Elaine sat near the back of the lecture hall, taking notes quickly as her professor droned on about sound layering and mixing techniques. She looked between him and her notes, occasionally adjusting them for clarity.
"Remember," Professor Alcott spoke from his podium, "Layering is the key to depth. Every frequency matters, even silence."
Elaine nodded, underlining the last portion of what he said, rereading over her notes before looking up as he spoke again.
"Alright, that's it for today. Don't forget the selection for group projects is on Friday; you will be assigned a group with students from other departments, so be on the lookout for an email." He set the marker he had been holding down, nodding, "Class is dismissed."
Elaine packed up her belongings and headed out into the afternoon sun to catch up with her friends. She spotted them outside the building, leaning against the railing, unaware of he approach.
"I swear," Simone whined, letting out a dramatic sigh. "The man at the coffee cart hates me."
"He doesn't hate you." Julian chuckled.
"Oh yeah? He flirts with everyone but me!" Simone complained, "Even the freshman who ordered decaf. Decaf!"
Julian lifted his hand over his mouth in a failed attempt to cover his laughter, "That's because you told him last week that you were married to academics, while holding your crumpled essay like a damn bouquet."
"Oh, that's beautiful." Elaine couldn't hold back her laughter, almost tripping over the steps, startling both of them. "Please tell me someone videoed that."
"Girl!" Simone groaned, "If they did, I'm changing schools."
"Nah," Julian swayed his hand, "You'd miss us too much."
"Maybe." Simone huffed, strutting ahead, "But not the coffee man!"
Elaine lifted a hand to her mouth, laughing as they made their way to her car in the parking lot.
"You know," Julian grinned, "For someone who claims not to care, you sure talk about him a lot."
Simone gasped, clutching his chest as he dramatically turned to Julian. "Excuse me! I'm venting my trauma, Julian. There's a difference between obsession and injustice."
"So, you're saying you're not obsessed, just… dramatically wounded?" Elaine snickered.
"Exactly! Finally, someone who understands." Simone turned his head and pointed at Elaine, "Elaine, my dear, you're the only emotionally intelligent one here."
"Emotionally intelligent?" Julian snickered, "She just called you dramatic."
"And she said it with empathy! Unlike you, Mr. Laughs at my pain."
"I mean, you have to admit, it's kind of ironic." Elaine chuckled, "Married to academics?"
"It was a metaphor!" Simone's voice cracked, and he threw his head back, "It was a poetic declaration! He was supposed to swoon, not serve me a burnt espresso!"
"Maybe he was just overwhelmed by your… Passion." Julian grinned.
"Or maybe he's threatened by it." Simone crossed his arms like a prideful child. "My aura is too much for him."
"Or it was your volume?" Elaine suggested, grinning as she pulled into the parking garage of her apartment.
"Et tu, Elaine?" Simone gasped.
"She's adapting fast." Julian chuckled.
"She's being corrupted!" Simone whined, "Heaven help her."
"Too late," Elaine laughed, pulling into her parking spot, "I'm already invested."
Julian and Simone step out with Elaine, following them. She keyed them up to her apartment, still laughing as Simone silently pouts. She opened the door, kicking her shoes off in the doorway.
"Just in time!" Eleanore beamed from the kitchen, "Sit down so I can serve you."
Elaine shook her head, "Well, I guess it's safe to say you haven't burned anything." She mused, setting her bag down before walking to the table with Julian and Simone, where Samantha was already seated.
"Where's Isabel?" Julian inquired.
"Apparently," Samantha groaned, "Isabel has a huge project she's working on and can't join us."
"Already?" Julian scratched his neck, "Well, fair, I guess. Simone has an essay due Friday."
"Have you even started it?" Samantha inquired.
"Hey!" Simone whined, "It's almost done!"
"Oh?" Eleanore laughed, distributing plates and bowls to everyone, "Does that mean you're not starting it at 10 p.m. on Thursday, this time?"
"I have only done that twice, thank you very much!" Simone complained, "I forgot we had the assignments because the professor was ancient."
The group laughed, shaking their heads as they ate. Simone and Samantha were both scrolling through their phones while they did. After they finished, Elaine collected the dishes, listening to them while they moved to the living room.
"So, the music video," Simone leaned over the couch, balancing on his knees, "We're leaning toward the empty auditorium idea, yeah?"
"I like it," Elaine admitted, rinsing everything off in the sink to clean up. "I can look into renting a space if we decide to go that route."
"You'd seriously do that?" Samantha inquired.
"Sure." Elaine nodded. "I've got a few connections through the studio."
Samantha nodded, humming thoughtfully as she jotted a note in her notebook. "We'll need light rigs… maybe a few prop sets?"
"And we can't forget about the outfits!" Simone added.
"I'll help with the clothing designs," Eleanore nodded, enthusiastically, "It's good practice!"
"Perfect." Julian hummed, "We've got the style in the works and concept covered. I'll see what kind of props I can get for it."
Samantha leaned back, scrolling through social media as everyone made plans. Simone and Eleanore were both sketching in their sketchbooks while Julian looked through websites on Eleanore's tablet for prop ideas, listening to the demo track of Control Freak.
"Ugh," Samantha groaned. "I would kill for a man like Xavier Gale from Summer Phenomenon."
Eleanore mindlessly twirled her pencil above her sketchbook, "Oh, Elaine knows him."
Elaine nearly dropped the dishrag, glancing up as Samantha nearly dropped her phone.
"Excuse me?" She raised her voice, "Since when?!"
