6
Aidan - Fall – 2016
After winning the climbing competition,Aidan had hung out with Noah and Tristan at the evening concert and started to make good on his side of their bargain. He had come close to harassing Tristan into agreeing to rehearse with them every once in a while. A couple of months down the road, he sometimes doubted the campaign to start their band was moving at all. The way he saw it, it hadstalled.
Aidan left his apartment building and climbed inside the ridesharing car he had arranged for on the phone app. As the driver swerved through the heavy southbound traffic, Aidan wondered for the millionth time if he had made the right decision. He had made a videocall to talk to his dad, making sure his mom wasn’t protecting him from the truth of his father’s real health condition. Still, he questioned the wisdom of choosing a fleeting chance at a career in showbiz over the harsh reality of his family’s needs back athome.
The driver pulled over in front of an office building for the other passenger to climb in the car. Aidan scooted over, but the man chose to seat on the frontseat.
As the car merged back into traffic, he unlocked the screen on his phone and read the email. Again. Joan Gallagher had been straightforward in her message as she alwayswas.
“Do not, under any circumstances, give up on your dreams. We’ve got this. You shouldn’t worry about us. We’re the parents here. We’ve done our part. We’ve sent you out into the world. Now it’s your time toshine.”
He got it. His parents wanted him to pursue his dreams. He was fine with that. But if Tristan didn’t come around and started taking the band more seriously, maybe it would be in Aidan’s best interest to take his own dreams elsewhere. He didn’t want to waste time, and Tristan could get stubborn. But the son of bitch was also a fucking guitargod.
I’ll stick around a little longer,he decided, as he entered the elevator to Noah and Tristan’spenthouse.
He rang the doorbell, and it didn’t take long to hear muffled footsteps approach the door. Noah’s wide grin welcomed him as the American opened the door wide. “As always, punctual like aBritish.”
“You’re trying to insult me, right off thebat?”
They fist-pumped as Noah motioned for Aidan to enter. Tristan and Noah’s apartment on Beira-Mar Norte Avenue offered a breathtaking view of the bay. The sun setting behind iconic Hercilio Luz Bridge set the metallic Golden Gate replica on fire against the autumn sky. Deep tones of purple, red and orange reflected on the calm dark waters. It wasn’t the first time Aidan visited, but he got caught up in the scenery and contemplated the sunset from the living room floor-to-ceiling glass windows, while Noah went to check thefridge.
The thick carpet buried his feet as he peered out of the window. Noah’s voice sounded behind him, as the open plan of that part of the apartment, allowed for an unobstructed connection between kitchen, dining room, and livingroom.
“Would you like some beer? There isn’t much more in here. I guess owning a restaurant has turned Tristan and I into lousy groceryshoppers.”
Aidan turned around to find out Noah had his head stuck inside the double door fridge. “We never bother going to the store for food anymore. We usually eat at the restaurant or bring take-outshome.”
Aidan caught the can of beer his band mate tossed at him. “Thanks.”
The acoustic insulation in the home studio didn’t allow Aidan to hear what happened inside it. “Did Tristan remember we had set a rehearsal today?” Noah nodded, but his shoulders drooped a couple of inches. Aidan didn’t miss the telltale. “Whatgives?”
Noah eyeballed him for a long time, and Aidan thought he would ignore the question, but he plopped himself on a stool by the kitchen counter and gestured for Aidan to do thesame.
“I’ve told you why I came to live in Brazil,right?”
“Yeah. A girlfriend who really screwed up with you back in college, correct?” When Noah nodded and took a swig, Aidan added, “You’ve mentioned that about a milliontimes.”
“Back then, Tristan and I were beginning to put our band together. Then, shit happened and crapped all over ourplans.”
“You mentioned that as well. When Tristan refused to go on with the plans, you decided to come after the Brazilian girlfriend. You’ve never told me what kind of shit happened,though.”
“Because that’s Tristan’s crap, not mine. I don’t feel comfortable talking about his stuff, but part of it is public knowledge, so I guess that is all right to talk to you about. Have you ever heard of IzzieAnderson?”
“You’re fucking kidding me? She’s the reason I joined a band at fifteen. She was barely out of middle school when she landed her first record deal. I thought I could do the same. Yeah, that worked well forme.”
“I’ll get you there, Young Grasshopper. Don’t despair. The reason I ask is because Izzie Anderson is the crap that happened in Tristan’slife.”
“Noshit!”
“Yesshit.”
Aidan lost his power of speech for a moment as thoughts raced one another inside his head. He shook it, still at a loss forwords.
“I stunned you into silence. Quite an accomplishment when dealing with Irish people.” Noahsnorted.
Aidan flipped the bird onhim.
