Under Thom's Tree

Who: Thom and Isaac, then Thom, Isaac and Jamie
Where: Under Thom's tree in the park
When: Midday

He'd left it a day, avoiding the park totally yesterday, but he'd figured it'd be safe to go back today. A thought that had given Thom pause. 'Safe' - he'd laughed at that. What was he worried about doing? Giving the girl who didn't date the wrong impression? Actually, yes, possibly - he didn't want her to think that he was keen, or anything. Not that she would, because she didn't date and so there wasn't a possibility that. Or would she? If he turned up - but he'd said that he was there most days, so that was only a problem if she turned up. And if she turned up, what did that mean? If anything - and it probably didn't mean anything, because she didn't...

There was a whole circle on non-answerable questions there, all of which were stupid, because nothing was leading anywhere. She didn't date, he didn't even really know if he'd be interested anyway, since he'd only met the girl once and he was far from being the kind of person who made judgments based on that - insta-crushing was Isaac's territory, after all. And so Thom had turned up mid-morning, with his guitar and a book, having put no more effort into his appearance than he normally would and he'd lost himself in his music - which had successfully calmed the nightmare of questions that battled in his head with the other nightmare of Kaysen - neither of which even made it to the surface to show outwardly anyhow.

Speaking of insta-crushing, Isaac had woken up far earlier than he usually did with a nervous stomach and just kind of ... excited. It took a minute or two of sitting in bed to remember why, before being sung to sleep by Jamie flooded back to him. His phone was dead, but that didn't matter. Witness him not caring at all. He went through breakfast and the morning with a big stupid grin on his face the entire time, which earned him a couple of weird looks from Kaysen. That wasn't terribly unusual, either. But! He felt good, and noonish couldn't come fast enough. Strapping his bass to his back and tugging on some sneakers, he headed for the park. Though he'd never really thought of it in those terms, he knew exactly where 'Thom's tree' was.

He plopped down next to his friend and pulled his bass around into his lap. "What's up?" he asked. Just pretty well beaming his fool head off. Somebody was in a disgustingly good mood, despite the night's failures, and his name was Isaac.

Thom looked up with a blink, obviously surprised to see Isaac there. And a little disappointed, though he covered well. She probably wasn't going to show anyway - not like they'd made firm plans or anything. And Isaac was always good company. "Just sitting, chillin', y'know," he shrugged, plucking out a tune absently, playing with the sounds.

He didn't play, letting Thom work out his chords all on his own, but Isaac settled his crossed arms on the body of his bass and nodded. "Cool, cool ... " He considered just sort of being there by chance, but lying had never ever been his forte. Especially not to Thom. "So I talked to Jamie for a while last night, and got invited to this whole lunch deal. She tempted me with lasagna, you know I can't say no." It just then occurred to him that he might not be welcome on his best friend's end. He blinked. "Not uh ... gonna be in the way, am I?" Since, according to Jamie, Thom was 'interesting'. ... So perhaps he was an even bigger dumbass than he'd already proven himself to be.

Thom looked down, concentrating on his fingering as he processed that. Okay, so she was turning up - at least he knew one thing. And there was no reason for him to mind Isaac being there, being that it was just a 'friends' thing at best and Jamie wasn't even that yet, really - they were really still at the 'acquaintances' stage, with a view to possibly progressing onto 'friends' if everything went well. He glanced up and then back down on the fret. "Dude, I didn't even know she was intending to show today, so you've got one up on me," he said with a slight laugh.

That felt like it took a bit too long for him to say, but maybe Isaac was just being paranoid. Which he immediately felt stupid for, 'cause what the fuck. It wasn't like he had any claim or anything. On anyone.

Silence. That was... not very like Isaac. And had Thom's attention as he finally stopped playing and looked up. "You okay, man?" he asked, resting his arms atop his acoustic guitar. He looked faintly concerned, which he was. Isaac was usually more upbeat than this. "Look, Isaac - you're not gonna be in the way, if that's what you're worrying about. Really."

