Dumping the Non Boyfriend

Who: Jamie, Thom, & Isaac, then just Thom & Isaac
When: afternoon
Where: Thom's basement

"Dude, look. Tyler. If you don't remember that tempo change right when it happens, I lose my beat, and then Thom gets all jacked up, so just ... watch it, okay?" Isaac said to Promise Theory's drummer, trying not to sound irritated. This was what practice was for, after all. He turned back to his instrument, giving Thom a sidelong glance. Then his eyes ticked up -- without his permission -- to the clock on the wall. They'd already been at this for almost and hour, and still no Jamie. Which really wasn't what he should've been thinking about at all. They had a show the next day, he needed to focus. Fuck. Isaac shook his head at himself and waited until Tyler gave them the beat again.

Thom caught Isaac's eye and then caught the look up to the clock. He stifled a yawn as they started back up again. The practice wasn't going great. It hadn't started off great - Thom was currently wondering how the hell one managed to be running late for a band rehearsal which was held in one's own basement - but then again, he'd been up until the early hours emailing back and forth with Leija and it had thrown his entire day out. Not to mention that he was dead on his feet - something evidenced by the dark circles beneath his eyes today. And since rehearsal had actually gotten underway, Isaac had becoming more and more testy as the minutes ticked by and no Jamie. No, today wasn't being good at all.

Jamie had actually arrived five minutes ago; she was standing in the hall in Thom's house, by the basement door, resting her head against the cool wall and trying to control her breathing. All thoughts of Caleb and magic and the mess she'd made with him this morning were out the window. It was all Thom, Isaac and Promise Theory, and how she'd managed to ruin what could have been quite possibly two very good friendships. Hell yes, she was her mother's daughter. I can do this. I will do this. I have to do this now. It's my responsibility. Funny how something that had felt so comforting yesterday to think yesterday was so very horrifying today. I am never talking to random people ever again. Ever. I am going to keep my mouth shut from now on around everyone, and instead of socializing I will go home and clean the bathroom. Shit, she still needed to do that!

After one last deep, breath, she exhaled, centering herself as best she could. She would do this now, so Isaac could move on with his life, and so the band could go on without her, and so that she could try to fix things with Caleb, or at the very least help him the best she could from a distance. She opened the basement door and headed downstairs, even managing an almost-cheery smile when she peeked around the corner and shot the boys a little wave.

Isaac couldn't help the reflexive grin that broke out on his face. It butterflied his stomach and gave him a rush of relief at the same damn time. God, he was such a pud. But very glad to see her. Because that meant she'd come and she was smiling and she didn't hate him or anything. She said his admitted crush didn't change anything, and he was happy to see evidence of it. In the form of her being there at practice. They'd picked up their playing again, so he gestured for her to sit with the neck of the bass. He chuckled at himself internally, as ... well ... he immediately started to play better. Now that he wasn't thinking about whether or not she'd show up.

Thom could almost feel the change in the air the moment she walked in and the grin he shot her was as much for that as in hello as he launched into the next verse. Hopefully now everything would start going okay, and he could stop the panic that was beginning to threaten since they were having a terrible rehearsal the day before the party. Which, of course, was just the artist in him. And nothing at all to do with the fact that Leija was going to be there. No, nothing at all. Really.

She sank into the offered seat, dropping the bag of promised lunch at her feet and watching them quietly. The music made her feel a little better. Isaac and Thom's grin? Not so much. They wouldn't be grinning for long... Jamie stamped viciously down on that thought before it could cause any flicker of emotion to register on her face. I will do this. I will do this, so we can all go back to normal. I made this mess. I'm going to fix it.

Well, that song ended better than it had begun, which relieved Isaac somewhat. They hadn't had a bad show since the beginning, really. The three of them played well together. Once it was done, he ducked under his bass strap and propped the instrument up against his amp. "Let's take a break, guys," he said, which wasn't at all because he wanted to go actually say hi to Jamie. ... Since that's what he was doing and all. "Hey," he greeted with a smile.

Thom watched Isaac head over to her and decided that right now was a great time for he and Tyler to have a talk about that beat change and why he kept missing it. He'd go say hi to Jamie in a bit, but he'd give Isaac some 'lone time first.

