Chapter 10. Need You Now
If there was one thing Vert hated more than anything in this world, it was people who thought they were mechanics when they obviously weren't. This was the sixth time this particular car had been in their shop in just over a year. And that was on top of it going to the electric shop twice and to the dealership repair center once after that. Now it was back at Spectra, not even a month after they had sent it off after replacing its entire back end. Vert hated this car. He hated the guy who owned it prior to selling it to a poor college student who had already paid more in repairs than she had for the car. It wasn't like last time where he could just pop a loose sensor back in and send it out free of charge. This time the damn thing wouldn't even start. The electronics would boot up, but the engine would whine and wouldn't click over. He hoped it was just the starter because that was an easy fix. He'd try his best, but he'd already advised the girl to look into a new vehicle when it was dropped off by tow truck after quitting on her in a Subway parking lot. If Vert ever met the person who designed the 2007 Jeep Compass, he would personally murder them.
He was about to get the demon Jeep up onto the hoist when his alarm signaling the end of his shift went off. He sighed, already dreading working on this car tomorrow, and began to clean up his work station. If he didn't have plans to work with Zoom to work on this music for BF5 he would stay over and at least find out what was wrong, but he had to get this music down.
Vert checked all around his own car before hesitatingly hopping over the door into the driver's seat. Even though he and Jax had agreed to a temporary truce on the prank war, mostly from Stanford's pleading that they couldn't practice if Vert was in the hospital, he was still a little wary. Jax was clever and they would think of a loophole eventually. Vert tried not to think about when that would happen as he put the address Zoom had texted him into Google Maps and pulled out of Spectra. The CD with just the parts he was supposed to learn played the during the whole thirty-two-minute drive to Zoom's place. He double checked the address and texted Zoom that he was here before parking and knocking on the front door.
It was not Zoom who opened the door like Vert had expected. Instead it was older man, easily taller than Sherman with arms thick like tree trunks and an equally thick beard. He looked at Vert unamused, his arms crossed.
"Can I help you?" His deep voice rumbled and at that moment Vert was sure he was going to die right there.
"I'm, uh, here to work on music with Zoom." He said feebly, holding out the sheet music with a shaking hand.
The older man nodded. "Right. Zoom said you were coming over." He moved to the side and gestured inside. "Come in. You can leave your shoes by the door."
Vert followed him inside, nudging his shoes off like he had been asked to. He stood awkwardly in front of the door.
"You don't have to stand there." Came a softer voice from somewhere in the house. Vert turned towards the sound of it and caught sight of another older man, white haired and wearing what Vert was hoping a karate uniform and not a bathrobe. "You can come inside."
Vert opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a loud thud and Zoom suddenly appearing at the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm here!" He said, slightly breathless. "Sorry, I was doing homework and didn't see your text."
Vert shrugged. "It's fine. I'm ready to get started whenever you are."
"Yeah! Upstairs!" Zoom started to head back up the stairs, Vert following behind him.
"Zoom?" One of the older men called. Zoom paused. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?"
Zoom groaned. "Vert, meet parents. Parents, meet Vert." He gestured between them. "There. You've met. We're going to work on music now." And with that Zoom continued up the stairs. Vert tried not to laugh and followed him.
"This is my room," Zoom said, opening the door at the end of the hall. "You can sit wherever."
Vert nodded and headed over to the futon, trying to ignore the fact that he was alone with a cute boy in his room. Music. He was here for music. Nothing else. He glanced absently at the sheet music in his hand. Zoom came and sat beside him.
"So, uh, what do you want to work on first?" He asked, sounding unsure of what to do next.
"Um, I guess we could start wi-"
"-Hey Zoom," the bedroom door reopened and a lanky teenager who looked like he could easily bench press Vert popped his head in. "Rawkus and Master T are gone now, so if you're gonna fuck let me know so I can put my headphones on."
Vert choked.
"ZEN!" Zoom shrieked, leaping to his feet, his cheeks flushed. "WE'RE JUST WORKING ON MUSIC FOR BF5!"
