Dressed up in Faded Costumes

Senior Prom, I brought Liam again as my date, of course, and nothing was out of the ordinary scene of lovebirds smiling everywhere. Maria had brought Alex again, and Leila brought Garrett. Yes, Garrett. At that time, they started to have something in between them that they didn’t want to admit to anybody else but to themselves. Everything went great, as if everything were fine. Matt went to the dance with this lovely girl he met at school that was really into our band, just by watching the videos posted online. In the end, Matt just felt like giving a nice fan, a great date.
Chris’ graduation just ended a few days ago and mine was coming up in 3 hours. I was in my room getting ready for it.
I had a charcoal black colored dress and I still wore a pair of Chucks. I could already walk in heels, but really, who would want to take the risk of tripping in front of a crowd on your Graduation? I was sitting on the side of my bed and was getting nervous.
“Inhale… Exhale…” I spoke as I breathed in between.
“Knock, knock?” somebody knocked on my door and spoke.
“Come in,” I said.
Liam came through the door and was wearing a smile on his face. He walked closer and laid on my bed right next to me.
“You’re about to graduate,” he smiled.
“Yeah,” I said with a tinge of nervousness in my voice. “I’m… not… ready…”
“Do you still have to change your clothes? I can close my eyes while you chan…”
“No, I mean, I’m not ready to graduate… to grow up.”
He looked at me with a changed face; somewhat concerned.
“After this, I go to college, and then I find a job, and… and…” I started to think of the right words as he sat up and sat closer to me, and looked at me. “I don’t want this… I admit I’m just like you. I want to make it, and live life the way I want to, and not in the way I’m expected to.”
“I’m not in the right position to tell you what to do,” he admitted as he held my hand. “Look at me, I quit college, and where am I now?”
“But…”
“Go, attend a university, and experience the things I never gave a chance,” he said.
“Are you ready?” mom asked as she suddenly appeared beside my door frame.
I nodded as the conversation Liam and I was having got cut short, and faked a smile as she gestured to us that we were about to go.
Liam met up with his family where we were going to have the graduation ceremony, where I met up with Leila, Maria, and Matt, and their families.

“…Hannah Michelle McAdams… Leila Jean Montgomery…” the principal called us one by one. “… Matthew Ward… Maria Ariadne Williams…”
After all the diplomas were handed over , next thing we knew, we were throwing graduation caps up in the air with faces that looked like we’d been crying.
The ceremony was over; I was searching for Maria and Leila amidst the crowd, and when I saw Maria, I started to practically run toward her and gave her a big hug.
“Thank you,” I said as a tear left my eye.
“For what?” she said, crying, herself.
“For being an amazing friend,” I said. “For being the first one to approach the new kid,” I chuckled, but still crying.
We both laughed as tears were already traced on our faces. Leila had come to join our reunion as she came running towards us with her face quite the same as ours; also marked with tears.
The three of us had said goodbye to the people that we had known in our years of High School which were quite few because we really weren’t that ‘loud’. We were students on the down-low with big dreams that no one knew except for a few. We were different from everybody else… And not many understood it.
As I took a last look at my High School, it never came to mind that the next time I would actually see it would be years from then and I would be a totally different person.
I was closer to everything, even if I was scared.

