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Insomnia Hours

“Alright, everyone, this is Big Dog signing off for the night. Thanks for tuning into Insomnia Hours with me. Keep your radio on for Ring Man’s morning show after a short commercial break. Good night and good morning!”

Inuyasha pressed a button to play the next song before programming a few commercials to come after it to allow Miroku time to get settled in the radio booth.

The DJ slipped off his headphones and turned the mic off before stretching his arms over his head. It was a few minutes before five in the morning, and he was ready to head home and crash until easily early afternoon.

“Good morning,” Miroku, also known as Ring Man based on the single earring he always wore, greeted as he walked in the booth. “I hope you left a good intro for me.”

Inuyasha chuckled and unplugged his headphones, wrapping them up and stuffing them in his bag. “It was decent enough.” Miroku smiled as he sat down in the newly-vacated chair and pulled out his own headphones.

“How was your night?” he asked as he plugged everything in to prepare for his shift. Inuyasha shrugged.

“The usual,” he replied. “Finals are still a month away, but some of the college students are already getting stressed out.”

Inuyasha’s radio show, Insomnia Hours, was notorious for being a supportive outlet for college students with either insomnia or massive amounts of stress from schoolwork. His typical music choices were indie-rock ballads, lo-fi hip-hop music, or whatever requests he got from phone calls.

Inuyasha made sure to do what he could to support and encourage his listeners, even if it was just with some soothing music.

He also tried to give helpful tips as often as possible throughout the night, and his online reviews were very high, which meant he got some gratification.

“Finals are coming up soon, huh?” Miroku asked. “You think you’ll hear from Goth Girl a bit more?”

Inuyasha chuckled. “Probably. She always gets extra emo during finals weeks.”

Inuyasha didn’t know her actual name, but there was a college student who had been calling at least twice a week for the last year-and-a-half requesting the hardest rock or darkest emo scene music Inuyasha had.

She would always say something along the lines of, “I need to scream along with some music to avoid screaming about my classwork,” or “I need a song to reflect the dark void I feel inside from this class I’m probably going to fail.”

She never failed, though. She always called to let him know.

Goth Girl was nice and usually pretty funny; Inuyasha had only given her the nickname to reflect her music taste. The DJ always looked forward to her calls and tried to have the best mid-2000s alternative music on hand since that tended to be her favorite.

It was her laugh that always stuck with him, though. Inuyasha occasionally wondered if she was flirting with him, but her voice was so kind that he wondered if she was just that chummy with everyone.

But, hey, a guy could hope. Not that anything could ever happen.

He didn’t even know her name, and she didn’t know his. Inuyasha only went by his DJ name, Big Dog, on the air, and he was careful to keep any pictures of himself off of their radio station’s website. He valued his privacy more than most other radio DJs did.

So he just focused on Goth Girl’s laugh and more often than not, he would listen to whatever songs she requested before he fell asleep at his house.

Inuyasha yawned. “Well, I’m heading out. Good night and good morning.”

Miroku chuckled at Inuyasha’s radio catchphrase. “See you tomorrow.”

Inuyasha gave a final wave before leaving the radio station and heading out to his car.

He turned the radio on in time to hear Miroku greet his listeners before smiling and turning it off. Since he had music playing all night, his car rides home were his quiet time, and he liked to enjoy them.

At twenty-four-years-old, Inuyasha worked as a radio DJ full-time. The salary wasn’t great, but he lived alone and didn’t pay for TV or internet services since he slept most of the day and was gone all night. It worked out, and he liked how his life was going. It also left him with enough money to get a McGriddle and a sweet tea from McDonald’s every morning. That was good enough for him.

All in all, it was a pretty good life.

o.O.o

The next night, Inuyasha started his commercial-free hour before heating up a cup of ramen noodles. The phone rang right before he put the cup in the microwave of the small kitchen in the studio, so he set it on the counter and hurried into the booth to answer.

“Hey, this is Insomnia Hours with Big Dog,” he greeted into the phone. “How can I make your night better?”

A small part of him was disappointed when he didn’t hear Goth Girl’s voice on the other end of the line.

“Hello, my name is Myoga Ogawa,” a polite man replied. “I’m the President of Goshinboku University.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. 'Why is the president of the local university calling me? Especially this late at night?'

“Hello, sir,” he said politely. “How can I help you?”

“I have an offer for you,” Myoga explained. “Do you ever do gigs as a DJ?”