"Is that what you're calling it now?"
Zoom picked up one of the pillows on the futon and threw it at Zen. "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"
Zen shrugged. "Whatever. Headphones." He closed the door again.
Zoom huffed and flopped back down on the futon. "Is it too much to wish I was an only child?"
Vert chuckled. "How old is your brother?"
"Fifteen."
"That explains so much. Although," Vert eyed him curiously. "You and your brother call your parents by their first names?" He hoped he wasn't crossing a boundary with the question.
"Sorry." Zoom said, completely serious. "You have to be at least friend level five to unlock my tragic backstory."
Vert blinked in surprise. "Oh. Uh-"
A smile cracked on Zoom's lips. "Dude, I'm kidding." He said between laughs. Vert let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Rawkus and Master T were our legal guardians way before they adopted us, so it's just what we're all used to. Why fix something that isn't broken?"
"Makes sense." Vert said.
"What about you?" Zoom asked. "Tell me the tragic backstory of Vert Wheeler."
"Well," Vert started, "I was raised by my grandparents after my mom died and my dad went missing. The two aren't related. At least, I'm pretty sure they're not."
Zoom stared at him. "You're kidding."
"No." Vert shook his head. "We filed a missing persons report and everything. It's been like twelve years."
"Oh my God, Vert. I'm so sorry."
"Nah, it's fine. It was a long time ago. I'm over it."
Zoom nodded slowly. "Sooo, now that we know each other's tragic backstories, back to music?"
"Yeah." Vert agreed. "Where were we gonna start again?"
"Well, technically you're supposed to warm up before you start actually singing so I was thinking…" Zoom's voice trailed off as he rose from the futon and crossed the room. He rummaged through the closet for a moment before returning with what looked suspiciously like a karaoke machine.
"But isn't karaoke still actually singing?"
"Not according to Stanford."
Vert snorted.
"One song." Zoom said, turning on the machine and handing Vert a mic. "I even have the perfect one."
Vert was about to say that he probably wasn't going to know whatever song Zoom had chosen. At least, that was until he heard the extremely familiar fade-in of an A minor chord and Hillary Scott's voice speaking a voicemail answer over the piano. Zoom grinned through the introduction and started singing.
"Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor.
Reaching for the phone 'cause, I can't fight it anymore."
Vert, who not only could play this song on his guitar, but actually knew the proper harmonies from listening to it so much, rose from his seat and joined in.
"And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?"
"For me it happens all the time."
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now."
Vert launched into the next verse with ease.
"Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door.
Wishing you'd come sweepin' in the way you did before."
"And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?"
"For me it happens all the time."
"It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk, and I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now."
As the instrumental between the chorus and the bridge played, Vert found that he and Zoom were drifting closer to one another.
"Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all…"
"It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now."
"And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now."
"And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now.
I just need you now…
Oh, baby I need you now…"
As the music faded, Vert realized that he and Zoom were close enough to each other that their mic chords had tangled around the other. He could see the blush on Zoom's cheeks and felt a similar heat on his own face and ears. Zoom looked up at him expectantly. Fuck it, Vert thought. He was going for it.
Something whizzed past Vert's ear, hitting Zoom square in the face. Someone laughed, and they jumped apart. Vert turned to see Zen poking half his body in through the partially opened bedroom door.
"ZEN WHAT THE FUCK?" Zoom shouted at him.
Zen dabbed. "Payback." He said and darted down the hall.
Zoom picked up whatever Zen had thrown off the floor, promptly shrieked, and dropped it again before chasing after Zen. Vert dared to look and then immediately regretted it.
Zoom's fifteen-year-old brother had thrown a condom in Zoom's face.
From down the hall Vert heard a loud thwack followed by an "ouch!" that made him suddenly grateful that he was an only child. He sat back down as Zoom returned to the room.
"Start with Hallelujah?" Zoom asked, slightly out of breath and still a bit red in the cheeks.
"Sure."