The Only Way I Know
An Answered Call
I walked home that afternoon, promising myself I would stop off at the CD shop again to get some new posters. I was getting sick and tired of my bland walls - they had no where nearly enough posters.
Just as I entered the shop, I heard my phone ring. The prominent American Idiot tune whistled out - I hastily pickedit up. I didn't usually get many calls.
I answered the phone.
"JAMIE!" I heard a familiar voice on the other line shriek my name. "Remember me?"
"ALEX!" I gasped loudly in reply. I hastily left the CD shop after seeing people around me give strange looks. "It feels like ages!"
I could almost hear her smile on the other end of the phone line.
"How are you?" she asked, sounding breathless. It sounded like she missed me as much as I missed her. I felt a the homesickness pass over me again like a tidal wave.
"OK," I replied, sitting down on a nearby bench. I was gripping the phone so tightly, as though I was hanging onto a cliff for fear of my life.
"Just OK?" she asked anxiously. "Whats wrong, Jame? I can tell something not's right."
"Being stared at repeatedly, only have two sort-of-friends, being completely rejected. School, in general, I guess." I fiddled with the hem of my jacket, looking down at the ground and wishing I was back in Australia.
"I'm so sorry," she said sadly. "Life isn't much fun here, either. Tell me about your new friends though."
Thats the great thing about Alex - she was a brillaint listener.
"Well, firstly there's Tom," I began.
"Ooh...a guy?" she said teasingly. I wish I could see the knowing look on her face - the one that was so familiar to me. I rolled my eyes, realising she couldn't see me.
"Yes, a guy," I said, laughing. "On my first day here, I was allowed to go into town and I saw a CD shop and found Insomniac, so I went and bought it. He works there, and he gave me a funny expression. I just though he was another Green Day hater, and I really couldn't be bothered putting up with his jerk-ness. But then I started school, and I came into English late and sat next to him."
"I can tell you like him," she said knowingly.
"Well, I did," I admitted quietly. "But then there's the other friend, Rachel. Who kind of - well, doesn't fit in with me liking him."
"Ah, he has a girlfriend. I'm sorry, Jame."
"Nah, its OK. I've kinda gotten over it, anyway. I don't really like him like that anymore." I looked outside through a window in the mall. It was drizzling outside again. "Rachel is really nice - but sometimes I feel almost like a third wheel around them."
"It'll become easier," Alex said. "Besides, your friends sound like good people. Are they into music, as well?"
"I know Tom is," I said. "Rachel is a massive My Chemical Romance lover - thats all I know about her, apart from the fact she learns French at school."
"Well, just get to know them a little better - school will feel a lot easier if you do. How are the classes?"
"OK," I said. "Alot different from Australia. I only go to a public school here, so the people are a lot more...varied. How is life down under?"
She laughed. "Down under is OK. The Killers are going on tour here soon." I could hear the excitement in her voice. She loved the Killers so much!
"Do you get to go?" I asked.
"If I save up enough money," she said, a little bit hesitant. "I just don't want the tickets to sell out!"
"Nah, you'll be fine," I reassured. I felt even more miserable than before having talked to Alex. The memories from Australia came flooding back...and I realised how hard it was living here.
Me and Alex chatted for a little while before we finally had to end our call due to the massive amount it would cost just to call each other. We promised to text each other everyday. I hung up in dismay and went back into the CD shop.
I flipped through the posters, becoming increasingly annoyed when I found no Living End posters. I really felt like looking at Chris Cheney's awesome pink-red hair spiked up at all angles.
I ended up buying yet another Green Day poster as well as a poster of The Killers to send to Alex. I missed her so much.
Just as I entered the shop, I heard my phone ring. The prominent American Idiot tune whistled out - I hastily pickedit up. I didn't usually get many calls.
I answered the phone.
"JAMIE!" I heard a familiar voice on the other line shriek my name. "Remember me?"
"ALEX!" I gasped loudly in reply. I hastily left the CD shop after seeing people around me give strange looks. "It feels like ages!"
I could almost hear her smile on the other end of the phone line.
"How are you?" she asked, sounding breathless. It sounded like she missed me as much as I missed her. I felt a the homesickness pass over me again like a tidal wave.
"OK," I replied, sitting down on a nearby bench. I was gripping the phone so tightly, as though I was hanging onto a cliff for fear of my life.
"Just OK?" she asked anxiously. "Whats wrong, Jame? I can tell something not's right."
"Being stared at repeatedly, only have two sort-of-friends, being completely rejected. School, in general, I guess." I fiddled with the hem of my jacket, looking down at the ground and wishing I was back in Australia.
"I'm so sorry," she said sadly. "Life isn't much fun here, either. Tell me about your new friends though."
Thats the great thing about Alex - she was a brillaint listener.
"Well, firstly there's Tom," I began.
"Ooh...a guy?" she said teasingly. I wish I could see the knowing look on her face - the one that was so familiar to me. I rolled my eyes, realising she couldn't see me.
"Yes, a guy," I said, laughing. "On my first day here, I was allowed to go into town and I saw a CD shop and found Insomniac, so I went and bought it. He works there, and he gave me a funny expression. I just though he was another Green Day hater, and I really couldn't be bothered putting up with his jerk-ness. But then I started school, and I came into English late and sat next to him."
"I can tell you like him," she said knowingly.
"Well, I did," I admitted quietly. "But then there's the other friend, Rachel. Who kind of - well, doesn't fit in with me liking him."
"Ah, he has a girlfriend. I'm sorry, Jame."
"Nah, its OK. I've kinda gotten over it, anyway. I don't really like him like that anymore." I looked outside through a window in the mall. It was drizzling outside again. "Rachel is really nice - but sometimes I feel almost like a third wheel around them."
"It'll become easier," Alex said. "Besides, your friends sound like good people. Are they into music, as well?"
"I know Tom is," I said. "Rachel is a massive My Chemical Romance lover - thats all I know about her, apart from the fact she learns French at school."
"Well, just get to know them a little better - school will feel a lot easier if you do. How are the classes?"
"OK," I said. "Alot different from Australia. I only go to a public school here, so the people are a lot more...varied. How is life down under?"
She laughed. "Down under is OK. The Killers are going on tour here soon." I could hear the excitement in her voice. She loved the Killers so much!
"Do you get to go?" I asked.
"If I save up enough money," she said, a little bit hesitant. "I just don't want the tickets to sell out!"
"Nah, you'll be fine," I reassured. I felt even more miserable than before having talked to Alex. The memories from Australia came flooding back...and I realised how hard it was living here.
Me and Alex chatted for a little while before we finally had to end our call due to the massive amount it would cost just to call each other. We promised to text each other everyday. I hung up in dismay and went back into the CD shop.
I flipped through the posters, becoming increasingly annoyed when I found no Living End posters. I really felt like looking at Chris Cheney's awesome pink-red hair spiked up at all angles.
I ended up buying yet another Green Day poster as well as a poster of The Killers to send to Alex. I missed her so much.