Chequered Nettle

I was with him since before the beginning; before he could even play a guitar. We did everything together, there in that town of endless fields. Who you ask is this mystery person? It's none other than the now insanely famous Logan Hayes.

We weren't like all the other kids, who raced with their bikes, and went swimming in the lake during summer break. Instead, using books we borrowed from the school library we taught ourselves to read music sheets. We would wait outside a music class for someone to open the door, just so we could hear the sound of the music with being carried to us through the wind. Both of us knew then, that we couldn't live without it.

In fourth grade, our school had enough money for a music program. Logan and I jumped on the opportunity. Logan was lucky enough get to learn how to play a guitar. My parents would only allow me to join the program if I learned to play the violin. Though I wasn't so happy about it, if this was my only way to actually get to play something, then I had to take it.

In the school's music program, I learned I could identify or recreate a musical note without the use of a reference. Still I wanted to play the guitar, just like Logan did. He was the best in our class, despite being one of the youngest students. He always told me "I'm going to be famous, and I'm taking you with me." I believed him then.

Starting middle school, our music program was disbanded. However, we were allowed to keep the instruments we were given two years before. Having no other ultimatum, we joined the church choir where we learned to refine our voices. Again, Logan was much better than me, better than everyone else. It was here that everyone else starting seeing his talent.

Logan began assembling a band in high school. At this point, both of us began to grow. He grew so handsome, he had every girl at his feet. I was no exception. I couldn't tell him how I felt. I was hideous compared to him, with my lifeless rust colored hair with split ends, and my dull gray eyes. I wasn't exactly slender either. No, I was nothing to him in his shockingly green eyes. Nothing but a friend. Ever since I could remember, even before high school, I always did things for him with out question because I thought I was in love with him. He was my first secret crush. He was my first crush ever. I didn't know then, but I had unwillingly become Logan's servant.

Since I couldn't ever be with him, or play any cool instruments, I did all I could to help him. I took as many music classes, and I went around school asking people to join his band; no one wanted to. No one believed in him, not like I did. Then a new kid moved to our school. We were told he could play. It took a while for him to accept, but my persistent nagging eventually made him relent. His name? Luther Maverick, and my god was he talented. Better even than Logan. But Luther came at a price.

Luther's incredibly good looks and talent gave him an arrogance incomparable to anything. Even Satan, who was banished from heaven for his pride, was modest compared to him. Luther also took it upon himself to treat me cruelly because I wasn't very pretty. How did I know this? He reminded me of my lesser appearance almost every day. I hated him, just as much as he hated me, but I had to put up with him, for Logan.

With more than one person in the band, it was much easier to find more people willing to join. Logan was able to convince one of this friends to join, Russel Bailey. Much more reserved than the other two, Bailey was perfectly happy in the background playing the bass guitar. I got along with him much better than with Luther, but I couldn't help but feel that he looked down on me often. "Just something to do," he always said when I asked him why he came to us. All that was needed now was a drummer.

While they searched for said drummer. Logan's band began rehearsing using cover songs. Though very talented, Logan struggled in creating his own material. Not being able to play with them, I had secretly began writing lyrics and composing songs for my music classes. It was embarrassing to talk about since many of the songs were about him. One day I walked into his bed room to see him so lost. He told me he didn't know what to do anymore. He couldn't write. Swallowing my pride, I ripped a few pages from my notebook, where I kept all the songs I had written, and surrendered the least embarrassing to him hoping he wouldn't notice who they were about. I made him so happy that day.

Now that I had given Logan his own music, he could now focus on finding his band a name, and the drummer of course. For such a talented musician, Logan and the rest of the boys were hardly creative. Once again, the task was left to me. However, this one wasn't so easy. I had to select a name, not only that would fit with the group of people it represented, and I had to choose the perfect one. One that Logan would love. Not matter what word combinations I used, none seemed hardly appropriate.

One day, while going over the music sets, this boy approached us. In his hands he one of our Drummer Wanted fliers. He said his name was Theodore Lewis, and that he wished to join our bad. I remember him clearly. Tall and lanky, but with an adorable baby face. Teddy - as we had all grown to call him - was probably the only member of the band with which I got along with perfectly. In fact, he was like my missing brother finally come back to me.

The nameless band finally had all it's members, and together they played my beautiful music. I remember their first rehearsal with Teddy to see if he would fit in with them. As I watched them play, I remember thinking that they would, someday be famous, and that I would be with Logan the whole way through.

