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"Did they come?" Trucy shouted out as she ran to meet Phoenix at the front door.
He was meticulously padding through the mail as she snatched it out of his hands. She rummaged through them as though they might hold something utterly invaluable. To be fair, despite Apollo's opinion, what she was looking for was completely invaluable: pit tickets to The Gavinner's show. Phoenix had been able to pull a few strings, and make a few promises, to be able to get two of the hottest, most hard to obtain tickets this summer. When he had told Trucy she had flipped. Apollo didn't understand what the fuss was about, a cop based rock band sounded a bit counterintuitive to him, but if she was happy it didn't really matter.
"They're here!" she yelled, holding up the white envelope as though it was dipped in gold.
Apollo sighed as she jumped around in excitement. "Can you keep it down? I'm trying to study."
"You can take a few minute break to celebrate with her," Phoenix said calmly, picking up the rest of the mail Trucy had dropped to the floor.
"I can't. There's no way I'll be able to pass the Bar right now," Apollo replied. "Besides, why should I celebrate with her?"
Phoenix looked up from the floor with a confused look. "What do you mean? You're going with her?"
"Huh?" Apollo exclaimed, his mouth left agape in disbelief.
"Why'd you think I got two tickets?"
"Because you were going with her?" Apollo responded, maintaining his shock.
"I'm too old," Phoenix replied, "It'd be a little creepy if I was in the crowd with a bunch of teenage girls."
"And, it wouldn't be if I was?" Apollo exclaimed. "Besides, you're her dad. There's probably going to be plenty of parents in the crowd."
"Hm, maybe," Phoenix responded like he hadn't even thought about it. "Well, regardless, I made plans for that night."
Of course he did, Apollo thought. This had no doubt been one big setup courtesy of Phoenix Wright himself. He had been giving Apollo grief for the past month about taking a break from the books. He knew where he was coming from in theory. It was probably the best if he didn't nonstop cram, but he wasn't enough of a genius to afford the luxury of a break. And, besides, despite his accomplishments in his heyday, what did Phoenix really know? He had been disbarred for over half a decade now. No doubt the test has changed since the last time he walked into a courtroom, let alone took it. He couldn't take any chances. All his eggs had been put into this one basket, and if he failed he feared that might be the end of his life. Yet, he was being forced to take that very break he could not afford.
"Can't you cancel?" Apollo complained.
"No can do. How do you think I got those tickets?" Phoenix responded with zero consideration.
Apollo sighed and slumped in his chair. If it was Kristoph he was seeing, there was no getting Phoenix to cancel. A heavy weight fell upon him as all he could tell himself was he was going to fail. All the time and effort he had put in was going to be for naught. The concert wasn't for another month, but there was no way he was going to feel confident enough by then that he wouldn't be stressing the entire concert. Shaking his head, he sat back up and went back to studying. It was no use stressing out now and taking away valuable time, so he didn't.
The excitement Trucy had when the tickets had been delivered wasn't even a fraction as much as the excitement she had waiting in line to get into the venue. They had woken up early that morning to head down to the stadium to get a good spot in line, and, despite getting there 8 hours before doors opened, they weren't first. Apollo had started complaining the second he got up, but at this point had accepted his fate and was sitting on the sidewalk reading through his big prep book. Trucy, on the other hand, had made friends with some of the other people in line who were actually excited to be there.
It was about 7 when the doors finally opened. Apollo was trampled by the hoard of concertgoers trying to push their way as close to the front as possible. With a huff, he stood up before he actually became a victim of the mob, and sluggishly followed the line to get in. When he got to the door, he pulled out the gaudy ticket from his pocket and handed it to the bouncer who then asked to see his ID. After an embarrassingly long time of fiddling, he took it out of his wallet and handed it as well to the bouncer. After a moment to read what was written on the ticket and his ID, the bouncer ripped off the stub and handed everything back to Apollo. That is, after grabbing a red wristband from the fannypack he had draped across his waist and putting it on Apollo’s wrist. Not thinking much of it, or much of the jealous stares that radiated from behind him, Apollo meandered his way into the venue in search for where Trucy had ended up.