Jamie smiled faintly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and doing a good job of hiding her inner misery. Awesome, she got to destroy a boy today. Her life's goal completed at the tender age of sixteen. Ugh. "Hey, Tonto. Brought you guys food, like I said I would. Saves Thom from having to interrupt practice to cook," she said lightly.

"Badass," he declared cheerfully enough. He did feel unaccountably better. Well okay, he could account for it. It was her. She looked nice today, though that was nothing new. Isaac smiled at her stupidly. "How'd we sound? We've been sucking balls today, but I'm not too worried. Stage is always different. How've you been?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. Yeah, he sounded like a moron, that was a good way to start this off.

"You guys always sound great," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. It was true; for a band of teenage guys? Promise Theory rocked.

At his second question, her insides froze, just a little. God, she was cold. Damnit. I can do this. And the faster it gets done, the better. Staying around and playing friendly won't help him. "I need to talk to you," Jamie murmured softly. "Can we go upstairs for a few minutes?"

Isaac beamed through the compliment -- 'cause those always rocked -- but it faltered a little at her quiet tone. Irrationally, his first thought was that maybe ... she wanted to Talk-talk to him about going out. But she didn't look very happy. Maybe she was nervous. Or maybe this was where the other shoe dropped. He couldn't tell yet. "Sure," he said after a slight hesitation. He turned to call to Thom. "Hey, I'll be back in a minute," he said. Then started to lead Jamie back up the stairs into the house proper.

She followed Isaac up the stairs and into the house, following his lead for some place at least mildly comfortable to talk. She couldn't even begin to guess what his reaction would be to what she planned to say (anger? she could understand anger, but if he was sad...), so she wasn't going to. She was just going to tell him, and then deal with the aftermath best she could. She had to. There wasn't any other option. Not anymore.

Isaac took her into the living room. It felt like a safe enough place. Mrs. Harkin wasn't home (as she always made a point to be during their practices), so there wasn't any risk of being walked in on. Thom wouldn't come up either, he knew. So. He sat on one of the couches and looked at her, trying to keep the worry off of his face. "So what's up?" he asked. "You okay?" Oh God, what if there was something wrong with her grandpa or something? He started to mentally prepare himself for being there to help and ... yeah.

Jamie stared at him for a long moment, struck by just how sweet he was. It hurt to see him worried like that. She lowered her eyes to her hands, pulling herself together. She was going to do this. She was going to be strong. Because he was better off knowing sooner, rather than later. "It's about us," she began softly. "I'm sorry, Isaac. I think I've been leading you on, and... I'm stopping it now. I told you that you deserve a girl as into you as you are into her, and I'm positive now that that girl can never be me."

He swallowed. That hadn't been quite what he was expecting to hear. What he feared hearing, maybe, but not expected. He was quiet for a long minute, too many words catching in his throat to make any sense. He felt heat come into his cheeks, but he didn't move. What had happened to him being the most awesome guy? Not like ... two nights ago, she wanted to get to know him better and she might break her rule and everything ... "Yeah?" he asked rhetorically. At least his voice was steady. "Why's that?"

The truth. And not sugar coated, she reminded herself. It'd do him no good now to try to shield him from this. Fuck if she hadn't learned one thing about boys; it was better to nip things like this in the bud. Especially with the nice ones who didn't deserve to be hurt. Never again, Jamie vowed. "The same day I met you and Thom, I met another guy, too," she explained, her voice still quiet and steady. "His name's Caleb." She paused, her brows furrowing in thought. "You're both very different from each other, but... the reason I know I can never be the girl for you is the way I feel about him. Around him. If it's anything like the way you feel about me, Isaac, then you deserve that same level of interest from any girl. And I can't do that."

