"EXCUSE ME, 24601, BUT COULD YOU TURN DOWN YOUR DAMNED MUSIC?" Javert exclaimed to his roomate, Valjean. Clement Javert hated his roomate with a heart full of scorn.
"I'm sorry, Javert. I didn't realize they were that loud." Responded Valjean, turning to look to Javert with an innocent smile.
"The whole campus could hear your ungodly music." Javert sneered, turning back to his research paper.
"I doubt that." Valjean chuckled softly, going back to his music, listening to it at a more quiet level. Javert sighed, rummaging through his resources, trying to piece together a decent thesis statement.
The next song started playing on Valjean's phone. It was far louder than the other one and it scared Javert. He jumped up and whipped around once again.
"24601, YOUR MUSIC!"
"What?"
"YOUR MUSIC IS TOO LOUD AGAIN."
"My muse is too proud again?" Valjean tilted his head to the side, looking to his current art project. Javert stood up and angrily marched over to Valjean, ripping his headphone out of his ear.
"Do you hear it as clearly as I do now?"
"Oh..." Valjean paused his music. "I'll just stop listening to it. It seems I cannot win." He chuckled awkwardly and turned back to his art. Javert gently pinched the bridge of his nose and walked back to his chair, letting out a gentle sigh.
"If you're going to listen to it so loudly, at least unplug your headphones so I'm not frustrated over the fact that I cannot make out the true tone and lyrics of the song."
"Is that all right?"
"I don't care anymore."
"If you say so." Valjean began to play a song that was quite calm. He didn't want to disturb the Justice Major. "I have a question though..."
"What is it?" Javert asked, a tad irritated.
"Why do you call me by my ID number?"
"Because you don't deserve the respect of being called your actual name. An art major will get you nowhere. You'll just be lazy the rest of your life, as you have already displayed by neglecting basic duties as a roomate." There was a long silence.
"I see." Valjean said with a light sigh. Another long silence followed with only the music playing in the background. "I'm beginning to think that my muse is too proud."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, my muse thinks he is better than me... I'm going to go see if I can seek other inspirations." He ripped out the page from his sketchbook and crumpled it up, throwing it in the waste bin. Valjean grabbed his sketchbook, pencil, and eraser. "I will be back tonight, but I'm sure you will be sleeping. Rest well. Good luck on your research." With that, he left the dorm.
Javert sighed, once again. He did this often. He shrugged off Valjean's attitude and continued typing. After some time his curiousity go the best of him and he rolled his chair over to the waste bin and pulled out the pitched piece of art. He uncrumpled it and was shocked to see his own profile drawn. He was upset at first that he had been too harsh under such stress, but that emotion soon turned to flattery. Why would Valjean draw him of all people? He began to wonder as he looked to Valjean's phone. It was still playing music and it was pleasant, but Javert didn't think to go return it to him. He just decided to listen to the music and appreciate the peace while it lasted.
Hello, my old heart,
How have you been?
Are you still there inside my chest?
I've been so worried,
You've been so still,
Barely beating at all.