Inuyasha bristled. He distinctly kept his real name and pictures out of sight to maintain his privacy; gigs were never something he’d had any desire to do.

“Unfortunately, I don’t,” Inuyasha replied. “Ring Man does, though. He’s got the morning show if you want to call back tomorrow.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Myoga said, disappointment evident in his voice. “And I called so late just to catch you...well, hear me out for just a moment. We have a big event coming up for the day after finals week ends. It’s a big celebration for all of the students. We do it every year, but our usual DJ can’t make it this year. All of the students absolutely love Insomnia Hours, and I figured you would be the best person to reach out to for it.”

Inuyasha didn’t need to think about it. He knew his answer.

Before he could say no again, Myoga spoke.

“Will you at least think about it?” he requested. “We would pay you well. If I don’t hear from you tomorrow, I’ll leave it alone. I just ask that you consider the offer.”

Inuyasha hummed. “Okay, I’ll think about it. Regardless of if I do the gig or not, thank you for reaching out. It’s nice to hear how much the students enjoy my show.”

“Of course,” Myoga replied warmly. “Thanks again. Good night and good morning...that’s your catchphrase, right?”

Inuyasha laughed. “You’ve got it. Good night and good morning.”

After he’d hung up the phone, Inuyasha went back to the small kitchen to finish his ramen.

I would do it if I didn’t care about people knowing who I am, he mused as he started the microwave. But I don’t want the attention.

Once his noodles were done, he went back into the booth and crossed his fingers that Goth Girl would call in, but if not, he figured the ramen would be good enough.

o.O.o

When Miroku arrived a few minutes before five in the morning as usual, Inuyasha mentioned Myoga’s offer.

“You should do it!” Miroku encouraged. “That would be so great!”

Inuyasha frowned. “You know I like to keep off the grid. Plus, like, it’ll make me less cool if people know my real name and what I look like.”

Miroku rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on now, my friend. I think it would be awesome.” Inuyasha shook his head.

“I’m calling the guy later to say no,” he replied as he packed up his stuff. “I just wanted to mention it to you. Maybe you could do it or something.”

“What about Goth Girl?”

Inuyasha paused and glanced at Miroku.

“What about her?”

Miroku looked at him as if it were obvious.

“It’s a gig at the local university,” he explained. “Goth Girl is in university...she listens to Insomnia Hours regularly and religiously. You would probably see her!”

I didn’t think about that…

“She might not even go there,” Inuyasha countered. “She could be calling from a different school.”

Miroku shook his head. “Her exams always fall with the other students that call in from GU. You know that.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know her name or what she looks like. How would I know it’s her?”

“You hear her voice every week!” Miroku exclaimed. “I’m sure you’d recognize it if you heard it, right? And don’t you think she would seek you out anyway?”

He has a point...but do I really want to give up my little piece of anonymity for a girl I don’t even know?

To hell with it.

“Alright,” Inuyasha finally conceded. “I’ll do it.”

o.O.o

Inuyasha called Myoga later in the morning to confirm the gig, and he was given the okay to make the announcement on his show that night.

“So I’ve got a pretty special announcement for you guys,” Inuyasha said into the mic. “Goshinboku University is gonna have a new DJ at their semester’s end celebration this year, and guess who it’s gonna be?” He paused for dramatic effect. “Yeah, you’re right, the Big Dog! I can’t wait to see you guys. It’s gonna be a great event. Now go ahead and enjoy the next thirty-minutes of commercial-free tunes.”

He flipped on an old Nirvana song before turning his mic off to stretch.

He was hoping Goth Girl would call after hearing the announcement, but he wasn’t holding his breath.

Until…

The phone rang and Inuyasha had to physically keep himself from answering on the first ring.

He waited until the second ring before picking it up.

“Hey, you’ve reached Insomnia Hours with Big Dog. How can I make your night better?”

“Hey, Big Dog!”

Goth Girl.

Inuyasha grinned.

“Well, if it isn’t Insomnia Hour’s favorite emo girl. How’s your night going?”

Goth Girl laughed on the other end. “It’s going well! Even better now that you’re gonna be DJing the event at my university next month.”

Miroku was right! It is her university!

“I’ll make sure to play plenty of classics for ya,” Inuyasha teased. “Make sure you study hard, though. Don’t want you to miss out.”