Freshman year had been very stressful for me. Not only did I have to worry about Logan, but my parents suddenly decided to pool their money for a divorce. With time, my father had grown cold and hateful. He moved as far away from our lazy town as he could as soon as their divorce was finalized leaving both me and my mother alone. But just a few months after my father left, my mother died in a car accident. She was never a careful driver.

Instead of sending me away, Logan convinced his parents to take me in solely for his sake. Though they didn't resent me, I constantly felt unwanted at their home. So here I tired to make myself as useful as I could for Logan's family, including his younger sister. I did all the chores they asked of me. Logan particularly had taken to me doing his chores. I didn't mind, someday soon he would become famous, and thank me for all the hard work I had done for him during his accent to fame.

By the end of that traumatic first year of high school, Logan had assembled his band and I had taken a job to help pay my stay at the Hayes residence. I refused to be a hindrance to any of them. I even learned to cook things Logan loved, just so that he couldn't say I didn't do anything at his house. I learned he loved salty things, like peanuts, and pretzels, but despised sweet things. That he couldn't have his eggs without pepper, or his burgers without ranch. I learned he had to, no matter what, have the door to his bedroom closed at all times, and that he feared going on a boat. These little things, I loved that only I knew about them.

One day, Logan's band played at the senior prom, I remember. The music was great, Logan and the boys preformed like true professionals. It was their first real gig, they were even getting paid. However, the drunk high school senior booed at their younger classmates. They were jealous that younger boys had much more talent than they ever did. It was so heartbreaking watching Logan and the rest leave the stage mid-song. I did all I could to comfort him, but he only pushed me away.

Soon after, all the boys came over to hang out. Luther, like always, came with a pretty girl attached to his arm and reminded how inferior I was to her. Bailey came alone and seemed irritated that Luther had brought someone else, but didn't say much. I was glad to see Teddy, but that day he ignored me for a new game he had just bought and was hoping to beat. He was a video game addict, so I tired not to bother him much. It was hardly as if he was even there anyway; his eyes stayed glued to the screen, and he didn't respond to anything we told him.

Me and Logan, we were working on some songs. More like I was teaching him how to play it really. But I was so happy back then, so gullible and weak. Luther was with Bailey challenging him to a match to see who was a better guitar player. Luther's girl said nothing but remained by his side like the perfect doll who didn't say a thing. Suddenly, Teddy stood up and angrily dropped the remote to his game.

"Is something wrong?" I remember asking him worried. Perhaps the storyline had taken a twist he didn't like, or worse, he had lost. Never in my life did I ever see that boy lose in a video game.

"I hate this level! I hate being forced to use the girl!" he exclaimed catching the attention of everyone in the room. Both me and Logan stopped talking, and focused our attention on Teddy. Even Luther had stopped pestering Bailey for a challenge.

"What level is it?" asked Bailey as if he had played the game himself. Much later, I wondered if he was a closeted game addict too since he and Teddy always had something to talk about. Maybe it was just Teddy's ability to make friends with anyone.

"The outcast dungeon, Via Purifico." Teddy replied the words that made my thinking completely halt. Via Purifico. The outcast dungeon. As in the place where society put those they didn't want.

"What did you say?" I said standing up and slowly walking over to Teddy and Bailey. The dungeon - Logan's basement - was where the outcasts - us - were forced to hide. I couldn't think of any better name back then. "Say it again!" I demanded this time, perhaps even scaring the boys a bit.

"Uh, um, the outcast dungeon." Teddy paused that was what I wanted to hear. Only when my piercing stare didn't cease, he continued. "Via Purifico?"

That was it. It was unique, it represented perfectly, moreover, it would never be confused for anyone else, ever. It was perfect, and I knew Logan would love it since it came from the video game world; a predominantly male hobby. My greatest fear was that he would think I was only trying to name his band something I wanted, but this was proof that wasn't the case. I told him about the name after the boys left. He didn't respond saying only he wanted to go to sleep. I reminded him again the next day.

Just like that Logan's band became Via Purifico. A band consisting of outcasts forced together by society. By the end of Sophomore year, Via Purifico became a real band. By the beginning of Junior year, Via Purifico had been signed and well on it's way to stardom. Even the previous booers now cheered for Via Purifico. I cheered the loudest out of all. Via Purifico was to release their first album with my songs. I was so stupid to for believing so much in Logan and in Via Purifico, when they couldn't believe in me at all. I was nothing to them. Nothing but a foolish girl, in love.