Darkened Mirror

The Phone rings.
“Hello?” me.
“Alice, be at the Nxt Gen at 7.” Robert. Boyfriend. Asshole.
“Robert, I’m not sure, I-“
“Look, I pulled a shitload of strings to get you this gig, don’t fuck it up! Bye.” Click.
I love you too.

Marlboro time, match head flaring to life, touching paper, igniting tobacco.
Inhale, exhale.
Inhale, exhale.
Praise be to God.
Inhale. Hold it in. Exhale.


“Oh shit.” I stare around the apartment, not really seeing it, envisioning the packed and cramped club, the audience and me, all the eager hungry faces fixed unblinkingly on me, pulling me deeper into their mindless demanding sea of eyes, mouths, noses…. Them and me.

Inhale. Exhale.

Suddenly the damn place seems too fucking small.

Inhale. Exhale.

I grab my keys, stuffing them into the pocket of my leather jacket as I pull it on, guitar case in hand and I’m out the door. Gone.

Halfway to my car, my pocket starts to ring.

“Hello?”
“Alice! Hey, it’s Jane!”
“Hey, Jane.”
“What’s wrong, hun? Robert again?”
“No- yes…. He got me a gig tonight. And you know me and audiences, and-”
“Oh, shit, Alice…. Hey! What are you doing now?”
“Nothing, I guess. The apartment was getting-“
“Alice, come by! I got some new shit and I think you could really use it.”
“Jane, I don’t know if I should-“
“Sure you should! See you soon! Love ya! Bye!” click.

Yeah, well, Jane, I don’t know if I should hit anything before the show. Oh, ok, Alice, I’ll see you there, bye. Bye.

I finish the conversation in my head as I go to my car:

1984 Dark-Red Volvo: not too many miles, well used, black cracked leather interior, slash marks across the passenger seat from previous owners, hole where the stereo should be- due to rise in car theft; driver’s side door needs replacing due to scratch marks covering it from when former owner’s girlfriend discovered he was married. Will sell for cheap!

My addition’s: a pair of leopard skin dice hanging from the duct taped mirror with Princess written in pink, and a bumper sticker that reads: “I want to be Barbie, that Bitch has everything.”

Guitar goes in the back, I go behind the wheel, sometimes, I wish it was the other way around.

* * *

Name: Alice Darling
Age: 23
Sex: female
Date of Birth: 25/02/1976
Occupation: singer/ songwriter/ waitress
Marital Status: dating
Significant other: Robert Argent
Parents: Michelle and Peter Darling
Address: Apartment 467, 1101 Wonderland Dr.
Phone number: (617)-555-4650
e-mail address: aliced@antisocial.com
Appearance:
Eye color: blue
Hair color: bleach blond
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 105 lbs.
***

Red light. Yellow. Red. Green. Yield sign. Asshole who doesn’t know how to use his f@*king blinker. Change lanes. Merge left. Another Red light. Another asshole. On and on. Gotta love this city.
Right blinker. turn wheel. Accelerate. right blinker. turn wheel. Brake. Shift to park. Turn off the engine. I’m here.