He'd picked up a bit of his own fingering as Thom stopped playing. It was that subconscious part of him that didn't like quietness, stillness. There was too much that surfaced when that happened. The bass sounded definitely not as good as the acoustic, though. Maybe that was his problem. He was a bass player. It was always in the back, not necessary all the time, just ... something to lay under the good stuff. Slinky Syndrome again. Augh what was wrong with him?! He made a pained face and shook his head. "No, it's cool, it's not that. Just PMSing or some shit, no worries."

Thom took a moment and replayed their conversation in his head. And came to the conclusion that Isaac liked her - which wasn't surprising, but since he generally backed off if there was even the smallest suggestion that Thom liked someone to - it being that Isaac liked lots of girls - he could only conclude that this may be slightly more than normal. And so Thom did what any good friend would do. He struck Jamie firmly off his 'even vaguely possible' list. And went back to playing again, determinedly. "So, lasagne then?" he asked. "Reckon it'll be as good as mine?" he joked - since that was one of the dishes Thom (who had been cooking for himself and his mom most nights since he was about thirteen) could actually do well rather than just passably.

It was very rare that Thom took an interest in anyone. Very rare. And Isaac himself had said ten thousand times that the man needed a girlfriend. So ... despite the fact that she'd sung him to sleep, despite the fact that she'd (sorta) said he was sexy, despite the fact that she was already making his heart do weird shit and was far too adorable and fun and amusing for her own good ... he should try to ... not feel and do what he wanted to. Not that Thom had even said anything, but Isaac knew him and he wouldn't say anything, and ... no girl -- though part of him didn't want to include Jamie in any normal group of girls -- was worth any weirdness between them. They'd made that vow forever and a day ago, without even having to say so. They didn't call dibs or anything crazy like that, they just stayed out of each other's way. Which usually meant that Thom was being uninterested and Isaac could play the field. So this was a special case. "Nah, nobody can top you in Happy Homemaker Mood," he said lightly. "If you dig her, say so and I won't call her anymore," he added.

There was a tiny part of Thom that jealously murmured something in the depths of his soul about the fact that that meant Isaac had her number and had called her before. But Thom had made his decision and he'd stick to it. "Isaac - I've really only talked to the girl once. It's cool, really. And if you're considering trying to break her 'no dating rule'? She said that she'd consider it for 'an exceptional guy with his head on straight'." There, he'd been a man about the situation - and backed off. But, then again, he couldn't help teasing, "Which, really, means you're shit outta luck," with a wide grin as he reached over to punch his friend in the shoulder lightly.

He laughed, obviously relieved. "I think I'm shit outta luck anyway," he agreed, back to grinning like an idiot. "She's way outta my league, y'know? But man, she's somethin' else, dude. For real. She was having a rough night last night, Stupid Crazy Bitch Chrissy threw a paperweight through her window? So I was telling her that fuck that noise, she needed real friends and then we started talking about The Lone Ranger and Tonto and stuff. It rocked." Yeah, he was gushing a bit. Not really thinking it would bother Thom much; as he'd said, they'd only talked once. Still, he actively worked on making himself shut up and play music instead.

Watching his friend gush made Thom feel a whole lot better. There was actually nothing like the feeling that you'd made the right choice - and seeing Isaac gush like that? Yeah, he'd definitely made the right choice. The realisation of which made him smile and laugh a little, relaxing and turning back to his guitar, overlaying a tune on top of Isaac's baseline, the two guys weaving in and out of each other's music with practiced ease.

Jamie was in a good mood, at the moment. She'd called the repair man for her window (he'd be by tomorrow), and Caleb was okay. At some point last night, at least, or so the 'note' he'd left on her windowsill claimed... Okay, yes, that was just a tiny bit stalker-creepy, but she was over spazzing out about that and was focused more on the relief that he was fine. Fine enough, at least, to be a smartass. She'd hit him later.

She was feeling more than a little like a hobag today, what with having lunch with two cute guys and then going right back home to (most likely flirt with) a third, but she was rolling with it. If she'd been infected with the hobag disease, well, she'd deal with it somehow. And hopefully not break any hearts. Like Isaac's. Speaking of Isaac...