Trucy had gotten a very good spot. It wasn’t quite barricade, but it was close enough that with the movement of the crowd, she would be able to sneak her way all the way up to it. Apollo, obviously, would be forced to sloppily snake his way there as well. Phoenix had told him to make sure to stay right next to Trucy the entire time. He seemed to only play the role of doting father when it wasn’t too much of a hassle to him.
“Are you excited, Polly?” Trucy asked, her excitement glittering in her eyes.
“Mhm,” Apollo nodded.
“Then,” Trucy grabbed both of his hands, “You need to act excited.”
She lifted both their arms in the air and shook them around as she laughed. Apollo wooed listlessly. Despite the volume of excitement radiating from Trucy, Apollo just couldn’t shake the dread of the Bar that was looming over him. She let go of his hands, and his arms flopped back down to his side. With a pout, Trucy accepted he was a lost cause, and turned to share in the enthusiasm of the group next to them.
It took well over an hour for the openers to take the stage, despite the 8pm start time. Apollo had decided to try his best and study as much as he could with the noise from his tome of a prep book. It was hard to focus at first with the sheer volume of conversations that were happening all around him, but at some point he turned it all into a static he could focus over. When the openers took the stage, he had finally gotten into such a good rhythm, he decided to just keep going. It was rude, but it was necessary given his circumstances. It was better to be rude and study than be attentive and fail.
The opener’s set finished, and he continued to study. When they were playing, it was harder to keep his focus with the amps blaring directly in his face, especially since Trucy had forced him to work his way all the way to the barricade when some sorry souls decided to leave to get drinks, but now with the volume going back down to a manageable blare of talk, he could fully focus again. That was until the Gavineers took the stage. The screams of the crowd was worse than the entire hustle and bustle of the opening act. Apollo shot his head up from his book, to make eye contact with the lead singer.
“Oh my god!” Trucy tugged on his sleeve. “Do you think he was looking at me?”
“I don’t know,” Apollo replied with a breathy slowness.
He felt stupid to think it, but he was sure that it was him he was looking at. He was sure the smirk that flashed on that pretty face that radiated from the concoction of spotlights that shone on him was because of him and his book. For a moment a wave of self-consciousness washed over him as he felt his cheeks grow a cherry pink, but he quickly came to his senses. There was no way Klavier Gavin of the Gavineers had smiled at him, and there was no way he was getting flustered thinking that he did. Sure, there’s a non-zero chance Klavier knows of him from his brother, but whatever that percentage was might as well be rounded down to zero.
Their main set started without another glance in Apollo’s direction, and, after the first two songs, Apollo finally decided he might as well get back to his book. He understood he was being beyond rude at this point, but that truly did not matter as much to him as passing his exam. It was incredibly hard to focus, though. The Gavineers’ set was much louder than their opener’s and the crowd roared with a volume Apollo assumed a rocket could only achieve. Nevertheless, he persisted.
Every once and a while he would look up from his book and watched the concert before him. They really were good performers, and although the music wasn’t quite his taste, he had respect for their musical prowess. He also couldn’t get too upset when he looked to his side to see Trucy having the time of her life. Though he didn’t pay much attention to it, he thought it was a good concert, so when the lights finally dimmed for the final time he wasn’t wholly filled with relief that it was over. Of course, he was mostly filled with relief. He wasn’t enjoying himself at all. Despite the fact he spent more time with eyes glued to Klavier on stage than on the book he held in front of him, he wasn’t into the Gavineers’ music or anything. He was excited to file his way back out of the venue, not before Trucy bought an overpriced tour shirt, and finally be able to go back to his quiet, calm home.
“Polly, where are you going?” Trucy yelled out to him as he made his way to the exit.
Apollo turned around, confusion plastered on his face. “Home?” he answered.
“Why? We have backstage passes!” Trucy exclaimed, pointing to the red wristband on her arm.
