|skərtˈsändō| Music
adverb & adjective
(esp. as a direction) in a playful manner, often refers to rock 'n' roll.
ORIGIN Italian, literally ‘joking.’


She's the lead singer of the wildly popular band, Scherzando. He's the band's self-proclaimed number-one fan.
When he gets the chance to be in the same house as her through not-so-perfect circumstances, what will happen?
What could happen? The answer, my dear: anything and everything.

James wandered around the town in his old Toyota. He had been on the road after Scherzando since their last concert, and this was where the next one was. He looked around at all the places he was passing, looking for his hotel. He had gotten sick of staying in crappy little places or motels with questionable bedding... This time, he was in a far better place, though not quite five-stars.

When he found it, he smiled. It was a pretty nice place. If only he could figure out where the band was staying and take as many candid shots as he could... He grabbed his bags and checked in, insisting on carrying his own stuff up to his room. It was only two stories and about one hundred rooms, not bad. James set his stuff on his bed and started using his "Sources" to find out where the band was.

Scherzando. The name was plastered on posters all across the city. Their first concert in New York was in a week, but the band had arrived early to appease their fans and the press. Alessa hated it. It wasn't that she didn't want to make sacrifices for her band, it's just... she hated dealing with these people. She sat in the corner of the hotel room the band has rented, picking at the floral wallpaper. The other members of the band sat on their beds joking around, but Alessa was feeling antisocial tonight and had made that fact very clear. Her fellow bandmembers had neglected to rent a room with enough beds to fit all of the members... probably one of their sad attempts at hooking her up with the lead guitarist despite her declarations that she would never become romantically involved with another member of the band. She'd had too much experience with that.

Alessa got tired of waiting and, after a quick goodbye to the other band members, she set out to find her own place to spend the night. She didn't have the pocket money to spend- not that there'd be any open rooms in the hotel anyways; word had gotten out that the band was staying there. Alessa stood in the main hallway of the hotel trying to think up some way to get a place to stay for the night.

According to his source, a very reliable one, at that, the band was going to be in the same hotel! He couldn't believe it! What luck! Fate would bring him close enough at last...! He went out into the hallway, ready to go find out where they were staying exactly. As he walked down the main hallway, he was looking down at his phone. James nearly bumped into someone, instead just brushing up against them awkwardly, and he turned around and began to apologize, "Oh, I am so sorry! I-" and that was when he noticed who had nearly bumped into. He stared at her a moment and then asked, "Y-you're... Alessa?" His voice had been rather quite, mostly out of shock; he was frozen in place.

Soon, his eyes grew wide and he resisted the urge to squeal like a fangirl. It had to be her! Even if she said no, he would recognize her anywhere! His heart pounded, he couldn't believe it. Fate had indeed brought them together this time! Fate wanted it! Unfortunately, he began to ramble, "Are you staying here too? I didn't know you were all going to be here... Are you all here, where is everyone else? Should you be going out all alone? You know, there are a lot of crazies in New York...." he said, trailing off and stopping himself. He looked down at the ground, then at a wall then back to her, but tried not to stare too much.

When her shoulder was rudely bumped into by a person, Alessa supressed the urge to turn and scream at them- barely, but it was an improvement. Then, when that person appeared to be one of her stalker fans (she'd never seen him before, so he couldn't be an acquaintance), and he was suddenly babbling at her, Alessa went into sarcastic mode. "And you're one of the crazies, aren't you?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow.

Then she thought about it. This person had a room in the hotel. She needed a room. The choice was obvious: kill him and steal his room! No, that would get me arrested and would probably end the tour... she thought. So, Alessa swallowed her pride, and said- with the least amount of bitterness she could manage- "Yeah, I'm Alessa. The rest of the band is in their room, and I got voted off the island 'cuz we didn't have enough beds. And you are...?"

It hurt a little what she said, but James laughed, "I wouldn't say crazy... just a little eccentric." he smiled. He closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. He would definitely have to make sure his source was well rewarded for this. James knew she was sarcastic, so he should have expected that. He was trying to keep his composure; he knew she was also pretty easy to piss off...

"My name is James." he said casually, holding out his hand to shake hers, "Wait, they voted you out? As in... you've got no place to stay?" he asked. He shook his head, "Well, that's an asshole thing to do." he whispered. Then he realized- maybe she would stay with him! Should he offer? Would that make him a little too creepy? So many questions flowing through his mind at once. He shook his head again, trying to clear his head and focus on the conversation at hand. James figured Alessa was a straight-forward girl, and if she wanted to stay, or was desperate enough to stay with him, then she would either ask or demand it on her own. Though, if she didn't, it wouldn't hurt to offer, right...? Well, not too bad, anyway, depending on how she reacted.

