Chapter Text
It would be fun, Eight had said, it would be a change of pace.
Outside the club, Marina shifts from foot to foot, wondering if she should really go in or if it would be safer to just go back home.
Home has her comfy blankets, warm tea, and her computer. Inside there was… probably drinking? Loud screams?
Oh, and her friend. Her friend is waiting for her. Her friend who is just too curious about Marina’s life and too much of an extrovert to let her continue huddled inside like the introvert she was.
Inside has the unknown. Okay, maybe not the unknown, because there were people. There were a lot of people inside. Just the thought of it makes her body tingle with anxiety.
Eight had said there was good music though, and Marina hasn’t had the time to enjoy good music in ages. Not after getting that research grant. To be completely honest, college was becoming less of a place of creating and more of a place where her passions began to fray around the edges.
She misses working with her hands to build and create. She misses just being alone with her thoughts and a problem that could be fixed with a twist of a wrench or change of code. Now it’s all theories, numbers, and the endless planning that never seemed to finish.
Even if loud, heavy metal music isn’t entirely her genre of choice, maybe it could let out her stress.
Forget it, even, if for a moment.
Marina breathes in. She’s trying to not succumb to the urge to chicken out, but it’s hard. This was the first weekend she’s had off in weeks and her bed is calling her. She had gotten off from the design committee an hour ago where she went home to change into more 'appropriate clothing’.
Earlier that day Eight had given her one look with what she was wearing, her favorite turtleneck and jeans, and said something along the lines of ‘No, That’s not acceptable’ and proceeded to talk Marina’s ear off the next half hour. She specified there was a dress code required to even set foot in the club, even if the criteria were outrageous.
Marina had a moment, when she got back to her small apartment, in which she just stared at her bed with deep and utter longing. But she gave in, and left without laying down.
And now she is standing in front of the club. Awkwardly fighting a war within herself.
Is it worth going in? She could walk away right now.
But, once again, Eight is still waiting for her, whether she likes it or not. She looked so excited when Marina begrudgingly said yes.
Marina breathes out. No. She should stop being like this. Just this once. If it goes terrible then she’d have a reason to get out of other outings.
There’s a short line outside the entrance with a bouncer just outside the door. A variety of people chat loudly over the music, many of them dressed in spikes and leather.
She gets in line. The time on her phone says it’s nearing ten. There’s also a message from Eight who asks if she’s there yet. The typos in the sentence make Marina wonder if she’s tipsy or just excited.
Marina replies that she’s waiting in line. Eight sends her a smiley face and a few exclamation points.
It only takes her minutes for her to be at the front of the line and Marina’s once again having second thoughts. The pleather top and skirt felt too tight and hot against her skin, almost suffocating, even though she’s worn it multiple times through multiple occasions. Though Eight would dub it as her ‘sexy outfit’ with her midriff showing and her legs bare, this was the only ‘black’ and ‘tight’ thing she owned.
Every time the door opens, She can feel the heat from here. The air around the place was thick with smell of booze and sweat. She’s glad she brought her headphones and they hang around her neck just in case the music becomes too loud or the people become too overbearing. Thirty dollars off of ebay and a little bit of elbow grease made them good as new.They’ve seen better days, but they can block out the noise enough to make things less overstimulating.
The last thing she needs is to panic in front of everyone.
The bouncer looks at her, scanning her up and down. She just turned twenty one, but she still looks nineteen, so it’s no surprise when he asks for identification. She fishes her license from the small purse she brought and hands it to him.
He checks it, nods and waves her in. The doors open and the music envelops her.
Inside the lights pulse in time with the music. People crowd together in the center on the dance floor that looks to have been turned into a mosh pit. They spill towards the stage, stationed next to the door. Everyone’s moving to the pounding beat. A band was already onstage, screaming their lungs out in such a way that the words blurred together just enough to get lost in it. The drummer begins to do a drum solo and people whoop with excitement.
As she’s slowly shoved forwards into the crowd, Marina tries to scan the room, which admittedly shouldn’t be hard with her heels and her height, however, the room is packed to the brim.
There’s a tap on her shoulder and she jumps. Whipping around she sees a familiar face and a large smile.
“You made it!” Eight shouts out just barely over the music. She’s sporting a black leather top as well with a zipper down the center. One arm is cut off so it looks asymmetrical. “Isn’t this cool?”
Marina nods and before she can answer Eight grabs her by the arm, pulling her over towards the edge of the large room. Her grip is tight, and it centers Marina enough to realize there are chairs and booths that are overrun with both belongings and people.
She’s led to the farthest corner opposite the entrance, right next to the bar. On the way there she almost loses Eight, but the other woman has a grip of steel and it comes in handy when people try to push her around.