Apollo looked down to his wrist and then to the wrists of the people passing him. Theirs were all bare. With a dread he had not felt since he first looked at what his Bar examination encompassed, Apollo looked back at the grinning Trucy. With slumped shoulders he lumbered behind the cheerful Trucy asking himself why Phoenix had to act like such a doting dad this time.
There was a small group of about half a dozen people waiting next to a heavy black door and a group of intimidating men in black tshirts. Apollo had let his disappointment out of his system, and was thinking rationally again. There was no way this was going to take more than 30 minutes. They’d stay and talk for a bit while the band unwinds, and then they’d get a picture and an autograph and be sent on their merry way. Quick and simple. Then Apollo can go home and sleep before trying to make up for his lost day.
He was almost right. After about 15 minutes of waiting, which was 10 minutes longer than the quick 5 he thought the band would take, their group was herded into an empty dressing room where they were then forced to wait again. This time it was a measly 10 minutes, which was more painful for Apollo than the wait before. He tried to study during it, but the annoyance slowly creeping up his spine made it hard to focus. By the time the men in black escorted the Gavineers into the tiny dressing room, Apollo was about to blow a fuse.
“Mien frauleins,” Klavier said with a sickly sweet tone. He opened his arms in greeting before pausing and he made eye contact with Apollo. “Und mien Herr.”
The smile that grew on Klavier’s face when he addressed Apollo was anything but sweet. It was scathingly mocking, in Apollo’s eyes, but it didn’t seem the rest of the group cared. Regardless, the anger that filled Apollo in that moment was certainly an overreaction. He smiled a bitter smile back at him, before burying his head into his book. Klavier and the rest of the band, whom Apollo did not know the names of, continued talking, but Apollo purposely tuned them out. Sure he was the only guy here, but that didn’t mean he needed such rude treatment.
He wasn’t sure how long it was, he was too focused on his boiling anger, but at some point the commotion had died down. He was about to look back up to see if it was finally over, when a finger pressed upon his forehead. He raised his head slightly, his pupils doing most of the work to look up, and was met with the conniving smirk of a class act jerk.
“Herr Forehead,” Klavier smirked, “are you not going to take a picture?”
“Take one with Trucy,” he said, pointing to the girl behind them.
Letting his finger down, Klavier turned his head to look at her before turning back, “Fraulein asked for you to be in the picture.”
Apollo sighed and stood up, plopping his book down on the couch where he sat. He quickly made his way past Klavier to where the rest of the band and Trucy stood ready to take a picture, trying his best not to let his anger show in his footsteps. He stood next to Trucy who seemed oblivious to the feelings welling up inside of him.
“Ready,” he said through gritted teeth.
Biting his lip to try and hold in a smile, Klavier strolled his way next to Apollo. He was much taller than him. Apollo assumed he must be at least 6 feet tall. In that moment, he found his anger fade into that familiar self-consciousness from earlier as Klavier placed a hand on his shoulder. Before, he knew it, one of the men in black had taken their picture, and Klavier let his hand slide back down to his side. With that, the night was done. They had gotten their picture and, judging from the smile on Trucy’s face, they had gotten their signatures. There was nothing left to do, so Apollo walked his way back over to the couch where his book sat, that wave of relief coming back to him.
“Ah, the Bar,” Klavier sighed with nostalgia as he picked up the book Apollo had been wanting so badly to hold once again. “I remember taking the Bar.”
The wave of anger rushed over Apollo once again. He couldn’t catch a break. “Could you give it back, please,” he asked, outstretching his hand.
Klavier ignored him though, as he flipped through the pages. “Is this what you were so interested in during the concert, Herr Forehead?” he asked, not looking up.
“I’m taking the Bar in a month,” Apollo replied before taking a step closer, his hand still outstretched “So, if you could please give it back. I need to go home and study.”
“Have you not studied enough tonight?” Klavier looked up, his eyes wide with a curiosity.
He was mocking him. There was no doubt in Apollo’s mind. He no longer cared if his anger seeped through. With another step, he went to snatch his book out of Klavier’s hands. Sadly, he was too slow and with a childish playfulness, Klavier held the book as high above his head as he could.
