I glanced at Justin, knowing my cheeks were probably bright red. There had to be something I could say that didn’t make me sound like a total loser. “My ex-boyfriend took me skydiving once.”
Naomi’s eyes widened. “Whoa.”
Justin squinted at me. “Don’t you usually have to be eighteen for that?”
“I don’t think so,” I said.
“Right.” He smirked. “Are you going to give me sound here or what?”
I leaned in front of my computer and opened Logic, the recording program I used. “I’ve got a bunch of samples—want me to use the Bosendorfer?” My hands shook. I didn’t understand how people could lie all the time; it took an immense amount of energy.
“It doesn’t matter. They all sound like shit to me. Just put a little reverb on it.”
“I can make it sound good,” I insisted, sticking the sampler on a track and fiddling with the EQ.
“I’ve got the real thing, Drea. Don’t try too hard.”
“Do you prefer bright or dark ’verb? Probably bright, huh?”
He grinned. “You’re the expert.”
It felt weird to have someone watching me, seeing my process. Naomi didn’t seem picky, but what if Justin hated my style? What if I hated his?
Naomi came up behind Justin and rubbed his shoulders. She’d perched her sunglasses on top of her head. “And I have no clue what you two are talking about.”
He shut his eyes and smiled. For some reason, that really bugged me.
She leaned toward his ear. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Do you ask anything
Naomi leaned over and whispered something in his ear. I couldn’t quite make out what, but it had my name in it.
He pulled away from her touch and focused on the keys. “How about I give you something to dance to?”
She squatted next to him with a smirk. “You’re a virgin, aren’t you?” It sounded more like a statement than a question.
He played an E-minor chord. “Go dance, Naomi.”
I wondered if he felt embarrassed like I did when she asked those questions. Maybe he was like me and didn’t want people to know what a dork he was.
“It’s okay.” She pinched his cheek. “Drea’s a great kisser—I speak from experience. I’m sure she can show you a few other things too.”
“Naomi!” At that moment, I really wanted to die. Or maybe hit her with a baseball bat. “Would you shut up?”
Justin raised his eyebrows, an odd smile on his face.
Naomi rolled her eyes at me. “It’s not a big deal, Drea. It probably turns him on.”
“Not really,” he said, tapping the high keys gently. “Do you think you’re the first straight girl to kiss another girl for shock value?”
“We were by ourselves. And what makes you think I’m straight?” she asked.
“Because I’ve got amazing gaydar.”
“I don’t put labels on myself,” she said. “I just am.”
“Okay, so go
Naomi ruffled my hair before collapsing on the bed, her legs dangling over the side. I settled into my computer chair, hoping she’d be quiet for a while.
Justin began with a chord progression that instantly connected with me. My fingertips buzzed with anticipation, and I heard a billion different guitar melodies over the top. Maybe a gentle synth—bell-like without the piercing edge. He closed his eyes as each chord rang out, letting them bleed together and create the perfect mix of colors. Blue entwined with varying shades of gray. Like the drizzle outside. Comforting but a little sad. Then he played a fast, erratic melody with his right hand. Every note made me shiver, each one building into something even more amazing.
Naomi rolled off the bed, humming a melody of her own over the top. She walked up behind Justin and tapped his shoulder. “Can you play just the chords?”
“Sure,” he said, going back to the original progression.
She closed her eyes, fingers tapping against her ripped jeans. Her lips moved slightly with each chord change. “She smiles with grace, but no one recalls her face,” she sang. “Invisible… carved between the walls.”
I guessed at Justin’s tempo, setting it around 100bpm, and fished around for some drum samples. Most of the time I’d start with a loop that felt right—couldn’t explain why. Then I’d EQ the sound so it fit the tone of the song and add more drum samples from there. This song had a real trip-hop feel to it—slow, dark, and catchy. I found a bouncy beat and distorted the drums a bit. Naomi could play a live beat later, and I’d combine the two.
“I like that,” Justin said to me.