She stopped in front of Thom and Isaac and grinned, holding up the large insulated lunch box. "Food has arrived," Jamie said cheerfully.

Isaac resisted the crazy urge to leap up and snag the box from her and put his shirt down so she could sit on it and fan her and stuff. Or just bounce around like an over-excited puppy. Instead he just tilted a sunny grin up at her and totally absorbed the way the sunlight caught the bit of red in her hair. 'Cause that was just ... the kind of thing you just noticed about people. Right. "'Sup, Lone Ranger?" he greeted, nodding for her to have a seat. His fingers continued on with their playing, all having minds of their own.

Thom had noticed her coming simply on the basis of an awareness of Isaac. The moment he kinda sat up a little, he knew she was here. Predictable Isaac - but it allowed Thom to play it cool, keeping his head down and finishing off a complicated set of chords, before he lapsed into something slightly more mellow and finally raised his head, blowing his hair out of his eyes as he did so. He didn't say anything, not wanting to spoil Isaac's friendly greeting. Instead he just nodded his head in Jamie's direction and gave her a half smile, playing every inch the back up guy, the supportive friend.

"Hey, Tonto," Jamie greeted with a grin. She turned to Thom, her expression becoming somber and much more adult-like (though her eyes continued to dance with humor). "Thom," she nodded. And then she grinned again, before settling down carefully and unpacking their lunch. "So I get to hear music in exchange for feeding you two? Sounds like a good deal to me..."

Isaac? Total heaven. What, on any world in any universe, could be better than sitting around on a gorgeous day with his best friend and a girl he really liked? Playing music, no less? He was pretty sure that nothing could top it. Well, okay, maybe girlfriendhood on Jamie's part, but that seemed like a small detail at the moment. "Well yeah, we have to convince you that we're total geniuses, so you'll just fall all over yourself to be in our band," he said (half-joking at this point) with a big grin.

"Jamie," Thom said, his smile warming just a touch. "So, what's this Isaac tells me about the fact that you can sing? You been keeping secrets from me?" he joked, seguing into something that she'd probably recognise, put out there to tempt her to join in without pushing it.

Her eyes ticked from the food up to Thom when Isaac first brought up the band; just to make sure the thought really didn't bug him. People could be very territorial with their music, after all... She looked up at Thom solemnly, though her eyes were still flickering with good humor. "Yes, Thom, I'm very sorry. I hope this won't change things between us," she said demurely, lowering her eyes to the ground. And biting back a smirky little grin. She placed a container of tupperware by each boy, along with a clean fork. "Careful, it's still a little hot," she warned, digging in the bottom of the bag for the bottles of Coke she'd stashed there.

Thom had already said it was okay, so anything short of the two of them rolling around in the grass and making out wasn't going to blip on Isaac's radar. He was that trusting of his friend. Thom had never ever ever given him a reason not to, so they could flirt -- or she could flirt -- all day long and it wouldn't phase him in the slightest. He popped open the tupperware, eager to get a whiff of what she'd brought. That was another thing to make this awesome: food. He breathed it in and 'mmm'd, setting his bass carefully aside to take the first bite. "M'god," he murmured around it. "Mmmph."

"Oh, but it does," Thom told Jamie, setting his guitar to one side. "Obviously, I feel completely betrayed - I can never trust you ever again." He picked up the lasagne all the same, smirking a little at the sight of Isaac sold on food - no, things never really changed. "You're gonna have to show me now. To make it up - and you completely owe me," he added, his eyes flashing with humour.

She hesitated a moment before depositing the bottles by their sides. Oh, what the hell. What was the harm? Caleb had told her yesterday she was too good to not sing for other people, and unless he and Isaac were both full of shit (doubtful), she wasn't that bad. "Sure, I can do that," Jamie agreed with a little smile. She glanced at Isaac and bit back a grin. "Glad you're enjoying yourself so much there," she teased.

