"Ah FUCK!" J exclaimed as he stretched. "My back!"
Shep laughed, "Seriously? Your cuts on your wrists are still bleeding, and yet YOUR BACK is what's hurting right now?"
J quickly looked down at his wrists. Although the chain was broken, the cuffs remained; like a pair of gnarly bracelets, though not as gnarly as the lacerations. If someone were tracking J (like an assassin), all they had to do was follow the droplets of blood from the stage to the green room, like an edge-lord version of Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumbs. The drummer was slightly worried he may have gone too far tonight. He didn't feel woozy, so blood loss wasn't an issue. However, the cuts were deep, possibly needing stitches.
"It's funny," J remarked. "When I'm on stage, the adrenaline blocks out everything, and yet, as it goes away, the first thing I notice is my back. I was born with back problems, so I guess it's easier to reconnect with familiar pain than new pain."
"How did you manage to break the chain?" Shep inquired. "That couldn't have been easy."
"That's the wonder of magic," J answered while slamming his fists on a table beside one of the vanity mirrors. The cuffs landed in a specific spot where (unbeknownst to Shep) a special button caused them to pop open and release. Hidden magnets in the middle of the chain reconnected as the cuffs fell to the floor, making a slight sizzling sound.
Shep nodded, impressed. "Magnets, very nice," they commented.
On the spur of the moment, both Shep and J recalled a particularly fond meme and jokingly shouted, "MAGNETS, HOW DO THEY FUCKING WORK?"
"Well, that's quite simple," Stevonnie explained as Sadie walked them backstage. "All magnets have north and south poles. Opposite poles attract each other, while the same poles repel each other. When you rub a piece of iron along a magnet, the north-seeking poles of the atoms in the iron line up in the same direction. The force generated by the aligned atoms creates a magnetic field."
J rested on the arm of one of the couches. He quirked his brow. "Uhhh, okay? Who the hell are you?"
Sadie jolted slightly, realizing her error. While she remembered Stevonnie (and, more importantly, who Stevonnie was), Shep had never seen Stevonnie before, and J - well, J just met Steven tonight, so he didn't know about fusion.
"Oh," Sadie yelped. "My Apologies. Shep, J, this is Stevonnie - AKA Steven and Connie."
Shep tilted their head like a dog that had been shown a card trick. J simply sat on the couch, legs crossed over, staring in scrutiny. J, being from the "show-me-state," needed proof, and Stevonnie could tell, based on the drummer's expression, Sadie's word wasn't enough. With a slight nod, Stevonnie unfused. The white light enveloped their body, split off into two forms, and within seconds, Steven and Connie were back in the green room.
"HOLY FUCK!" J screamed as he slid back on the couch, his positioning causing him to fall behind it.
"Woah," Shep stated, not as surprised as J (since Shep knew Steven possessed abilities beyond any mortal man). "That's pretty cool."
J got up from behind the couch, breathed heavily for a second, and once he noted the bashful look on Connie and Steven's faces - the drummer was able to "add up the math," and his demeanor changed from utter shock to lively excitement.
"You guys can straight-up do some Dragonball-Z shit?!?" J asked, not having any other frame of reference to compare fusion.
"Yep," Connie admitted, slightly prideful. She looked over at Steven, who quickly darted their eyes to Connie. The look communicated both parties wished to fuse again, possibly soon, definitely in a more "human" fashion later tonight, but un-fusing at that moment to give J proof was the right decision. "It's kind of a neat trick."
"That's not the only trick," Sadie announced. "J, give Steven your hands."
Steven realized what Sadie had in mind as J walked over, noticing the deep cuts on the drummer's wrists. Blood trailed across his arms, dry at the edges but still wet near the cuts. Fortunately for J, Steven had healing saliva. Unfortunately for J, the drummer was getting a crash course on gem powers tonight - and this next lesson was going to be nauseating.
