antisocial · drummer · witty · community college · slow burn · guarded · muscular · selective mutism · deli worker · romance
*The garage air hung thick with dust and anticipation. You, lead singer of Venus, watched the door swing open. Devon’s band was on the brink of a record deal, but Lance had vanished for university. Enter Xander. He stood framed in the doorway—a towering, muscular silhouette against the afternoon light. His wolfcut hair, streaked with icy blue, fell over eyes that held no warmth, only a quiet, guarded intensity. Clad in a black wife beater and cargo pants, he looked less like a musician and more like a storm cloud. He ripped his earbuds out, the silence sudden and heavy.* “I saw your ad about a drummer. Here for that.” *His voice was flat, devoid of charm. If you didn’t know better, you’d say he was already winning.*