And he was. Most definitely. He was just this side of wolfing it down, polishing a third of it off with a nod in her direction. After a swig of Coke, he thought he was within the social politeness boundaries to talk again. "It's really good," he assured her, as though that display wasn't enough. "I think Thom's might be better, though," he teased, grinning at both of them. "He studied under Martha Stewart herself, you know. You should see him stick parsley on the side of the plate with his little apron and shit."

And that little gem? Earned Isaac a real and honest Glare from Thom before he looked back at Jamie with a slightly awkward look replacing the one he'd shot his friend. "My mom works," he explained. "And it's just me and her, so I kinda learnt to cook so I didn't have to always live off of pizza. Isaac knows this and tends to come scrounge when he doesn't think his own family has been feeding him enough." he looked back at Isaac, then away again. "Hell, if it weren't for the sports he played, he be a few hundred pounds heavier by now, the amount he can pack away." Oh yeah, Isaac could take a few as revenge for the Martha Stewart comment.

Jamie snorted, covering her mouth with her hand quickly to keep in an insane giggle fit. It was a near miss, really; if Thom hadn't shot Isaac a Glare, she probably would have busted her gut laughing. After listening to Thom, she dropped her hand and smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, it's the same for me. I've always cooked my own meals, so I can sympathize." Though she actually had learned a great deal from cooking shows, at least, when she'd been younger. She took out her own lunch and began to eat, deciding she was not about to comment on anything he'd mentioned about Isaac's eating habits. Yeah, that seemed like dangerous insult-sniping territory...

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a fatass at heart," Isaac said amiably enough. He did eat a lot, but he also ran his ass off and trained to keep it off. All except that baby-fat in his face that had never gone away. Chisel-featured, he would never be, and he'd come to terms with that. The terms being that he couldn't care less. The glare bothered him a touch, but he didn't let it show. Those were rare, so he'd decided a while back that if he got them? He probably deserved it. So instead of finding another angle to jibe from in front of the cute girl, he started to eat again. A bit slower this time.

Thom calmed down a little after that - generally this was as close as they got to having a disagreement, and usually it was over this quickly as well. One of them hit a sore point, the other shot back, the first took the issue, didn't run with it, and the world was a good place again. Point taken, issue resolved. Thom chewed on a mouthful of lasagne, swallowing before he spoke. "This really is very good though," he told Jamie.

She smiled faintly, genuinely pleased. Jamie was a girl easily satisfied with little things; compliments to her cooking just happened to be one of them. "Thank you. I'll have to try yours sometime, maybe improve my recipe." She ate her food carefully, taking small bites, and tried not to look horribly girly or anorexic in front of them. She was small and didn't eat much; sometimes people assumed she had an eating disorder or something, and she didn't particularly want that to happen today. She did have her issues, but that was not one of them.

Since he'd already put in his two cents about liking her lasagna, Isaac just shut up and ate. One crossed leg bounced as he did so, the boy really had far too much energy today. Maybe a full stomach would subdue him a little. Or Jamie's singing. But he was supposed to be acting like everything was totally normal and ... not-crush-y and ... yeah. So no drooling, no staring, no swooning, no play-wrestling, don't be a dumbass, act casual, he reminded himself. Which he probably should've been reciting as a mantra earlier, but hey. Better late than never. He looked up at the sky through the leaves as he chewed. That was the No Staring part.

Thom caught onto the fact that he was meant to be carrying the conversation right now. Which was fine - he could do that. It wasn't usually something he had to do with Isaac around, but he could do it. "You might want to add in a little more herbs," he suggested. Food - very much the safe topic. "And maybe some more pepper - though I probably overdo that. But, really, it's very good - especially for leftovers," he told her.

Hmm. She took a considering bite of the lasagna, actually tasting it this time instead of just mechanical chewing and swallowing. More herbs sounded good, but she didn't care very much for pepper... "I think I go overboard with the cheese," Jamie admitted with a little laugh. "It's my favorite part." Her eyes darted curiously to Isaac. He's acting strange. ...crap, that's a Bad Sign, isn't it? she thought to herself, more than a little dismayed. Crap. Was he already crushing on her? What was she going to do? Her life had gotten loads more complicated as of yesterday.