Isaac was sort of ... stunned. He sat and stared at some middle distance around the entertainment center without seeing it at all. So, she didn't date, but she had a boyfriend who was apparently sixteen kinds of awesome instead of a measely twelve or ... something. He realized a bit belatedly that he hadn't taken a breath, so he went ahead and did that. And swallowed again. He would not do this. No. He would not let her see how bad that hurt. That would just make everything infinitely worse and more humiliating. You're the biggest sucker ever born. How fucking retarded are you? He should probably say something. "Why'd you lie to me, Jamie?" he asked, tone very flat and faraway. But his eyes ticked to her face. He knew the answer. But he wanted to hear her say it. She felt bad for him, he was someone to be strung along out of pity, someone to handle with kid gloves and try to let down easy. He was that much of a sap.

She finally looked up at him, her eyes dark and unreadable. The first thing that popped into her head ('because I'm a stone cold bitch') wasn't really appropriate, and wouldn't help him at all. "Everything I said was true, Isaac," Jamie said quietly. "You are without a doubt the kindest, sweetest guy I've ever met in my life. They don't make them like you anymore, Isaac." She bit her already bruised and swollen lip harshly. Stop right there. You're going into dangerous territory with that line of conversation. "You've done nothing wrong. This is all on my end, not yours." She sucked in a deep breath, closing her eyes. This was going to hurt. "The chemistry... I don't feel the pull for you, like I do with Caleb. And that is not your fault. That's me."

His jaw tensed up as she started to talk about how wonderful he was again. Fuck that. It was bullshit. He could feel his heart beating hard in his throat. He was being dumped by a girl he hadn't even really known a week yet, and hadn't ever even gotten to take out. Why did it suck so hard? What in God's name was wrong with him? "No," he said, and had to stop for a second. "That's me." Right about now would be his cue to stand up and walk away from it, before he said something stupid, but it was taking enough control to keep his face schooled as much as he was. " -- and don't. Fucking argue," he cut off anything she was about to say. If she started in with that shit again, he was pretty sure he would crack and say something stupid. One of his legs started to bounce of it's own volition. "So, what? He's better looking? Funnier? Taller? Fuckin' ... an additional kind of awesome?" he wanted to know, and he couldn't help how bitter it sounded. Isaac bit his bottom lip and looked away.

She didn't argue, but she did open her eyes to watch him. Yeah, he was taking this badly. Very badly. And every single one of her natural instincts was screaming to comfort him... except there really wasn't a way for her to do that anymore. "Stop that," Jamie uttered, her voice deathly quiet and calm. "I don't care about looks. You're funnier, he's taller, not that that matters because I'm shorter than both of you, and you're both equally awesome. You and he are completely different. Night and day, apples and oranges. There's no comparison."

"Then what the fuck is it that makes him so much better than me when you don't goddamn know me, Jamie?" he snapped back before he could think to stop himself. There. He was angry. That was good. It was better than feeling like he was going to curl up in front of her and cry like a bitch. Isaac held up a hand and stood up so she wouldn't answer. "Fuck it, I don't even want to know. Whatever the hell it is, I hope it keeps you interested for more than a week." So it was a jab, so what? Wasn't he entitled? Isaac started heading unsteadily back toward the stairs to the basement. He didn't need to be in that room anymore or he was going to break and that was not going to happen.

Jamie waited until she heard the basement door open, not moving once to stop him, or to say anything in her defense. He was entitled to his anger. She'd expected it. Hell, it was practically the first step in the healing process, so she was glad for that. As soon as she was decently certain he'd begun his trek down the stairs, she rose quietly to her feet and headed out the front door, not looking back. And damned if she wasn't grateful she'd had the foresight to not put any dishes or silverware or anything non-disposable in that bag. Hasty exit without an awkward trip back downstairs? Awesome. Now she just had to head home, puke up breakfast and continue on with the rest of her day. She trusted Thom to take care of Isaac. She couldn't now, even if she desperately wanted to.

Isaac made it halfway down the stairs before he felt like he might tumble down the rest of them. He sat back on one heel on the step behind him. His cheeks were splotchy as hell, he knew, and his hand was really cold and shaky as he ran it through his hair. He waited until Thom looked around before he spoke. He'd only be able to say this once. "I'm going home for a while, dude," he stated. It was shitty of him to puss out, he knew. They had a show the next day. He'd come back, he just ... needed ... privacy for a little while.