Elaine groaned, drying a plate. "Since forever. We kind of grew up in the same neighborhood."
"Wait, wait," Samantha squinted at the ceiling, "You knew Xavier Gale before he was… well, Xavier Gale?"
"Unfortunately."
"And?" Samantha sat up, staring at Elaine from the couch, "Was he always like this?" She lifted her phone so that Elaine could see a photo of him on stage, presumably yelling into the microphone.
"He's… fine, just not my favorite person."
"Why?" Samantha stared at the screen, "He's like… a god."
"We had a falling out." Elaine shrugged, drying her hands, "He wanted my help writing a song. I said no. He didn't like that."
"Oh," Simone laughed, "So, the diva energy is lifelong."
"Pretty much," Elaine snorted, nodding as she checked over everyone's notes and concept sketches. "Everything looks good. I'll make some calls about the auditorium this week."
"Cool." Julian and Samantha nearly said in unison, both looking at each other before laughing.
Simone jumped up from the couch, "Same time next week then?"
"You know it." Elaine smiled, "See you guys later."
She waved, watching them leave before heading to her room after checking Eleanore's sketch one last time.
She took a quick shower before lying down, scrolling through social media, checking the new posts on official pages of the musicians she followed, before mindlessly scrolling. She swiped through TikTok until it landed on a video snipped from an interview done by Premise of Design from their last tour that included Luca.
╭────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
The group sat in chairs looking off-screen at someone asking, "Who's the biggest perfectionist in the band?"
"Depends who you ask." Lucian chuckled.
"Lucian," The other four members nearly said in unison, Luca pointing at Lucian, who turned and stared at them.
"Wow. Betrayal in record time."
╰────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
The interview faded to an edit of Lucian's performances layered over some new popular sound Elaine hadn't heard before. She swiped through a few more before her phone dinged sharply with a text, startling her. She squeaked, nearly dropping her phone on her face before opening it and blinking.
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
Hey, Wolf. Do you have classes tomorrow?
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Elaine} (Text)
Nope. Free day. What's up?
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
What's your schedule like?
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Elaine} (Text)
It's open.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
Perfect. Are you available to help me with choreography tomorrow? Everyone's been singing your praises. I want to see what you've got.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Elaine} (Text)
I'm flattered. Yeah, I can. I'm not sure how much help I'll be, though.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
It'll be fine.
╰────────────╯
Elaine smiled, then blinked when another text dinged with a photo of the band's living room. Casen and Rylan wrestling mid-frame, Enzo staring at his phone, Luca upside-down on the couch watching the two brawl.
╭────────────╮
{Elaine} (Text)
…What is going on over there?
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
The usual.
╰────────────╯
He sends a video. And Elaine presses play.
╭────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
The camera shook slightly as Lucian panned it across the living room. Rylan and Casen were tangled in a mock wrestling match on the floor; Rylan laughing, Casen yelling something unintelligible. Enzo sat half propped on one side of the couch, scrolling through his phone with a disinterested expression. Luca was upside-down on the opposite cushion, legs hanging over the back of the sofa, and his head hung over the edge, quietly watching everything like it was routine.
"Say hello to Elaine, everyone." Lucian laughed from behind the camera.
"HIII- ACK!" Rylan was flattened by Casen, who tackled him before he could even finish.
"HA! I WIN!" Casen bellowed, pumping his fists from where he sat on top of Rylan.
Enzo lifted his hand, waving it towards the camera before returning it to his phone. "Casen, you always say that before losing."
Lucian moved the camera toward Luca, who tried to sit up; the phone nearly fell from Lucian's laughing after Luca misplaced his hand.
"BROOOO-" Rylan's voice could be heard as he burst out laughing off-screen.
"AND HE'S DOWN!" Casen laughed.
The camera shook from Lucian's trying to contain his laughter. The camera shakily panned to Luca, who had gotten partially up, balancing on his hands to climb back onto the couch, flopping down.
"Real graceful, Hunt." Lucian chuckled, "Very professional."
Luca's eyes narrowed as he pointed at Lucian. "Don't. Say. A word."
"That's a concussion waiting to happen," Enzo murmured, finally looking up.
"Nah, man, nah." Rylan chuckled, "He's fine, he's just embarrassed."
"Send it to Elaine! She needs to see our fearless co-leader in his natural habitat!" Casen laughed, from out of view.
Luca's eyes widened, and he jumped up, moving towards Lucian, "Lucian, don't you d-"
The video cut off with Lucian dodging Luca while laughing.
╰────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Elaine} (Text)
…Did he just faceplant off the couch?
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
He did. Magnificently, might I add.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Elaine} (Text)
I could hear Rylan losing it.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
He's still laughing. Luca's threatening to revoke studio snack privileges.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Elaine} (Text)
Oh, that's just cruel and unusual punishment.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
You fit in very well here.
Anyway, 6:30 a.m. Don't be late. I'll send the address.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Elaine} (Text)
You're kidding, right?
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
I never kid about choreography.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Elaine} (Text)
Fine. I'll see you then.
Goodnight, Lucian.
╰────────────╯
╭────────────╮
{Lucian} (Text)
Goodnight, Elaine.
╰────────────╯
Elaine rolled off the bed, setting her phone on the nightstand to pick out an outfit that would be easy to move in. After a moment, she hung up a comfortable outfit on her bathroom door before going back to her bed to sleep. She shook her head, chuckling slightly, "Well, on the bright side, I don't think I could take Lucian down with a body-check."