The Stalkers' Guide To Roadtrips

Day 35: You Need Fans To Have A Fandom

                                     Saw you there and I though oh my god, look at that face,

                                                                 You look like my next mistake

Start Destination: Barcelona, Spain

End Destination: Madrid, Spain

Via: /

7:24AM (GMT) / 8:24AM (Local Time)

It seems to have become part of the driving routine now that whenever Rosie and Elise are in the back together they fall asleep; perhaps that says something about the pair's conversational abilities.

At first I used to wish that they didn't, back when things were awkward between Levi and I but now I almost welcome the fact that the car is much quieter. I feel relaxed this morning, there's something about being with Levi in such a chill environment without having to worry too much about interruptions that I really love.

"So has your music taste improved at all since we broke up?" Levi asks about five minutes into the journey.

"We've been over this," I remind him, "my music taste was perfectly fine before we broke up."

"That's your personal opinion."

"True, it just so happens that my personal opinion is right."

"Whatever you say," Levi replies, "but I mean Nicki Minaj, really Jess?"

"She has some good songs."

"I'll believe that when you have any proof."

"Well we can listen to the album now if you really want," I challenge, "that'll change your mind."

It is clear that Levi was not expecting me to reply with that as his expression becomes one of horror and he looks at my IPod as if it is the devil reincarnate. I try not to laugh as I watch him desperately try to come up with some reason why we shouldn't.

"I think I'll pass," Levi says, "I mean I need more warning, I've got to have time to prepare my ears for the pain they'll be subjected to."

"You're such a music snob," I tell him.

"That's so not a thing."

"It is and you are one."

"No I'm not!"

"You totally are," I reply, "I mean you're not even willing to accept the idea that maybe someone you'd written off actually has released decent music."

"I bet it's like one decent song," Levi grumbles under his breath.

"See," I say, "there you go, proving me right."

"Whatever," Levi tells me, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something important."

"Are you finally ready to admit that you're an idiot?" I ask teasingly.

"No! I was going to tell you that I got tickets to go see Ben Howard in December."

"I bet you're really excited for that!" I reply.

"Yeah," Levi says but he doesn't sound too sure.

The thing is that Levi has been in love with Ben Howard's music for as long as I can remember. He permanently used to have his album on repeat no matter what he was doing, reading, revising or playing video games. It might as well have been the soundtrack to Levi's life. And I know that Levi has been desperately trying to get tickets ever since then and that something has always happened to stop that. Levi's been unavailable on the night or he's just missed out on getting tickets, no matter what, there's always been something prohibiting him from going to the point where it seemed like Levi was never, ever going to be able to go. And now he can and yet he seems strangely unexcited.