Rum and Coke

The next week was graduation. Since the school’s faculty had seen a great improvement in Ellie’s behavior, the choir director decided to approach Ellie and asked her to arrange the music for graduation. Ellie accepted without thinking. Now, she wished she did. It seemed to her that she spent every waking moment at the school, arranging and practicing the music. It was an original piece entitled “The Great Unknown.” It spoke of the outside world and all the decisions that the graduates would be forced to make. It spoke of religion, love, hate, war, disease…and anything else that popped into Ellie’s mind.

“…Let’s hold our heads up high
We might be alone
But we’re strong enough to survive
The great unknown

We just need to stick to our decisions
And follow our hearts
Oh yea, I know we’ll survive
The great unknown”

“Congratulations, Class of 2027! We Made It!” I shouted to my fellow graduates as I tossed my cap up into the air. Soon, hundreds more joined my cap. My eyes locked on with Ryan’s as he ran to the stage and jumped on it with me. He grabbed me around my middle and spun me in circles as we laughed. Bailey and Mark soon joined us, as well as a ton of other students.

~*~

Later that night, Bailey, Mark, and Ryan crashed in the entertainment room at Kale and Jared’s house. Mark was looking for a movie that they hadn’t seen in a while, Bailey was in her usual place- her back leaning against the couch’s armrest and her feet on Ryan’s lap- while Ryan continuously flicked through the channels, trying desperately to find something to watch. Ellie was leaning against Ryan’s legs with her acoustic guitar perched on her lap. Headphones were on her ears and blank sheet music papers were scattered around her.

“What are you doing?” Ryan asked Ellie as he bumped her with his leg.

Ellie looked up at him a glared. “What?” she asked in a menacing tone.

“Chill, I just asked what you were doing.”

“Writing,” Ellie said before quickly returning to her music.

“Whatcha writing?”

“Music.”

Mark quickly snatched one of the sheets up. “You made mistakes, well so did I. Whore to the world, but to me you’ll always be my heroine.” Mark read. “These are powerful words.”
Ellie snatched the paper out of his hands. “It’s about your mom isn’t it?” He asked, eyes locked with Ellie’s.

“Yea, what of it?”

“We never replaced you.” Mark said slowly.

“And? How is that my problem?”

Frustrated, Bailey rolled her eyes and plopped down next to the taller girl. “What these losers are trying to say is that we want you back in Stereotypical Youth. I’ve tried playing and singing lead, and it sounds horrible. We suck.” She glanced at the paper closest to her. “But, you….you’re amazing. I could see it today at graduation that you absolutely loved being on stage. And this?” she motioned to the unfinished song. “Looks amazing so far. Your mom would be proud of this…she would be proud of you. Don’t let her memory be in vain.”

Ellie shrugged and gathered everything together, stacking the loose papers in a neat pile. She was formulating a plan in her head. A plan that just might work.

“Come on, Elle, you’re the one who founded the band. What was it you said about giving the people voice again? How we were going to take political stands through our music?” Ryan prodded.

Ellie looked up at her old band members. “Alright, but on three conditions.”

“Name it,” Mark said eagerly.

Ellie smirked. “One, we go to California. Two, you don’t ask me where I’m going when I run off.”

“And the third?” Ryan asked.

“That you won’t scream at me when I come back here in August. I’m going to NYU whether you guys like it or not."

“Deal!” Bailey exclaimed as she slapped a flyer down. “Because guess who is having a reunion tour and is auditioning opening acts? Avenged fucking Sevenfold.”