They finally end up in front of a small booth. Another woman is already sitting on top of the table holding a beer. Her hair is dyed a bright green and long. She’s wearing a black tee shirt but the neck and sleeves look to be cut by scissors work. There are black gauges in her ears, but besides that no other piercings.
She looks up, and her green eyes are striking. “This your friend?” The woman calls out to Eight who bounds over cheerfully. The music feels louder over here, probably because of the walls, so Marina can barely process what she’s saying without looking at her face.
Eight nods and grins, “Marina meet Three! Three, Marina.”
Three extends a hand and Marina shakes it.
“Nice to meet you.” Three says. “Eight’s talked a lot about you.”
“Good things I hope.” Marina glances at Eight.
Three just gives a half smile. “You can say that.”
Eight rolls her eyes. “All good things! And, uh, maybe some embarrassing things!”
Marina groans. “Eight!”
“Do you want a drink? I’ll go get you one!” Eight asks and before Marina can answer she’s off to the bar.
Marina watches her go before turning back to see Three laugh around her beer as she takes a sip.
“Never gets old.” Three says.
“Never.” Marina agrees. “So where did you meet her?”
“At a coffee shop.” Three answers and she looks a little bashful. “She spilled coffee on me then refused to let me leave her sight until she washed my shirt. She’s very persistent when she wants to be.”
Marina could see that scenario clear in her head. She laughs at it. “Yes, she can be.”
Three skooches to the side and pats the table, offering a seat, and Marina thanks her before she sits next to her. Scanning the crowd and the faces, there had to be at least a hundred people here. The crowd bobs with energy. There’s a nudge at her side and Marina sees more than hears Three shout, “So what brings you here? Eight told me she was surprised when you said you'd come. Said you didn't seem the metal head type.”
“I’m not,” She replies, truthfully, “But I needed to get out. It was becoming a bit too cramped in my room.”
Three sips her beer again. She looks like she understands. “Don’t we all. We’re social creatures whether we wanna be or not.”
Marina hums in agreement, though it’s probably lost in the crowd’s yelling. “Is your name really Three?”
“What do you think?” Three asks and Marina really doesn’t have an answer.
“Could be, your friends with Eight.” Not that Eight was, well, her real name, but it was close enough.
“... Touche.” Three tilts her head. “Naw, it’s my web persona, but I feel better using it than my actual one. Keeps anonymity.”
“Huh, that’s pretty smart.”
“I know, right?” Three laughs and shakes her head. “It was just when I was young and dumb, but now Three’s stuck. Everyone calls me that now. Honestly wouldn't have it any other way.”
Eight comes back a moment later. Her face flushed red like her red hair looks frizzier than before, but she’s beaming. “Here!” She shoves a cold something into her hands. Marina looks at it. A hard cider. Eight is holding a hard lemonade in her other hand. “Are you both getting along?”
“Yes ma’am.” Three says and salutes. Eight shoves her, earning a smile from the green haired woman.
Marina takes a sip of the cider. Not bad. She silently thanks Eight for knowing her tastes.
An announcer comes onto the stage. “Are you ready for Inkopolis' fan favorite?”
The crowd roars, including Eight. “Yes!!!!” She screams pumping her fits. “Oh man, Marina, you made it just in time!”
“I can’t hear you! ” The announcer taunts. As a response, the crowd does an even larger wave of sound. A few people holla swears.
“Give it up for Steelhead Mania! ”
The amount of energy in the room gives Marina energy of her own until the lights all go out. She suddenly feels claustrophobic. She can hear everyone heavy breathing and the tension is so thick it’s almost suffocating her.
A single light goes on and a girl grins on stage. Her hair is cut in a short bob, dyed entirely pink. A crown sits on her head on an angle, it‘s gold and it’s the only thing she’s wearing that isn’t black.
She’s short, but her confident personality immediately seeps into the crowd as they begin to whoop.
She grabs the mic with such force Marina worries it’s going to break.
“Who’s ready to rock? ” She says and her voice booms through the room. There's something more powerful behind her voice that the speakers are just barely holding back.
People boo, but it only makes her grin louder. “My bad! Who’s ready to scream?”
The last word is so powerful that the table Marina's sitting on shakes. The lights suddenly turn on, half blinding as the drummer starts to play. A bright red washes over everyone.
Eight’s practically half in the mosh pit, screaming her head off as the show starts. She pauses, almost like she remembers she has friends, and she looks back at them, then points into the crowd as if asking for permission. They both nod and she quickly hands Three her drink before diving in.
Marina turns her attention to the crowd. She notes everyone here seems to know them already, many singing along with the lyrics. Not surprising, they’re good. The lead singer especially. Her voice isn’t as rough as the previous band’s, and sometimes during the bridge of the song she actually sings. Marina closes her eyes. Honestly, it’s beautiful in those moments. Something about the edge of her voice floats over everyone.
