We Won't Back Down

Chapter Nineteen.

Monte Money

It had been a few days since Max came back from dropping Sheila off and since then, he hasn’t exactly been himself. He seemed more frustrated than usual with school, music and people in general and he wouldn’t explain why to any of us. Then again, all of the Elwell girls looked a little stressed out considering there was a huge chance they were not going to be going to school much longer. This really sucked, because Dahlia explained that if they live, their aunt was not going to continue with the competition. And they wouldn’t be able to graduate, even though graduation was at least a month and a half away, which was total bullshit.
“Paging Monte Money, you in there bro?” Robert waved his hand in front of my face as we relaxed at Max’s house for band practice. Craig had been working us, tooth and nail to get everything down for the competition.
“Huh, what?” I said, shaking my head to bring myself back into reality.
“Craig said he’s going to make a quick call then we can start up again, so warm up.” He stated before going to the bathroom that is in the garage. I finished up the cookies that Max’s mom had made and went over to my guitar, retuning it for our next set of songs. I started playing and warming up my fingers to my strings, feeling myself get lost in the different rifts and chords.
I soon heard my fellow bandmates join in and opened my eyes, smiling like crazy at the flow that we all created as one being. Every practice was like a whole new experience, always left me feeling rejuvenated, kind of like that feeling some people get from going to church. Music was the one thing that kept me away from drugs, even though it was quite opposite for some people and my one motivation that kept my ass going to school. I wanted to make music, inspire others, save lives and just be that role model that rock n’ roll needed.
Half way through our set, I looked out the open garage door to see a girl with black hair watching us practice. She looked really familiar to me then I realize that she was the new worker at the Elwell’s music store. The beautiful goddess of the drums, hell she even puts Robert to shame…I’m glad he can’t read my thoughts. She noticed me staring and continued on her way and I could feel my heart sink into the floor, damn my staring.
“Dude… earth to Monte…BRYAN!” Craig’s voice yelled into the microphone and brought me back, I had to stop doing that shit.
“Sorry guys, mind fell out of it for a moment, we can get back into it if you would like.” I said, plucking a few strings awkwardly and Craig shakes his head laughing.
“No worries, we will call it quits for the day, looks like we all need to rest and relax.” He said smiling, helping us pack up our things. I said goodbye to the guys, noticing Max on the phone, leaving a not so nice message on someone’s voicemail. I walked a few houses down and unlocked the front door, letting the dogs into the front yard since we had that invisa-fence thing.
“Bro, we need to go to the store.” Michael said, having a mouth full of chips and I rolled my eyes.
“We wouldn’t have to go so any times if you would actually get a job!” I stated, grabbing my keys to my car and he followed me out. I started it up as we went to the supermarket and Michael grabbed a cart. “What all do we need?”
“Milk, eggs, ketchup, snacks, bread, lunch meat, shite like that.”
Oh my brother was always so much help when it came to food, no wonder our mother was worried about us leaving alone while they were doing a union job. They would be back in time for my graduation; they were good at keeping their promises. We went and grabbed everything we needed on the list was ketchup and I had my eyes on the last bottle.
Someone had the same exact idea.
A hand with purple and black nails grabbed at the same bottle at the same time as me, causing our hands to touch one another’s.
“Sorry, got to it first.” I said and then looked up to meet a pair of hazel eyes staring at me.
“What about ladies first?” she asked and I stared at her for a matter of a few minutes before she waved her hand in front of my face. “You ok in there?”
“Yeah, you passed my friend’s house earlier today while we were at band practice and I finally just remembered where I had seen you from, you’re the amazing drum goddess from the Elwell’s store.” I stated, without even choosing the words that were coming out of my mouth. I covered my mouth when reality had hit me and covered my mouth, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. I noticed that she was sharing the same type color in her cheeks as mine, which meant that I had said it out loud.
“Lex…Lex Zerlinda is my name.”
“Bryan Money…my friends call me Monte.” I put out my hand and she shakes it, smiling at me. We stayed like that for what seemed like forever, but it was only a minute and I heard a cough sound from behind me.
Oh right, Michael.
“Lex, this is Michael he is my brother.” I introduced them and he shook her hand, checking her out and I rolled my eyes. Naturally, he would pull this shit. “Now go and look at video games.”
He looked at me like I was joking and I looked at him seriously, watching him scoff and leave. I handed her the ketchup, insisting that she take it, since we could go without ketchup until they were stocked up again.
“So, how long have you been playing music?” she asked as I walked with her and she continued to shop.
“Ever since I could remember, mom used to say I would make music out of everything when I was little. I got into guitar not to long after I started middle school, I couldn’t explain why music had such a huge impact on my life, but it was better than anything I had ever dealt with. Video games and all that are cool, but music was the one thing that made me completely and one hundred percent happy.”
“I can understand that, I was exactly the same way when it came to the drums, my friends would want to go to the beach or go to the movies and…all I wanted to do was jam out on my drums all day long. I couldn’t stop the drumming, even when I was in class I would just drum on my desk with my pencil and my teachers would get so pissed. Finally, I became such a distraction during class that my parents thought it was time for me to be home schooled.” She looked down, as if to remember all of this happening. “Sure I was sad to leave and not get to see my friends all the time, but honestly…I graduated three years faster than they did. At the age of sixteen, my parents kicked me out because I was annoying and wouldn’t follow their rules and I’ve been on my own ever since.”
She looked up as if shocked of what all she was saying and I smiled at her.
“Even though you have been on your own, you seem to do well for yourself…good things can come out of bad circumstances.” She smiled back at me and it was like someone turned the lights on in my world.
“You know Monte, you are really easy to talk to and a great listener.” She said as we made it to the checkout lines. “We should hang out sometime…hmm; let me see your phone.” It was like I was under a spell as I just handed my cellphone over to her as she imputed her number. “Text me sometime, ok? Or come visit me at the music shop, they hired me in!” she said and waved goodbye as she started checking out and left. I watched her leave, seeing her hair going side to side; the way she walked…she is so beautiful.
“Bro, you have it bad!” Michael’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I sighed.

Girls like her, didn’t fall for guys like me.