You Laugh Cause I'm Different, I Laugh Cause You're All The Same
Chapter 5
By: Mollye
Randy sighed as she settled down on the couch. There was no way she was sleeping in the bunks. From what she was shown, Benji slept right across from her and there was no way she was going to sleep with him that close to her. Hell, she didn’t even know how she was going to sleep through the night. She trusted Benji about as far as she could throw him…and since she hadn’t tried, she guessed it wasn’t far.
Joel padded up to her with two pillows and two blankets. He motioned to her, “Get up real quick.”
Randy got up and then bemusedly watched as Joel made her a bed on the couch. She chuckled to herself as she slipped off her converse and shoved them under the table. She looked around to see that most of the guys were sitting in the other “living” area, playing Madden 2004. Chris and Benji were going over songs and Billy and Paul were cursing at each other as they played their game.
And as if on cue, Benji looked up and the two locked eyes. Randy darkened her face and rolled her eyes at him as she turned back to Joel. Joel was finishing up with her sheets and as he did, the bus shifted and suddenly, a voice sounded from Randy’s right. She flinched and glared at Benji. He didn’t look at her, but continued to talk to Joel. Joel obviously hadn’t heard him.
“Come again?”
Benji rolled his eyes, “I said, you almost done? We need you in the other room.” With that, he barely glanced at Randy and stalked away.
‘Hmm,’ Randy thought, ‘That wasn’t like him. Didn’t have anything bad to say to me.’ Randy shrugged her shoulders and looked at Joel again. He was smiling at her and displaying his work. “Am I a good host, or am I a good host?” He laughed and waited for her reply.
How could Randy be a smart ass to that? She sat down on the couch and answered, “You are a good host. Thanks for the bed. But I have one more question, do you have any nightquil?” That was the only way that she was going to get to sleep. She knew that if she was tired the next morning, than she was no good for her job. She needed some recharging.
Joel laughed as he nodded his head, “Yeah, let me go get you some.” He walked off to the bathroom.
Randy pulled herself under the covers and nestled in on the couch. She was starting to feel very tired. She let her eyes close and for a moment, she thought that she wouldn’t even need the nightquil.
“JOEL! HURRY YOUR ASS UP!!” Benji yelled from the other room. Randy’s eyes shot open. So much for that idea…
“I’m coming! God, don’t get your panties in a twist!” Joel replied as he reappeared with the nightquil. “Here you go. Anything else?”
Randy unscrewed the lid to the nightquil and poured herself two capfuls and downed them. She hated the sour taste of the medicine and felt herself wanting to gag. She smiled at Joel and shook her head, “No, thanks for everything else though.”
“My pleasure. Now I bid you a goodnight.”
“God, Joel, you ARE corny!”
Joel’s retreating form and laughter was his reply. Randy felt sleep pulling itself over her eyes and it was like she was sinking into the couch. She blinked a couple of times and for the first time in a long time, Randy didn’t mind sleeping in jeans. And amazingly enough, she didn’t mind that she was sleeping in a bus with someone that she didn’t like, nor did she trust.
As her mind drifted off into oblivion, she thought, ‘Benji wouldn’t do anything to me, I mean, we’re on a bus full of witnesses…’ And she fell asleep.
***
Little did Randy know that Benji didn’t care that there were witnesses on the bus. He could wait until they fell asleep. He didn’t know exactly what he was going to do, but he definitely would do something. When he got up to go get a drink, he went in to find Randy fast asleep. She was curled up on her side, her black hair making a veil over her face. He smirked at her for a moment before disappearing back into the other room with his band mates.
Later that night, when everyone had gone, Benji crept out of his bunk and slinked into the living area. He sat down across from Randy. He watched her for a moment. He was a little perturbed because he couldn’t think of what to do to her. But then the thought occurred to him that maybe he shouldn’t do anything. Randy hadn’t caused any REAL trouble that night. Sure, she had scowled at him, but other than that, nada. He had done worse that night, promising her interesting things, but now he couldn’t think of anything.
