Ch.5 Pirate Smiles
James
After the walk down to the vending machine, Tony chose a simple bottle of plain water. I sat down with him in the library with Logan who didn't really seem to have a problem with him joining us. We chatted for another good half hour, he was actually pretty smart, and amazingly nice. When it was time to leave I smiled looking towards him putting my books away in my backpack.
" Tony, you um have a way home?" I asked
He smiled back " I was going to take the bus" he replied
I laughed " You'll turn into an icicle out there" I joked making light of the fact he would have to wait for at least an hour at the bus stop.
"come with us I'll give you a ride" I offered
He shook his head, " no, I, really it's no trouble at all" he nodded and followed us out to the car I smiled opening the back door for him,
" thanks James" he said climbing into the door, he straightened his jeans and his sweater as he sat down adjusting himself in the middle of the back seat. He smiled sweetly admiring himself in the rearview mirror for a moment. Logan turned the radio on while I set to work brushing off the snow accumulated on the front of the car.
"James says you can sing" he said looking towards Tony with an awkward smile.
Tony shrugged his shoulders and nodded " a little bit I'm not that good"
Logan laughed, "don't be modest, if James thinks you can sing chances are you can"
" he's such a critic" Logan added. I finished scraping the ice off the windows and returned the ice scraper to the trunk of my car. I smiled at how well Logan and Tony appeared to get along, if they got on well, Carlos would love him too. Kendall would hate him but then again Kendall hated everyone including himself right now.
Tony shook his head " I get nervous as hell on stage"
" even in front of small crowds" He switched the song on his Ipod. Logan smiled and reached his hand towards the Ipod " may I?" he asked. I smiled quietly opening the door to get in as Tony handed his Ipod to Logan who promptly plugged it into the Ipod dock that connected to the radio. He gave it a firm but gentle shake to shuffle the tunes. I watched as Tony fixed his hair in the rearview mirror, and reapplied a light touch of face powder. " relax you look perfect" Logan said smiling as he turned the volume up.
Music was playing from Tony's Ipod through the car speakers, and a song by Adele was just finishing, and as it ended Janis Joplin began to blare from the Ipod. I smiled, " are you going to sing along" I suggested " Logan really wants to hear you" He smiled nervously " I-I don't think I can" I reached my hand back to touch his " I think you can" I said he took a sip from his water bottle and Logan clicked the song back to starting point. He took a breath in and began counting of the intro starting into a deeper Alto-light tenor note as soon as the lyrics began.
"A woman left lonely will soon grow tired of waiting,
She'll do crazy things, yeah, on lonely occasions.
A simple conversation for the new men now and again
Makes a touchy situation when a good face come into your head.
And when she gets lonely, she's thinking 'bout her man," he built into a richer tone as he went on, you could tell if you heard him that he felt the blues with all his heart and soul.
"She knows he's taking her for granted, yeah yeah
Honey, she doesn't understand, no no no no! " tears flowed freely from his eyes smudging his glittery black eyeliner. Feeling better was easy when he sang the blues, and a single tear ran from my eye as we drove through the cold snowy streets.
He built to the peak of the song and then came crashing down in a decrescendo.
"Well, the fevers of the night, they burn an unloved woman
Yeah, those red-hot flames try to push old love aside.
A woman left lonely, she's the victim of her man, yes she is.
When he can't keep up his own way, good Lord,
She's got to do the best that she can, yeah!
A woman left lonely, Lord, that lonely girl,
Lord, Lord, Lord!" the final notes of Janis Joplin's gritty texas accented voice faded from the speakers and Logan paused the Ipod.
" not that good?" he asked sarcastically " you sounded beautiful"
I nodded in agreement " now tell me where do you live?" I asked and we drove through the falling snow...
Authors note: I appologize for the length of time it took for me to complete this chapter, enjoy and I promise to update more often