Thom took one look at Isaac and nodded. "Okay, guys - I think we're done for the day," he said, looking around at the other two. "See you tomorrow night - sorry, I'm gonna be late, but I'm going round tomorrow afternoon to get my shit set up in advance, so when I do turn up, we'll be ready to go. We could have been more with it today, but I think that's just a glitch - we'll be with it tomorrow. If anyone wants to go through anything with me, I'll be around tomorrow morning." He moved to start unplugging everything as the other guys did the same - Thom had always been the word when it came to the end of practice, there was nothing unusual to him suddenly calling a halt. He shrugged a look at Isaac that clearly said that he should just take off - just with a hint of 'I'll be over later' added on.

Isaac nodded back, effortlessly understanding Thom in that way that lifelong friends had. He turned around and climbed up the stairs, leaving the house. As he crossed through the yards between their homes, he tried to hang on to the feeling of being numb. Tried really hard, or he'd never make it up to his room without being stopped and asked millions of questions he really couldn't answer. It turned out that he made it -- just barely. He shut the door to his room, knowing Thom would just come on up when he got around to coming over. Isaac turned on some loud music, flopped face-first onto his bed, and let go.

Thom took his time clearing up. From the look on Isaac's face, he needed that time. He didn't know what had happened upstairs with Jamie, but, well, he could hazard a guess. Once he'd done absolutely everything he could, he scrawled a note to his mom, saying that he'd gone over to Isaac's and that he might not be back til late and that there as left over tortellini in the fridge and then headed out.

He actually knocked on Isaac's door when he got to it - which wasn't exactly common. Half the time, he just walked in. Today was different though. "Dude? It's Thom. I okay to come in?" he asked through the door.

By that time, Isaac had pretty much purged everything that felt like it was about to explode, and then just laid there for a while. He wasn't thinking, exactly, his mind was more sort of buzzing. He sat up when he heard Thom knock, wiping his face off a little more with his arm. The fact that he'd been crying wasn't hideable at all, but at least he wouldn't look too much like shit. "Sure, c'mon," he called over the music, and cleared his throat.

Thom opened the door and slipped inside, closing it firmly behind him. He took one more look at Isaac and knew things were totally fucked up. As it worlds of fucked up. He took a seat on the floor, resting his elbows on his knees. "So, I think we're gonna be okay for tomorrow night," he commented lightly, giving Isaac a get out straight away if he didn't want to discuss things.

"I know we're gonna be okay for tomorrow," he said, though it sounded a bit hollow to even him. He knew that because he was gonna man up and put on a good show and not be an asstick. "The guys weren't pissed? ... sorry." What he was sorry about, he was sure Thom could figure out. Thom knew him, Thom had seen -- very very rarely, but it had happened -- this sort of shit with him before. The other guys? Not going to get to witness it.

"Don't be," Thom told him, instantly. "And the guys'll live. It's all good, don't worry." He paused. "Dude, tell me to fuck off if you want, but - are you gonna be okay for tomorrow night? Cos, y'know... I can always call and cancel. I have that thing with mom and I can totally lame that if you need me too..."

Isaac gave him a Look, though there wasn't much behind it. He couldn't conjure up anything but feeling really ... empty at the moment. "Fuck off, I'll be fine," he said blandly. "I'm not gonna be the reason to cancel. It's cool." Even though it was very distinctly Not Cool. He'd just have to work through it, was all. After a beat, he added, "She dumped me and we never even really went out."

Thom mused this over, the pause stretching out between them. "It always was a long shot," he said, slowly, eventually. "She did warn you she didn't date..." But damn did the way he put it sound final.

That made him laugh. A little, in a really bitter way. "Yeah, she warned me. And then she told me I was the most awesome guy ever -- this was two nights ago, mind you -- and that if she knew me better, she'd totally break her rule for me. So ... yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking would happen? Or that I'd at least have more time? And ... apparently, she's broken her rule for some other dickhead. Who she feels so much more for, even though she met him the same fucking time she met us, and I'm still wonderful and great and just as awesome as this other dude -- which doesn't make any fucking sense to me, man -- and all that and I deserve some other fucking girl to feel the goddamn fucking shit way that I do and it was all her and not me," he ranted, the pissed-off coming back to him as he did so. Isaac stopped to take a breath, glaring at the opposite wall.

