“Right. I’ll see you guys in a couple of days,” I say, gathering my trash bags.
“See ya, Bon.”
“Oh, wait, Mads, I had one more thought about the song,” I say as the thought pops into my head.
“What’s up?”
“I want it to have a heart monitor in the back, and I want it to flatline,” I say.
There’s a pause on the other end, and eventually, Mads says, “You fucking got it, Bon.”
I tap the counter in a celebratory way. “Fuck yes,” I exclaim. “Okay, that was it. See you.”
“We love you, Bon,” I hear Andi say.
I chuckle. “I love you fuckers, too. See you.”
I’m tapping the red button on my phone when a text message drags down the top of my screen.
DARCY
Be there in thirty.
Just enough time to get rid of the trash and take a few minutes on the floor with my drum pad.
I tuck my phone into my pocket as I lock my door behind me, trash bag in hand, and head down the hall to the shoot. Thankfully, it isn’t far. The next apartment was vacant for long enough that I got comfortable walking down the hall in my underwear to it. Still, with the new neighbors, it’s probably a good idea to clothe myself until I figure out if they’re creeps or not.
I throw the garbage down the shoot and try to make it back to my space before someone comes out of that door and tries to talk to me.
A door clicks to my left, and I curse under my breath.
Dammit, I am not prepped for new neighbors right now.
“Holy shit,” I hear them say. “Bonnie Miller.”
I turn my head, unsure of what or who to expect. A dark-haired man grins broadly at me from a few yards away, gait slowing as he approaches.
“It’s you, right? Bonnie Miller, the drummer from Young Decay?” he goes on.
Something about him is vaguely familiar, yet I can’t put my finger on where I know him from.
I peer at my clothes. “That is the flesh suit I put on today,” I say, smiling politely. “You the new tenant?” I ask, nodding to the apartment behind him.
“Trevor,” he introduces himself. “I didn’t realize we had moved in beside a celebrity.”
I scoff. “Just another person, dude,” I say, twisting the knob to get inside as quickly as possible. “It was good to meet you. Maybe we’ll pass by one another again. See you around.”
I slide in the door, thinking I’ve succeeded in getting away, but he presses his hand to it before I can click it shut. The motion makes me jump, and I curl my key between my fingers out of instinct, pepper spray at the ready in my pocket.
“Hey, I was thinking of having people over later for a little party,” he says. “My roommate and I are big poker players. You gamble?”
“Eh, it’s not really for me,” I answer. “Thanks for the invite, though. See you around.”
“Be sure to let us know if you change your mind,” he goes on as I continue closing the door. “Or if we’re too loud, just bang on the door.”
“Will do,” I say.
His fingers are still on my door. I glance at his hand and then at him. “You mind? Kind of on a time crunch here,” I add.