Goth Girl laughed again. “Oh, come on, Big Dog. You know me better than that by now, don’t you?” Inuyasha grinned.

“Yeah, you’re right. So what’ll it be tonight? We going with our usual Wednesday night Pierce the Veil request or are we feeling some Escape the Fate?”

“Hmm,” Goth Girl pretended to ponder, “do you have the acoustic album from Sleeping With Sirens?”

Inuyasha smiled, knowing the exact album she was referring to.

“I do. Which song?”

“Surprise me.”

Inuyasha laughed lightly. “I got you covered. Try to get a little sleep tonight, yeah?”

Goth Girl hummed. “No promises. Good night and good morning, Big Dog!”

“Good night and good morning,” he replied before they ended the call.

Inuyasha sighed and leaned back in his chair, already having decided which song to play.

As the first few notes of the acoustic version of "Scene One - James Dean and Audrey Hepburn" started to play, Inuyasha thought about how it reflected the bright part of his nights, the part when Goth Girl called and it suddenly wasn’t so dark outside.

He just hoped she got the message.

o.O.o

Over the next few weeks, Inuyasha put together his set list for his gig. He visited the campus a few times to see where he would be set up, and he kept hoping the next person he would talk to would be the voice he knew like the back of his hand.

He mostly spoke with Myoga about everything, so he didn’t get a chance to find Goth Girl. He was hoping she’d approach his booth or something during the gig.

He just wanted to put a name and a face to the voice.

o.O.o

The gig was on a Saturday, so Inuyasha was antsy during Insomnia Hours on Friday night into Saturday morning.

Around midnight, Goth Girl called in.

“Hey, you’ve reached Insomnia Hours with Big Dog,” Inuyasha greeted as usual when he answered the phone. “How can I make your night better?”

“Well, Big Dog, I have a feeling you’ll make my day better tomorrow,” Goth Girl said. “I hope you’ve got some of my favorite requests on your list.”

Inuyasha grinned. “You know I do. Gotta play what the fans like, right?” Goth Girl laughed.

“Of course,” she replied. “I have to get through a paper first, though. Not sure why my professor decided Saturday at eight in the morning was a good due date for a final essay, but here we are.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “So is this an Escape the Fate kind of night?”

“Absolutely,” Goth Girl replied. “You know me too well.”

Yeah. He had to meet her at the gig. He was determined.

o.O.o

After rushing home to get a few hours of sleep, Inuyasha got his stuff together and got ready to head over to the university.

He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to wear to a gig, so he just threw on black jeans, an old Warped Tour t-shirt, and a black hoodie. He then tossed his hair up into a simple ponytail and figured that would be acceptable.

The celebration started at noon, so Inuyasha arrived around eleven to get set up. Myoga had explained the celebration to him and how it included games, prizes, and free food.

The president of the university was good to his students, and Inuyasha admired the event. He figured it really helped with the morale of the students, which was Inuyasha’s favorite part of his own radio show.

The event was in the middle of campus in the quad area, so Inuyasha got a table and all his DJ stuff set up in the spot that would be most accessible to everyone.

There were dozens of people already milling about, and Inuyasha suddenly felt a little out of his element. He’d only ever done his DJ stuff from the studio, so being around so many people was starting to get a little daunting.

He put a sign on his table letting people know which radio station he was from, as well as “Big Dog” in large letters. Despite his nerves, he was excited to meet any listeners, especially the regulars in addition to Goth Girl.

He’d just sat down in his chair to start the music when someone approached the table.

“Hey, are you actually Big Dog?”

It was a red-haired guy who looked to be fairly young; Inuyasha recognized the voice, though, and knew this guy was a regular.

“In the flesh,” Inuyasha replied. “You’re one of my regular callers, huh? How’s it going?”

The guy smiled. “Wow, I can’t believe you recognize my voice...I’m a little starstruck! Everything is great, actually. I’m Shippo. I’m a freshman and your show definitely got me through this first semester.”

Inuyasha wasn’t a sappy guy, but that hit him in the feels a bit.

“I’m happy to help,” he replied. “You wanna make a request for the first song I play? Pearl Jam is your favorite, right?”

Shippo nodded excitedly. “Yeah! Can you play ‘Daughter?’” Inuyasha nodded.

“Absolutely,” he replied. “Thanks so much for coming to say hi.”

Shippo left shortly after, so Inuyasha went ahead and made a quick announcement.