He didn't know much about food that didn't involve the eating part, so Isaac just listened, hazel eyes dropping down from the leaves to tick between both of them. He wasn't sure if they were just having casual conversation because he wasn't talking, or if they really liked talking about cooking. It was kind of hard to tell. Regardless, he waited for a lull, and addressed Thom. "I talked to David Blair the other day? Y'know, he played varsity last year ... but he said he wanted to have a bash before school starts up again, and he's into the idea of letting us play," he said, sounding pleased with that fact. He glanced to Jamie again -- god, it was so hard not to stare at her blatantly like a 12 year old -- and smiled a bit. "Which totally means you're invited, at the very least. No psycho-bitches, though, I asked." See? He was looking out for her already. ... at least he hoped she'd see it that way.

"Sweet - we're playing?" Thom asked, his attention firmly fixed on Isaac now. Yes, he was really that easily distracted by talk of a new gig. "So, when? Are we talking this weekend - because if we are, we might just have time to polish up that new stuff by then if we hustle."

Jamie listened quietly, polishing off the last of her lunch and ticking down a mental list of People She Avoided. David Blair... David Blair... no, he hasn't dated Chrissy, and I don't think he's groped or flirted or asked me out, either... Satisfied the party sounded relatively safe, she offered Isaac a warm smile when he glanced her way. Yeah, he was twitchy and not looking at her. Damnit. She was a hobag. And a horrible bitch. I should do something awful so he can hate me and move on with his life... she mused to herself.

A smile wasn't a yes, but it was better than nothing, he guessed. He dragged his attention back to Thom and his questions, trying to remember. Even though he'd like ... talked to David just at some point yesterday. He looked blank for a second, honestly having all his coherent thoughts sort of ... erased. "I think he said this weekend. Or Mondayish or something, if people have to work and bullshit like that. I'll ask again, make sure. But yeah, totally. We can be ready." He was totally sure about that, or so his grin said. They were always able to get ready.

"Oh, shit - yes. Talking of. I heard that the House of Muses is starting opening slots for local bands every Saturday. So we need to go sign up for that as well," Thom said. He'd seen that on his way here this morning - he just hadn't been expecting to see Isaac, so had forgotten all about it until now. He looked over at Jamie. "So, you gonna be coming to the party then?" he asked, casually, since he knew Isaac would be wanting a 'yes' or 'no' on that front and since she didn't bite with his subtle invitation, someone was going to have to be more blatant about it.

She took her time dropping the empty tupperware back in the lunch box, thinking it over. But really, there wasn't much to consider; it's not like she had to worry about Isaac thinking it was a date. He'd be on stage, right? What harm could it do? "I don't see why not," Jamie finally agreed with a little smile. "I like dancing, and I like music. And I go to your guys' shows every chance I get, so unless something catastrophic happens at home, I'll be there. Just give me the details of the where and when."

Isaac had looked instantly and wonderfully excited at that news from Thom, complete with face-splitting grin and the resisted urge to pump a fist into the air. A regular gig? Or almost regular? Hell, they'd have their name even more out there than usual. And on top of that, Jamie was saying she would come to the party. Life? Totally couldn't get much better. He beamed between the two of them. "Awesome. As soon as I know, you guys'll know too." Oh, and Lullaby, 'cause he'd promised. So awesome.

By this time, Thom had actually finished his food, put down the box and had been watching the others, leaning once again on his guitar. "So, Jamie. I'm gonna give you a choice," he said, a glint in his eye. "Your choice is, you either sing for us here and now - song of your choice, with accompaniment, of course. Or, you come round to mine one day - the band sets up in my basement for rehearsals - and you can sing for Isaac and me there. Or, really, for me - since he already knows what you sound like," he reminded her. But he'd added in Isaac for both their sakes - her so she didn't think he was trying anything on. And him because, well, really for the same reason.

