Let the Music Play (Penny, Open)

[Nick Black]

The car sped down the road, as music blared out it's open windows. Inside were two people, a cute little red-headed girl driving and a black man with sunglasses in the passenger seat. Nick was absentmindedly tapping his cane to the beat of the music, as Paramore came bursting out of the car's speakers. Nick had always been a bit partial to Paramore, perhaps not his favorite band but they did have some songs which he did enjoy listening to. Being blind music was one of his favorite pastimes, whether it be playing it or listening to it. His tastes varied greatly but he found that his cup of tea lay with rock, blues, and more alternative styles of music. Next to him Penny was driving, he felt as if she had gotten the short end of stick havign to drive all the way up to Atlanta but there wasn't much he could do about it. That is unless the DMV changed their policy on an eye test.

"You holdin' up?" Nick asked nonchalantly. The trip totalled at around 10 hours long so it was quite an imposing road trip. They had set out at around 8 in the morning, packing bags for a coupel of days and they were estimated to arrive at around 6 o' clock in Atlanta. They were heading there for a Paramore concert. Nick had actually won the tockets on a radio station contest to guess a number or whatnot. With a little help from his power he did manage to snag the prize. He knew Penny liked them a lot and he too could use a break for a while. Driving up to Atlanta and goign to a concert sounded like a good way to kick back for a little. "Are you excited?" Nick asked Penny, as he tapped his cane, still in beat with the music.

Of course Nick also had ulterior motives for wanting to go to Atlanta... he always did. The concert was a good excuse to head to Atlanta, to AuraFiz's headquarters. Of course he didn't tell Pennt this had anything to do with work, if she figured it out good for her but otherwise it was nothing for her to concern herself with. His Dad had recently gone back to Atlanta for a while, with his mother. Nick understood it was under the pretense he may be getting another promotion, of course Nick was curious and decided that it would be good of him to drop in. As far as Nick knew his Dad had been doing little with company other than day to day stuff, surely nothing promotion worthy. His risk analysist job was alreadypretty cushy with company perks and all, Nick was beginning to wonder if there was something he wasn't being told... Yes, Nick's blatant nosiness and curiosity would drive himt o cheat a radio contest just to win tickets under the pretense of going to a cocnert. He couldn't help it, it was just in his nature.

[Penny Mallory]

Penny Katie Mallory

Penny’s foot slammed hard on pedal beneath her touch sending the speedometer cracking past sixty five. Her restless foot was trying to get them their faster. The weight was growing rapidly above her ankle as she pressed down on the only force holding it in place. “I’m good. I’m good. My foots looking to rear itself up your butt but I’m fine.” She smirked, turning to the side for a moment and giving him a funny face that she knew very well he couldn’t see.

Her eyes trailed back over towards the road but on the way caught site of the stereo system and read the name of the band and song playing. Her head was bobbing already as she lipsynched the words to Nick’s complete unknowing. She was soo tempted to let loose and belt out every single word but she was a little nervous about it, for whatever reason she wasn’t certain.

“Me excited!?” Penny yelled with a squeal in her voice over the music. “Of course I am! Thanks for letting me tag along.” She complimented back, her tiny hands gripping the wheel as she struggled to look for the exits on the long highway.

“How much further do you think?” She asked, hope dripping from her lips. He usually knew these things more than her. She was helpless with locations.

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[Nick Black]

The trip so far was going pretty good, at the very least they were making good time. Nick may have been blind but he could feel quite well how fast they were gunning along. It seemed that Penny wouldn't stop accelerating until they either crashed or hit warp speeds. Nick didn't much like speed, he couldn't see where they were going and felt a sort of constant fear. He figured it was ingraiend in humans to be afraid of movement in the dark, it constantly felt a sif you were goign to bump into something and the faster you were going the harder that hit would be. He tried not to show concern, keeping his expression constant. He wans't about to show such a irrational fear.
“I’m good. I’m good. My foots looking to rear itself up your butt but I’m fine.” Penny responded to him.
"Who? Lovable me," he asked in a faux innocent voice.

NIck absentmindedly kicked his legs up ont eh dashboard and just tapped in beat to the music. It was a good way to pass the time, just sitting back and letting the music wash over him. It was a freeing feeling, being lifted int he musical and lyrical mindset of the band or person you listened to. Music had such power, it could strike a mood, create an emotion or a whole wealth of other things. From early on Nick learned to appreciate the power of the musical. His love for such led him to take up guitar and even led him to learn to play a few rudimentary songs on teh keyboard. He wasn't the besy but he could really sing the blues when he was feeling it.

“Me excited!?” Penny yelled over the music, her voice practically a squeal. “Of course I am! Thanks for letting me tag along.” She thanked him. Nick simply smiled and nodded, replying, "Well who else would drive me there." He meant it jokingly, he wouldn't have gone with any other person not only was he confident Penny would love it but there was no one else he would even think to go with. “How much further do you think?” Hailey asked as they continued driving along. Nick thought about it before responding, "Probably another seven hours or so." He reached into his pocket, toying with his pills bottle and contemplating whether to have any. "We could stp at a rest stop if you'd like, maybe relax and catch a bite to eat. Or we could just keep heading along."

