2 Bands

An electric guitar blared, a bass was strummed, the copper of a drum was hit, and she sang. None of it worked.

"We are total shit. Except for Anna, she's a just that tiny bit better than us" Alexander said.

"Thank you. I'm glad my incredible natural talents were realized." Anna said. By then I had stopped playing the bass and Alexander had stopped hitting the drums. Katya still strummed at his guitar but Anna had already unplugged the amp.

"We need synergy, we need art, we need to actually make good music." Alexander looked at Katya.

"Hey, I'm not the one who can't play the drums," Katya said.

"I could play if we all worked together." Anna laughed and pointed at Alexander.

"You totally can't play for shit."

"Your words have deeply hurt my heart and my soul" Alexander put a hand over his heart with his mouth wide open.

"My poor baby" Anastasia laughed.

"Guys guys, let's stop for today I'm tired." Anyone would be tired after having to listen to that.

"We have to practice if we want any gigs."

"I mean seriously who would actually want to listen to us?" Anastasia looked at Alexander's battered drum set.

"Well, you never know maybe we will suddenly all become musical geniuses." Katya laughed.

"Well, it is almost four we should probably go back home."

"Fine Mikhail we'll go back."

Alexander started breaking down his drum set, everybody packed up their instruments and started to leave.

"Anybody want to go get a drink?" Katya said.

"Nah I'm good kinda just want to go back to my place and hang with Alexander."

"Understandable, understandable. But to leave me and my dear sister alone to drink."

"Oh poor you. Poor little Katya"

"I prefer big Khatya dear sister."

"Well, I can tell you when you were a kid you weren't big Katya and sure as hell aren't now," Anastasia said. Alexander smiled and blew air out of his mouth in a half laugh.

"Well, I guess we'll be going."

"Bye cunts!"

Alexander and I waded through the chaos that was Katya's apartment. We waded through the maze of discard beer bottles and dirty clothes. The kitchen had a tower of pans stacked on top of each other looking as if they were going to fall at any time. As we moved past it a single plate fell.

"God fucking damn it. It took me four hours Jesus." Katya said from his bedroom.

Alexander opened the door and rushed outside of the apartment. As I followed behind him I was greeted by the familiar feeling of dry winter hair creeping into my lungs. Neither of us felt like talking as we walked. Occasionally Alexander would catch himself tripping on the cracks in the sidewalk. A couple of men smoked in an ally on the side of us.

"Why haven't we just invested all of our money into teleporter's," Alexander said.

"Because we're dumb."

"Very true, very true. But I mean if we invested all of our money into teleporter's so many problems could be fixed."

"Like what?"

"I mean instant speed shipping."

"Oh yeah, that is really an important thing. We totally need that."

"But instant speed shipping."

"Shit, yeah instant speed shipping would be awesome."

We arrived at the courtyard. The other night snow had fallen and covered the small broken gray fountain in the center of it. We walked towards our building trudging on slushy snow on top of the dirt. A couple of women sat on the stairs leading up to the building. They were talking about some guy who had shot his parents and sister with his girlfriend. Gossiping is always a two-sided affair. There's never really a third person only someone who's interested in it and someone who is giving it. We got into our apartment. We both sat on Alexanders bed.

"Why did we make this band," Alexander said.

"I don't know. I thought of it after meeting Anastasia."

"Eh. It's not like your in love with her." Alexander said.

"I mean she is pretty and she has that special Khatya juices."

"Well guess you're right, she is pretty and has that Katya whatever."

"Sure. Totally. A hundred percent. I don't know what we're doing with our lives this is just a hellish imagination and I can't stand it Jesus." I said.

"Life is to be bored and through boredom comes greatness," Alexander said.

"But I mean what will we ever do. I like girls but whats the point. She's just a nothing, nothing."

"You got to realize dude that you have to embrace the terribleness. Sure nothing matters but does that matter?" Alexander said. I looked down at the ground.

"Fuck. That makes sense. There's no use hiding anything. I would totally fuck Anastasia." I said.

"Woah, friend. Too far, too far. Though kinda agree there."

"We're going to make the best band ever," I said.

"Fucking hell yeah we are. Who would've thought anything else" Alexander laughs, a big laugh, the kind of laugh

"We should probably practice," I said as I walked over to where we put our instruments down and picked up the bass.

"Do you have that book we bought"

"Yeah, it's right over here the famous "Bass for Beginners" by Sharon Ray." Alexander picked the book and twirled it in his hands.

"Give it to me"

"Sure have it" He gave me the book. I went over to my bed and sat down on it. Dust mites exploded off of the surface of the bed. I picked up the book and flipped through it. A lot of information about notes and timing and whatever things bass players do. I got my bass and put it on my lap and started to occasionally pick at the strings. Every once in a while a coherent piece of music would appear, in a while. I strummed and I strummed and Alexander eventually left the apartment. Don't know where he went somewhere magical and without constant bass playing.