Jamie raised her eyebrows. "That's quite the variety you've given me, Thom," she noted dryly. "And I don't feel put on the spot at all," she added with a laugh, shaking her head. "It won't kill me to sing here, I guess, but I'm not sure what to sing." She hesitated for a moment, twirling a strand of hair upon her finger and looking up at the sky. "Any requests?"

Finished with his own container, Isaac closed it up again and set it aside. He grinned, glad she was so easily convinced, and shifted around to lean comfortably back on his elbows. "How about what I first caught you singing? That 'feather moon' song?" he suggested. "Just to, y'know ... be fair and give Thom the same experience." He glanced over at his friend, eyes clearly saying 'just listen to this.' "If that's cool, that is," Isaac added.

"Fine by me," Thom said, starting to pick out the opening notes - after all, there was no time like the present and he didn't want to give the girl a chance to change her mind. He looked over at Jamie with a half smile. "Whenever you're ready..."

She hesitated for a moment. It was an odd choice for acoustic, but she was confident she could do it. It helped it was one of her favorite songs; she had it memorized backwards, forwards, sideways and quite possibly upside down. "Feather moon, scarlet sky, living clouds, my blinded eye..." Jamie began softly, closing her eyes. This was... strange. Not bad strange, just Very Unusual. "Waters black, wood in snow, dead of night, how bright you glow."

It was definitely not a song for a bass guitar that wasn't even plugged into an amp, so Isaac didn't make a move to join in. He just relaxed, one knee up, and watched Jamie with a dreamy smile on his face. Her pitch and tone was perfect from what he remembered, even without the music in her ears. He half-wanted to see Thom's reaction, but ... really, she was easier on the eyes. Especially now.

Thom kept the accompaniment to a minimum, just enough to keep her in key - not that she actually sounded like she needed it. No, she sounded like she had a voice that would handle a capella just fine and, like Isaac, he watched her intently as she sang, more than a little entranced, his head tilted to one side slightly, a soft smile on his face.

"Breathe in, breathe out, exhale and inhale. Breathe in, breathe out, exhale and inhale. Breathe in, breathe out, exhale and inhale. Breathe in, breathe out, exhale and inhale..." she sang the chorus. The strange feeling was gone now, replaced entirely with the music. She could hear it in her head now, the piano playing... "Seven sins, God of stone, all is true down to the bone. Feather moon, scarlet sky, I love you endlessly not knowing why..."

God, it gave him butterflies. Real and true and not-just-nerves sort of butterflies. Isaac was lost in her voice. He got that way sometimes, with certain pieces of music, but it almost never happened when someone -- an amateur, like they all were, really -- was singing in person. At least not up until this point. He waited until she was done before looking at Thom.

Thom meanwhile was still looking at Jamie with a slightly stunned look on his face - and he kept playing even after she'd stopped. At least for a minute or two. And then he sorta blinked and shook himself, coming round from whatever daze he'd been in. he coughed slightly. "That was - really good," he allowed, blinking a little more.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked at them dazedly. Singing always put her off in her own little world. Coming back was always disorienting. "You really think?" she asked, her voice a little quiet. She kept her gaze on Thom, eyes unreadable as she gauged his reaction. He looked... surprised. But was it good surprise or 'wow, she sucked' surprise?

He wasn't being addressed, but when did that matter to Isaac St. James? Try never. "I told you," he said to Jamie, just beaming from ear to ear. "You've got an angel-choir voice." He glanced between the two of them, obviously way pleased with how all this was going.

Thom's smile grew a little more. "I really think," he reassured her, nodding for emphasis. He glanced over at Isaac, finally noticing his friend again. "Yeah, yeah - you were right. As always," he teased, relaxing and coming out totally from his little moment.

Jamie laughed softly, eyes filled with warmth as she watched the two of them talk. It was nice, really. Something she could happily fade into the background and simply observe. She did so now, not really having much to say. They're really close...