“Hey, Goshinboku University students!” he greeted. “This is Big Dog from Insomnia Hours, but today we’re doing an afternoon version to celebrate everything you guys have accomplished this semester. I’m taking requests, so come say hi!”

He started the music and sat back in his chair, a little uncertain of what to do next.

I guess I just keep the music going? he figured. Wait for people to say hi? Man, I’m a little out of my element here.

But then people started approaching him, greeting him and thanking him for how much of an impact he’d made in their lives with his show.

He loved getting to put faces to so many voices he recognized, and by two in the afternoon, his smile hadn’t faded.

But there was one face he still hadn’t gotten to assign to a voice.

None of the people he’d spoken to had Goth Girl’s voice, and Inuyasha was more than a little bummed.

Maybe I could pick her out of the crowd, he wondered. She’s probably dressed to match her music taste, so I’ll probably be able to find that pretty easily.

He took a quick glance around the quad until his eyes settled on a black-haired girl.

She was wearing black jeans and combat boots, and her eyes were lined with heavy eyeliner. Her shirt had the Hawthorne Heights logo on it, which struck him as odd since Goth Girl never requested them.

And the vibe he got from her wasn’t the same he got from Goth Girl.

But who else would be dressed like that? It has to be her…

Right?

He glanced at her until he finally caught her eye. He smiled and nodded at her in a way he hoped said "please come talk to me right now."

The girl smiled at her friends and parted from them, walking over to Inuyasha’s booth.

“Hey,” he greeted. The girl smiled back at him.

And Inuyasha knew it wasn’t her.

“Hey,” she replied in a voice that was distinctly not Goth Girl. “How goes it?”

Inuyasha smiled, pushing away his disappointment. “It’s good. You wanna make a request? Maybe some Hawthorne Heights like your shirt?”

She laughed. “Sure. How about ‘Ohio is for Lovers?’” Inuyasha nodded.

“I can do that,” he replied.

“Thanks,” the girl said. “Your show rocks, by the way. Thanks for keeping us all sane.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “No problem. Thanks for stopping by.”

After she left, Inuyasha glanced around a final time before giving up. There was no way he could pick her out of the crowd.

Twenty minutes before the event ended, Inuyasha gave up hope. She wasn’t coming.

But then.

Inuyasha glanced up and saw a girl walking toward his table.

She wore no make-up and her smile was bright. She was wearing a pair of simple black Converse sneakers and an oversized flannel, looking more grunge than goth, but Inuyasha knew.

It was her.

Inuyasha smiled when she reached the table. “I’m guessing you want to hear your usual celebratory Blink-182, right?” he asked. “Celebrate getting that paper turned in this morning?”

Her eyes widened. “How’d you know it was me?”

Inuyasha smiled. “I got a vibe.” Goth Girl’s smile grew.

“Yeah? Huh, guess I should take that as a compliment then. You, on the other hand, look nothing like the microphone I always think of when I talk to you.”

Inuyasha laughed. “Is that a good thing?”

Goth Girl hummed. “Yes, definitely. So I get to see your face. Do I get to know your name?”

Inuyasha could have melted.

“It’s Inuyasha,” he said. Goth Girl nodded.

“Inuyasha,” she repeated.

Hearing her say his name in that familiar voice of hers...it was like nothing he’d ever experienced.

“And you?” he asked.

“Kagome,” she replied.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha echoed. “Great name. I’ve been referring to you as Goth Girl in my head all this time.”

Kagome burst out laughing. “I don’t blame you with how emo my music taste can get.” She smiled brightly. “Do you have plans after this? I could show you around campus so you can see where we all blast your show every night.”

Inuyasha laughed. “Sure. Will you let me take you on a date afterward?” He took a brief moment to worry if he was being too forward, but he’d been wanting this for so long.

The look on Kagome’s face told him she’d been wanting it, too.

“I can’t say no to the Big Dog, can I?”

Inuyasha grinned and went to turn on his final song.

“I think this calls for a special song. I’ll make sure it’s Blink-182.”

Before he pressed play, he grabbed his mic.

“This next song goes out to Goth Girl,” he said, keeping his eyes on Kagome as he spoke. “Because I just can’t wait.”

When the first few notes of “First Date” by Blink-182 started playing, Kagome’s smile took on a hint of fondness.

Inuyasha reached out to take her hand.

“Let’s make this night last forever.”

FIN.