He sighed loudly and froze when Randy sniffled in her sleep and rolled over with her head nestled into the couch. He relaxed slightly and continued to watch her. The outline of her body was thick and nowhere near being delicate. She was so different. He didn’t understand why she bothered him so much, he knew that it wasn’t because she could spar with him, he knew that. It wasn’t because she was fat, he knew that too. But there was something.
He didn’t know how long he had sat there, but he became aware that he wasn’t the only one awake. He felt himself blushing when suddenly Randy sat up and looked over at him in the darkened bus interior. Her face was pale white, but the rest of her features were clouded by darkness. He hoped she couldn’t see his blushing face.
“You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.” Randy stated as she wrapped her blanket around her.
Benji suddenly remembered why he didn’t like her that much (or at least for the moment), “Well, considering that I’m your boss, you better get over that.”
“The day I get over that is the day that I sprout another arm.”
Benji felt his blood boiling, “You are fucking ridiculous. What is your problem?”
Randy arched her eyebrows, “My problem? No, you see, I don’t have a problem Benji. You’re the one that has been giving me shit. So do you dare try to throw this off on me.”
Benji leaned forward to her, “Who fired the first shot? If I remember correctly, it was you.”
Randy rolled her eyes, “If you are still hung up on something I said, that I thought was true mind you, then you need to learn to move on. That was just an honest opinion of mine. Joel got it and he and I are on good terms. You on the other hand remain all butt-hurt about it. Sorry, I’m not going to deal with your bruised ego for the next two months. Get over it.”
Benji gritted his teeth, “You have a lot of gall to be on MY bus and tell me that. Have you ever heard of common courtesy? You could at least show some fucking respect.”
“Why should I show you respect when you show me none?” Randy’s voice was slowing rising.
“Well maybe if you showed me some respect, I would show you some.”
Randy furrowed her brows at him, “Are you even listening to yourself?”
“God! You are so fucking rude. Would it kill you to try to be nice?”
“I’ll be nice as soon as you get smarter.”
“THAT’S IT!” Benji yelled as he got to his feet. “You are so fucking fired!” He clenched his fists as Randy got to her feet.
“Oh yeah,” Randy started as she got in his face, “Says who?”
Benji inched toward her menacingly, “Are you fucking deaf? Didn’t I just say that you are fired? Real fucking genius you are!”
“You don’t have any power to fire me. I don’t work for you junior, I work for Stan!”
Benji narrowed his eyes, “What the fuck you are talking about? Stan works for me dumbass, therefore you work for me and you are leaving tomorrow morning. And what the hell? Junior?? Last time I checked, you are three years younger than me.”
“Well, you don’t fucking act like it dipshit!” Randy screamed at him, now she was so close to him that she could see the pores in his face and feel his hot breath on her neck.
“FUCK YOU!” Benji yelled back, his spittle hitting her in the face.
“LIKE I’D EVER WANT TO DO THAT!” Randy shrieked back. A moment later, a blur roughly separated her from Benji. It was a disheveled Joel. Randy felt her heart thumping in her head and clenched her fists. She was barely aware that the other band mates had stumbled into the room.
“Would you two fucking back off of it??” Joel stated harshly. He glanced back and forth between the two of them, neither one had taken their eyes off of each other. Joel continued on.
“God, you two have known each other for a day and a half and you are ready to kill each other. Let’s be adults about this,” Joel turned to Benji, “She is not leaving.”
“Yeah, see your brother has common sense!” Randy retorted, Joel turned his stern eyes on her. She quieted.
“And you need to curb that fucking mouth of yours. If you cannot do it, then you will be fired. You’re good, not that good though.” Joel stepped away from the two of them. The two never stopped glaring at each other.
Randy clenched her fists and tried to calm her raging heart rate. She noticed that Benji was doing the same. His eyes burned angrily like he wanted to rip her head off. Randy imagined that she looked the same.
Randy sighed loudly and rolled her eyes, “Fine. This ends tonight. You won’t have anymore problems from me.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared off into space.
Joel turned to his brother, “What about you?”