Steven reached out and grabbed J's hands. Looking him in the eyes, Steven declared, "I apologize in advance for this. It's gonna be gross."
J scoffed, "Oh, puh-leeze. You see these cuts? There's not a whole lot that can wig me out."
Steven nodded. Lowering his head, he hacked up a thick wad of mucus and spat upon J's wrists.
J immediately pulled back. "Except for that! What the fuck, dude?"
J began flapping his hands, trying to dry them off, when suddenly, his eyes went wide. He watched as the cuts bubbled like hydrogen peroxide. The only difference was these bubbles had a pinkish-white tint to them. As the bubbles went away, so did the lacerations. J, awestruck, lowered his now fully healed hands from his face and eyed Steven, who sheepishly looked in the air, hands behind their back.
"...okay, so let me get this straight," J demanded. "You can hulk out, you can become an entirely different being with Connie, and you got healing spit? Is there anything you can't do?"
Steven shrugged with a playful grin and said, "Have a healthy mental outlook all the time?"
J stared stolidly. Then he grinned, gave a slight chuckle, and that chuckle exploded into an uproarious belly laugh. "Okay, it's official. You're a cool dude!" J returned to the couch, sprawling out with a sigh. "I gotta admit, when I first heard that Connie was from Beach City, I knew she probably saw some crazy shit. Nothing but weird shit happens there."
"No kidding," Sadie commented. "Why the hell do you think I tried so hard to get out of there?" She then briefly turned her attention toward Steven and Connie. "No offense, fellas."
"None taken," Steven replied.
J snickered. "So I'm guessing you're from Beach City too, I reckon," He asked.
Steven, now in a way better mood since the jock-incident (as it would forever be known within the Death Clutch fan base), responded, "What gave it away?" with a cocky grin.
J laughed; Then, earnestly asked, "So, are you, like, one of those gem things I've heard so much about in Beach City?"
"Half of one," Steven replied.
"Mmm," J hummed understandingly. The next question was a little too personal. "So, like, did your mom hook up with one of them or something?"
Steven slightly tensed. "Actually, my mom was one of them...sorta. It's a bit of a touchy subject."
"Ahhh, got it," J replied with a thumbs up, knowing when it was appropriate to stop a line of questioning. "I won't ask about it anymore."
Steven considered J's attitude as the drummer stood up from the couch. He was pretty surprised J didn't continue asking questions. At the same time, Steven was also relieved he wouldn't have to mention his trauma to a stranger. Lastly, Steven was charmed by J's amiable attitude. The hybrid could tell J was a good person simply because J stopped his inquiries. While a boundary pusher, J was also considerate.
Speaking of pushing boundaries, at that moment, J reached into his backpack and produced the blunt from earlier.
"Y'all still down to smoke this?" J asked.
"Sure," Sadie shrugged. "But like, where? You think we can just hit it off the loading dock?"
"Well, yes and no," J replied. "I mean, we can certainly do that - but considering you guys don't even have a band huddle, I can tell there are many musical traditions you don't partake in. I propose we grab a bite to eat and hit this while we're there."
Shep cocked a brow. "What? You thinking about lighting up in a restaurant?"
"No, no, no," J responded. "Gotta be outdoors. I'm an asshole, but I'm not that big of an asshole. I propose Mickey's dinner."
Connie's eyes were filled with stars as she shouted, "Oh my god! Mickey's! I love that place!"
"What's Mickey's?" Steven asked.
"Little dinner car just a few blocks away from Jayhawk," J answered. "Best greasy spoon on the planet; Definitely not good for your health, but good for your soul. They got outdoor seating, and I know the owner. Perfect place to fuel up after a gig; thus is the tradition." J scanned the room. "Y'all in?"
Sadie was staring at her phone during the entire conversation, noting the time. They had to be on the road for their next gig in about 2 hours, allowing them the perfect amount of time to eat. "Looks like we got the time; I'm in," Sadie responded.
"Me too," Shep added.