A week after graduation, I still wasn’t sure whether I wanted to attend a university. It was a cold summer night at 7pm and I was in my room with Liam talking.
“What do you think I’m supposed to do?” I asked him as he was lying his head down on my lap.
“I don’t want you to make the same mistake as me,” he said.
“It’s not like you actually did,” I admitted my opinion.
“I’m a bum!”
“No you’re not; you’re a person who has a job,” I said smiling a bit to release the tension.
“What job?”
“Part-time melodist, part-time musician, full-time mine.”
He smiled at my answer and even though I knew he was right with the things he was saying, I was scared of taking the right way.
“Can you take me to Hollywood Boulevard?” I smiled.
“Sure, of course,” he answered. “I promised you, didn’t I? Tomorrow?”
“If it’s okay with you.”
He nodded and I smiled. Finally, after more than a year of living in LA, it would be my first time going to Hollywood. It would also be a year in a few weeks since we’ve had our first gig… Since then, we haven’t had another call for gigs; and the thought that we’d failed with this career had come across our minds at least 20 times over.
The next day, Liam came early to my house to ask permission from my mom to take me out. Of course, she said okay; she always does.
We arrived there at quarter to 10am, and the first thing I took a picture of was that of the people walking around. I figured after I print the photo, I would look at it as if it was a ‘Finding Wally’ picture of the celebs.
“This place is amazing,” I said as I mused around, and smiled at every person and tourist that walked past us.
I took a picture of almost everything… almost everybody. I was just like every other tourist that walked around; amused with the simplest of things.
“Oh! Look that’s that dude who works at TMZ! And that’s…” I mentioned every celebrity I saw to Liam, who was practically laughing at my innocence at the new scene.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying this,” he said chuckling.
I nodded with a smile.
We kept walking, our legs not even getting tired, until we saw a crowd circling somebody across the street.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Let’s see,” he said as we saw the people clapping their hands to a probably finished performance.
We walked ahead to join the circle that surrounded this handsome, kind-looking guy who was playing a guitar and singing the start of a song I knew perfectly well—‘Disenchanted’ by My Chemical Romance.
I looked at Liam who was just as amazed as I was. He was smiling as we were watching the guy perform and tapping his foot to the beat of the song. His guitar case was half-filled with one and five dollar bills which passers-by so kindly give away. He was amazing with the guitar playing, like Liam, and he had a voice that was better than an average Joe’s. I snapped a picture of him, and it was the first picture I took of him through the years he would be spending with the band.
When he had finished that song, and the crowd had clapped again, he took a break and closed his guitar case, and sat down on the concrete. He took a bottle of water and drank from it. Liam and I had the same idea as we looked at each other.
“What’s your name?” I asked smiling as he looked up from his spot.
“Jared,” he said. “Jared Walsh,” he smiled.
“I’m Michelle McAdams, this is Liam Montgomery,” I said. “You’re very good.”
“Thank you, so much,” he replied with certain shyness to him. “Did you just say, Michelle McAdams?”
“Uh, is there something wrong with my name?” I joked and wondered whether we knew each other. “I’m sorry, have we met?”
“No, no. I’ve watched a video of you on YouTube; the one where you were singing in this party? You’re good yourself, and you too,” he said gesturing to both Liam and I to shake hands, and stood up himself.
“Thank you,” I replied, probably blushing that someone actually recognized me from YouTube… Bragging rights? LOL.
“See, we’ve been looking for an extra guitarist,” Liam said.
“If I know anyone?” he asked being humble about it.
“We were wondering if you want to join the band,” I said straightforwardly with a smile.
“Me? I… I’d fuckin’ love to!” he said as he brushed a hand through his hair in disbelief. “This is awesome, thank you so much!”
“Where’re you from?” Liam asked.
“Vancouver, Washington… been backpacking across the US for a few weeks now just to reach this place. I’m now staying at a friend’s house for the meantime.”
“Would you guys like to talk it over some coffee?” I asked.
“I’m good; anyways, I’m saving up for a new guitar, and I can’t afford anything off my daily expenses,” he said.
“Come with us, we’ll pay anyway,” Liam said.
“I can’t possibly,” he said shying away.
“Oh, come on,” I said.
He smiled and put his guitar in his case full of wrinkled money and change, and walked with us to a near coffee shop, where we had our daily dose of Mocha Lattes.
“How long have you been here?” Liam asked as he took a sip from his piping hot coffee.
“It’s only my second day in LA, and I gotta say that this place is amazing.”
“How old are you, Jared?” I asked.
“I just turned 20,” he said. “How bout you guys? You guys seem like you’ve got your futures planned ahead of you.”
“I’m only 16,” I admitted.
“17,” Liam said.
“16 and 17?” he asked in shock. “I thought you guys would be of my age. It’s not that you look older, it’s just that, when I saw your videos, it seemed as if you’ve been performing for years; you fuckin’ owned the stage. I definitely admire how you’ve got this far at such ages…”
“Thanks, you too, man,” Liam said smiling.
“What made you come here?” I asked.
“I have the same dream as you,” he said. “But you guys, obviously, have got a head-start already.”
“Oh, boy, do you have it wrong,” I said. “We’re just a tip-toe away, not even a step. The video that you saw? It was our first gig; and no gig followed after that.”
“Well then, it doesn’t matter,” he smiled. “I’m honored you asked me to join you guys.”
“I’m glad you’re giving us a chance; I know we’re a kind of suckish band that’s not even signed…”
“You guys are NOT suckish,” he smiled.
“Well,” I smiled at his optimism. “Thanks…”
“Do you guys write your own music?” he asked.
“We’re starting to,” Liam said.
“I’ve been writing some stuff, too… I’d love it if you guys could give it a listen…” he smiled.
“Of course,” I said. “Would you be free tomorrow? We can arrange a meet-up, so you can meet Matt, our drummer.”
“I’m free any day,” he said. “Tomorrow will be great.”
He smiled and took a sip from the warming coffee and I looked at Liam with an excited face and shot it back with a smile of his own.
Jared seemed to have an image of the typical band dude with a problem behind his smile that I was too afraid to ask about. I was happy that we had found another guitarist for the band that could help us with the journey we were taking. Now we thought we were one step closer to the rest of our dream; which we were until we were totally tricked.