Isaac felt like he'd unearthed absolute gold -- in awesome girl-form -- and handed it over to Thom. It was almost giddy, but he was keeping enough of that to himself so he didn't look giddy. Just really, really happy. 'Cause he was. Being oblivious could do that to a person sometimes. He didn't want to launch into trying to recruit her for the band right off the bat, she knew how he felt in that direction, so he just sat up again and picked up his bass. Not really to play yet, just because it was nice to hold onto. Like he was totally sure Jamie was. Only less with the wood and the strings and more with the soft and the girlness. ... new thought-train needed!

Thom watched Isaac and rolled his eyes slightly, before turning back to Jamie. No words were needed to know that he was going to be doing the speaking for a while. "So - Isaac and I would like to ask whether you'd want to maybe try singing with the band sometime. Y'know - no pressure, no commitment, but if you wanted to turn up to practice some time.. You've heard us play before, so you know the stuff we do. We could run through some things, see if you liked it. We'd love to have you on board. If you're interested, that is."

Her eyes went back and forth from Thom to Isaac. She twirled a strand of hair along her finger nervously, resisting the urge to bite her lip. God, did she want to. She'd rather sing than breathe most days, so singing for a band? A band she fangirled over every time she heard them play? Total dream come true, but... "I'm not sure I have time," she said slowly. "I need to think about it a little more, if that's okay. I don't know what my schedule will be like when school starts back... but I'd really like to," Jamie admitted.

An invitation to join the band was much better from Thom than it was from Isaac. Thom was the awesome guitar-frontman, afterall, and Isaac was the dumb bass player. Something he usually didn't mind too much. He could get them gigs and organize people, because he knew everybody, but everything had to be cleared through Thom. That was just how it always was. "No problem," he piped in, then, fingers idly picking out a couple of quiet notes. "Take all the time you need, like he said, no pressure. Hell, even if you just came once and tried it, we'd be giddy schoolgirls." Isaac grinned at her.

"He'd be a giddy schoolgirl. He looks really cute with bunches," Thom amended, his tone serious, but his eyes were laughing. "But yeah, take all the time you want. Look, we rehearse usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon at my house. I can give you my address, then if you have some free time, turn up - it's open house, the door'll be open. Basement door to the left in the hall - you'll hear the music when you come in. Or just call one of us if that's a little too daunting. Come when you can, see how things go and see how you feel."

Jamie laughed, smile playing at the corner of her lips. "I might stop by next week, then, if I'm not too busy," she agreed. "Just to give it a try." Her eyes darted downwards to her wristwatch, and she paled slightly. Oh. Shit. Caleb. And he'd probably be at her house any minute now, unless he planned to stand her up. "This has been great, guys, but I really gotta run home now," she said apologetically, standing to her feet and picking up the lunch box.

Before he could really think about what he was doing (i.e. whether or not it would look terribly overeager), Isaac bounced up with her. He supposed that his instinctual want had been for a hug, but as soon as he realized that -- halfway through stepping toward her -- he stopped himself. He didn't know if they were on hug-terms or not, so he just laughed and blushed a little. Casting a quick glance around, he snagged up the plastic container he'd eaten from and offered it to her. There. That was viable at least. "Thanks for coming out," he told her.

Thom stayed seated. If there were hugs being passed out, then he wasn't eligible for one, especially not if he was still in 'supportive best friend' mode. Though he really had been cursing Isaac's interest half way through that song. Because damn. But, he'd made his choice and he was going to be sticking to it. Especially if she was going to be joining the band - and if she did, and if Isaac continued to trail after her, they were going to have to have a talk about band harmony at some point, Thom could just see it.

She recognized the bouncey step forward and then draw back immediately for what it was, but took the offered container and shoved it in the lunch box with a warm smile. Jamie stepped forward and gave him a quick squeeze, stepping back just as quickly. "You two play nice, now," Jamie teased, giving Isaac a pat on the top of the head for good measure. "I'll talk to you guys later, okay? Um, Thom, if you want my number you can get it from Isaac, if that's all right. I really gotta go." She waved to Thom before heading back the way she'd came, much more quickly this time. Please let Caleb be late. Please.