It takes a moment of truly focusing, but after the first minute of the song there's something not entirely right about the band. They don't communicate. Marina can tell, though, the band doesn’t seem to follow her as much as the singer wanted. Sometimes they were early or late by a few seconds, it’s even more evident when she glances back at them. The words and chords are written in such a way that it's just all noise all the time which covers up any noticeable gaps.
With a nudge she gestures Three to come closer so she could ask in her ear. “Who is she?”
“That’s Pearl.” Three answers. “Lead singer and overall mystery. She just appeared with her band one day and shook the room like nobody’s business. No one knows where she came from or who she really is but everyone agrees she has some godlike vocals.”
“Yeah, I can tell. The crowd loves her.” Marina hums and continues to watch as Pearl begins to jump around on stage. She’s wearing thick jewelry that glitters whenever she turns.
“The band got famous overnight. Mostly within the community, but it’s the fastest I’ve ever seen a band do that.”
“Wow.”
Pearl screams and the room feels like it’s shaking again. There are more people trickling from the edges into the mosh pit and the crowd grows slowly.
As soon as that song wraps up immediately the band begins a new song and people cheer. The beats are intense and sometimes when the meter is blurred Marina feels out of her body a little. She debates slipping on her headphones but decides she’s okay enough for now.
Eight comes back at some point between the third and fourth song and she’s sweating as she wipes her forehead. “Do you have my drink?”
Three hands it to her and she takes a swing before her nose crunches up. “Warm.”
“Sorry.” Three says, taking the bottle back from her. “I can go get you some water.”
“I’m good.” Eight waves her off. She’s still breathing heavily as she leans in. “I wish they’d put out an album, their music is great.”
“They don’t have an album?” Marina asks and Eight shakes her head. “Nothing on the web or in stores yet. It’s a bit annoying. I just want to hear their music while I work. Guess crappy recordings will have to do.”
Marina blinks as Eight straightens. “Okay, going back in. Marina, Three wanna join me?”
Three places her empty beer on the table, “Hell yeah.”
“I’m good.” Marina says. The crowd looks a little daunting.
Eight nods. “If you need anything we’ll be in there probably towards the front.” Eight gestures to the huge crowd that's now double since she’s got there. All for this one band?
Marina nods and the two wave at her before disappearing. She goes to sip her cider before realizing it’s all gone and places it next to Three’s empty one. Closing her eyes she feels the beat through the next few song selections. It’s nice to just sit with the music pulsing through your soul.
They continue, song after song, and Marina thinks it's hard to believe they don't have an album. Soon, the band relaxes and the stage lights turn on. The announcer comes out and announces a ten minute Intermission. Three and Eight come back, both flushed and grinning.
“So fuckin’ good.” Three says. “Did you see those guitar riffs? Like, what the fuck.”
“Three, language.” Eight nudges her and Three just pushes her back.
“I’m an adult and I can say what I want.”
“No you can’t! Be civil.” Eight scolds. She turns to Marina. “How are you liking it?”
“It’s incredible.” Marina says. “Her voice is so powerful.”
“Did you know she writes everything too?” Eight asks eagerly.
“Really?” There was... meaning to metal music?
“Yes! And they’re so poetic, I was able to get a phone recording a few weeks ago and transcribed it. She’s a romantic at heart! Usually it’s all angsty and death but her stuff is just…” Eight kisses her fingers.
“How do you know she writes everything?” Three asks.
Eight winks, “I have my sources.”
“You and your secrets.” Three mutters. “Anyways you guys want water? I’m thirsty.” Eight immediately says yes. Marina politely declines.
“Suit yourself.” Three says to her before heading to the bar.
Marina turns towards Eight who’s watching her go. “Three?”
“Shut up, okay!” Eight’s pouting and it makes Marina smirk. “She’s just… really cool.”
“She seems to know a lot about this scene.” Marina looks up at the stage. “Did you start coming here for her?”
“N-No.” But when Marina gives her a look she hesitates. “Maybe, but I actually like the music too, alright? Stop teasing me about… you know.”
The other woman tilted her head. “About what?”
Eight begins gesturing wildly, “You know!” And when Marina just started at her she deflates in defeat, “Romance and stuff.”
Marina smiles, about to poke more into it when Three appears with bottled water. In fact, she has three waters. One she hands to Eight while she just tosses the other one to Marina.
“Um…” Marina looks at the water.
“You’re gonna get dehydrated and then Eight’s going to complain to me for the rest of the night so I’m cutting my losses.” Three answers and Eight practically beams at her.
