GUITAR PICKS & PENCILS | on hiatus

Chapter 8.

"Raindrops keep falling on my head

And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed

Nothing seems to fit..."

-- Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head (B. J. THOMAS)

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The radio in the Ford was tuned in to the local music station and was playing a mix of jazzy tunes. Apparently, the DJs thought it suited the rainy weather and Ren welcomed it. She liked soft, soulful sounds whenever she was feeling frazzled.

"Right, then," Joey said and motioned to the driver. "So this is Sid. Gotta warn you that he'll be pretty unfriendly during this car ride but it's not you, I promise. Sid is just Sid."

Ren could see Sid rolling his eyes in the rear-view mirror. "Honestly, I don't see why you always have to portray me to your new "friends" as an anti-social bastard..." he glanced at Ren through the mirror.  "So,  you are...?"

"Renae, but just call me Ren," Ren said, smiling a little. She noticed that Sid uncannily looked a little like Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols.

"Familiar name," Sid said, tapping his lip and it's piercing.

"Ren's in my Chemistry class," Joey supplied.

"The lab partner?" Sid asked. Ren's ears perked up. Obviously Joey had been talking about her to Sid.

"Yeah," Joey said and Sid's lips puckered in an amused sort of way. Ren could see his eyes flicking between the rear view mirror and the road. Between her and the road.

"Nice, very nice," he said.

"What's nice?" she testily asked.

"The weather," Sid said simply, catching Joey's eye in the process. The poor boy was sucking in his lips, looking both flustered and ready to throw a punch out at him. "So where's your place?"

"The Arboretum," Ren said. "On Walton Street, somewhere near the garden centre."

"I think I know where that is," Sid said. "You live pretty close to us, you know?"

"Do I now?"

"Yeah," Joey said with a cute chuckle. "We're on Besoton Avenue."

"That's just a couple roads away," Ren said. "Sort of near where my friend Scotty is. So, you two live together or something?"

"We're neighbours," Joey said.

"But Joey practically lives at mine," Sid quipped. "This little shitbag here literally creeps in from the window whenever he can."

"To be fair, it's not my fault," Joey said. "You hardly ever locks your window -- or close your curtains at that!" Joey turned to Ren, pretending to whisper. "Can't tell you how many times I look up from my window and see him coming out of the shower without a towel."

"What the hell, Joey?" Sid cried, turning to glare at Joey. "Fucking pervert!"

Ren started to laugh as Sid began to squabble with Joey, defending himself for all his nudity was worth. Joey and Sid were hilarious. In a way, they reminded her of A.D and Scotty with their bromancy antics and shenanigans and she was glad for that. They both made the car ride easier for her to forget momentarily about Nick. Still, at the back of her mind, she knew that the issue was far from settled -- especially when a text message buzzed on her phone from A.D. 

Lol, hope u got bk frm town w nick.

dun 4get we hv jam sess 2nite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!