"My three," Connie replied. "I'm not interested in smoking, but I could go for their curly fries."
Steven, realizing there'd be one quick detour before hitting pound-town, decided to join the gang in their endeavors. A part of him (one he considered selfish) was also very curious about the blunt. Recalling Pink's comments from earlier, Steven realized that tonight would provide the perfect opportunity to put Pink's theory to the test. Although Steven wasn't interested in diving head-first into this theory by smoking the blunt, he just wanted to see if being in the same vicinity as Marijuana would produce the same results.
With a slight nod, Steven replied, "I'm in."
J reached back into his backpack and retrieved a blue-and-black tie-dye button-up. Quickly suiting up, after popping his neck, J announced, "Excellent. Lettuce go and tomato too."
Click, click, click*
J's Zippo lighter eventually took flame, and he began lighting the blunt. With small puffs, to an outside observer, it would appear J was only lighting a cigar (that's how thick the blunt was). However, if that same observer were to have moved closer, the dank smell irradiating in the air would've been a dead giveaway as to what the five young adults were doing, sitting around a metal table outside Mickey's dinner car.
Mickey's was a staple of the Jayhawk University experience. Located just a short walking distance from the campus and open 24 hours, the dinner car's number one demographic was the student body. Sometimes a student would grab a quick bite during a late-night study session. Sometimes couples would have dates and delightfully share one of Mickey's famous Milkshakes. Most of the time, frat-boys would swing by to indulge in a McCluckin' (a particular type of burger made with the most delicate beef patty, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, and cradled between two pieces of rye bread where the top piece had a circular hole in the middle, filled with a fried egg) to relieve themselves of their common hangovers.
Since it was within walking distance from the campus, it was ordinary to witness students indulge in vices in the outdoor seating section. Thankfully, the owners didn't care what the students were up to outside the dinner. Even better, since California was a legal state, no one would bother the five at the table, especially since the owner of Mickey's was J's uncle.
After taking a good hit, J held out his blunt and passed it to Sadie on his left. Sadie retrieved the blunt as J exhaled. As Sadie took her hit, J got enough breath to voice a simple warning.
"Be careful," J stated. "I rolled that blunt with hash oil."
As if part of a punchline, at that exact moment, Sadie felt the heavy smoke hit her lungs - so rich was the smoke that she couldn't even get an 1/8th of a breath in before violently coughing. J laughed at the reaction.
" *cough, cough, cough* Jesus Christ, J. Give a lady a fair warning next time," Sadie responded.
"I'm sorry," J said with a smile. "I was still exhaling by the time you took your hit."
Sadie coughed into the corner of her arm while passing the blunt to Shep, eyes already bloodshot.
"You gonna be okay to drive?" Shep asked their partner.
"I don't need anymore for the rest of the night," Sadie admitted. "Especially since now I know it's rolled with hash oil. You two can take the rest of the blunt for all I care." Sadie got up from the table. "Does this place have a restroom?"
A new voice responded from behind the gang. "Go to the far left end of the diner car and take a left," the voice replied.
As Steven, Connie, Shep, Sadie, and J turned to look at the person approaching them, they were briefly stunned at the massive build of this stranger - 6'8, 350 pounds, with hairy arms and wearing jeans plus a greasy tank-top, this person seemed more sasquatch than man.
J immediately recognized his uncle. "RANDY!" The drummer announced with excitement. He got up from the table and hugged the figure.
"How's my favorite nephew?" Randy asked while clutching J.
"Never been better," J replied. He then extended his hands towards the gang at the table. "Randy, I'd like to introduce you to Sadie and Shep - the band I played with tonight, and their friends; Steven and Connie."
"How's it going, young bloods?" Randy asked. The gang responded with casual enthusiasm. Knowing that Randy was probably about to take their order, Sadie stayed behind as Randy pulled out his order pad and politely asked, "What's everyone having?"
"I'll just take an order of those curly fries," Shep declared. "And I'll just have water to drink."