Thom stared slightly, processing all of this. "Bitch," he breathed - an honest and automatic best friend reaction. "Just... there's another guy?" he asked, honestly thrown by this. After all she'd said and... "But..."

"See?" Isaac said. He tossed up his hands and slumped back against the wall at the side of his bed. "Yeah, another guy. And that's why -- despite me hanging the moon and shit -- she will never, ever give me a chance." Okay, so she hadn't really said that, but ... that's what he heard. "I should've told her to bring him to the show," he muttered as an afterthought. He scrubbed his hands over his face. God, he felt like such shit.

"Hell no you shouldn't," Thom declared. "Fuck no - is she still intending to come?" he asked. Because that? Right now? After doing this to his best friend? No - really no. Of course, that could just be the total pissed off rage that was talking, but Thom did occasionally give floor space to his gut reactions. He'd get over it with time.

"Probably not," Isaac said with a very slight smirk. There was absolutely zero humor in it, though. "She was too busy shredding my ego into tiny little bits to really say. I'd be real surprised if she did." And probably really fucked up about it too, though that didn't need to really be said. That was a given. It made him feel a little better to see Thom pissed off on his behalf, though. It wasn't something that happened very often.

"I'd be really fucking pissed if she did," Thom amended, his face set. No, people did not do that to his friends. Especially not to Isaac, who was like the nicest guy in the world ever. And not for some mystery dude who was no way a patch on his best friend. Not possible. No way in hell.

He stared off into space for a minute or two. He had a headache, he felt like someone had stuffed a whole bag of cotton up his nose. At least he didn't sing, or they'd really be fucked. He could play bass and be miserable at the same time. "I just ... I dunno, man," he muttered softly. "She seemed really ... different. Like she didn't care about stupid bullshit, y'know? ... Like she'd be cool really ... knowing me." It sounded retarded and sappy, he knew, but Thom wasn't in any way shallow, and Isaac knew he'd get it. "I dunno. Guess I just ... hoped for too much. I guess."

Thom didn't say anything for a moment, dropping his head and scratching lightly at the nape of his neck, running a hand up into his shaggy hair. "No, I know, dude. Really." He'd thought that too - it had been obvious his friend had been really into Jamie and he'd held hopes that maybe it'd been mutual. "I don't think you hoped for too much. It just didn't play out, y'know? She's fucking stupid though."

"Naw, she just ..." has taste? "... wasn't into me that much, I guess. Which, y'know, I would've liked to have really known in the first place, but ..." Isaac let that trail off and shrugged a shoulder. He didn't feel better, just calmer. No, this was going to suck for a while. It was probably going to suck even more when school started. But until then, he could avoid the shit out of her. "You ever call that girl?" he asked, in a rather abrupt subject change. Maybe he could live vicariously through Thom's bizarre sudden bold streak.

Thom looked up at Isaac's question. Which, really, given the circumstances, wasn't one he was too keen to answer. Being that yes, he did call her. And had been on a date, which had ended with a kiss. And then he'd spent most of the night emailing back and forth with her. And he couldn't wait to see her at the party the next day. A list of things which, all in all, seemed perfectly crafted to shit on Isaac even more right now. But he was hardly going to lie. "Yeah, I called her," he admitted, a little reluctantly. Dude, think of a subject change, quickly.

Well ... that tone either meant it went really shitty, or really well, and he just didn't want to tell him. Though if it had gone shitty, Isaac figured Thom would tell him so they could commiserate about how much women sucked, so he was going to go with door number two. "Good," he half-grunted, and let it drop. He'd hear about it eventually anyway. And that felt like all he really had to say for the moment. He picked at a loose thread on his comforter.

Thom exhaled slowly, relieved that he wasn't going to have to go through the subject of Leija. Who he owed a fact. Oh, no, I don't - not til tomorrow. I gave her a fact already today, he remembered, stifling a smile. That had been at stupid o'clock, before she'd said that she was going to bed - which she totally hadn't done, since he'd woken up to another email sent after his last one this morning. But that was totally off topic and he was completely focused on his best friend. Really. "You okay?" he asked, tentatively.