Alessa looked skeptically down at James's outstretched hand, wrinkling her nose. She hesitantly touched her hand to his "It's... a pleasure," she said, before pulling her hand away again. She hated physical contact with strangers... especially fans. "Eh, I don't blame them," Alessa said with a sheepish expression. "I was the obvious choice... I prefer being on my own anyways. People are... not my favorite thing." Why was she telling him this?! Why was she talking to him at all? She could surely find some other place to stay... but like James had said, there are a lot of crazies in New York, and James seemed like a decent enough guy.

Alessa braced herself and forced out the words, "S-since you're staying in the hotel, can I..." she squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. She would prefer having her teeth pulled to this. "Do you think I could share your hotel room? I left most of my cash at home," Alessa opened her eyes and waited for his response. Say no, say no, say no, say no... she silently hoped.

James noticed her unwillingness and was about to take his hand back when she actually made the attempt to shake it. A giddy feeling built up inside him. She touched him! He touched her hand! Something he had always dreamed of, well, maybe that and a little more, but this was REALITY! This was better! Soooo much better!
He laughed at her last sentence. He could identify with that statement, "Oh yeah, I know what you mean..." he said looking at the floor like only a man who's been jaded could. "I don't think you'd be the obvious choice though. It wasn't right of them to just kick you out like that." he said, revisiting his previous thought.

James watched her, she looked tormented. And then she asked. Oh my god. She asked to stay with him! He couldn't believe it! He smiled a little, trying to keep calm and not sound psychotic, "Of course! I mean, I only have a single suit, but I can take the couch." he smiled. Knowing she'd be in the other room, living with him, it would be so worth giving up that huge, comfy bed for.

A small laugh escaped Alessa's lips before she could stop herself... he was just so excited! Didn't he realize that she was only a person, and not a very good one, at that? "Honestly, it was only right of them to kick me out... I'd probably do the same to them, even if I had a four-person room to myself,"

Alessa blushed and raised an eyebrow. ((couldn't properly describe it, but she looked like this.)) She cleared her throat in an attempt to draw attention away from the blush, and told herself that the blood had only rushed to her face because the hotel lobby was cold. "I shouldn't take the bed... you were the one who paid for the room. I brought a blanket and a pillow, I could take the couch," she didn't want to take the couch, and she wasn't really one for being fair anyways, but she knew that he would persist in offering her the bed, being the rabid fan that he was.

He laughed a little. James knew she wasn't the most friendly person in the world, but he sincerely hoped that she was joking about being selfish enough to keep a four-person room to herself... James didn't want to believe that. "Well, I wouldn't mind a four person room all to myself either." he told her. He wouldn't... He just could never afford that.

"Well," he said, "We could share." he winked, then laughed, hoping it wasn't too creepy. "I'm kidding. Uh, no, it's fine. You can take the bed. I don't mind couches." he smiled what he hoped wasn't scary, but more dazzling. He looked around, "Uh, do you wanna go there now? Get settled in and what not?"

((You described it well, actually, but I love the drawing. =] ))

"Oh yeah? And what would you use the extra rooms for? I'd fill them with my junk, but..." Alessa looked James over skeptically from head to toe. "You don't exactly look like you have much stuff to fill 'em with." Alessa mentally slapped herself. She couldn't be mean! He might not let her share the room. "S-sorry, I don't mean to... be mean," she apologized grudgingly.

"Uh!" Alessa blushed furiously Share the bed?! He can't be serious! she thought. "I... I think I'll pass on the sharing thing," she mumbled. Alessa raised an eyebrow at his smile... it looked pretty fake. I wonder what his smile is actually like... Alessa blushed and bit her tongue. Why was she thinking like that, about a fan of all the disgusting people! Alessa shook the thought out of her head and focused on James. "Yeah, sure, I've got nowhere better to go," she said with a shrug, and picked up her bags. "So... what are you doing at this hotel, anyways?"

James didn't think offering to carry her stuff would be appropriate, seeing as she seemed so completely independent. Instead, he just turned on his heels and nodded in the direction they were to be heading, "To answer your questions: I don't have much to put in a four person room, but I would enjoy the space. You're mean in general, I've heard, so I'll try not to take a great deal of offense to it and I won't throw you out on your ass." he said, looking back at her as he paused before continuing to answer what he remembered, "I was kidding about sharing, obviously, and I'm here following your band around the tour." he answered, hoping she would be more flattered than frightened by his statement.