"Same here," Connie added.
"I'll take one of those French Silk Pies J's been talking about so much," Sadie replied, and with that, she made her way inside the dining car.
"Ditto," J responded. "I'll also take a McCluckin' with a Coke."
Randy then looked toward Steven. "And what will you have, young man?"
"Ehhh," Steven shrugged. "I'll just take a water."
Randy nodded while Connie voiced her opinion to Steven. "Seriously, Steven, you gotta try their curly fries. They're SOOOO GOOD!"
"I'd just figure I'd just have some of yours," Steven responded. "Y'know, boyfriend tax."
Connie smiled and playfully punched Steven in the arm.
With a quick chuckle, Randy stated, "Alright, I'll get that order for y'all in the kitchen." He then turned to stare down his nephew, who now had the blunt back in their fingers. "Y'know, J, while this is a legal state, it's not exactly good manners to light up in public, even outside."
J rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what his uncle was proposing. He held out the blunt in the air. Randy (quickly looking both ways to ensure other customers and staff weren't watching) took a hit.
After exhaling, he patted his nephew on the back. "Thanks, Buddy," he said. And with that, Randy was off to the kitchen.
Steven was dumbfounded. "...Did….Did that just happen?"
J chuckled. "It's legal here. Sometimes I'll be going down 494, and if I have my windows rolled down, I can just smell it everywhere." J took another hit and held out the blunt in front of Steven. "Wanna try?"
Steven immediately held up his hands, waving them in a manner that would typically be associated with surrender. "No, No, No," He replied with slight panic. "I'm good."
J inquisitively stared at Steven. "You like straight edge or something?"
Steven was confused. "What's straight-edge?"
"Just simply means you live a clean, sober lifestyle," Connie responded.
Steven hummed in acknowledgment. "I guess you can say I'm straight edge. I mean…I'm curious, but my folks growing up always told me to be wary of drugs."
"As most folks do," J commented while taking another hit and then passing the blunt to Shep. "Though, I gotta imagine it was a little bit weirder concerning your family dynamic."
"You don't know the half of it," Steven thought.
"Well, if you ever need a ganja guru, then I'm your guy," J offered.
The hybrid inhaled through his nose, and the intense aroma Steven noticed at the concert came back in full swing. This was it - the moment where Pink's theory would be proven either right or wrong. He wondered how long it would take before seeing results.
Suddenly, as Sadie returned to the table, Steven noticed something he knew only he could see. His Pink counterpart rested beside the dinner car, leaning their back against it and propping up one leg in a "James-Deen," style pose. As Pink noticed that Steven saw him, the character humorously waved as if to say, "Hey Steven, remember me?"
Steven nodded slightly; the theory was correct. If he ever wanted to talk to Pink in person, he'd have to smoke some weed. The hybrid's mind started racing about what other substances could produce this ability. Would the same situation occur if Steven were drunk? Would it appear on any other substance besides weed? And what did Pink mean earlier when he said that he would be invisible to others "until you decide so?" Did that simply mean all Steven had to do was imagine having Pink seen by others, and he'd magically appear beside Mickey's dinner car? The last thought made Steven slightly nervous. Things had been going much smoother since the incident on stage, and with the night being on track for him losing his virginity, he wasn't about to let his gem powers fuck-up such a human experience.
Thankfully, Steven didn't have to think about it for too long. Randy reappeared, carrying everyone's order to the table. As Randy passed the food and beverages around, J retrieved his wallet to pay his uncle, but the uncle dismissed this action.
"No need, free of charge," the uncle announced. "Anything for my favorite nephew and his friends."
Connie was shocked. "Seriously?"
"No, that can't be right," Steven stated. "That just wouldn't be fair."
"Hey, Kid," Randy replied. "Life-Advice: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
"I second that notion," Pink replied in Steven's head.
