Ambience

{Third Person}

Cheyenne picked at her nail while she waited outside the dressing room after a Friday night show. Her thumbnail had caught on the zipper of her jacket and tore off, leaving it jagged. She flipped open her purse and dug inside, except the nail clipper she always carried wasn't there. Probably because her boyfriend, Eric, took it and left it someplace that was obviously not her purse. He never put things back where he found them.

The dressing room door opened as Jeff walked out in nothing but jeans. He waved at her and said Hi.

A few minutes later Eric emerged from the dressing room in sweat pants and a red t-shirt, his blond hair still wet from the shower.

"Hey," he said, readjusting the strap of the bag on his shoulder.

"Hi," She fell in step beside him as they left the venue through the back doors. The freshly fallen snow crunched beneath their feet. Cheyenne pulled the collar of her jacket up around her neck when the icy air hit her skin.

"You should have worn a heavier jacket." Eric said.

She glanced over at him. "I didn't think it was going to be this cold." Even in the half-darkness of the night, Cheyenne could still see the green of his eyes. Although every inch of his body was perfect, she always thought of his eyes as his best quality.

Together they followed the sidewalk down to the parking lot.

"I was wondering-" Cheyenne started.

"So listen-" Eric said.

Cheyenne tipped her head "You first."

"Well, there's this party tonight," Eric began, flipping the zipper on his bag up and down, up and down, "over at Craig's. It's to celebrate the first half of the tour."

"I don't know. I was thinking we could just hang out at the hotel."

He groaned. "We do that every night, chey."

A car stereo thumped bass beats somewhere in the parking lot. Cheyenne looked out and saw several teenagers in a group around a few parked cars.

"But do you really want to drive out there?" she said. Craig Thierot's house was on the outside of Birch Falls, a good thirty minuets away. She was hoping that would sway Eric. He hated driving and she certainly wasn't going to drive out there.

"Yeah. Totally." He said.

"I don't think I want to go."

He hung his head to the side. "Come on, Chey-"

A squeal sounded behind Cheyenne. She turned just in time to see a flash of blond hair as a young girl ran up to Eric and threw her arms around his neck.

"Awesome show!" she yelled, pulling away to touch Eric's chest.

Cheyenne knew every line of that chest, like the tiny crescent scar on his left pec where his older brother had chucked a rock at him when they were little. It didn't seem right that this stranger should be able to touch his chest so freely.

Eric smiled, clearly glowing from this girls attention. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the fans."

Cheyenne tapped her foot on the sidewalk. Come on, Eric, she thought, catch the hint.

"So," he said, after making quick eye contact with Cheyenne. "have a nice night." The girl nodded.

"Sure, you too." She waggled her fingers in a wave, ignoring Cheyenne, and heading off towards the parking lot.

"What," Cheyenne put her hands on her hips, "was that all about?"

Eric cast his gaze aside, pulling his light brows together. "She was congratulating me on the show."

"I think it was more than that." Cheyenne took a long breath and shifted from one foot to the other. She trusted Eric, but it was hard pretending that she didn't notice the other girls flirting with him. Or that the other girls looked at Cheyenne as merely an obstacle in their way.

"I think she has a thing for you." Cheyenne said.

Eric shrugged. "So what if she does?"

Cheyenne sighed and shook her head. "Whatever. let's just go. did you take my nail clipper? I can't find it."

"What about the party?"

She was hoping he'd forgotten about the party.

"Can we talk about that in the truck? I'm freezing out here."

"Fine." he headed for the parking lot, and Cheyenne walked fast to catch up with his long-legged strides. He unlocked the passenger door of his truck then went around to the drivers side.

Cheyenne frowned "You don't want me to drive?"

"No." he said, climbing inside the truck.

On the way out of the parking lot, Cheyenne turned the heat on full blast and positioned the vents on her face. Her cheeks were freezing.

"So, did you take my nail clipper?"

"Check the ashtray."

She pulled the ashtray open. Her nail clipper spilled out with several safety pins and a tube of chap stick. "Dang it, Eric." she ducked down to scoop up the mess.

"Just leave it," He said.

"It's all over the floor."

He flicked his eyes to her as they sat beneath a red light.

"So? It's my truck."

She groaned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine, whatever."

Eric shifted into second gear after pulling away from the stoplight. He didn't say anything and silence took over. He drove through the middle of town, past the darkened stores. Gold Christmas lights hung in the trees even though Christmas had passed weeks ago.