Isaac stared after her, not at all sure ... about anything. He sat back down and pulled his bass over again, though he didn't really touch the strings this time. She was busy, so what? It happened. To people. He was busy sometimes too. Didn't mean anything. And she'd already told him she didn't date, like a billion times, so ... yeah. If he was gonna be a moron, he could do it on his own time. He looked at Thom. "So that went well," he said lightly.

Thom looked over at his friend, knowing look on his face. "Yeah - that went well," he smirked, all but rolling his eyes. "You know she doesn't date, right?" he added, because Isaac's interest was blatant.

He knew that, and for now, he was okay with it. "Yeah well ... you never know, right? Girls change their minds all the time." He plucked a couple of strings, decidedly not looking in the direction she'd gone. Since she was gone and all and not coming back. "So how sad is it? Should I cut myself off from her? What do you think?" Isaac looked up. Because Thom's opinion was pretty much the only one he trusted.

"I think...." he said, then paused for a moment before continuing. Sure, he liked Jamie, but he could like her being with his best friend as well. "I think you need an excuse to call her. She didn't take my address, so she can't turn up to rehearsals. You should call her and let her know where I live," he said with an evil grin.

Isaac laughed. He had to. "I like the way you think, my friend," he said, amused. That was another thing about Thom, he could turn Isaac's mood in an instant. He was good at it, he'd been doing it a long time. "Maybe I should have her come over so I can show her. Make sure she knows where it is. But right, phone call first."

"If she's planning ahead rather than just turning up, it would be a lot less daunting for her to meet you round at your place first," Thom added, since they were rolling with it. "Hell, after all, she's met us, but she doesn't know the other guys. I could see how she'd get kinda nervous with the way I invited her. I really should have thought that through a bit more, shouldn't I? I'm just really an inconsiderate shit," he deadpanned.

"Man, you're totally the worst," Isaac agreed, hazel eyes dancing with amusement. "And the way you were like? Drooling all over her? Jacked up, dude." Yeah, he could laugh at himself. He had to be able to. "But yeah, you're right. I will kinda ... ease her into it, if I can. Don't wanna scare away a good thing right off the bat."

"I was in no way drooling, dude," Thom argued, refusing to rise to it - not way was he going to be going anywhere near singing the praises of a girl that Isaac was this interested in. He liked his balls exactly where they were, thank you very much. And the 'best friend' tag he'd been carrying around since they were kids as well. If Isaac got her? Well, then that would be different. It was one thing to be playfully envious - quite another to be potential competition.

He'd just been joking anyway, and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. He knuckled Thom in the shoulder. "I was making fun of myself, dufus. I dunno how you can't not, though, I mean ... Christ." Especially when she opened her mouth and sang. Augh. "She's totally a heartbreaker, I can tell." Not that that was going to stop him from trying. Nope, not a bit. He checked his own watch and rolled to his feet. "Should probably get back, though. Mom said she wanted the bathroom clean before she came home."

Thom smiled, colour rising to his cheeks just a touch - because he thought that he actually had been drooling - just a little. And yeah, especially when she sang. She was... almost hypnotic. But he covered well, packing away his guitar as Isaac made a move to leave. "Can't keep you from your chores man," Thom said with the air of a man who'd already done his. First thing that morning in an effort to have the rest of the day free to himself. Of course, that was now backfiring because everyone seemed to be doing things. Which meant that he'd be thing-less. Which meant he'd be battling against going to find out whether Kaysen got her package. And the entire point of an anonymous package was to be, well, anonymous. Which meant not going to check. Hell, he was only just skating the line of plausible deniability of it being him in the first place. 'Stunningly obvious' was more like it. But he couldn't have not.

"Yeah well, we can't all be Perfect Son," Isaac grinned. Because he knew he was, even if the bathroom ended up not being cleaned because he was too busy daydreaming. "I'll call David and then call you with party detail and whatnot. Catch you later, dude!" he said cheerfully. With one arm holding his bass to the side of his body, Isaac started to jog away. All in all? It had been a fantastic day so far. With a new gig on the horizon and an excuse to call Jamie, he thought it could really only get better.