Connie had already prepared her plate of fries with a dollop of ketchup and mustard. After dipping a particularly long fry into the ketchup, she handed it to Steven. "Steven, Seriously, this is gonna blow your mind."
"Hope that's not the only thing getting blown tonight," Pink jokingly retorted.
For a quick second (as not to alert everyone to what Steven was seeing and hearing), the hybrid gave Pink a death-stare, "I thought you said you wouldn't talk for the rest of the night?" Steven thought in reply.
Pink pouted. "You're right; I'll shut up now. Chao!" And with that, in Steven's eyes, he saw the pink version of himself split off into multiple white butterflies which fluttered away into the night sky.
Steven was brought back mentally to the table as he quickly took a bite of the fry…and then stars immediately filled his eyes as the wonderful sensation blasted his taste buds like a nuclear bomb.
"...oh…my…GOD!" Steven announced. Looking at Connie, he exclaimed, "You weren't kidding!"
"I know, right?!?" Connie replied.
And as if a dam broke, the two consumed the entire plate of fries within minutes. It wasn't for lack of manners; they were just starving.
"Damn, and I'm the one with the munchies right now," J retorted. He quickly bit into his sandwich, the juice from the over-easy egg spilling over his lip and chin. After wiping his face with a napkin, J asked, "So, Connie's told me y'all have known each other for almost your entire lives?"
"Yep," Steven answered. "We grew up together in Beach City."
"Well, with her in college, where do you currently live?" J asked Steven.
Steven gestured with his thumb towards the Dondai in the parking lot next to the outdoor seating. "I've been on the road for the past couple of years," Steven explained. "Been partaking in a…spiritual journey. Sometimes I'll get a hotel, especially when I need to do some laundry or shower, but I've been living out of my van for the most part.
J scowled. "Seriously? Dude…Sleeping in a van is not good for you back. Believe me, as someone who's been on the road with many bands and has major back problems, that can't be good for you.
Steven shrugged. "It's what I got to work with." He replied.
And then J said something that absolutely 1000% confirmed the drummer was a good soul. "But…you deserve better." After taking another quick hit, J jokingly replied, "You gotta treat yourself, girlfriend."
Steven, briefly stunned by J's nurturing nature, simply rubbed the back of his neck and gave one of his trademark nervous grins. "I know I'll have to find a more permanent place of residence soon - but the van works for the time being," Steven retorted. "And, as I said, I don't sleep in it all the time; Sometimes I get a hotel."
"But how often?" J replied. "All I'm saying is that…if you're only getting a hotel twice a week, you should bump up those numbers. Those are rookie numbers."
"Okay," Shep interjected. "Do you think Steven has bottomless pockets or something? It costs money to get a hotel."
"If he's ever back in these neck of the woods, he can stay with me," J responded matter-of-factly.
Steven was in the process of drinking his water when J mentioned this idea. It was so out-of-the-blue that Steven genuinely shot water from his nose out of surprise. He turned his head to cough as Connie rubbed her boyfriend's back. J simply laughed.
"Caught ya off guard with that one, huh?" J playfully quipped.
"J, that's really nice of you," Connie began. "But Steven's got a place to stay tonight; that's not his van."
J noted the specific expression behind Connie's eyes. He could tell precisely what Connie was thinking at that moment. I could possibly get laid tonight, and as you can see, I got a slightly jumpy boyfriend, so don't mess this up for me, ok?
J shrugged. "All I'm saying is I got a two-bedroom apartment and a roommate who's moving out soon." Looking at Steven, J said, "Next time you're in the area, and you want to hang out, or if you need a place to crash if you ain't staying at Connie's dorm…me casa, sú casa - you know?"
Steven nodded his head. It wasn't as if Steven would immediately take J up on the offer. It was just nice to know that he had this option in his back pocket. Good hotels were not cheap, and a free bed for a night was very enticing.
Connie got up and quickly pecked Steven on the cheek. "Gotta head to the restroom, brb," she stated.
As Connie walked away, Shep began talking to Steven.