Marina opens the cap with a crack, “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
There is a tap on the microphone and everyone turns their head towards the stage. It's one of the band members with dark spiky hair. “We’ll be starting back up in a moment! Stay fresh!”
There's an echo of “Stay fresh!” through the room.
“Marina, come to the mosh pit with us!” Eight grabs her hand. “Please! It’s super fun! Just one song? There’s less people right after the break.”
Marina chews the inside of her cheek before nodding. The red head is on the verge of puppy eyes. She gives in. “Alright, just one song.”
The guitarist begins warming up and so does the drummer. Soon everyone’s on stage besides Pearl, who's nowhere to be found.
Marina is squished between Eight and Three as they crowd towards the back of the pit.
Soon, the band begins and the music starts up again. More people begin pushing to get closer and closer. Pearl appears, looking slightly disheveled in her all black and starts shouting once more.
Eight’s right, it is fun, and just for a moment Marina lets go of her to do list that's always lingering in the back of her mind. She shakes her head like the others do, her hair whipping back and forth. A few people shout and she looks up to realize some are cheering her on. It makes her feel a little self conscious, but decides to play into it and gets a few more whoops.
After the song ends she touches Eight’s arm and gestures she’s going back. Eight gives a thumbs up.
Song after song Steelhead Mania continues to draw the crowd in. More and more people gather at the edges, making the mosh pit spill over the dance floor lines and there's now a sea of people almost wall to wall.
The band seems to be getting ready to end as their music becomes increasingly louder and, somehow, more intense. She can tell by Pearl’s movements she’s getting tired, but never stops moving across the whole stage pointing at the audience. Everyone she gazes upon seems to swoon. She winks at them, waving as phones flash with a picture before moving to the other side.
Marina continues watching and suddenly she realizes that Pearl is looking towards the back. They meet eyes and the world seems to slow.
There's no way the singer actually sees her, especially since she's so far away. The lighting is too sporadic and there's too much color to show her face properly. Marina knows this, but Pearl’s half smile indicates otherwise as she winks before turning away.
Marina releases a breath and looks away from the stage. Her heart thuds in her chest uncomfortably against the pulse of the song. Seconds later the piece ends with a bang. People are all over each other as the cadence rings out. The strobe lights turn off just as the stage lights are turned on.
Three and Eight have found their way back and Marina smiles at them.
“That was fresh.” Three says as Eight takes a spot next to Marina.
“This is the last song of the night!” Pearl says and people boo again. “Sorry I can’t entertain you guys all day ‘cause I love singing for you guys, but things gotta end sometime. As a special treat I made a new song just for all of you, hope you guys like it. It’s called Fuckin' Dude be Fuckin' Sleepin!”
People around them roar.
“Oh shit, a new song?” Three’s eyes widen.
Eight just screams with the crowd.
“Yeeahhhh!!!” Pearl screams as the strobe lights begin shooting out over the crowd. The drummer begins to pound away as the guitar begins its rifts.
Marina watches as people climb on top of each other to get a better view of the stage. Soon her vision is almost entirely blocked and she has to peak through the bodies to even see anything.
She can’t tell what the lyrics are but the catchphrase of the night seems to sum it up. It’s fresh.
As the song begins to climax, Pearl’s voice begins to increase in volume. The adrenaline pumps through the air and everyone is caught in the whirlwind.
Pearl jumps, ending the climax with a loud scream that ripples the air.
Suddenly there’s a loud screech, pop, and sparks fly out of the speakers.
The crowd’s winces as the feedback pierces the room. Marina covers her ears but for a split second it feels like needles are attacking her skull.
The band stops with a clatter, shocked, but Pearl continues singing until her guitarist nudges her. She blinks, owlishly, before he points to both the speaker on the ground and the speakers up in the air.
“What happened?” Eight asks. With her hands over her ears, she looks just as pained as Marina felt.
Marina unplugs her ears. She can hear ringing. Maybe she should have put on her headphones.
“The speakers blew out.” Three says and she’s frowning at the stage as one of the speakers pops and a sub-woofer begins to hang by a few wires. “That's never happened before.”
“It must’ve been the feedback,” Marina says. “Was her voice the cause of it?”
“No voice is powerful enough to combust speakers.” Three furrows her eyebrows.
Eight tries to sneak a peek at the stage, but her view is blocked by the people crowding it. “Maybe the speakers just failed.”
The announcer comes back on stage and shouts over the murmurs of the crowd. “Sorry folks, looks like we’ll have to end things a few minutes earlier tonight!”
There’s a few groans and boos, though most people begin heading towards the edges to grab their coats.
"I know, we're very sorry. As a reminder tomorrow is Electronica night, we should have all the speakers working by then so please come again."
“Well, I guess that’s it.” Three says grabbing the jacket on the table.
