The Only Cure...
Band Practise Part Two
The three teenagers sat in Joe’s basement. He didn’t have a garage like Nicola. He sat with his acoustic guitar, tuning it. His hoodie discarded, he had a short sleeved tee shirt on it which read ‘I’m so cute I shit kittens” which, as he did point out, was funny on a 17 year old boy. He would be 18 in a few months, as would Nicola.
Nicola was messing around with the keyboard, playing nursery rhymes. She was nearly as tall as him, and had long blonde hair, tied up in funky pigtails. She had a fringe which nearly covered her eyes. That was the way she liked it. She wore skinny jeans and a loud tee shirt with a scribbled picture on the front. All that and converses; her appearance just screamed rock chick.
Alexia was sat cross legged on the floor, flicking through her notebook and scribbling things down. She was the youngest, at 16. She was frowning in concentration, and her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth. Like her cousin, she had reddish brown hair, but hers was cut into a choppy style, nearly shoulder length. She was in scruffy black jeans, a brightly coloured Snoopy tee shirt and some funky Vans.
When Joe had finished, he started laughing, and both girls stopped what they were doing and looked at him like he was mad. Which he probably was. He grinned at them.
“I have a little ditty for you!” He stood up and put the guitar down. “I just remembered it, let me go find it.”
The girls looked over at each other warily. Joe didn’t often write songs, and when he did they were on a par with things written by Tré Cool. He returned not long after, with a piece of paper. The girls were still sat and stood there, in silence. Joe grinned and burst into song.
“I really love my stinky little bed
Even though it smells like BO and feet
It’s the place where I can rest my head
But I know I ought to change the sheets”
He grinned at the stunned silence, and then Alexia started clapping. Nicola just stared, still shocked at the randomness of it. He took a bow, and he and Alexia were giggling like mad.
“That was very weird… but I think I actually liked it anyway!” Nicola laughed with them, “What have you got in you little notebook Ally?”
Alexia stopped laughing straight away, and blushed instead. Joe repeated Nicola’s last sentence, and the drummer felt ganged up on slightly.
“Fine, damn it!” she yelled, “I’ll sing my stupid fucking song! I can’t sing, and its shit, okay?”
Nicola hugged her and assured her that her singing couldn’t be any worse than Joes. He just shrugged. Very aware that she was being watched and listened to, Alexia cleared her throat and sung, quite softly but nonetheless she wasn’t bad at all.
“I will love you for the rest of my days
I don’t care about what anyone says
I could never love another more
You are my world and of that I’m sure
I will love you for the rest of my days”
Alexia blushed so red, all the way to the roots, in the few seconds of silence. Then, nearly crying, Nicola threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Joe nodded, appreciatively.
“Oh, wow. Ally, that was so amazing!” Nicola whispered. “I love you too, baby!”
“I like that. No, really, I like that Cuz!” Joe grinned. Sometimes he was really proud of his kid cousin. “I didn’t know you two were at the ‘I love you’ stage, or is that the first time you’ve said it?”
Realisation dawned on his face as he spoke, and he pulled his best aw-that’s-so-cute face. He wasn’t really surprised that she was so insecure about her skills. He was her cousin, after all, and he knew everything that she’d been through. He’d been there for her all those times, as well.
“I guess we’re gonna take that song then?” He added, as he went to pick up the acoustic guitar again. “Shame, I think my songs kinda cool…”
Nicola was messing around with the keyboard, playing nursery rhymes. She was nearly as tall as him, and had long blonde hair, tied up in funky pigtails. She had a fringe which nearly covered her eyes. That was the way she liked it. She wore skinny jeans and a loud tee shirt with a scribbled picture on the front. All that and converses; her appearance just screamed rock chick.
Alexia was sat cross legged on the floor, flicking through her notebook and scribbling things down. She was the youngest, at 16. She was frowning in concentration, and her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth. Like her cousin, she had reddish brown hair, but hers was cut into a choppy style, nearly shoulder length. She was in scruffy black jeans, a brightly coloured Snoopy tee shirt and some funky Vans.
When Joe had finished, he started laughing, and both girls stopped what they were doing and looked at him like he was mad. Which he probably was. He grinned at them.
“I have a little ditty for you!” He stood up and put the guitar down. “I just remembered it, let me go find it.”
The girls looked over at each other warily. Joe didn’t often write songs, and when he did they were on a par with things written by Tré Cool. He returned not long after, with a piece of paper. The girls were still sat and stood there, in silence. Joe grinned and burst into song.
“I really love my stinky little bed
Even though it smells like BO and feet
It’s the place where I can rest my head
But I know I ought to change the sheets”
He grinned at the stunned silence, and then Alexia started clapping. Nicola just stared, still shocked at the randomness of it. He took a bow, and he and Alexia were giggling like mad.
“That was very weird… but I think I actually liked it anyway!” Nicola laughed with them, “What have you got in you little notebook Ally?”
Alexia stopped laughing straight away, and blushed instead. Joe repeated Nicola’s last sentence, and the drummer felt ganged up on slightly.
“Fine, damn it!” she yelled, “I’ll sing my stupid fucking song! I can’t sing, and its shit, okay?”
Nicola hugged her and assured her that her singing couldn’t be any worse than Joes. He just shrugged. Very aware that she was being watched and listened to, Alexia cleared her throat and sung, quite softly but nonetheless she wasn’t bad at all.
“I will love you for the rest of my days
I don’t care about what anyone says
I could never love another more
You are my world and of that I’m sure
I will love you for the rest of my days”
Alexia blushed so red, all the way to the roots, in the few seconds of silence. Then, nearly crying, Nicola threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Joe nodded, appreciatively.
“Oh, wow. Ally, that was so amazing!” Nicola whispered. “I love you too, baby!”
“I like that. No, really, I like that Cuz!” Joe grinned. Sometimes he was really proud of his kid cousin. “I didn’t know you two were at the ‘I love you’ stage, or is that the first time you’ve said it?”
Realisation dawned on his face as he spoke, and he pulled his best aw-that’s-so-cute face. He wasn’t really surprised that she was so insecure about her skills. He was her cousin, after all, and he knew everything that she’d been through. He’d been there for her all those times, as well.
“I guess we’re gonna take that song then?” He added, as he went to pick up the acoustic guitar again. “Shame, I think my songs kinda cool…”