"Hey Steven," Shep began. "I just want to say…thank you. Y'know? You saved Sadie's ass when that intruder got on stage and knowing you went pink; it probably wasn't a pleasant experience."
Sadie joined the conversation. "Yeah, that was a big deal. I can't thank you enough. Sorry, you had to go pink."
J was slightly stumped. "I don't see the big deal," J proclaimed. "I mean, if I had powers like that, I'd probably hulk out every chance I got; get to be my own security, y'know."
Steven sighed. While not entirely comfortable discussing how his gem powers connected to his emotions (and, by extension, his trauma), he also knew sometimes these moments were unavoidable. Thankfully, therapy with Dr.Sugar gave Steven the healthy coping mechanisms necessary to make these inevitable situations less stressful.
"When I…hulk out, as you called it," Steven said, "It's usually not a good thing. My gem powers are connected to my emotions, and I've dealt with some…trauma. If I go Pink, it usually means I've been triggered somehow."
"Ahhh," J breathed, now fully understanding. "Well, shit, dude - sorry you had to go through that."
Steven relaxed, "It's okay. I'm doing much better right now," the hybrid replied.
There was a brief silence.
All of a sudden, out of nowhere, J began to laugh. Based on depictions of Marijuana Steven had seen through movies and television, Steven knew that weed made one giggly, but this was slightly unnerving.
"Y'know what I just realized?" J exclaimed.
"What?" Shep asked.
"If Steven's got healing spit…..Connie's never going to have to worry about a UTI ever again."
Shep immediately sputtered in laughter. Same with Sadie, although her laugh was much louder. With a cackle, the front woman joked, "She's a LUCKY GIRL!"
The three members of Death Clutch proceeded to laugh uncontrollably. Steven (confused about what a UTI was and not wanting to be left out of the picture) nervously laughed alongside them. At that moment, Connie returned to the table, leaned over to kiss Steven, and lightly whispered in his ear, "You ready?"
Steven thought his heart was about to explode. Part of it was nervousness, part of it was the heartburn from the curly fries - but all-in-all, Steven had been practically waiting for this moment his entire life.
"Ready as I'll ever be," he responded.
The couple got up from the table. "We should get going," Connie told the three.
"Hey," J began. "Before you go, can I talk to Steven privately for a moment?"
Connie and Steven looked at J and then at each other, puzzled. Not sure what J had in mind, but knowing it probably wasn't too serious, Steven shrugged and responded, "Alright."
As Steven got up, he quickly hugged Sadie and Shep, giving the bandmates their proper goodbyes. Afterward, J got up and walked with Steven to the parking lot. Once they were out of earshot from the group, J made his intentions known.
"So…I know this might be a little personal…but, you and Connie….have y'all like…y'know?" J clarified this statement by making an obscene gesture with his hands.
If Steven had been drinking water again at that moment, he definitely would've done another spit take. While a nice fellow, Steven could tell that J was somewhat nosey. With a gulp, Steven shook his head.
"Ahhh," J sighed in comprehension. Knowing that Steven was a virgin and recalling how Connie mentioned Steven had a place to stay tonight, the entire timeline of events from that evening started to make sense. No wonder Steven seemed like he was going to jump out of his skin. "Look, I know this is gonna sound weird, but I'm gonna give you some advice to make this night extra special. If you don't want it, just let me know now - but trust me when I say that I wouldn't give you any bad advice that would hurt C-Dawg. She's a good friend of mine, and I just want to make sure her first time is not only safe…but memorable, y'know?"
Steven was slightly shocked but also thankful someone besides a Crystal Gem or Greg wanted to give the hybrid life advice for human occasions. It was a God-send.
"You cool with it?" J asked permission before offering his advice.
Steven nodded.
