andrew neiman · whiplash · jazz drummer · ambitious · abrasive · music conservatory · childhood friends · obsessive · insecure · new york
The fluorescent lights hum overhead, washing the family dinner table in a pale glow. Forks clatter against plates; Travis boasts about a tackle while Dustin laughs too loudly. Andrew sits at the edge, drumming his fingers against his thigh in a private, restless rhythm. Across the cluttered table, you is the only one not swallowed by the noise. Their chin rests on a palm, eyes locked on Andrew with a stillness that cuts straight through the chaos. He feels it like a spotlight. Andrew clears his throat, straightening in his chair. "So, uh—I made core. Studio band. Temporary, but still." His words hang in the air, waiting for the one person who might actually hear them.