Eight sighs. “Yeah I guess so. Sorry Marina, outing cut short.”
“It’s fine!” Marina says and she means it. “It was nice getting out.”
“Do you want to go anywhere else?” Eight asks. “We could go to another club.”
Marina glances at her phone. Already one thirty in the morning? “I think I’m good for the night. I have some work I want to get a jump start tomorrow.”
“Marina, all you do is work,” Eight frowns at her. “Didn’t you say this was your first weekend off? You sure you don’t want to go somewhere else?”
“I’m fine, Eight.” Marina says again. “I’m pretty tired from the day.”
Eight looks at her and doesn’t seem impressed. Thankfully she doesn't push. “If you say so. If you decide to change your mind I’m thinking of heading to Tentakeel Outpost.”
Marina fiddled with the edge of her headphones.
Tentakeel Outpost was only three minutes away from where Marina worked at school, ten minutes from where she lived. Located in the Square it was a new ‘bumpin’ bar with a cozy atmosphere. Apparently it was run by two cousins that were nice and personable, but Marina had never gone so what she knew was only through word of mouth. Eight had a habit of going after work just to catch up on the new gossip.
She sighs, “Alright, I’ll think about it.”
Eight gives a small smile, “Do you have a ride?”
“I was planning on taking the subway back in.” There should be a line still open. “If not, it's not a long walk and I know which area to avoid.”
“I’ll come with you.” Eight grabs her jacket. “It’s dangerous to go alone. You don’t know who’s skeevy and creepy at this time of night.”
“Eight, I can handle myself.” Marina places a hand on her friend’s shoulder. She had both pepper spray and military grade self defense training to fall back on. “Go have fun. If anything happens I’ll call you. Spend some time with Three.” She ends with a wink.
The other woman frowns at her. Instead of arguing back, a fight she would have totally lost, she pushes her long jacket into Marina’s hands. “Just in case, put this on, don’t want you to get harassed.”
“... Thank you.” Marina says and they hug each other. She turns to the other woman who’s still frowning at the stage. “It was nice meeting you, Three.”
“Likewise,” Three says without a beat missed. Her green eyes meet Marina's and she smiles. “I bet we’ll see each other again soon.”
“Likely.” Marina laughs and she steps away and looks at Eight. “I’ll see you later, if not tomorrow then in class on Monday.”
“Actually,” Eight glances at Three before raising her eyebrows. “Three and I are gonna have a little shindig tomorrow night. Wanna come?”
Parties… “Eight, you know how much I like crowds.”
“It’s only me, Three, and a few other friends.” Eight grabs her hand. “I promise, see? Pinky promise.”
They lock fingers and Marina just sighs. “Alright, I’ll think about that too. I probably will not be able to get to the Outpost then to get my sleep.”
“No problem!” Her friend’s face lights up. “So maybe see you tomorrow?”
“Maybe see you tomorrow.” The grad student replies. She finds her purse on the booth’s seat.
“Text me every two minutes.” Eight says. Marina smiles at her again before she slips on Eight’s coat and heads out.
The air has a slight chill to it for a spring night and she heads down towards the station. She passes a few of the attendees who are muttering to themselves while smoking.
Along the way she gets hollered at a few times from cars that pass, but she ignores them and they luckily don’t slow down to stop her like some have done in the past. She makes it finally to the Metro and relief relaxes her body. The white walls are bright against the light, and compared to the night it makes her blink a few times as they adjust.
Reading the schedule, Marina’s thankful that there's a line still open this late which will save her twenty minutes of walking. She pays for her ticket by one of the machines and makes her way through the gate.
There’s only a few others around. A couple to her right were more focused on each other than her and an old man across the platform looked to be sleeping on a bench.
She breathes a sigh of relief as she looks at her phone. Eleven minutes until the one forty-five subway cart. Eight has already texted her six times since her walk.
Marina’s in the middle of answering when there’s a loud thud behind her. She jumps, then fumbles with her phone as she begins to hear shouting behind her. Who would shout in a subway station at almost two in the morning? She turns around.
Short, dyed vibrant pink hair enters her vision and she gasps, almost dropping her phone again.
It’s Pearl. Her back is to her and she’s far enough away that she couldn’t have heard Marina’s voice. She has a guitar slung over her back and a heavy looking bag over her shoulder.
She’s not alone.
“-It’s not my fault that they wouldn’t listen to me!” Her shoulders are hunched over with tension. She’s moving towards the ticket machine. “I told them and even offered to change the speakers myself! They said no, even though it was in the contract. It was their fault. Their liability. There shouldn’t be any problems.”
“The problem is that the concert had to end early.” He shoots back. It’s the bass player. “And now we’re going to be out a few hundred because you couldn’t control the volume of your voice!”
