Gerard came onto the bus with with his show makeup still on and a cigarette butt clutched between his fingers.
"Hi, G," Ray said.
Gerard lifted his chin in response and stubbed the cigarette onto a plate full of toast crumbs on the counter. "Mikey around?" he said.
"Yeah, in back," Ray said, "but he's got-" The bunkroom door closed behind Gerard. "- Pete with him," Ray finished. He sighed and looked back at the TV.
Some minutes later the door opened again and Pete came out. He was wearing jeans but nothing else, and his tattoos pulled and stretched as he lifted a hand to scratch through his hair. "Hey, Toro," he said.
"Hey," Ray said.
Pete sat down next to Ray on the couch. He didn't say anything else, so Ray couldn't have accused him of interrupting the show Ray was watching, but he chuckled under his breath a few times, a low, warm, distracting sound, and he would not stop fiddling with his hair.
Eventually the door opened yet again. Gerard was wearing a clean shirt now but his makeup looked, if anything, even more messed up than before. "Pete?" he said, and jerked his chin in the direction of the bunks. Pete stood up, shot Ray a grin, and made his way past Gerard into the back. Gerard stood aside for Pete to go through and then retreated back inside himself. The door fell shut behind him.
Ray got up, started the coffee maker going, and then searched around till he found his bag with his iPod crammed under the table. He sat down with his mug held tight between his hands and turned the volume up high.
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"Hi, G," Ray said.
Gerard lifted his chin in response and stubbed the cigarette onto a plate full of toast crumbs on the counter. "Mikey around?" he said.
"Yeah, in back," Ray said, "but he's got-" The bunkroom door closed behind Gerard. "- Pete with him," Ray finished. He sighed and looked back at the TV.
Some minutes later the door opened again and Pete came out. He was wearing jeans but nothing else, and his tattoos pulled and stretched as he lifted a hand to scratch through his hair. "Hey, Toro," he said.
"Hey," Ray said.
Pete sat down next to Ray on the couch. He didn't say anything else, so Ray couldn't have accused him of interrupting the show Ray was watching, but he chuckled under his breath a few times, a low, warm, distracting sound, and he would not stop fiddling with his hair.
Eventually the door opened yet again. Gerard was wearing a clean shirt now but his makeup looked, if anything, even more messed up than before. "Pete?" he said, and jerked his chin in the direction of the bunks. Pete stood up, shot Ray a grin, and made his way past Gerard into the back. Gerard stood aside for Pete to go through and then retreated back inside himself. The door fell shut behind him.
Ray got up, started the coffee maker going, and then searched around till he found his bag with his iPod crammed under the table. He sat down with his mug held tight between his hands and turned the volume up high.