them out. They might be happy but I thought about how Julian had denigrated the closed-mindedness of pretentious college kids. The closed-mindedness of everyone, really. I’d been enjoying my work at Hartmann Enterprises. I’d been enjoying the entire experience.
Suddenly I wished Daniel were there because my worlds felt too diverged.
I
felt too diverged.
“I’m going to go scrawl something on the wall.” I gestured to the graffiti area and walked off. A moment later Leanna was next to me, shaking her head even as she laughed.
“Ok, are you PMS-ing or something?”
“No, I’m
epiphanizing
.”
“Ah, that’s OK then,” Leanna said, laughing, “You can share your wisdom later, after you’ve tagged Craig’s installation.”
I laughed, picked up the can of red spray paint, and shook the thing idly. I wasn’t skilled at graffiti, by any stretch, but I drew on my best calligraphy and started a stylized version of “Emily was here”.
I stepped back, watched Leanna shake a can and let loose on the screen. Not such a bad idea on Craig’s part after all. I moved my hips to the drummer’s beat, finally relaxing into the night. My old clothes, my old scene, but a newer Emily.
• • •
“Is that Daniel?” Leanna asked a few minutes later, grabbing me and whirling me around. I followed my friend’s pointed finger, caught his familiar form as he stepped up the stairs.
“He came,” I said, shocked.
“Uh, yeah, and it looks like he’s leaving.”
Leanna’s words galvanized me into action, and I reached into my purse for my phone even as I slipped through the crowd.
Had he not seen me? Had he just not liked the scene? And what was he doing here in the first place?
I stumbled out into the heavy, humid
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