It wasn't enough just to have a beard because it still showed the shape of his face, where the high roundness of his cheeks tapered into the squareness of his jaw, how the lines of his mouth were drawn down, starting in the wells of his eyes, so Freddy let his beard grow shaggy in thick uneven tufts, almond hairs mixed in with the dark brown, mottled in texture like camouflage. It was Christmas time when he stopped shaving and his face looked hearty in the winter months, but by summer he was gaunt and haunted. Freddy wore his sunglasses whenever possible, even in-doors, something he detested, but the dark lenses took the character out of his eyes. His aim had become to be as featureless as the hidden side of the moon, if he could get away with it he would've worn a ten gallon hat pulled mean and low on his eyes like a cowboy movie villain, and a bandanna tied around his neck for quick and anonymous stick ups.
There was a popular song playing on the supermarket PA, the chorus of girls working the registers were dancing little hippy box steps and clapping along, singing the dramatic overtures together. They had hair like cockatoo's, the girl ringing him out was named Bevin and she pointed to the invisible music and told Freddy "She used to come in here. She babysat my friend's sister!" She was talking about Jenny Bauer, a local girl that had moved to LA and hit. Before she was famous she had long, wild hair, burning red and thatched like straw. Now she wore it chopped up with a razor, severe, and shorts that made her legs impossibly long. Everyone was in love with Jenny Bauer for her clear, honest eyes and her bruised voice. As Freddy picked up his bags and pulled up his hood he heard Bevin tell her friends "Ugh, the guy she's singing about it such a creep. I'm so glad she dumps him in the song."
His phone was ringing at 1am on a weeknight, and for some reason he didn't sleep through the low buzzing. It was a number he didn't recognize, but he picked it up anyway. His room was dark, the mauve streetlamp shone across his feet but his bed was turned to keep his head in the shadows. The voice was delicate and familiar, with a naturally sardonic inflection. "Freddy?"
"Jenny?
"Sorry, it's so late. I just got off stage."
"You're doing pretty well, I heard some girls singing your song today."
"It's crazy, huh?"
"Yeah, crazy. But I always said you were talented."
"Listen, Freddy, I'm sorry you've got to keep hearing that song. I only wanted to hate you for a little while, and I'm done with it, but I've got to keep singing the song, y'know?"
Freddy opened his blinds and ruby light fell across his eyes. "It's ok, I'm happy for you." The night was nameless and empty, "You were right, I should've come out there with you."
There was a popular song playing on the supermarket PA, the chorus of girls working the registers were dancing little hippy box steps and clapping along, singing the dramatic overtures together. They had hair like cockatoo's, the girl ringing him out was named Bevin and she pointed to the invisible music and told Freddy "She used to come in here. She babysat my friend's sister!" She was talking about Jenny Bauer, a local girl that had moved to LA and hit. Before she was famous she had long, wild hair, burning red and thatched like straw. Now she wore it chopped up with a razor, severe, and shorts that made her legs impossibly long. Everyone was in love with Jenny Bauer for her clear, honest eyes and her bruised voice. As Freddy picked up his bags and pulled up his hood he heard Bevin tell her friends "Ugh, the guy she's singing about it such a creep. I'm so glad she dumps him in the song."
His phone was ringing at 1am on a weeknight, and for some reason he didn't sleep through the low buzzing. It was a number he didn't recognize, but he picked it up anyway. His room was dark, the mauve streetlamp shone across his feet but his bed was turned to keep his head in the shadows. The voice was delicate and familiar, with a naturally sardonic inflection. "Freddy?"
"Jenny?
"Sorry, it's so late. I just got off stage."
"You're doing pretty well, I heard some girls singing your song today."
"It's crazy, huh?"
"Yeah, crazy. But I always said you were talented."
"Listen, Freddy, I'm sorry you've got to keep hearing that song. I only wanted to hate you for a little while, and I'm done with it, but I've got to keep singing the song, y'know?"
Freddy opened his blinds and ruby light fell across his eyes. "It's ok, I'm happy for you." The night was nameless and empty, "You were right, I should've come out there with you."
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