Status: Ongoing
Ain't Love Grand?
That Best Friend
As close as I was to Alex, I knew that I would never come close to being Brandon. They were inseparable. It kind of made me jealous in a way. I'd always go above and beyond to try and get Alex's attention whenever Brandon was around. It never worked. Well, if it ever did, it was only for a split second or two. I don't know why I tried so hard. It wasn't like there was really anything to be jealous OF. Alex and I were just friends and, well, Brandon was a guy… even if I was anything more than a friend to Alex, I wouldn't have had anything to worry about as far as Brandon went. Alex was as straight as they came.
The two of them did everything together. If one was in trouble, it was guaranteed that the other would be right there beside him. Partners in crime. Brothers. Best friends.
They'd met in high school, when they both discovered that they shared the same taste in music. Alex had confessed that he'd always dreamed of being a rockstar; another thing they had in common. Brandon was a drummer and, somewhere along the line, they'd decided they were going to give it a shot. With his attitude and his confidence, Alex took up frontman duties. Together with a group of friends, they formed a band that they named "Retribution".
I thought it was a joke at first. Really… What could you expect from a bunch of high school kids? They turned out to be surprisingly good, though, and I was completely blown away by the hidden talent Alex possessed that I'd never known about.
They started to become pretty successful around the local area really quickly, developing a cult following amongst the "hardcore" scene. Though I had no part in it whatsoever, other than giving them my support, I was definitely proud of what they were achieving.
As their success grew more and more they found themselves being booked in venues outside of the state and just like when we were younger, I felt like Alex and I were growing apart. He was spending so much time locked away in studios and rehearsal spaces that the only times I got to see him were at his shows. I started to feel like just a fan of the band, rather than a life-long friend.
Even on days off, Alex would choose to spend his time with Brandon, writing new songs or coming up with new ideas they could try on stage. I realized that he was just looking to further his career but I felt like, once again, I'd been replaced.
"Hey, Al," I spoke into the phone one day as I sat in my room, bored. I was lay on my stomach on my bed, absently inspecting the fingernails of my free hand as the other held the phone up to my ear.
"Hey, Leese," he replied and I could hear the hint of a smile through his tone. "What's up?"
I shrugged, even though he couldn't see it. "Just wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight? I'm bored out of my mind."
There was a slight hesitation and I heard the muffled sound of him covering the phone with his hand and speaking to somebody in the background. I waited, patiently, for him to answer me. "I'd love to," he said after a few short moments, "but we've gotta practice tonight," he told me. "We have a pretty big gig at the weekend."
I sighed. It was the same excuse, just a different day. I didn't let him know that I was disappointed. "Oh. OK, then," I said and did my best to put on a smile to mask the unhappiness. "Some other time then."
"Yeah," he agreed, and then another short pause. "Listen, I gotta go. Brandon just arrived. Talk to you soon?"
"Yeah. Sure," I mumbled. "Good luck. Tell B I said hi."
"Will do," he assured. "Catch ya later!" And with that, he hung up, leaving me to yet another night alone without the guy I considered my best friend.
The two of them did everything together. If one was in trouble, it was guaranteed that the other would be right there beside him. Partners in crime. Brothers. Best friends.
They'd met in high school, when they both discovered that they shared the same taste in music. Alex had confessed that he'd always dreamed of being a rockstar; another thing they had in common. Brandon was a drummer and, somewhere along the line, they'd decided they were going to give it a shot. With his attitude and his confidence, Alex took up frontman duties. Together with a group of friends, they formed a band that they named "Retribution".
I thought it was a joke at first. Really… What could you expect from a bunch of high school kids? They turned out to be surprisingly good, though, and I was completely blown away by the hidden talent Alex possessed that I'd never known about.
They started to become pretty successful around the local area really quickly, developing a cult following amongst the "hardcore" scene. Though I had no part in it whatsoever, other than giving them my support, I was definitely proud of what they were achieving.
As their success grew more and more they found themselves being booked in venues outside of the state and just like when we were younger, I felt like Alex and I were growing apart. He was spending so much time locked away in studios and rehearsal spaces that the only times I got to see him were at his shows. I started to feel like just a fan of the band, rather than a life-long friend.
Even on days off, Alex would choose to spend his time with Brandon, writing new songs or coming up with new ideas they could try on stage. I realized that he was just looking to further his career but I felt like, once again, I'd been replaced.
"Hey, Al," I spoke into the phone one day as I sat in my room, bored. I was lay on my stomach on my bed, absently inspecting the fingernails of my free hand as the other held the phone up to my ear.
"Hey, Leese," he replied and I could hear the hint of a smile through his tone. "What's up?"
I shrugged, even though he couldn't see it. "Just wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight? I'm bored out of my mind."
There was a slight hesitation and I heard the muffled sound of him covering the phone with his hand and speaking to somebody in the background. I waited, patiently, for him to answer me. "I'd love to," he said after a few short moments, "but we've gotta practice tonight," he told me. "We have a pretty big gig at the weekend."
I sighed. It was the same excuse, just a different day. I didn't let him know that I was disappointed. "Oh. OK, then," I said and did my best to put on a smile to mask the unhappiness. "Some other time then."
"Yeah," he agreed, and then another short pause. "Listen, I gotta go. Brandon just arrived. Talk to you soon?"
"Yeah. Sure," I mumbled. "Good luck. Tell B I said hi."
"Will do," he assured. "Catch ya later!" And with that, he hung up, leaving me to yet another night alone without the guy I considered my best friend.