bitter basil, (hozier)

august 1st, 1969 - evening

"kentucky, we're stopping for the night and then heading up north tomorrow," judy responded.

"we?"

judy facepalmed. "yeah... we. i met this guy the other day who was going to new york, too, so he's kinda tagging along."

"judy," mikey chastised. "you know better! what made you think it was a good idea to bring a strange man with you? are you crazy?!"

judy paused and bit her lip. "the way he says basil makes me laugh, so i'm taking him halfway across the country," said the girl. "call me crazy, but hey, now i got a 6'6" bodyguard."

mikey sighed. "...just, stay safe, alright?"

"okay. you do the same."

mikey laughed. "i don't need to, i'm grown."

"yeah, keep telling yourself that," judy mocked. "love you."

"love you too, judes. bye."

judy hung up the payphone, leaning against the box. she looked up at the evening sky, which was covered in a thick gray blanket. it was going to storm tonight - she knew it. and she was excited. she scrunched a piece of her now desperately tangled hair in her fist, deciding she would take a shower tonight. she thanked herself for packing all of her special products so she wouldn't be at the mercy of the shit-quality hotel toiletries. being black is hard.

"judy!" andrew's voice pulled judy out of her thoughts. he was walking towards her, holding up a key in his hand. "i snagged us a first floor room!"

judy smiled at his excitement. it was adorable. "good job, sugar!"

he stopped next to her by the payphone. "so, who'd you ring?"

judy's eyes wandered towards the payphone, her smile becoming doleful and nostalgic. "my big brother, mikey," she responded. "i miss him."

andrew wasn't quite sure how to respond. he was an only child, and he thought it smart to sever all ties with his parents - so, in reality, he had no one to call and say, 'i miss you.'

but watching judy do it was enough for him.

"you two sound close," andrew said.

"damn straight," judy snorted. "mikey was way more quiet than me growing up. he didn't have many friends, so he turned to taking care of me. for a while, i was his only friend," she reminisced. "he's come out of his shell lately. but he's still the mikey i know and love."

it touched andrew's heart, the way judy spoke so fondly of her brother. he could sense the admiration in her voice. he wondered what it would be like for judy to admire him. "he seems lovely."

"he is," judy smiled. "do you wanna take a shower first?"

andrew shook his head. "you've been driving my arse all over. you deserve first dibs," he conceded.

judy wondered if that was his nice way of saying she smelled. god, she hoped not.

before she realized what she was doing, andrew caught her craning her neck into her armpit. "it's fine, you don't reek!" he said frantically. "sorry, i should've worded that better." judy looked up at him and stifled a chuckle.

she took the key out of his hand and walked towards the building. "i won't steal all the hot water," she assured.

andrew watched as the girl sauntered away.

-

the sound of the shower could be heard throughout the motel room as andrew mindlessly flipped through channels. he sat with his legs crossed on one of the made double beds; he was apprehensive to get under the covers because of bed bugs. judy reassured him that she would check once she finished showering.

the sound of running water quickly stopped. minutes later, judy stepped out of the bathroom in a towel, the steam following not far behind her.

andrew was amazed. he knew her hair was long, but he had no idea it was that long.

"the water pressure's great," judy sighed, obviously relaxed. andrew didn't respond. she looked pointedly at the drawstring bag next to him which held her clothes. "i'ma need that."

"oh, sorry," andrew stuttered, pulling himself out of his trance. he took the bag and tossed it to judy, who caught it with one hand, using the other to hold her towel.

judy clicked her tongue. "thanks!" she exclaimed. she made sure her towel was secure before sitting down on the other bed and brushing through her deep locks.

andrew stared in awe. he cleared his throat, afraid to ask what he was about to ask. "does it hurt terribly?"

judy brushed through a particularly nasty tangle. "what, brushing?" andrew nodded. "not really. i mean, it hurts, but eventually it's like getting a shot or something. you just live with it."

andrew hummed. "interesting," he said.

"what about your hair?" judy asked. "i've never seen a man with that much hair on his head."

andrew let out a soft chuckle. "i absolutely loathed going to the barbershop as a boy. i didn't like the way they'd yank my head this way and that. so one day, when i was fifteen, i told my mum that i just... wouldn't go. i've cut my own hair ever since," he reminisced.

"that's a really cute story," said judy.

"really?" andrew asked. "i thought it was more annoying than cute."

"maybe it's the way you tell it," judy said before walking back into the bathroom to change.

maybe it's the way you tell it.

andrew would lay awake that night, thinking about that phrase over and over again.