"Not really," he answered in all honesty. He was no good at lying, really, especially not to Thom. There were too many tics and nervous gestures that he'd learned over the years. "But ... I'll live, I think." His hazel eyes ticked up to his best friend and he smiled wanly. "I won't punk out, it's okay." He knew that the show wasn't the core of what Thom was worried about at all, but he wanted to make that clear. "Hell, maybe it'll be inspiring and shit. I'll throw some emo lyrics at you."

"You better, you ass - I don't deal well with people dying on me," Thom threw at him, but with a hint of humour. "Anyway, good bassists are fucking hard to find." He paused. "I don't care about tomorrow, Isaac. You just tell me what you need and it's yours, man - you know that," he said, dead serious this time. The band meant almost everything to Thom, but there was a time and a place and this was one of them. And Promise Theory came a pale second place to the well being of his best friend.

That very nearly made him cry again, but he managed to swallow it back down. They weren't really the huggy-kind of guy friends, but he almost went to do it. "If she shows, just keep her away from me," he said quietly, eyes down on his fingers as they continued to pick at the blankets. "And make sure I don't drink too much, 'cause ... I will." Isaac knew he had the makings of a Problem on that score, but he trusted Thom to keep him in line. He was pretty much the only one who could. Damn shame we're not gay, we'd be set, he chuckled to himself internally.

"On it - eyes on you, eyes out for-" the little bitch "-her," Thom affirmed. It'd be hard - at least the drinking part. Isaac was very good at having a bit too much. And that was even when he wasn't trying. But Thom would do his best, and if he failed, well, he'd just have to carry Isaac home - wouldn't be the first time and he doubted that it'd be the last either.

Isaac could really drink himelf into oblivion for all he gave a shit, he just didn't want to get like ... weepy stupid-drunk on anybody who didn't deserve it. Maybe after they were done with their set, he'd just leave and save everybody the trouble. But probably not. The keg would be calling him with numbness. He nodded, though, not sure how to express his gratitude. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck her," he murmured. "Fuck her, fuck her, fuck her." There. That was the only attitude he could have. It would save him a whole shitload of heartache if he could just write her off.

Which, to be honest, was a scheme that Thom was going to wholeheartedly endorse, because he couldn't see a better way out of this crap either. Right now the fact that he'd, only a few days ago, had half an eye on the girl as well was out the window and over the horizon by now. "She's not worth it, dude. Really."

The shitty thing was, deep down, Isaac disagreed. He thought she probably was worth it. Or maybe even definitely worth it. She just didn't want him. Really, despite everything she said, he was pretty sure she didn't want him at all. In the slightest. It was plain and simple as that. She just had a really good excuse now to get him to leave her alone. "Yeah," he said in a noncommittal manner.

Oh shit - Thom recognised that noncommittal monosyllable. What a not-a-surprise at all. Usually Isaac was fairly thick skinned about this kind of thing, but every so often... Yeah. "So, what about nice-dinner chick?" he asked, hoping to deflect Isaac's thoughts from brooding on Jamie quite so much. It was a risk, he knew - which could possibly backfire, but it was one he was taking.

It had just been a string of bad girl-luck, topped off with a lovely gut-wrenching rejection from one he happened to really, really like. Sure, it had developed fast, but that didn't mean it sucked any less. To be told that she didn't date, but if she did, she would date him, and then ... she turns up with a boyfriend not a day or two later. Who inspired so much more feeling or some bullshit like that. "Harper," he filled in for Thom. "I haven't called her back yet." But she hadn't called him either, now had she? Excellent.

"You gonna?" he asked, trying to work out if he thought Isaac should or not. Again, it could go either way. Either she'd help him get over all of this, or he'd be terrible fucking company and take it out on the girl for not being Jamie. It was a hard call.

"I dunno," Isaac answered honestly. Right now? He really didn't feel like being around anybody. Or well ... anybody but Thom and maybe his sister. Definitely not anybody in a romantic sense. 'Cause really ... he wasn't sure he could take a whole lot more bad luck standing at the moment. "Maybe in a couple of days."

