7.
KNIGHTMARE
AS YOU MAY HAVE GUESSED, IT WAS DIFFICULT BEING A NATURALLY thoughtful person.
I told Charlie I had a lot of homework to do, and that I didn't want anything to eat, but there was a basketball game on that he was excited about, and so he didn't notice me. I briefly wondered what things would be like if he spent less time watching TV basketball and more time thinking about me, but couldn't bring those thoughts to bear. Not now.
Once in my room, I locked the door. I dug through my desk until I found my old headphones, and I plugged them into my little CD152 player. I picked up a Compact Disc that Phil had given me for Christmas. It was one of his favorite bands, but they used a little too much bass guitar and shrieking for my tastes.153 I popped it into place and lay down on my bed. I put on the headphones, hit the Play button, and turned up the volume until it hurt my ears. I closed my eyes, hard, but the tears kept coming:
Fredward, a vampire!
152. Compact Disc, a form of digital media invented by Huey Lewis & the News for their hit album, Sports (1984).
153. It is actually a two-piece band made up of Phil and Reneé.