Alessa opened her mouth to respond with something snarky, but she couldn't think of anything and, frankly, this wasn't exactly a situation in which she could afford to be rude. "Thanks for that..." she said, quietly, picking up her bags and following. Aren't fans supposed to carry stuff for their idols, or something? she wondered. Alessa blushed at her ignorance. "Of course... sorry about that." Great. First she was thanking him, and now she was apologizing?! That wasn't something she did often. "I've heard of fans doing that... hell, I followed Metallica's t--but that doesn't matter," why was she telling him all this? There was something wrong with her. Sure, he was easy to talk to- she didn't have to fear being rejected- but that didn't mean she should. "It's nice that you follow us, though. Thanks." she said with a smile despite herself.

James shrugged, taking the electronic key out of his pocket and sliding it through the lock. He loved the invention of electronic key cards. He only smiled at her sudden change from what sounded like sarcasm to gratitude, "You're welcome." was all he said for a moment before adding, "Well, I like Metallica and everything, but I'd rather follow you guys." he admitted, pushing the door open and letting her in first.

Alessa walked through the door, trying to keep James in peripheral. "I guess that's a really big compliment, huh," she said, still fighting off that nagging urge to smile. Alessa walked to the bedroom, set her things just inside the door, and then turned back to James. "You sure you don't want the bed?" She asked, raising and eyebrow and gesturing to the bedroom with her thumb.

"It was meant as a compliment. I just hope you took it that way." he said casually. "You take it. Like I said, I'll be fine with the couch. And, by the way," he began, feeling the need to add this, "I didn't know you and the band were here. I'm not a stalker or anything. It's just happy coincidence. Well, happy for me." he said, correcting himself. She didn't seem at all thrilled to be with him. She didn't seem as objective as she had been initially though. Perhaps it was because she just needed a place to stay. Even if she didn't care about James, he was with his idol- and some-what secret crush. He was perfectly fine with that.

Sighing, Alessa fell back onto the couch. "No, I get it, you're a fan. It's sort of your duty to stalk us, you know?" It was strange, though. Usually, if a fan got within a foot of her, Alessa would damn the day she had chosen to join a band, but... having the company was sort of nice when you've been abandoned by the only people you really consider friends. Alessa looked at her watch. "Listen, this is generally the time I'd go to sleep on a show night, but..." Alessa sighed. What am I doing? she thought. Talking with a fan? No. This is wrong. "Never mind, I should go to bed. Goodnight," she said, standing and walking to the door slower than she normally would.

"I didn't stalk you." he said firmly, his frustration showing slightly in his voice. James was a bit annoyed by the comment, but he would have expected it from his friends, so it didn't anger him nearly as much as it would most people. When she had the sudden conflict over going to bed or not he nodded, hiding the smile, "Oh, alright. Uhm, I was going to go get something to eat anyway, so I'll leave you to that." he said, letting himself smile a bit. "If you want to join me, that'd be cool too, but if you have to get to bed, that's cool too." he said.

"I don't... have to go to bed," Alessa said, stopping at the door of the bedroom. This is stupid, I'm stupid, I should stop now and just go to bed. "Plus, it's dangerous to go out alone, what with all the crazies." Alessa joined James at the door, but kept more than an arm's length away, out of habit. "So, where are we going?" she asked.

James laughed a bit, "According to you, I am one of the crazies, so I'd have nothing to worry about... but I would enjoy the company." he smiled a little, looking through his wallet and counting his money. He was running low again. He sighed, without realizing he had actually done it, "It won't be anything fancy. I was thinking the burger place across and down the street." he smiled a little, "Sorry if it's under par for you, but it's what I can afford, so if you're still willing to go, then I wouldn't mind the company." he smiled again, putting his wallet back into his pocket and watching her for an answer.

Alessa rolled her eyes as her words were thrown back in her own face. "Yeah, but what if you've got your own crazy fans stalking you? You never know." The truth was, even though she normally hated her fans, she could use the company, too.

At the suggestion that anything was "under-par" for her, Alessa let out a burst of laughter. "Are you under the impression that rockstars dine at four-star restaurants? We barely ever have time for anything more than drive-thrus!" Alessa stifled her laughter and began to walk out of the room, keeping James in her sight, which caused her to notice how threadbare his wallet was. "I can pay for my half, you know. I didn't leave all of my cash at home..."

James a loud burst of laughter at her remark. His own crazy fans, right! If anyone was that sad... He laughed again before responding, "If they were my fan, then they would HAVE to be crazy..." he smiled a little. At least some of her jokes weren't snarky and aimed at him.

James shrugged, feeling less like a gentleman now about the amount in his wallet, he was going to have to take her up on her offer, it looked like. "Well, I thought you'd be getting some of the good take-out at least. Not like, dollar menu crap." he laughed.