“Are you so unconfident that you’re willing to study during a concert?” Klavier asked.
Apollo looked behind him to see if anyone was watching. They were. Great. He was making a scene now. Apollo accepted his fate and tried to jump to grab the book Klavier held so easily out of reach.
“Give it back,” he snarled.
“Everyone, entertain Fraulein in the green room. I’ll only be a moment,” Klavier called out to the onlookers behind them, expertly moving the book out of Apollo’s reach with each jump.
When the door finally closed, Klavier let the book down enough that Apollo could grab it. A healthy smile grew on Klavier’s face as he plopped himself down on the couch. Apollo stayed where he was, hugging onto his behemoth of a book with dear life. He held onto a glare as the two looked at each other, though he felt his ears growing red with embarrassment.
“You didn’t answer me,” Klavier said.
“Huh?”
“Are you so unconfident in your abilities you’re willing to study during a concert?” Klavier repeated.
“I’m confident,” Apollo replied, the grip of his book wavering slightly, “I’m just cautious.”
“Very cautious,” Klavier laughed, “You’ve marked up the entire thing.”
The redness of his ears grew to cover his cheeks. All the anger he had a moment ago had left him. The smile on the face of the man before him no longer felt mocking, and Apollo felt himself relax slightly. What now filled him was the uncertainty that had become the norm since he entered law school.
“I just want to be prepared,” he muttered.
Patting the spot next to him, Klavier replied coolly, “There’s such a thing as over preparing.”
“Ah,” Apollo sighed as he sat himself down where Klavier had signaled, “You sound like Mr. Wright.”
“If you’re not going to listen to him, then listen to me,” Klavier said, putting a single finger under Apollo’s chin and moving his face to face him.
The redness grew to cover his entire face, as he looked into his oceanlike eyes. He let the book he had held to his chest fall down onto his lap, as he stayed there as unblinking and still as possible.
“Herr Forehead,” Klavier moved the finger under Apollo’s chin to his forehead, “If you want to take a break, can I see you again?”
Apollo stayed motionless, dumbfounded by what the man so close to him had said. He didn’t know what was happening. One second he was being bullied and the next second he was being— was he being flirted on? There was no way. Apollo quickly shook his head to let all the unsavory thoughts that were starting to creep into it fall out.
“Why should I see you?” he asked.
Klavier put his hand, which had been knocked off by Apollo’s display, onto the book in Apollo’s lap. “Because I want you to,” he replied, maintaining eye contact.
Apollo watched stunned as Klavier slowly pulled the book towards him. He turned his body to grab a pen that had been left on the table to the side of them, his hair swooping slightly with a lavish grace. He uncapped it with his mouth and opened the book to the title page before writing something down. Once done, he put the pen back into the cap in his mouth and then back onto the table it came from.
“Let me know when you need a break,” he said, a slight smile gracing his face.
Without thinking he simply replied, “Okay.”
Apollo didn’t have to open up the page to understand what had happened and what he meant. He also knew that he needed to get out of that room as fast as possible before he let whatever feelings were clawing to take control win. With an awkward nod, he shot up out of the couch and stumbled his way towards the door, looking back too many times to seem normal.
When he finally made it out, he slammed it shut and stood still in a stupor trying to wrap his head around what happened. He had literally only studied during their concert. There was no way that had caught the attention of the world renown musician. He turned to head to where he heard the sounds of laughter, but caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection of a framed poster. Though it wasn’t very clear, he could make out how flustered he looked. There was no way he let Klavier see him like that. There was no way he was so worried about what Klavier saw him like. There was no way he was even thinking about Klavier. He placed the book under a shoulder and stared himself down in the reflection before clapping down hard on his cheeks. He wasn’t going to let some pretty boy affect him like that. He was Apollo Justice, soon-to-be-lawyer. He put his book back in his hands, and marched his way to the room where Trucy was no doubt having the time of her life, a proud smile glazed upon his face.