004. Video; un: driver

[killertrack]

[ When the video starts, nothing shows but a Cadelle street. It's the middle of the night and the streetlamps are all the light around. There's music playing, obviously coming from the phone's speakers, tinny. But it's half covered by Baby's humming. ]

Hellooooo everyone! I thought I'd sing you a lullaby.

[ It's obvious that Baby is drunk when he starts speaking, even without being on the screen, and it's even more obvious when he moves the camera a little, half his face appearing, shadowed by the streetlights he's walking under. He's wearing sunglasses.

Eyes half closed, the unsteadiness of the video shows how much Baby has had earlier. He stumbles for a step, then stops, laughing to himself as he runs a hand over his face.

Then, he starts singing, along with the song playing: ]

So take a look at me now
Since I told you it's over
You got a hole in your heart
I'll find a four leaf clover
You can't tell me this now
This far down the line
That you're never, ever gonna get over me

[ He might be drunk, but at least he's not a bad singer. It's a bit wobbly, and there are tears in his voice as he sings, the words feeling like they're stabbing him, over and over.

Isabelle's gone.

He stops singing, looking ahead at the mostly empty street. He stumbles again, closes his eyes while he takes a deep breath, head tilted up to the sky. When he opens them again, and then turns to the camera, he's grinning. ]

Feels like a perfect night for a joyride, right?

[ The words are slurred, and Baby's smile is already wavering, but then he turns the camera to his car, parked a few feet away. ]

Comments

[recoined]

Me too. ( her expression shifts a little, fond and warm and gentle too; if there ever was a bad time to be lovesick, it's exactly right now, and kimberly does her best to swallow down the sudden urge to gush a bit about it all. instead, she just leans in a little bit closer as they walk, quiet for a few moments as she considers what she wants to say. ) It's really good.

( it helps that she likes being around, now that things have come back to normal. she likes that waking up and meandering down to the kitchen doesn't mean praying not to run into anyone, but instead offers opportunities for pre-shift meals and chit-chat; she likes staying up late in the living room, watching cheesy movies or listening to baby's endless mixtapes while they eat whatever they've ordered in. she likes the camaraderie of it all, how cozy it feels. )

I think... I think I love him, you know? Which is kind of scary, actually.

( it's the first time she's said it out loud to anyone before. maybe it's that baby's drunk, and unlikely to remember, but she thinks now's an okay time to say it. )

[killertrack]

[ The words Kimberly say stick through Baby, sharp and painful, twisting his stomach into knots. For a second, he feels like he's going to throw up, but he swallows it down, squeezing her hand a little too tightly for a moment. Then he takes a deep breath. This isn't about him, this is about Kimberly and Robbie. ]

That's good. It's scary but it's good. You deserve it.

[ And she does. And so does Robbie.

Baby loves Isabelle, and he thought, for a fleeting moment, that it'd be enough to keep her around. Hopefully Kimberly and Robbie can make it work, better than Baby managed. ]

I'm glad I didn't end up keeping you from finding love, Kim.