Slightly Bruised and Broken From Our Head on Collision

I sit in my seat in Music, it creaks and my mind automatically tells me that everyone heard and is immediately calling me fat in their heads. Jack sits down next to me and smiles his quirky little half smile and whispers

“Alex is determined to impress you, when you went to find your maths teacher he was honestly writing down the lyrics so he didn’t forget them and remembering all the chords.” He smiles to himself “I think you’re going to be the one who saves him.” On cue Alex slides down next to him and says,

“What you whispering about?” Jack winks to me and says,

“Things that would make your innocent little ears shrivel up.” Alex immediately blushes and apologises for barging in to our conversation and I look at Jack with a ‘you are a horrible person’ look, and he just giggles to himself. The teacher barges in looking flustered and- check the clock- five minutes late. Again. She announces that we have about half the lesson to practice then half to perform, Alex looks at me nervously and I wonder how a boy so adorable had so many insecurities. Then I remember because someone fucking abused him for almost a year of his life. But then I hear the scraping of chairs and my anger at Kyle, a boy I’ve never met, subsides as quickly as the noise of the chairs does and I jump up. I smile at Alex, kiss Jacks cheek and follow Alex to a secluded practice area down the hall that until today I didn’t know existed. He smiles and says

“I know, but it’s quiet here and if I mess up no-one’s there to laugh.” He seems kind of sad so I start playing some of the chords and he joins in and starts singing, we mess up the first couple of times and end up laughing but we count in and I start playing and Alex sings:

<i>Her name is Noel
I have a dream about her
She rings my bell
I got gym class in half an hour
Oh how she rocks
In Keds and tube socks
But she doesn't know who I am
And she doesn't give a damn about me</i>

I smile and do the chorus and he fades out to let me sing.

<i>Cause I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby
Yeah I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby
Listen to Iron Maiden baby with me</i>

<i>Her boyfriend's a dick
And he brings a gun to school
And he'd simply kick
My ass if he knew the truth
He lives on my block
And he drives an Iroc
But he doesn't know who I am
And he doesn't give a damn about me
Alex joins in and we sing together,
Cause I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby
Yeah I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby
Listen to Iron Maiden baby with me

Yeeah dirtbag, no she doesn't know what she's missing
Yeeah dirtbag, no she doesn't know what she's missing
I slide out and let Alex do this bit alone, I stop playing as well and it sounds better.
Man I feel like mould
It's prom night and I am lonely
Low and behold
She's walking over to me
This must be fake
My lip starts to shake
How does she know who I am
And why does she give a damn about
I sing but don’t join in on the guitar,
I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden baby
Come with me Friday, don't say maybe
I'm just a teenage dirtbag baby like you</i>

We grin and I join in with guitar and we sing together

<i>Yeeah dirtbag, no she doesn't know what she's missing
Yeeah dirtbag, no she doesn't know what she's missing</i>

We let the last chord ring and look at each other, and even though it wasn’t planned out perfectly it felt like it was right. He smiles

“That’s the first time I’ve felt okay in a while” he almost whispers

“Its okay” I say quietly “sometimes music does that to you”

“No” he says a bit louder “I think it’s you” he smiles to himself “I think I’ve got a new friend.”

The way he says it makes me laugh and I go to hug him but because I’m an awkward freak my guitar hits me in the chin and I laugh again and this time he laughs with me, I move my guitar and he puts his to one side and we hug properly. I have to take care of this boy. And when we pull apart we are still smiling and nothings awkward anymore and my intense hatred for Kyle increases. We start practising and by the time the half way bell goes we’ve got it down.

We walk back into the classroom and the teacher tells us all to sit down, which no-one does. She asks if anyone wants to go first and when no-one volunteers she looks down the register and calls

“Jack Barakat, you’re first, and before you complain it’s your fault for taking this subject which clearly stated in the intro pack that there are performances in front of the class.”
Jack frowns and gets up and sort of mutters to himself, he gets to the front and sits down heavily and says

“Yes I made this up so um, here we go”
He starts playing and sings
<b>
Should I write myself out of the history books
and mark a place in time for every chance you took?
Don't get me wrong,
I know you've got your life in place
I've yet to take the hint, someday
I'm sure I'll get the picture
And stop waiting up

When it all comes down
To a sunrise on the East Side,
Will you be there to carry home
The remains of my wasted youth?
This wasted time on you
Has left me shaking in waiting,
Shaking in waiting for something more

Tonight is alive with the promise of a street-fight,
And there's money on the table
That says your cheap shots won't be able
To break bones
I've yet to break a sweat
I'll make your past regret its future
Here's to you

When it all comes down
To a sunrise on the East Side,
Will you be there to carry home
The remains of my wasted youth?
This wasted time on you
Has left me shaking in waiting
For something more

Make all of my decisions for me
I've never taken the fall for deceit
I'll keep a secret if you keep me guessing
The taste of your lips says we shouldn't have met like...

Make all of my decisions for me
I've never taken the fall for deceit
We'll keep a secret if you keep me guessing
The taste of your lips says we shouldn't have met like this

I can keep a secret if you can keep me guessing
The flavour of your lips is enough to keep me pressing
For more than just a moment of truth between the lies told
To pull ourselves away from the lives we leave back
(I can keep a secret if you can keep me guessing)
The flavour of your lips is enough to keep me here, keep me here

When it all comes down
To a sunrise on the East Side,
Will you be there to carry me home?
The remains of my wasted youth,
this wasted time on you,
has left me shaking in waiting
for something more.</b>

He looks straight at me and smiles and the teacher says

“that was good, but your pitch singing wise was a little out at times, but don’t worry I’m not going to mark you down because I know you didn’t pick this for the singing part. Well done, I could tell that meant a lot.” Jack looks down and smiles a little, then walks back and plonks down next to us.

“Honestly my pitch? Bitch I’m amazing.” I laugh and the teacher tuts but I can tell she doesn’t care. She calls the next person on the register, and then the next until it gets to G, Gaskarth he apologises for making us go early as my name ends in W for Williams, I brush it off and say I’d rather get it over and done with anyway.

After our performance the teacher seems kind of shocked and she says

“Alex, wow I’ve never seen you so comfortable up there. And you Miss Williams seem to make things easier for him, I was wondering if you were up for performing together again.” And then when we both agree she says

“How about in an assembly sometime in the near future?” Alex freezes and my mind goes into overdrive, I look across at Alex but he just looks scared so I say

“Maybe, but we need to practise first. We haven’t even chosen a song yet.” Alex then look relieved and the teacher smiles and agrees and we slink back to our seats where Jack is playing on his phone.

“What you looking at Jack?” Alex murmurs,

“A party bitches, tonight Matt’s house are you both in?” I nod, my family don’t give a shit were I am and I’m surprised when Alex nods as well, I smile at him and he says

“You two come pick me up because I’m not driving” he smirks “I’m going to get smashed” I laugh and say I’m not driving, which leaves Jack to drive. Suck it up loverboy.