Four
My alarm is blaring in my ears and I smack my hand on the snooze button. First day of work, I put on a light blue shirt and black trousers. Breakfast is a simple muffin, and then I go to brush my teeth whilst contemplating life. I wonder how work will be, maybe I'll meet a girl and I'll we'll fall deeply in love with eachother and get married and have babies. See what I mean about contemplating life whilst brushing my teeth. Suddenly my happy thoughts are interrupted by knocking on my door. "Four, let's go, let's go, let's go!" I open the door, to see Zeke and Shauna pointing at the elevator and stomping loudly. I grab my satchel and laugh at their strangeness. They fit so well together. We ride down the elevator and make our way onto the subway. Zeke and Shauna are murmuring together and we hustle out of the subway and to the office. At the entrance Zeke says,
"So, guys I've got a meeting at lunch so I can't have it with you guys."
"Actually," Shauna replies, "Me too, Max (the editor) has a meeting so I gotta be there. I'm his assistant."
"Well, I'll probably see you guys back at the apartments then. Bye."
I'm working on an article and I long for lunch. I look at my watch and realise it's lunch time, rejoice! I walk down the street, looking for a Starbucks. Yellow taxis zoom pass, and other workers are bustling about, phone to their ears. I start to hear music, but I feel I'm imagining it. But then I see her. The girl from my dreams. It has to be her. The hair, the posture. I just know it is. I can't see her face but she's sitting on a stool on the pavement with her guitar, singing. I make my way over to her and just stand and observe. Soaking in the beautiful music she's making. She's wearing ankle boots and leggings with a long knitted jumper and scarf and an army green trench coat. Her hair is down, the beautiful blonde I saw in my dreams and her eyes are the dreamiest colour of blue and grey I could get lost in them forever. Her lips are making swift movements, as she sings. I'm amazed at how all these people are oblivious to her music. They walk past and leave a slight gap as if she's trash on a sidewalk. But how could they ignore her beauty, not in herself but also in her music. My head is bopping along as she sings
Baby be the class clown
I'll be the beauty queen in tears
It's a new art form showing people how little we care (yeah)
We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fear
Let's go down to the tennis court, and talk it up like yeah (yeah)
She finishes and she's smiling at me and I smile back.
"Hey," she calls, "You do realise you were kinda singing along?"
I cringe, "Was I?"
"Yeah, you were saying, the 'yeahs'."
I chuckle, "Your music is infectious." She blushes a bit, and I move closer to her, to avoid shouting over all the people walking past.
She starts to pack her guitar away, and I ask her,
"You don't happen to know where a Starbucks is do you?"
"Making my way there now."
"Oh, you don't mind if I tag along."
"Ergh if you have to," She teases and grins.
"Here let me get that for you," I take her stool and we begin to walk down the pavement.
"You are really good, you know?"
She blushes furiously and gives me a small smile, "You're the only one who's noticed me sing for like the past several months."
I am so shocked. "What?! The question I'm asking is why you don't have a record deal already?"
She laughs a beautiful hearty yet soft and melodic laugh, "Wow, you really do think I'm good don't you?"
"The best." She steps into the Starbucks, we both order a coffee, and sit on the chairs next to the window. She gives the stool to a tanned girl who's behind the counter with black short hair, but she's taller than the singer girl. I haven't even asked her name!?
"Thanks Chris," she says.
"How did it go today?" Chris I presume, asks.
"Well, I've got a follower," she says tilting her head to me. I lift up my hand to say hi, and Chris laughs and lifts her hand up too.
"Sorry, can't chat too long, lots of customers today."
The girl makes her way to me and sits in front.
"What's your name?" I ask kind of abruptly.
"Tris Prior, you?"
"Four."
"What, is that some kind of nickname?"
"No, just Four."
"So, how long have you been singing?"
"Well, since forever I guess, but I've been busking since I was 18. I'm 21 now."
"Ah I'm 22."
"So is that your life ambition? To be a singer?"
"It really is. I don't really talk to my parents that much now. My brother was really smart, got into Harvard to study Medicine or something. I guess I'm smart too, I got accepted into Harvard for Law but my passion is music, and I just knew I had to pursue it."
I am impressed, Harvard Law. This girl must be super smart.
"So your parents casted you out?"
"Pretty much, I live with Chris and my friend, her boyfriend Will."
"Third wheeling much?" I grin.
She punches my arm playfully. "Not really. So number boy? What's your story?"
My breath hitches. I've got to recite this. "My name is Four, I'm from Chicago, moved here only yesterday. I work for the New York Times as a journalist and I live next to two crazy people who go out and who are also my two only friends." I stare into my coffee. I feel her hand on mine, warmth and sparks flying through.
"Make that three friends. And I'm sure Chris and Will would be your friends too. Oh and third wheeling much?" She smiles warmly at me and I smile back. She suddenly takes her hand away and blushes.
"Sorry…about that."
I laugh, "No I liked it." What the hell? Why did I say that? She's going to think I'm some kind of freak. But I did like that. I frown whilst I have this internal battle.
"Hey, I'm having a gig tomorrow night. If you want to come or something." She trails off, embarrassed.
I'm brought out of my internal battle. "I would love to. Is it ok if I bring my two friends?"
"The more the merrier. Here's my number, I'll text you the details", she takes my phone and puts her number in. She put herself in as 'Tris the Awesome'.
"Well, Tris the Awesome. As much as I'm sad to say, I have to go back to work."
"I have to head home. I'll see you tomorrow night."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow. We part our ways and I grin all the way back to the office softly singing and drumming my fingers on my satchel.
Let's go down to the tennis court, and talk it up like yeah (yeah).
A/N Hey guys! There's chapter two. I imagine Tris to sing like this girl called Andie, her name on youtube is iwantaltitude. Check out her cover, I'm in love with the Tennis Court one!