‹ Prequel: A New Beginning
Hearts So Pure
Listen to Your Heart
Later that day, John was telling me and Nicole about the gig they had booked that night while we all sat in the living room. “Yeah, it’s gonna be cool. You guys should come. We can get you in free.” he told us. Nicole nodded, “that would be cool! Leah?” I nodded back, taking a sip from my beer. Soon, they loaded their van and we all got in.
At the place they were playing at, people were already filing in. The boys went backstage so me and Nicole took a seat at the bar. We were making conversation when two girls sat beside us, talking really loudly. One of the girls, who was already quite drunk, bumped into Nicole. She turned around, “Excuse you,” Nicole said. The drunk girl rolled her eyes. “Yeah so like I was saying,” she told her friend. Nicole gave me an annoyed look. I know, I thought. I kept looking at the two girls. They were both tall and skinny, but really skinny. Like you wonder when the last time they had a good meal was. One of them had blonde hair that was thin and straight, and it flowed down her back. The other had wavy brown hair that was drenched in mousse. The blonde had a short silver dress on, and the brunette was wearing a halter top and some tight leopard print jeans. They both had cigarettes to their lips, and they blew smoke out while they talked. “They’re up,” Nicole said then, nodding towards the stage. We started to walk toward the gathering crowd, and I heard the brunette say “I wanna bang that bassist,” before they were out of earshot.
Seeing the boys play live in front of a crowd (this time without worrying about freaking out) was nice. I was glad they were taking this music thing seriously, I knew how bad they wanted it. And they weren’t bad either. The crowd was loving them, and I was proud of them.
After the show, we met the boys backstage. They were all sitting on this long couch, beers in hand, chatting it up. Me and Nicole walked in, and John made a seat for her right next to him, after Kennedy made one for me. “So what did you think?” Jared said. “Oh you guys were awesome!” Nicole said, and she was right. We talked about their show for a couple of minutes before deciding to head outside by the sidewalk. The two girls from before were out there, and as soon as we walked out of the doors, they pounced. The blonde one walked over to Pat, “You were so good tonight!” she said, rubbing his arm. Pat smiled, tucking his hair behind his ear. I could feel the smell of their cigarette smoke beginning to choke us all. I looked at the brunette, she was whispering something in Garrett’s ear. He smiled, “Yeah,” he said back to her. “That sounds cool.” She nodded and bit her lip, before grabbing her friend and turning away. When they were gone, John spoke up. “Who the hell were they?” Pat shrugged, and then Garrett said, “Oh that was Alicia and Janice. I’ve met them before at one of our shows. They’re pretty cool.” Everyone frowned, we all knew what kind of girls they were. We looked down the street where they were walking and saw one of them-the blonde- stumbling over, already too drunk to walk. Poor Pat, that must have been awful. Then Kennedy said, “Yeah well what was that? It looks like that brunette has the hots for you.” Garrett rubbed his hair, nervous. “Her name is Janice, and I doubt it. She wants me to go to some party tonight.. but I think she meant… just me.” He frowned. John spoke up, “Yeah, good luck bro. You’ll probably get herpes or something. Anyways, who’s up for some drinks!” God, John was so cool. I looked at the beers in everyone’s hand. Yeah, who’s up for any.
Garrett rubbed his arm, “Yeah, cool. I’ll see you guys later then,” he said, before walking off. Janice was waiting for him at the other end of the street, her cigarette visible from the orange glow it gave off. Alicia-the blonde, was in the taxi, probably vomiting already. We watched Garrett walk to her, and she grabbed his arm before pulling him in the taxi. Then they drove off.
