Nik shuffled through the throngs of people, all waiting to buy tickets for Conrad’s show. Their enthusiasm annoyed him. He had bought the cheapest ticket, in the nosebleeds. As a child, he adored Conrad’s folk songs. They always made him feel hopeful. When he would put on one of the songs, he got lost in Conrad’s deep voice, forgetting about his family.
The nostalgia Conrad’s songs evoked was the only reason Nik was spending his hard-earned money on a concert. Growing up poor, Nik was reluctant to spend money on concerts. Just this once, he had promised himself.
As Nik climbed the stairs to his apartment, he stumbled into the plaster wall. He had worked too much lately and it was starting to show. Nik entered his apartment and threw his leather jacket on an armchair. He walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. He splashed water on his face until he felt alive again. He looked into the mirror he had broken when he first moved in. A never-ending barrage of phone calls had set him off. They say breaking a mirror gives you seven years of bad luck. That proved true for Nik. He looked at himself. His dark blue eyes were glassy. His light brown hair was plastered to his face from the water. He sighed.
The phone ringing shook Nik from his daze. Considering he never got calls, he first checked the caller ID. It was exactly who he’d thought would be calling. Nik ground his teeth and turned away. He balled his hands, trembling slightly. Of course this had to happen on the day of
Conrad’s concert. This was more evidence that God had it out for him. He couldn’t have one happy day. Nik screamed, punching the pillow on the armchair. But his outrage was soon tempered when his hacking cough started up again. The phone stopped ringing, only to start back a few seconds later. By the third time the phone rang, Nik had had enough. He yanked the phone off of the receiver.
“I used to crave your attention but not anymore. Because something has been happening as of late and I realized that you’ll never want me and I am better off without you!” Nik slammed the phone down. With shaking hands, he lit a cigarette. Smoking calmed him and Nik was able to enjoy the concert.
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