I Am the Rumour on Everyone's Lips
Chapter 2
New house, new start. That’s what mom says, anyway. At first, she wanted to move away from New Jersey full stop; I practically begged her to let us stay though. It’s not like I want to stay so I can see dad (which, by the way, is the reason mom wanted to leave), or that I have many friends I want to keep in touch with. I just can’t bare the thought of leaving New Jersey.
Today was the day we were moving, mom and I, to our new house. I had packed more things than mom; I had two bags and she only had one, even that was packed lightly. I supposed she didn’t want too many reminders of dad. I stretched out across the back seats of the car, the window open as far as it would go. I was rather enjoying the relaxed feeling, that was until mom decided to start listening to fucking country music on the radio. To add to my misfortune, I’d left my ipod in my bag - that was currently in the trunk of the car.
“Frank, are you pouting?” Mom asked, her voice high to show surprise. I rolled my eyes, but to be honest, I’d rather she asked me stupid questions than have a heart-to-heart conversation about how her and dad’s divorce wasn’t my fault.
“No,” I replied simply, glancing out of the window behind me just as we passed the school. My new school. I didn’t think much of it; nothing would be different. I didn’t talk to many people, especially at school. I suppose I kept myself to myself. People at school seemed to hide themselves behind masks, afraid to show how they really felt about something because they knew it wasn’t ‘cool’ or ‘popular’. People at school were fake and not genuine. Hardly anybody spoke to me. Sometimes they did, but only to yell abuse. People thought I was weird.
Mom appeared to notice how quickly I looked away from the school, she half smiled at me through the rear-view mirror. She always seemed to know what I was thinking so I didn’t smile back, I just held eye contact for a few seconds. At that moment, I wondered how dad could hurt her the way he did.
After a while, I was becoming pretty bored. So bored that I was almost falling asleep. Until mom made some strange noise as she steered the car down a street.
“Look, Frankie!” She almost yelled. “Our new home.” She hadn’t called me Frankie in a while. She always called it me when I was younger. I moved my legs so I was sitting normally; my feet on the floor. The car suddenly came to a halt and I simply stared out of the window at the house. Mom, she practically leaped out of the car.
When I eventually decided to climb out of the car myself; sighing as I did so; I noticed the front yard my new house had. I smiled lightly, I’d never lived in a house with a nice yard, front or back. Mom had already unlocked the front door of the house, she was literally running around, obviously more excited than I was. I made my way to the back of the car where she was busy grabbing bags from the trunk. I squinted my eyes as the sunlight hit them, reaching out for the case that held my guitar. Mom sighed audibly; she always told me I put too much effort into playing guitar and not enough into school work.
As I turned to make my way towards my house, two figures in the front yard of the house opposite caught my eye. I shielded my eyes from the sun with my hand, studying these figures carefully. They were two boys, about my age: one was wearing glasses and casually strumming a small acoustic guitar, I couldn’t see the other’s face very well but he was singing.
He was singing. I’d never met a guy who could sing before. I didn’t catch any of the lyrics, only hints of this guy’s voice. I smiled once again. These boys seemed quite similar, brothers perhaps? I could tell they had a good relationship, though. Just by the way they performed together. His voice and his guitar melodies just fit together.
Today was the day we were moving, mom and I, to our new house. I had packed more things than mom; I had two bags and she only had one, even that was packed lightly. I supposed she didn’t want too many reminders of dad. I stretched out across the back seats of the car, the window open as far as it would go. I was rather enjoying the relaxed feeling, that was until mom decided to start listening to fucking country music on the radio. To add to my misfortune, I’d left my ipod in my bag - that was currently in the trunk of the car.
“Frank, are you pouting?” Mom asked, her voice high to show surprise. I rolled my eyes, but to be honest, I’d rather she asked me stupid questions than have a heart-to-heart conversation about how her and dad’s divorce wasn’t my fault.
“No,” I replied simply, glancing out of the window behind me just as we passed the school. My new school. I didn’t think much of it; nothing would be different. I didn’t talk to many people, especially at school. I suppose I kept myself to myself. People at school seemed to hide themselves behind masks, afraid to show how they really felt about something because they knew it wasn’t ‘cool’ or ‘popular’. People at school were fake and not genuine. Hardly anybody spoke to me. Sometimes they did, but only to yell abuse. People thought I was weird.
Mom appeared to notice how quickly I looked away from the school, she half smiled at me through the rear-view mirror. She always seemed to know what I was thinking so I didn’t smile back, I just held eye contact for a few seconds. At that moment, I wondered how dad could hurt her the way he did.
After a while, I was becoming pretty bored. So bored that I was almost falling asleep. Until mom made some strange noise as she steered the car down a street.
“Look, Frankie!” She almost yelled. “Our new home.” She hadn’t called me Frankie in a while. She always called it me when I was younger. I moved my legs so I was sitting normally; my feet on the floor. The car suddenly came to a halt and I simply stared out of the window at the house. Mom, she practically leaped out of the car.
When I eventually decided to climb out of the car myself; sighing as I did so; I noticed the front yard my new house had. I smiled lightly, I’d never lived in a house with a nice yard, front or back. Mom had already unlocked the front door of the house, she was literally running around, obviously more excited than I was. I made my way to the back of the car where she was busy grabbing bags from the trunk. I squinted my eyes as the sunlight hit them, reaching out for the case that held my guitar. Mom sighed audibly; she always told me I put too much effort into playing guitar and not enough into school work.
As I turned to make my way towards my house, two figures in the front yard of the house opposite caught my eye. I shielded my eyes from the sun with my hand, studying these figures carefully. They were two boys, about my age: one was wearing glasses and casually strumming a small acoustic guitar, I couldn’t see the other’s face very well but he was singing.
He was singing. I’d never met a guy who could sing before. I didn’t catch any of the lyrics, only hints of this guy’s voice. I smiled once again. These boys seemed quite similar, brothers perhaps? I could tell they had a good relationship, though. Just by the way they performed together. His voice and his guitar melodies just fit together.