[Penny Mallory]

Penny’s foot was getting fairly sore. “This driving thing is a real kick, making us wee folk think it’s fun and sexy when all it really is is hard work and numb feet.” Her hands gripped the steering wheel at ten and two, her eyes transfixed on the black tar she was driving over ahead of them. To the sides grey steel looking guard rails … guarded traffic from the other side of the lanes from crossing over the thin patch of green foliage which had built up in between the highways lanes. The trees were blooming bright green, a few red and willowed yellow ones sprucing some color into the mix from what she could see out of the corners of her eyes. She couldn’t really get a better scene of the place with her mind so focused on the cars ahead, each driver a potential end to her own life. She wasn’t about to let one of their mistakes effect her, no so she had to pay attention, she had to be rested.

“Alright, a quick little break would do me good anyway. You should know I hate driving You can buy us food and we can lay back and munch on it in the car.” She cheered happily looking for signs to a restraint that would do take out, while still concentrating on driving. Nick could be no help with this… looking wasn’t his forte’.It took a good ten minutes but finally she came upon a sign signaling the next rest stop, they had some nice KFC joint nestled into the place.

“Yum, a KFC is up ahead. Break out the big bills baby. I’m starving and we need more road trip grub!” Penny informed as they pulled into the rather large rest stop. Then drove them up to the drive in window and read off the entire menu for nick before pulling up to the voice box. “I’d like to have a Number 3 with a sprite please.“

“Is that all ma’am.”

“No, umm” She turned to Nick and asked. “And you? What’ll you be having?”

[Nick Black]

The drive was rather relaxing for Nick not having to do anything. He could just sit back, feet propped up and listen to the music as he tapped his cane. Penny was the one really doing all the work, driving and all. Nick couldn't really feel bad about it because it was out of his control, of course they coud've always brought a third person but Nick had only won two tickets. The most he could offer was a grin and asking how she was doing every now and again, other than that it was all her.
“This driving thing is a real kick, making us wee folk think it’s fun and sexy when all it really is is hard work and numb feet.” Penny said, seemingly getting tired of driving.
"Sexy indeed. It can't be all that bad," Nick said rather absentmindedly. "And you can give your feet a break at a rest stop, are we coming up on any soon," Nick asked, feeling about as useless as anything.

Penny agreed on taking a break, Nick himself was getting asore bum from sitting there the whole time, he felt as if he could use a stretch and something to fill his growling stomach. Penny said they could buy food then just lay back and eat in the car. Nick agreed to the idea, slwowly nodding his head. Nick heard Penny give a little cheer as she spotted a rest stop.
"Found soemthing good?" Nick asked as he tried to use his tycho. As it was his tycho sense wasn't working too well while driving, too fast and not enough sensory signals to really know what was going on. Everything jut looked like strips of light blue and gray.

“Yum, a KFC is up ahead. Break out the big bills baby. I’m starving and we need more road trip grub!” Nick chuckled as she drove up to a drive in. Penny read off the menu before ordering for herself and asking Nick what he wanted. Nick was feeling rather ravenous and was bemused at the fact you had to "order" a meal. It was all just fried chicken in one way or another.
"Just some chicken, potatoes, and buscuits," Nick told her. "Oh and a pepsi, not diet, just a pepsi."

[Penny Mallory]

Penny Katie Mallory

The concert was in full force, the rafters overhead was banging with life, dust electrifying itself and dancing as the beat boomed across the stage and out onto the rousing crowd. The yellow haired little girl on stage, whose hair was not yellow at all but a mix of orange, red, and bleach was head banging to the rock of the guitars by her side. The music wouldn't stop and her voice yelled out over it singing in perfect pitch somehow as she made the crowd rawr out with cheers.

"Wooo!!!" Penny screamed, her small body bouncing to the beat, her hand lifted overhead tapping out the notes with the rest of the riveted crowd. It was their second encore and the crowd was loving every minute of it.

The music was flowing yet it was going to be coming to a big bang soon. Penny's skin was on fire, this had been well worth the long drive. After this she'd probably pass out from exhaustion in Nick arms. No way was the road trip back happening until she got a good long rest in a big luxurious hotel room.

<Wip..but feel free to post>

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[Nick Black]

Several hours later they finally made it to Atlanta and were rocking out to the beats of Paramore. Nick had to say that he was hoenstly enjoying himself, something which didn't happen quite so often. He forgot about his goals, his plans, his schemes and for once he was just living for the moment. He hadn't been to many concerts in his life, his parents were more concerned with him getting an education and career than having fun. Nick felt that that hadn't been the true reasona dn in fact they were feeling over protective. they probably had the idea that concerts were dangerous mobs that the media depicted them as. They were just being protective over their blind little son. now though as Nick was really rocking out he was enjoying it, he couldn't see anything of course but all he eneded was the sounds. Not just the music but the roar of the crowd, the cheers, the general ambience that came with such an event.

"Wooo!!!" he heard Penny yell next to him. He just laughed as stood there taing it all in, wavin his white cane above the crowd and sporting an unusually large grin for him. He was having a fun time... he just felt as if he could let loose and truly enjoy himself. He could feel the ehat coming off the excited sweaty bodies all around him and the general aroma of sweat and food in the air. It was different and it was just the kind of different that Nick liked. Here he was and despite all his differences he could still enjoy himself, he just wanted that music to keep playing forever. As he took in every note and lyric he had a funny thought that the singer sounded a lot like Penny...