“It wouldn’t have happened,” Marina can hear an edge starting to creep into her voice. “If they had used my speakers!”
“That’s what you said the last time, and look where it got us.” The band mate growls. “This is the second time this month. The band can’t keep paying for your mistakes. If you would have just followed us instead of going all out on that last one we would’ve been fine!”
“Follow you guys ? All I’ve been doing is following you. There’s been no conversation between us. It’d help if you guys, you know, listened to me?”
There’s a scoff. “You know, the other band mates have been talking and I think we’ve come to a decision.”
“What are you gonna do? Kick me out or something? I started this fuckin’ band.”
“No, but we're quitting and starting our own band.”
Marina gets a glimpse of the anger on Pearl’s face as the woman turns around and she looks away, realizing this was probably supposed to be a private conversation. There was silence for a few minutes.
“All I ask for is a voice and this is what I get. Fuckin’ fine. Good luck finding a better singer-song writer to take my fucking place.” She hisses and venom drips off of every word.
“We will, and we’ll be more famous than you ever will. I bet your Daddy will be happy to have you back home, huh. ” The band mate sneers. “Nice working with you, Pearl. Your check will be considered a donation to the funds we lost. Not like you need it.”
“Fuck off. I’m tired of hearing your whiny voice.”
“Really classy Pearl, really classy.”
“Go. Away.”
“Yeah yeah, I hear you.” The sound of pounding feet fade away.
Silence enters the metro station once more, though now it’s thick with something tense. Marina looks anywhere but behind her as she hears the security gate whirl.
There’s another thud right next to her. She glances to her left to see Pearl with her arms crossed, scowling at the station’s tracks. She’s a lot shorter than she looked on stage, just barely reaching Marina’s shoulder. It must’ve been the angle. Her pink hair looked a little ruffled, her blonde roots just on the cusp of showing through.
They stand there in relative silence as Pearl taps her foot and Marina wonders if she should say anything.
She glances at Pearl and then again after a few more seconds, and then-
“If you want to say something get it out.”
Marina jumps at being caught and looks towards the short woman. She bites her lip, expecting to get an angry stare back, but Pearl isn’t looking at her. She's hunched over again, shoulders tenser than before. Her foot is tapping at a breakneck speed. She lifts her arm and drags it across her eyes. Was she… crying?
“I’m sorry.” Is what Marina ends up saying. “I couldn’t help but listen.”
“You don’t need to apologize for hearing us screaming.” Pearl waves off the apology, though her voice is a little thick. “It was bound to happen. I could feel it coming from a mile away. I’m sorry you had to listen to it.”
“Oh, um.” Marina chews at her lip before saying, “You were very good tonight, I enjoyed your music even if the speakers blew out.”
At this Pearl laughs, a little rough like it’s forced, but looks up and squints at her. Marina looks at her. Being so close she has a full view of her face. The first thing she notes is that Pearl has piercings all over. Two lip rings, an eyebrow piercing, and a nose piercing. When she moves to shift her guitar, she gets a glimpse of the studs on her ears as well. Every piece was black which fits her aesthetic.
She’s not wearing the golden crown either, Marina realizes, and over her punk outfit is a worn out pink jacket that looks like it’s seen better days.
Honestly, it looked like she had seen better days. Especially with the dark bags under her eyes.
Her posture relaxes as her eyes widen, “Oh hey, you’re back corner headphones girl.”
Marina blinks at her, “What?”
“You were in the back corner with those headphones around your neck. I think you were with, uh, Redhead and Greenhead too, right?”
“That's… right.” Marina clears her throat. “I’m surprised you could see me. Would’ve thought the corner was too dark.”
“I can see everyone from up there.” Pearl says. “Yeah sometimes it's a little hard during the concert, but during break the stage lights shine super bright and the crowd is lit up. I try to remember people’s faces just in case they come see me backstage. It makes them feel seen, ya know.”
How thoughtful, Marina thinks and raises her eyebrows. “Amazing, there must’ve been at least a couple hundred people there.”
Pearl shrugs and looks away. “Good turn out, but I’ve seen more when people are sneaking in through the emergency exit. That’s when things get a little rowdy and bouncers have to do shit to get people off the stage.”
“Sounds a little terrifying.” Marina imagines the room with triple the people. She’s glad this concert didn’t turn out as such.
“It’s chaos.” The short woman admits. “But it’s fun. I love the adrenaline and people are generally nice.” She scowls. “Besides the people that matter the most. Damn band. Assholes.”
“Yeah.” Marina agrees because that’s all she feels like she can say. They stand in silence again for a minute. Pearl silently seething and Marina silently staring back at her phone. Eight is texting her, asking if she’s getting on the train safely. She answers yes, prompting Eight to send a thumbs up emoji.