That night, after everyone had their fill of drinks, everyone was sleeping. Except me. Garrett still wasn’t back yet. It was almost 4 in the morning. I didn’t know why I was even worrying, he wasn’t my problem. But nevertheless, I sat on the couch, sipping beer mindlessly from my half empty can and flipping through the channels. Kennedy was asleep to the left of me, and Pat to the right. John and Nicole had made their way to Kennedy’s room hours ago. I sighed. Then I heard a car pull up outside. I stood up and walked over to the window, parting the curtains just barely. I saw a taxi, and two people got out of it. One was a tall, deathly skinny girl, the other was a boy. Garrett, I thought. She had looped her arm in his and they were walking up the steps. I knew I shouldn’t be watching them, but I had to know what was going on. Was she really his type? I thought about the cigarette smoke, he must be dying. They got to the front porch, and Garrett turned to face her. With the back of her hand, she wiped her forehead. I could see her now, sweaty and out of breath from dancing like a maniac, reeking of cigarettes and beer. Her heels hung from her hand by her hip, and she was barefoot. I could hear them speaking from this close. “I had a nice time, Janice.” he said. Janice laughed, this painful, nasally laugh. “Me too, Garrett.” she said. She put emphasis on the Garrett. Garrett rubbed his head, he didn’t know what to do. I doubted he wanted to kiss her, I mean look at her. But then he leaned his face toward hers, and I almost gasped. But Janice turned on her bare feet, practically skipping down the steps of the porch and yelling, “I’ll see you later, baby!” Before she got in the taxi. Garrett turned to open the door, and I knew he would see me standing there, watching him all this time. I shot around, and ran for the couch. I heard his key in the lock, and I took a seat next to Kennedy. The lock began to turn, slowly, he was trying to be quiet. I grabbed Kennedy’s arm and put it around me. I pulled my feet up, and buried my face in the side of his chest. Garrett was working on the second lock now. Kennedy moved over, making room for me. “Leah..” he whispered. I put my finger to my lips, telling him to be quiet. He closed his eyes again, and kept his arm around me. The door began to open, and I closed my own eyes. Garrett walked in. He was quiet, and I couldn’t hear any movement, so I opened my eyes a tiny bit. He was staring at us. He let out a sigh, “Oh wow, Leah and Kenny. What a surprise.” Then he walked toward the hallway, his back to mine. I shot up, who did he think he was! Then, as he opened the door to his room, he called over his shoulder, “Next time, don’t spy on me, Leah.” Before he walked into his room and closed the door.
At the place they were playing at, people were already filing in. The boys went backstage so me and Nicole took a seat at the bar. We were making conversation when two girls sat beside us, talking really loudly. One of the girls, who was already quite drunk, bumped into Nicole. She turned around, “Excuse you,” Nicole said. The drunk girl rolled her eyes. “Yeah so like I was saying,” she told her friend. Nicole gave me an annoyed look. I know, I thought. I kept looking at the two girls. They were both tall and skinny, but really skinny. Like you wonder when the last time they had a good meal was. One of them had blonde hair that was thin and straight, and it flowed down her back. The other had wavy brown hair that was drenched in mousse. The blonde had a short silver dress on, and the brunette was wearing a halter top and some tight leopard print jeans. They both had cigarettes to their lips, and they blew smoke out while they talked. “They’re up,” Nicole said then, nodding towards the stage. We started to walk toward the gathering crowd, and I heard the brunette say “I wanna bang that bassist,” before they were out of earshot.
Seeing the boys play live in front of a crowd (this time without worrying about freaking out) was nice. I was glad they were taking this music thing seriously, I knew how bad they wanted it. And they weren’t bad either. The crowd was loving them, and I was proud of them.