Benji stayed silent. Joel walked up and got in his brother’s face, “She’s calling it off, are you? Cause if you don’t, know that we could still perform without you. We already have a guitarist and I happen to resemble you slightly, so the fans won’t be missing much.”
Benji glared at his brother for a moment before spitting out, “Fine. I’m calling it off. Truce.”
“Truce.” Randy replied. Benji looked at her again and their eyes met once more. Turmoil still raged inside him, but as long as they stayed away from each other, things would work out. Or at least he hoped.
After short words were exchanged, everyone stumbled back to bed. Benji and Randy didn’t fall asleep as easily as the rest did, they had too much to think about. Benji could think of nothing better than to not talk to Randy ever. Randy decided that the best way to keep out of trouble would be to avoid Benji. They were set on a path to ignore each others existence completely. And they were fine with that.
***
The plan worked for the next two weeks. The two didn’t converse at all. They pretty much didn’t even look at one another. Randy went on to become quite chummy with Joel and the rest of the band. She would spend much time playing video games with Chris and Paul and she would play cards with Billy. She tended to watch movies and cartoons with Joel. Benji was never really around when Randy conversed with the others. If he happened to come across her, he would silently pass and keep to himself until she left.
It was funny how two weeks of silence between the two caused an odd curiosity about one another. Benji found himself quietly watching as Randy did her work around each venue. He found himself watching her movements with questions in his head. Benji even found himself quietly watching her with his band mates as they spent time together. But every time that he would finally get the courage up to go and join them, something held him back and he would retreat to somewhere else to play rifts on his guitar.
Little did he know, but he was having the same affect on Randy. Even though she hated to admit it, there were many times that she found herself watching him play on his guitar. She found herself wanting to go and listen to him play. She would watch him for as long as he would sit and play in her open view. Sometimes when he entered the bus when she was playing around with the other guys, she would often begin to call out to him to join her, but caught herself just in time.
One sunny afternoon, Randy walked off of her bus to find Benji’s guitar propped up against a rickety old table beside the bus. She had already done her job of the day and had time to spare. She had heard Joel say something about going to get something to eat. The rest of the band had most likely gone with him. She found herself walking over to the table and standing next to Benji’s guitar. She tentatively touched it, feeling the strings happily.
Randy had always wanted to learn how to play guitar. She thought that it seemed like a therapeutic practice to follow. Without thinking, Randy picked up Benji’s guitar and positioned it in her lap. Her fingers delicately plucked away at a few chords she had seen Billy and Benji play. She did it quietly, but she still didn’t hear the approaching feet. She strummed out a few chords and then said to herself, “Not all that bad for a beginner.”
“You’re right, not all that bad.”
Randy jerked her head up and was greeted with the sight of Benji leaning up against the side of the bus. He was smiling at her. He walked over to her and Randy prepared for the worst. She didn’t expect the next words. Maybe because they were kind, or maybe because she just had never held a true conversation with Benji.
“You know how to play?” He sat next to her on the table and rested his elbows on his knees. His eyes were warm and Randy noticed a change that had taken over his face. He didn’t seem so cruel anymore, he had lost that “jackass” air.
Randy hastily handed him his guitar, “No. Just copying a few chords I watched from you guys.” She hopped off of the table and began to leave. She didn’t want things to turn ugly. She really didn’t feel like losing her job.
“Wait.” Benji called out to her. Randy sighed and stuffed her hands into her pockets as she turned back to him.
Benji fiddled with his fingers for a moment and then said, “You don’t have to go. I mean, I can teach you how to play.” He looked up at her and finished, “I mean, if you want me to that is.”
Randy smiled at this sudden change and hesitantly found herself going back over to him, “Alright. Why not? I have a few hours to kill right now.” She sat next to Benji and intently watched and listened as he demonstrated chords on his guitar.
Even as the two were talking and conversing like friends, both were reassuring themselves. This didn’t mean anything. Once the lessons were over, they would go back to ignoring one another. At least now they could be civil to each other. Nothing more and nothing less.
That’s how the relationship would remain. They would be just acquaintances and things would be strictly platonic…