NO ROCK, JUST THESAME OLD BOTTOM

“Get up!” The jail guard shouted, making Adam almost jump from the small rectangle he had been calling a bed for the weekend.

His head was spinning, the room was a mix of weird, twisted architecture. It was as if the squares on the wall had become triangles, and the bars holding Adam inside those four walls had become soft straws bending with the wind. “What?” He almost whispered, trying to open his eyes.

The guard pulled his nightstick out and slid it against the cell’s bars while yelling “Wake up, you piece of shit!” It was a bit rough, but that did the trick, getting Adam wake in a heartbeat.

“There is no need for that.” Page told the officer, gently putting her hand on his shoulder. “You may leave now; I ’ll call you when we need you.” She said to the policeman, and he did as he was told.

Silence filled the dark, greyish hall of the precinct. Page simply stared into Adam’s face until he finally asked, “How did you even know I’m here?”

She was trying to figure out why Adam had done so many stupid things in one night that he even got arrested. Page sighed before telling Adam, “Charlie called me, he wanted to make sure you weren’t going to stay in jail for long.”

“Of course, he did,” Adam commented, being abruptly interrupted before getting to say another thing.

“Quiet!” Page cried out loud. “He actually cares for you.” She tried to make Adam feel some guilt, not being able to anyway. Page got closer to the cell bars, “What did you do?” She asked Adam.

Adam looked to the ground as if the guilt had finally reached his mind. “Shouldn’t you know it already?” Adam softly said, trying not to sound defensive.

“I do, but I want to hear it from you.” Page said, looking directly into Adam’s eyes. Her look was penetrating as if there was a light shining into Adam’s soul.

Adam took a deep breath and got ready to tell her exactly what happened. “After your crazy friend kicked me out I went to a nightclub instead of going home…” He rolled his eyes, got up and stood in front of Page. “I got completely drunk. I’m not sure that what I remember is all that happened because I was too drunk to even remember everything. Apparently I was talking to a girl and at some point, I started fingering her in the club’s counter. That was when her boyfriend punched me in the face…” Adam pointed to his black-eye, showing Page he was telling the truth. “Afterwards, I knocked him out. And that is what I remember before waking up in the police station.”

Page was paying attention. She nodded in agreement when Adam finished. She crossed her arms and said, “You are forgetting the fact that after knocking the man out, you also took all your clothes off and pissed on top of the counter…”

“Oh shit,” Adam said out loud, “Really?” He asked, having trouble believing Page.

She nodded her head as if saying yes and added, “The charges include sexual harassment, assault and nudity… It will be entertaining to keep you out of jail.” Page noted.

Now was the moment that Adam really got confused, asking Page to clarify. “Are you telling me you’re going to defend me?” He said sitting down, closing his eyes and wishing for the headache to vanish.

“Yes, Adam, I am going to.” Page answered, just before signaling the officer to come back. “Please open the cell,” She ordered the policeman, who did as he was told.

Adam left the cell, finally free after two days. He had barely stepped out of the cell to see his guitar’s hard-case standing on the wall, just far away enough so he couldn’t see it from inside. “You managed to get my guitar?” He asked Page, with a smile on his face.

Page, without the same happiness, answered. “Yes, after I calmed Julia down, of course.” She just looked at Adam as he opened the guitar case and inspected every bit of it. “She came to her senses, you know?” Page said, getting closer to Adam, who now looked at her face. “She is going to give you a chance of playing, if she thinks you’re good, you’re in.”

There was some confusion, and Adam was unsure if he understood Page. “So, she is not mad at me?”

She sighed. “Yes, she is mad at you, you moron… but that doesn’t mean you can’t be in the band.” Page explained, even though Adam still didn’t understand this situation completely as no one had ever tried to get along with him after his one-night stands.

A sudden realization came to Adam’s mind. “Fuck!” He shouted, the sound echoing inside the precinct and the eyes of the police officers directing themselves towards Adam. “I have the interview in Columbia today!”

The new information hit Page as a surprise. “Damn it, Adam!” She shouted, as once again Adam had accomplished to make Page’s life more difficult. “At what time is it?”

Adam was having some trouble remembering, “I think it’s at 10 AM.” Adam said, a bit unsure.

Page looked at her phone, ‘8AM’ it said. She thought for a bit, “Alright, we might get there in time. We just need to drop you off at your place. Then I’ll give you a ride to the interview after you have a bath because you’re stinking.” Page said, almost wanting to offend Adam.

The two left the precinct in a hurry, getting in the university just in time for Adam’s interview after he went home and had a bath, grabbing something to eat on the way out.

Adam was about to leave Page’s car and be on his way to the interview when he stopped, looked at her and said, “Thank you for the help, even after I was a total asshole.” Adam hugged Page and left the car while she still processed what had just happened.