“So what's your name, headphones girl.” Pearl asks. The other girl blinks at her surprised.
“Marina.”
“Marina…” The way Pearl says it makes her shiver. “Nice to meet you, you might’ve already known this, but the name’s Pearl.” She holds out a hand.
“It’s nice to meet you.” She shakes it.
“This might sound weird but, can I ask why you came to listen?”
The dark haired woman looks at the shorter woman. Her bag was between her legs and her hands in her jacket pockets. Her light brown eyes were curious, and it didn't seem like she was about to cry anymore. “My friend, ah, the redhead you saw, brought me out to have fun. Haven’t been able to get out in a while so it was worrying her. I think she thinks I’m a workaholic.”
Pearl nods, “Makes sense. What do you do?”
“I’m a grad student at the Cuttlefish College.” Marina fidgets with her headphones. The padding is getting loser meaning it's time for an upgrade. “Studying aeronautics with a minor in architecture.” She also remixes old records on the side but that’s just a hobby.
Pearl whistles, loud and long. “Damn. That place is hard to get into. You must be like a genius or something.”
Marina gives a polite laugh, “Nothing of the sort. Just a lot of studying.”
“No way,” Pearl leans back on the heels and leans over at the waist. “The only people I know there are geniuses so in relation you must be a genius.”
Not used to the praise Marina just gives a small smile and pushes her hair behind her ear. “If you say so.”
“I do!” The force behind her words makes Marina pause. Pearl's looking at her with furrowed eyebrows and a frown. “God, people always try to downplay their achievements. Like, come on. You worked for it, take a compliment with pride!”
Marina just stares at her, then sighs. “Alright, Thank you, then.” She resigns.
“Ah,” The short woman points at her. “Now that’s a real smile.”
Rolling her eyes, Marina just looks at her. “What are you, a judge on what a smile is now?”
“I know when someone’s faking it.” Pearl says and for some reason Marina believes it. The shorter girl links her hands behind her neck and unbends. “Our lives are too short to fake it. Might as well make genuine choices.”
It’s an odd statement, like the ex-lead singer has seen more than her age’s worth. Pearl was odd. Marina kinda likes it.
“Are you making genuine choices?” Marina asks. Pearl raises the pierced eyebrow.
A second goes by before she answers, “Getting there.”
Marina hums and goes quiet when she hears the sound of a train in the distance getting closer. The automated voice calls in that the train will be there any second, and not a moment later it slides in, screeches to a halt.
There’s a hiss as the doors open. Marina steps in and so does Pearl after she hauls the heavy bag onto her shoulder.
Marina sits right next to the door.
“Where are you headed?” Pearl asks as she keeps standing. She grabs on to the nearest handrail after the doors close with a warning ding.
“The Plaza.” The dark haired girl says. “I’m in one of the apartments above the stores.”
“Oh snap, really? I just moved to the next area over a few months ago.” Pearl sets her bag between her feet again. She switches from the handrail and grabs the metal poll next to Marina’s seat to steady herself as the train lurches forwards. “Is it nice there?”
“It’s livable, a little drafty but everything else works.” Her apartment had a broken AC and a leaky faucet, but the hot water worked and the coffee shop next door had WiFi she could mooch off of so it was alright.
“Ey nice. ”
“Where do you live?” Marina asks, tilting her head.
“Oh, in the Square.” Pearl rubs the back of her neck. “It’s pretty nice, though there’s a lot of noise from the four high schools in the area. Place gets swamped with kids.”
“Are there really four?” Marina knew there were two because she passes them on the bus ride every day.
“Yeah, one for every district.” She runs a hand through her short bangs that definitely look self done. “It’s stupid annoying when I have to listen to teens practically screaming about something every hour of the day with their friends.”
Marina winces, “I feel you, once I had to listen to a girl talk about her romantic life for a solid three hours right below my window.” She had put on her headphones for the majority of it but when she finally took them off the dilemma the teen had was still raging on.
“Hah.” Pearl snorts. “So you know they get worse the longer the convo goes on. God, I hate teenagers.”
Marina shrugs, “I guess I remind myself I was a teenager once. You have to start somewhere.”
“Yeah, but then I remember I was god-awful as a teenager. Honestly I was probably the bitchiest girl there was.” Pearl’s face drops and she gives a stiff groan as if remembering was painful. “Pink fluffy dress, the whole shebang, disgusting.”
Marina tries to imagine Pearl in a puffy dress but shakes her head. “You wore color?”
Pearl chuckles, “Once a long time ago. I think I snapped somewhere between getting a gown fitted for a party and when my parents lost it over my first piercing that wasn’t the normal lobes.”