After the show, we met the boys backstage. They were all sitting on this long couch, beers in hand, chatting it up. Me and Nicole walked in, and John made a seat for her right next to him, after Kennedy made one for me. “So what did you think?” Jared said. “Oh you guys were awesome!” Nicole said, and she was right. We talked about their show for a couple of minutes before deciding to head outside by the sidewalk. The two girls from before were out there, and as soon as we walked out of the doors, they pounced. The blonde one walked over to Pat, “You were so good tonight!” she said, rubbing his arm. Pat smiled, tucking his hair behind his ear. I could feel the smell of their cigarette smoke beginning to choke us all. I looked at the brunette, she was whispering something in Garrett’s ear. He smiled, “Yeah,” he said back to her. “That sounds cool.” She nodded and bit her lip, before grabbing her friend and turning away. When they were gone, John spoke up. “Who the hell were they?” Pat shrugged, and then Garrett said, “Oh that was Alicia and Janice. I’ve met them before at one of our shows. They’re pretty cool.” Everyone frowned, we all knew what kind of girls they were. We looked down the street where they were walking and saw one of them-the blonde- stumbling over, already too drunk to walk. Poor Pat, that must have been awful. Then Kennedy said, “Yeah well what was that? It looks like that brunette has the hots for you.” Garrett rubbed his hair, nervous. “Her name is Janice, and I doubt it. She wants me to go to some party tonight.. but I think she meant… just me.” He frowned. John spoke up, “Yeah, good luck bro. You’ll probably get herpes or something. Anyways, who’s up for some drinks!” God, John was so cool. I looked at the beers in everyone’s hand. Yeah, who’s up for any.
Garrett rubbed his arm, “Yeah, cool. I’ll see you guys later then,” he said, before walking off. Janice was waiting for him at the other end of the street, her cigarette visible from the orange glow it gave off. Alicia-the blonde, was in the taxi, probably vomiting already. We watched Garrett walk to her, and she grabbed his arm before pulling him in the taxi. Then they drove off.
That night, after everyone had their fill of drinks, everyone was sleeping. Except me. Garrett still wasn’t back yet. It was almost 4 in the morning. I didn’t know why I was even worrying, he wasn’t my problem. But nevertheless, I sat on the couch, sipping beer mindlessly from my half empty can and flipping through the channels. Kennedy was asleep to the left of me, and Pat to the right. John and Nicole had made their way to Kennedy’s room hours ago. I sighed. Then I heard a car pull up outside. I stood up and walked over to the window, parting the curtains just barely. I saw a taxi, and two people got out of it. One was a tall, deathly skinny girl, the other was a boy. Garrett, I thought. She had looped her arm in his and they were walking up the steps. I knew I shouldn’t be watching them, but I had to know what was going on. Was she really his type? I thought about the cigarette smoke, he must be dying. They got to the front porch, and Garrett turned to face her. With the back of her hand, she wiped her forehead. I could see her now, sweaty and out of breath from dancing like a maniac, reeking of cigarettes and beer. Her heels hung from her hand by her hip, and she was barefoot. I could hear them speaking from this close. “I had a nice time, Janice.” he said. Janice laughed, this painful, nasally laugh. “Me too, Garrett.” she said. She put emphasis on the Garrett. Garrett rubbed his head, he didn’t know what to do. I doubted he wanted to kiss her, I mean look at her. But then he leaned his face toward hers, and I almost gasped. But Janice turned on her bare feet, practically skipping down the steps of the porch and yelling, “I’ll see you later, baby!” Before she got in the taxi. Garrett turned to open the door, and I knew he would see me standing there, watching him all this time. I shot around, and ran for the couch. I heard his key in the lock, and I took a seat next to Kennedy. The lock began to turn, slowly, he was trying to be quiet. I grabbed Kennedy’s arm and put it around me. I pulled my feet up, and buried my face in the side of his chest. Garrett was working on the second lock now. Kennedy moved over, making room for me. “Leah..” he whispered. I put my finger to my lips, telling him to be quiet. He closed his eyes again, and kept his arm around me. The door began to open, and I closed my own eyes. Garrett walked in. He was quiet, and I couldn’t hear any movement, so I opened my eyes a tiny bit. He was staring at us. He let out a sigh, “Oh wow, Leah and Kenny. What a surprise.” Then he walked toward the hallway, his back to mine. I shot up, who did he think he was! Then, as he opened the door to his room, he called over his shoulder, “Next time, don’t spy on me, Leah.” Before he walked into his room and closed the door.