Moment During the Summer
"Dammit, this isn't working out at all…"
Jude said in his limy accent from the room off to the side. It was a
small room, slightly bigger than a closet and unknown in purpose
until Jude had taken it up for his art. Max, lounging in the main
room throwing peanuts at his bills, looked up at the noise.
"You alright in there, Judy?"
"No, I can't get this
project right." The tousled mop and sleepy eyes of Jude poked their
way out the door. "I've a commission for a café sign. Café
Yes,
the new one two streets over."
"Oh, that place?" Max
narrowed his eyes in thought, visualizing the beat up little corner
store turned café. "What does it matter man, that place'll close
down in under a month anyway. "
"Yeah, but I want 'em to
pay me first, don't I?" Jude opened the door the rest of the way,
falling out into the natural sunlight of the room and dragging over a
large dirty paper with the words Café
Yes
stamped across the front. He landed on the couch next to the smaller
man and dropped the paper in front of him.
"I've got
nothin'." Jude crossed his arms and leaned his head back, blowing
out a loud sigh.
Max flicked his peanut at Jude's exposed
throat and pulled over the paper, looking at it. While Jude coughed
and clutched at his neck, Max sniffed down at his work.
"Man,
this psychedelic font has been done way too much, Jude. Every corner
café popping up in this town has some pseudo-deep name and colors
that'll burn your retina. I'm all for the movement, man, but not
when they're just following the fads." Max snorted in distaste.
Jude eyed him in confusion, still rubbing his throat.
"English,
college boy."
Max glared at him through his bangs, which were
getting long. "Princeton's long gone, man. And you know what I
mean- did you think this up yourself, or just go outside and look at
some other Village sign?"
Jude glanced at his paper with
frustration. "That's what I've been trying to tell you, it's
comin' out all wrong, and that's what they're asking for. How
do you make an original design for an unoriginal café, hm?"
"You should tell them to screw themselves and that you don't
make art for the man." Max's up-to-no-good grin, lopsided and
trademarked.
"Not if I want to put something other than
peanuts towards our bills." Jude own grin, just as lopsided and
slightly less mischievous, as he glanced towards the peanut strewn
table and the bills buried underneath.
"Oh, yeah. Those."
Max's face pinched into distaste as he looked at them again. "Well
I think the best thing we can do about it go outside. Come on, we're
hittin' the streets." Max stood up and stretched, giving a
sidelong glance at a reluctant looking Jude still seated on the
couch. "There's life out there man, and that's just what you
need right now. Let's go mess with someone's head."
Jude
sighed, but it was through a smile. He couldn't really hide his
grin either as he uncrossed his arms and got up, following Max as he
brushed off peanut shells and slipped on some shoes, making his way
to the door.
"Your never gonna grow up, are you?"
"Don't plan on it."