“So you were a classic delinquent.” The comment makes Pearl laugh from the gut. Marina smiles at the ground.
“You know what, I really was. I was like what you see on television or what not, when-” And she stops suddenly, and looks away.
The grad student raises an eyebrow. “When...?”
“When, like, they go rogue.” Pearl answers and it’s a lame attempt at finishing the sentence. “Anyway, teenagers suck, end of story.”
Not wanting to pry Marina lets it slide, saying “I guess if you say it, it must be true.”
Pearl just chuckles again.
The conversation lulls into silence. Marina feels her phone buzz and she looks down to read Eight’s message asking her if she’s home yet. She texts back no, and wonders if she should tell her if she’s met Pearl but she decides maybe now isn’t the best time.
“You headin’ home?” Pearl asks. Marina looks at her.
“Yes, it’s technically past my bedtime.” It’s partly true and partly not. Marina likes sleeping at a consistent time because if she doesn't then she’ll stay up until seven the next morning and her roommates won’t be happy.
“Haven’t heard of someone having a bedtime since middle school.” Pearl tilts her head. "You the kind who schedules everything in a planner?"
Something in her voice makes Marina raise an eyebrow, “Is that bad?”
“No, no!” Pearl waves her hands then almost stumbles with the train’s movement. She grabs the pole again. “Hell, must be workin’ for you or somethin’.”
You could say that , Marina thinks as she remembers the stacks of drafts that are sitting on her desk. “For the most part. What about you, are you heading home?”
“Mm,” The short woman bites her lip and looks to the side. “I dunno, maybe, or maybe I’ll head to the bar since now I’m out of a gig. Drinking sounds pretty nice right now.” She shrugs. “Goin’ to the flow of golden liquid, as they say.”
“I've never heard anyone say that." Marina says. "And sleep is important. It helps with everything, including mood, much better than alcohol ever will.”
“That’s what they say,” Pearl scoffs. “Because the researchers are all nerds and don’t go out because they’re stuck inside all day doing their research.”
Marina rolls her eyes. “I have a few friends who would say otherwise.”
“Aye, nerds drinking doesn't sound like fun.” Pearl smirks, "Ever been to like, a real party?"
Marina thinks back to the disasters she witnessed, some of them she was apart of. "I'll over look the fact you assume my friends can't be party animals and say no."
Pearl grins, "I bet I could make it interesting. Like, if you don’t like alcohol I get you but, if it’s the company you’ve never been at a party with me as MC.”
“I'd rather relax and watch a movie, to be completely honest." Marina looks out the window opposite of her. It's pitch black, and the tiny subway train cart feels like the only world in existence. "I have to work with others all day, I'd rather not see them in a different light."
“I get you, People are exhausting.” Pearl whips out her phone and it almost blinds Marina with how many rhinestones are over the case. It’s pink, bright pink, and probably the biggest phone one can get on the current market. “ Okay, I have an idea. If you're willing to give me your number, I was planning on having a small get together for the start of summer, like a summer bash." At Marina's look Pearl just raises a hand, "Hear me out. This might be more your style, 'cause it's gonna just be me and a couple of friend. We're gonna have a few drinks and watch a movie. I can text you the details when it happens.”
Marina raises her eyebrows. Pearl looks like she’s trying to be relaxed but there’s something behind her eyes Marina can't place. "Isn't it dangerous to give someone you just met your phone?"
"Eh, there's nowhere you can go. I think it'll be alright." She shrugs. "Unless you don't want to! That's fine too."
The grad student stares at her before she looks at the phone. Maybe it was the cider but Marina felt... intrigued. "Alright," she says as she takes the phone. "I'll bite."
Pearl grins then blinks as Marina presses her own phone into her open hand. “If I give you mine you have to give me yours.”
Pearl’s eyes go wide and round before they soften, and she smiles. Something within Marina’s chest burns. Grabbing it she began typing, “No prob, I can do that.”
The subway’s intercom crackles, and soon the robotic voice is announcing that it’s Marina’s stop. Just in time they swap phones as the train screeches to a stop. Marina stands, brushing Eight’s jacket off and looks out the window to see the familiar platform.
“This your stop?” Pearl asks and Marina nods.
“It was nice meeting you, Pearl.”
“Nice meetin’ you too, Marina” The other woman smirks. “See ya.”
The doors open with a hiss and Marina steps out onto the platform. The air no longer has a chill to it, instead it’s warm. It feels like summer. She turns around and waves at Pearl who in turn salutes back. They smile at each other as the doors close, and the train leaves into the night.
As Marina walks back to her apartment, there’s something lighter in the air, and she can't help but silently thank Eight for inviting her.
Maybe Eight was right, going out was good for her.