"Fair enough," Thom agreed. He relaxed back on his elbows, stretching his legs out in front of him. "So, you serious about those emo lyrics? Cos, dude - we need new material. And I have this killer tune..." his tone was light, almost jokey as he spoke, trying to inject a touch of levity into the depressing atmosphere which quite understandably pervaded the room.

"Man, if I can quit weeping myself sick for five minutes, I'll jot down some of my incredibly lyrical pain for you," Isaac said, smirking a touch and joking back with him. He was okay with levity, it was necessary. "Yeah, though? Not ready to debut it yet?"

"Hey, if you're good go through hell, may as well make it work for you, right?" Thom joked back. "And it's there, really - I played it for Leija the other night and it was ready. I was gonna bring it up today, but then rehearsal sucked bad and..." And then finished early, but Isaac didn't need to hear that - it was stunningly obvious. "It can wait. We needed to go over stuff for tomorrow anyhows."

He didn't miss the mention of a name he didn't know -- whom he could only assume was this girl Thom called -- and the fact that he was playing music for her already. New music. But he wasn't going to run with that to be an asshole, no way. The universe knew that Thom deserved a nice girl. Apparently it had decided that he didn't. But that was a little bitter, wasn't it? "Sure, we'll have a listen. We probably can't play it at the show yet, but hell, maybe it'll inspire us not to suck," he mused with a faint chuckle.

"Well, no - I didn't think we were going to. I mean, at the moment, it's just a piano piece," Thom shrugged. He knew it would need work - that was a given. "But it's cool though - different to my usual stuff, I think. Kinda moody, less upbeat. And we won't suck," he added, confidently.

Isaac nodded. Thom usually didn't write boo-hoo-wangsty-teenager crap, which was part of the reason they were a band that actually sort of stood out. They were good. But Isaac knew that whatever he wrote would be awesome, moody or not. "Sweet," he commented. "And you're right. We're gonna rock faces off."

"We are," Thom agreed, almost as if by declaring it, he could make it so purely through force of his own will. He sat up. "So, tell me, you want me to fuck off and let you drown in your own misery - or whatever it is you were planning on doing. Or do you want major distraction-provision. Cos I'm kinda at your beck and call for the rest of the night. Whatever you need and all that shit."

"Think I'm gonna hang out, have some ice cream, take a nap. Maybe write some music, maybe bug the shit out of Kaysen. That always makes me feel better." He chuckled a little and sat up straighter, pushing forward and off the bed so he could walk Thom out. "Might call you later, though, see if you're busy. But it's cool, you don't have to stick around for right now." It wasn't kicking him out, per se, but he did kind of feel like he could be alone better now. "I appreciate it, though, man."

Thom didn't take it as being kicked out - they'd known each other far too long for that. "Sure, gimme a ring later, if you want. I'll be around," he said, lightly - not wanting to sound like he was pressuring Isaac to be sociable, but at the same time wanting the guy to feel that he could call if he needed to.

"I will," Isaac assured him. And he would, too. He'd never in all the years they'd known each other had Isaac felt like he couldn't rely on Thom. That was just the kind of guy he was. He walked him back downstairs to the front door, and sort of clapped him on the shoulder in an affectionate kind of way. "Thanks, man," he said quietly.

"Any time, dude. Really," Thom assured him. "'Cept for, like, 4am. Unless you have a damn good reason," he joked, referring back to that one time. But then again, that had actually been a damn good reason...

He laughed a bit, opened the door, and gave him a light playful shove out of it. "Dude, getting left naked on the football field was so a damn good reason. You had your laugh, too. Go call your girlfriend or something, asshole." But he was grinning as he said it.

"Yeah, but if you hadn't pissed of the entire cheerleading squad, you wouldn't have been stripped and left on the football field, would you?" Thom asked, faking innocence. He still had the photos, somewhere... Of course, it had taken him an entire month to get them back off the squad - and most of his allowance. So he figured the laughs he'd had had been worth it. "But, I'm gone - I know where I'm not wanted," he added, heading out - not sounding in the least like he thought that was the case.