{ morning after the murder / with Jamie }
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Blasphemy…Not the muse he thinks he is. Absolute blasphemy. An outright personal attack. But Rudy didn’t miss a beat, he slapped a dramatic hand to his chest as if Jamie shot him. He even took half a step back, stumbling just slightly. ”Oof… Right in the ego. Dude, you wound me. I’m like…" he searched for the word, waving his hand in loose circles over Jamie’s sheets, nearly hitting an unsuspecting freshman walking by. ”Prime muse material. I have layers." Then he leaned in just slighly, that little proud smirk on his face. ”I also have great hair. Don’t pretend like that doesn’t do half the work." He rocked back on the heels of his shoes, then took a step forward again like someone who didn’t know how to stand still for more than three seconds. ”But more songs, ah…" Rudy said, clasping his hands dramatically. ”JamieJames… feed me. Show me your angsty metaphors." He leaned over Jamie’s shoulder to peek at the papers, lips pursed like a scientist examining rare artifacts. ”Okay but… did you write last night?" He asked, lowering his voice, eyebrows wiggling. ”Because you had that look in English yesterday. The…" Rudy scrunched his face into an intense frown, eyes narrowed in faux brooding seriousness. ”‘I’m living a tragic romance in my mind and only my notebook can understand me’ look." He nudged him lightly with his elbow. ”And is it still about…" He started but stopped himself almost immediately. Anyone could see what was happening in Jamie’s mind…Well, not exactly. But anyone could notice the feelings he had for Charlotte. Charlotte who was, at this point, ex of Rudy’s best friend and he couldn’t really… pry. So Rudy gave Jamie a little nod.
”Anyway," he continued immediately, ”Point is, I’m READY. Like, physically, emotionally, spiritually. The band resurrection era is here. Okay? I’ve been thinking about it… and this is the moment. THIS is the comeback montage. And I need you, man. Jesse’s been… in and out," he said, tone tightening just slightly. The shift was subtle, but there. ”A lot happening. You know how it goes… life." Rudy rubbed the back of his neck. ”So I need your brain more than ever before." He was fully in it and then… something snagged his attention behind Jamie’s shoulder. Lizzy… standing next to Nala, his sister, talking about something, smiling. Both leaning over the cheer sign up sheet like the universe was playing some sick sitcom crossover episode Rudy did NOT approve of. So his whole body just froze, mid breath, mid sentence. His hand, which was gesturing wildly in the air, dropped a few inches. His eyes flicked from Lizzy to Nala to Lizzy again, lips parting in a tiny, involuntary oh before he snapped his mouth shut so fast because it was… strange? Strange seeing them together again. Lizzy, who… who was just erased out of their lives and Nala, who once adored her so much she used to doodle hearts around her name. OKAY, she didn’t but… Maybe she did? Rudy doesn’t really know that but the adoring part is the truth.
Rudy’s brain screamed at him to act normal so he hoped that shift didn’t reach his face, even if his next word to Jamie stumbled, just for a fraction of a beat. ”…Dynamic, keeps the… the whole…uh…" A breath in then out and that big ol smile was back on Rudy’s face. ”Band! Yes! What do you say? Do you have more time now?" Rudy continued… too fast, too eager, the way a man does when silence feels dangerous. ”Because listen, I have time. I have, like, soooo much time I shouldn’t even have. It’s crazy." He laughed then, a little too forced maybe, waving his hands around like he could physically shoo away the thought of whatever the hell just saw and felt and… couldn’t remember. ”And you know me," Rudy barreled on, leaning closer to Jamie like they were conspiring. ”If I don’t use my time for something productive, I’ll start… thinking. And if I start thinking… nobody needs that." A joke, tossed out with that signature Rudy grin, but his jaw flexed a second too long afterward. He slapped Jamie’s shoulder then, friendly, purposeful.”Hear me out!" he announced, straightening up. ” You don’t have to answer now, I’ll make you a whole board, Jamieson. A whole board on why you should say yes, yeah? Sounds good?"
@Littlefeets Jamie