Totally Not Average

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around my friend.

She laughed and patted my shoulder, “No problem, just make sure Kara gets to see him every now and then.”

I laughed with her and let go of my best friend, “Sure thing, Trish.”

“So, are they really in a band?” She asked, lowering her voice.

“I can still hear you!” I heard Zach yell.

I was currently at Jack’s house, and was hanging out since they were ecstatic I had found them a drummer. Apparently, they were in a band, and it was called “All Time Low”. I never thought of Alex as a band type of guy, but according to everyone else he kicked ass.

Trish and I giggled while we sat down on the couch. Band practice was going on in the garage and Trish, Kara, Sage and I were listening to them. Kara was Trish’s older sister—one year, but Kara’s still a senior—who had a boyfriend—Rian—that could play drums, so we made a few calls and now Rian was here in a band.

Sage was here only because of Zach, but I could tell by the look on her face that she was having fun. Zach was the bassist for the group, Alex was the lead singer and played guitar every one in a while, and Jack was the lead guitar. I had yet to hear them play, because they were still running sound check.

“Just go play with your guitar, Zach.” Trish called to him.

He didn’t answer, just shook his dark blonde hair out of his eyes and started flaunting his ability to play guitar. Trish rolled her eyes and turned back to me.

“Kara says they’re really good, but I’m not too sure with Zach over there.” She muttered, smiling a bit.

I laughed, “I wouldn’t know, I haven’t heard them play once.”

“Why not?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Well, it’s supposed to be a ‘surprise’ and they didn’t want me to see them play when they weren’t great.” I muttered, using quotation marks.

“Ahh,” She gave me a knowing look, “Don’t worry, they probably just suck.”

“Yo!” Jack yelled, walking over to us with his guitar in hand, “Don’t be dissin’ the band.”

I couldn’t help it, I cracked up laughing.

“Jack, Jack, Jack…” I repeated, still laughing, “Go play, I want to hear you guys.”

He sniffed, and turned around, sticking his nose in the air and his butt out like a snob.

“Ew! Jackkk!” Trish whined, covering her eyes.

Jack chuckled and smacked his own butt, “Don’t be hatin’.” He joked, sounding gangster.

I laughed at Trish and Jack; they worked so well together. Trish wanted to be serious all the time while Jack was just living life. The two were complete opposites but filled in what the other needed.

“Come on, Jack,” Alex called, standing in front of the mike, “Stop flirting with Trish and let’s get down to business.”

Trish blushed redder than I had ever seen her and looked the other way, pretending to be looking out the garage and onto the street. The garage door was open, so people who were walking through the street could hear All Time Low play.

“Okay, this is our first song we’ve written together.” Alex said into the microphone, even though there were only a couple of us. “It’s called ‘Circles’.”

Rian, Zach, and Jack started playing and Alex then started singing.

Inquisitive and thoughtful,
she was the challenge he'd been waiting for;
a reminder that creativity runs deep like secrets.
Dark eyed dreamers; they were a dangerous pair,
Q next to U scribbled out on paper.

They stop / they go / they're done.

Go back to the place we knew before
retrace our steps to the basement door,
I'll ask you if the rain still makes you smile.

Like so much time that we spent in the fall
it put color in our cheeks while the air turned cold,
preceding what became our bitter end.

Round in circles - let's start over,
round in circles - lets start over.

Unanswered questions would be the only thing to stop them now.

He was the poet while she was the muse,
but she had a pen that she knew how to use,
with a touch of redemption, a hint of elation;
a recipe for disaster.

Go back to the place we knew before
retrace our steps to the basement door,
I'll ask you if the rain still makes you smile.

Like so much time that we spent in the fall
it put color in our cheeks while the air turned cold,
preceding what became our bitter end.

Let this be a lesson to us all.

Round in circles - let's start over.
Round in circles - lets start over.

I was with my mouth wide open and my eyes wide as All Time Low finished playing the few notes. I couldn’t believe it.

They rocked.

“So, what do you think?” Rian asked Trish and I.

Trish looked just as speechless as I felt, so we were both quiet.

“We were that bad?” Jack asked, his voice betraying a bit of hurt.

That sentence made me snap out of my daze and I shook my head furiously, “NO! Of course not!” I exclaimed, “You guys kicked ass.” I told them.

“Really?” Zach asked, raising an eyebrow.

Trish nodded then, “I thought you guys were going to suck, but honestly?” She smiled, “You guys were great.”

Jack cheered, jumping up and down like a little kid. “Yay!”

I laughed at him and got up from my spot on the dark green couch and walked over to Alex. He was still standing next to the microphone, and he was looking at me intensely.

I grabbed the microphone from the stand and propped up my elbow on the place where the microphone used to be. I held it up to my lips, “You guys were great.” I said, smiling at him.

He took the microphone from my hand and grinned at me, “He was the poet while she was the muse, but she had a pen that she knew how to use, with a touch of redemption, a hint of elation.” He sang to me.

I giggled, “What’s the next part?” I asked, but he never answered me, he just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him.

Looking into Alex’s dark brown eyes, I was starting to really believe that he would keep his promise.