Romance of a Rock Band

Cosmo

It was about 8:45 A.M. and the five of us had gone into the woods behind my house. I live way out in the country where no one really goes except to hunt. We walked until we found a small clearing that was far enough in that no one would see.

“What do I do now?” asked Annie.

“Well…” said Tony.

“Ummm…” I said.

“I’ve never seen anyone fly before, so I have no idea,” said Jen.

“Me either…” said Monique.

“Do you think I should climb up in a tree?” asked Annie.

“And jump off, you mean?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she answered.

“No!” shouted Monique.

“I wouldn’t go very high…” she mumbled.

“I don’t care. It’s too dangerous,” declared Monique.

“But what else is there to do?” asked Tony. She glared at him.

“It’s. Not. Going. To. Happen,” she said.

“But Honey…” said Tony. While they argued Annie wandered over to a nearby tree and started to climb up. When she was high enough, she sat down on a branch.

“Heheh, that bad, Annie?” I called, starting up the tree.

“Yeah,” she answered. She looked really upset.

“Something else wrong?” I asked, sitting on a branch next to her.

“No, I just don’t like it when people start to fight,” she answered.

“Oh, okay,” I said. I didn’t buy it. She looked like she was about to cry. We just sat there for about ten minutes, and finally Tony and Monique came to an agreement.

“Annie!” called Tony looking around for her.

“Up here!” she called back.

“Okay, Monique says we can try your idea, but only if we can find something to put underneath you in case you fall,” he said.

“Okay, so not today then?” she asked.

“Probably not,” he answered.

“Okay,” she said and started down. She still didn’t look happy, but she didn’t look as bad as she had ten minutes ago. I still couldn’t figure out what had happened. Maybe she was just nervous. I watched her for a few minutes and then started to follow her down.

“Sorry, Sweetheart, but it’s just too dangerous,” said Monique. Right on that “sweetheart” I saw tears fill Annie’s eyes again.

“Not to be rude, but could you please not call me that? Please?” said Annie.

“Ummm, sure,” said Monique, a little confused.

“Thanks,” said Annie.

We walked back to my house and the whole way Tony was trying to think of what he could put underneath Annie when she jumped. (“A trampoline? Or a mattress maybe?”) Annie was really quiet the whole time though. She only said anything when she was directly asked. Something was wrong. Tony noticed it too.

“You’re really quiet, Annie. Is something wrong?” he asked her.

“I’m going to be really sick,” she answered and ran way back the way we had come. Not too far though, because we could still hear her vomiting. I wondered if she knew.

Just when I was starting to wonder if someone should go get her, she came back. Monique ran over to her and started fussing over her.

“You okay, Annie?” Tony called quickly walking over to her.

“Yeah,” she answered. Her voice was really hoarse.

“Do you need to sit down for a minute?” asked Jen.

“No, I’m fine,” she said. She really didn’t look fine. She was very pale.

“If you’re sure,” Monique said, after a second. We walked the rest of the way home in silence.

Finally, we got back to my house. Annie was looking a little better, less pale. She was still looking bad though. I opened the door and we went inside. Tony took a spot in the middle of the sofa and Monique sat down on his left. Annie took the spot on his right side. I sat in the opposite chair and Jen went to make tea.

“I was thinking about the tree,” Annie said finally. I was starting to think she was never going to talk again.

“What about it?” asked Tony? He looked a little relieved, like he’d been thinking the same thing as me.

“What do you think about a big bed sheet?” she asked.

“That might work,” said Monique.

“I can’t believe no one thought of that,” said Tony with a grin. He was thinking now. There is no way we’re going to be using a simple bed sheet now, I thought. Who knows what his brain will spew out now. You never know when he’s excited and now he seemed more excited than Annie herself. But I guess that’s not saying much because Annie seemed more nervous than excited. She was watching him like she knew he was up to something. It was a little funny. I laughed and she turned to look at me.

“You don’t know what you started,” I said.

“I think you’re right,” she replied, smiling.

“What do you mean by that,” Tony asked.

“Nobody really knows what you’re thinking up when you get excited,” Monique chimed in.

“That was mean…” said Tony, and we all laughed. Annie was looking back to normal now. I guess whatever had upset her so badly was better now. Just then Jen came back with tea.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“Nothing,” said Annie, still giggling.

“We’re just laughing at Tony again,” I told her.

“You guys are so mean…” said Tony, pouting. We all started in laughing again but this time Tony was laughing too.

We sat around for a little while a talked and Tony went back to thinking about the tree.
“I got it!” he exclaimed.

“Oh God, what’s he come up with now?” I said.

“Shut up!” he said. “It’s a good idea…”

“What is it?” asked Annie. She looked like she really wanted to know.

“A trampoline,” he said. “So you will bounce.”

“That’s actually a good idea,” said Monique. “I like it better than the sheets idea.”

“Do you have a trampoline?” asked Annie.

“Yeah, we do,” said Tony. “We got it last summer, but we never got around to putting it up. "This is a good time to do it.”

“Yeah, it is,” said Monique.

“Then let’s,” said Jen.

“We’ll help you,” I said.

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” said Tony.

They stayed for about ten minutes longer before Tony had to get to the gym for his training. They said goodbye and then got in their car and left.

“Annie’s really sweet,” said Jen as soon as their car left the driveway.

“Yeah,” I answered. “I hope she’s alright. She was really sick back there.”

“Me too,” she said. “I have a feeling it’s going to get very interesting now that she’s around.”

“I think so too,” I said.