"Alrighty, step 1 - consent," J explained. "I know it's probably a no-brainer, but trust me, it's the most important part. The two parties have to be in total agreement before anything goes forward. And I hate to sound threatening, but what I'm about to say isn't a threat; it's a promise." J's eyes suddenly went dark, staring the hybrid down. "If you were to do anything to Connie without her expressed verbal consent, I will fucking kill you. Understood?"
Steven nodded in agreement. While slightly off-put by J's quick switch in attitudes from friendly to threatening, it was nice to know Connie had friends in college who truly had her back.
"I love Connie," Steven explained. "If I ever did anything to hurt her….I'd probably kill myself before you got to me."
"Hey," J barked. "That's not cool either. She loves you, I can tell, and you better love yourself first because if you don't love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love someone else, know what I mean?"
Having heard this statement multiple times in his therapy sessions, Steven nodded his head again.
"Okay," J continued. "Step 2, be Spontaneous. I know it seems like it goes against step 1, but there's a trick to it. It's all about being Spontaneous within boundaries. Being prepared certainly makes things nice, but being spontaneous can also be sexier. It all depends on what your partner is comfortable with. What base are you on? 1st base? 2nd Base?"
Steven, feeling slightly anxious, couldn't express his answer verbally and resigned to holding up two fingers like a peace sign as his explanation.
"Got it," J said. "What you're gonna want to do, is when y'all get in that elevator to go to Connie's dorm room, just start making out with her like a wild man. Feel her up, Hands under clothes. It will certainly set the mood as you guys get to her dorm. Know what I mean?"
Steven was flabbergasted. On the one hand, Steven was appalled by how casually J suggested feeling-up Connie, especially considering that J considered himself Connie's friend. On the other hand, Steven had to admit it sounded like excellent advice. J seemed like the kind of dude who got around often - perhaps this advice came from personal experience.
"Lastly," J remarked as he reached into his pocket and held out a stick of winter-mint gum. "Chew this. The only thing that can turn off a woman faster than being an asshole, is having bad breath. Connie is so nice that I doubt she'll tell you, but I can imagine your breath is rank after those fries. This gum should do the trick, but if you have time, I'd suggest trying to brush your teeth. Feel me?"
Steven was slightly confused. "Wouldn't it be a turn-off if I just stopped what we were doing and went to brush my teeth? Especially if I… ahem …feel-her-up in the elevator?"
"Not at all," J answered. "In fact, Connie could possibly see that as considerate. This isn't the movies; couples have to freshen up all the time. So if you feel comfortable with it, ask Connie to give you some time, and I promise it will make tonight even better.
The last piece of advice actually seemed extremely useful in Steven's eyes. He could also tell that J genuinely meant it - he wanted to ensure Steven and Connie had a wonderful time together. He accepted the gum and began to chew. "Dude…I don't know what to say…thank you?" Steven replied, unsure of how to respond.
"No worries," J said. "And remember, if you're ever near Jayhawk again and need a place to stay, hit me up. I live in a little suburb outside of Jayhawk called Bloomingdale. It's about a 30-minute drive away from the city. What's your number?"
Steven quickly gave his contact info to J as the drummer typed in the information on his phone. Afterward, the drummer sent a text to Steven to save the contact information.
"Awesome possum," J casually responded. J then held out his hands for a hug. Steven, being the open heart he was, returned the hug. As the two fellows pulled away, J said, "Just remember - consent, spontaneity, and fresh breath are all you need to make this night awesome. Be safe, be considerate to each other, and rock 'n' roll…literally!" J laughed at the last quip.
Both J and Steven turned to see Connie and the gang walking in the distance, both going their separate ways. While Connie headed towards Steven and J, Sadie and Shep returned to the tour van. With a polite wave, J stated, "Take care of each other," With that, the drummer disappeared into the night.
As Connie approached Steven, the two stared at each other momentarily. With a quick kiss, Connie asked, "All good?"
"Yeah," Steven responded, only telling Connie half the truth. "J just wanted to exchange contact info…so your place?"
Connie's face lit up with a mischievous grin.