Fluorescents

1

"I wish I was like you,
easily amused."

The lyrics flutter from the record player sitting on my nightstand as I compile my not very wide arrangement of clothing onto my bed. I will be gone for several months again and I will need to be prepared. I gaze at the mess and count down everything that will be necessary for my long lasting road trip.

"Flannels." I turn to gaze at the left side of my bed and my pile of flannels come into view.

" Pants." I mutter under my breath as I gaze on the other side of my bed where I have arranged a high pile of jeans that are mostly mom jeans or high waisted shorts that looked like they arrived straight from the nineties era.

I am easily taken away from the real world and my responsibilities as the song on my record player prepares itself to end. I smoothly step away from my bed and get lost in the sounds.

" In the sun, In the sun I feel as one." I sing as I knit my eyes shut and sway back and forth to the melancholy music that is hypnotizing me. "In the sun, In the sun." I am again shoved back into reality when my phone wakes me from my day dreams of Nirvana. I reach for my phone on the counter before slowly lifting my needle away from one of my favorite records. Yet again I say that about every record I possess. I gaze down at my phone and a smile arises in me as the caller ID comes in view.

"Hello, Eddys Road Crew specialists speaking. How may I assist you?" I sing song to the other person on the line.

"Hello this is Matt Schultz calling to make a complaint on the behalf of my band, Cage the Elephant." I roll my eyes but let him continue. "We'd like to file a complaint on your assistant stage manager, Jocelyn Ideth Herrera" I roll my eyes yet still go along with his games and mutter a "mhm"

"She was very rude and constantly taunted me when I sang so I will like to file a complaint and have her never work for another band through your company. In fact I will do you a favor and take her off your hands and offer her a job on my crew in order to assist you in getting rid of her."

"I'm not gonna be your groupie Matt." I try to mutter in a tough tone but quickly fail and let out a giggle. He laughs shortly after before both of us sigh and let a comfortable silence engulf us. Knowing that we'll be apart from one another will be hard. He's practically my best friend. When I first decided to make the long trip from Illinois to LA to pursue stage management for concerts I knew I would enjoy it, but after being able to travel around with Matt and his lovely band I learned to love it more. I was merely an assistant at the time but I still developed a strong love for the tasks I performed.

" How ya doing Ideth?" He chuckles on the other side of the line. I sigh again and he quickly takes in my emotions without me even having to mutter a word. "Come on, lighten up. Who knows maybe you'll enjoy your time with the new band. Obviously they won't be as fun as us but I mean hopefully they won't suck." I laugh lightly at his smug remark in between his attempt to make me feel better but soon let it past. I'm going to miss spending time with him and his band. They were the first and only band I've worked with and I can't help but admit that I'm nervous. What if this upcoming band isn't as humble and sweet as Cage The Elephant? What if they're awful and needy and complete assholes? What if they're music sucks? Oh god no. I shake the thought from my head when I hear Matt's voice once again. "Anyone there?" he asks with a light chuckle.

" Yup." I state in a monotone voice to cover my overwhelming anxiety.

" Don't lie to me Ideth." He states in a deep yet humorous tone. I roll my eyes at him even though he's unable to see me. " I promise you'll enjoy your time. Who knows, maybe if you don't spend so much time worrying about work this time you'll meet a nice boy." He teases.

" No. Thank. You." I state before letting out a light giggle. I've never been the type of person to be easily amused by the attention of boys. I've usually always kept to myself and my music. That's all I've ever seemed to need throughout my 24 years of life. Yes I've had plenty of flings and you could maybe even say relationships but I've never gone to the extent of depending on a man for my happiness. That's what music was for. That's why I had decided to pursue stage management. I had spent my whole teenage experience at concerts and when I finally got to the age of deciding what to do with my life I took the musical path.

When I had the privilege of touring with Cage The Elephant it was magical. Yes it was loads of work but at the end of the day I was able to stand front row or backstage and listen to something beautiful and mesmerizing.

" So any details on the band yet?" Matt shakes me from my thoughts. I quickly pace around my small studio apartment and rustle through papers looking for the sheet with the bands info.

"Uhm yeah...its." I skim the contract sheet and gaze over it completely before flipping the page. Finally my eyes land on a sheet with the bands information plastered over it. "They're a band with the name.......Arctic Monkeys." I place the sheet down and patiently wait for his reply.

" Well, shit." I hear him mutter. What?

"What?" I ask and he laughs lightly. What's so funny? My anxiety from earlier returns at full force and I begin to feel my palms become covered in sweat.

"Good luck." He states before chuckling as if he knows something I surely don't. What could that possibly mean?