We Are All Okay

It was lunch time and the other people in our group were getting food, well, except me. Max was actually sitting with his group of friends today, and I couldn't help but feel dissappointed. Robert was getting food. Ronnie was talking to some brunette girl. And Mitch was talking to some guy in a Rob Zombie shirt. Normally I would’ve been really excited to sit with Mitch. Sike. That's the only person I'm glad to not have at the table right now. I started thinking. Robert’s birthday was next week, and since we’re good friends I want to get him something cool. Isn’t Metallica touring with Rob Zombie right now?
“Penny for your thoughts?” Ronnie sat down with me, holding up a dirty penny.
“I’m going to need a lot more than a penny.” I sighed.
“I don’t follow.” He said. "Something."
"Just a lot on my mind lately... about... never mind." I shook my head. I couldn't tell my brother. He'd go and start a fight over it. He'd go call our mom up and yell at her. He'd go fight with anyone for me, or any of the people he was close with for that matter. “Metallica and Rob Zombie are coming to Las Vegas, which is really close to Pahrump if you haven’t noticed, and that’s Robert’s favorite band.” I said.
“Who is? Metallica?” Ronnie asked, nonchallantly. "We can't afford those tickets." He said. "We're broke."
“Yeah, but it's Robert's birthday." I whined. "Can you help me out? I want to go, and I know Rob would be stoked to go too."
“So you want to buy tickets," Ronnie concluded "When we have no money. Good luck with that." Ronnie shook his head. He and Mitch sat down and talked to the guy in the Rob Zombie shirt. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my notebook, I drew all lunch period, and when it was over, I walked straight out to the parking lot to the car. I sank down low in the seat and turned the radio on a low volume. I'm tired of this town, and I'm tired of everyone fucking in it. My best friend lives an hour away, my mom is who knows what state, and my dad looks at me like i'm a stranger, probably because I am one to him. Not to mention, my brother and I aren't exactly in a picture perfect friendship either. Just for one day can my life be okay?
"-That's right! Be caller number six and win two tickets to the IHeart Radio festival in Las Vegas next week. Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and Metallica are all going to be there, along with some smaller bands that will be opening. Call the radio now to win!" I heard the radio guy say. I grabbed my phone and waited a minute. I then dialed what I had memorized by heart; the radiostation's phone number.
"How pissed would you be if I told you you were caller number five?" The guy said, taking my call.
"Very." I sighed, ready to hang up. Just my mother fucking luck.
"Well, then you'll be happy to know that you're caller number six!" He said.
"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" I shouted, nearly crying in excitement. Nothing like this ever happened to me. "Marilyn Manson's my favorite musician!"
"That's good, because to win, you also have to tell me the next line in this song." The guy said, he played a clip of 'This Is The New Shit' and I sang along, not knowing that the song had cut out at 'Got your lovey dovey sad and lonely, stick your stupid slogan on it, screaming, are you mother fuckers ready! For the new shit! Stand up and admit!" I sang, laughing when I realized I was on the radio.
"Nice voice, and you've won!" The guy said.
"Oh my fucking-" I said, but the man cut me off.
"This is a radio station..." The guy laughed "You're going to have to clean it up." He said. "Congratulations."
"Thank you so much!" I said, hanging up the phone. I knew I'd get a call later asking for my adress so I could be sent the tickets. But oh my fucking god that I don't believe in... I am the luckiest person in the world. My day is turning around. Maybe I can fly.
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Max and I met up after seventh period. We didn't even discuss meeting up, or how I was getting to his house. We just got lucky and ran into each other in the parking lot again. He grinned at me when he saw me and ran over.
"Where are your friends?!" I asked. I never see Max with friends.
"Probably at home..." He said slowly, like I was stupid.
"So i'm not going to band practice at your house today? I thought you were in Almost Heroes." I said. Wait, now I'm confused.
"Oh!" He laughed. "My band members go to different schools." He grinned. "Don't flatter yourself. I didn't trick you to get you to my house."
"That's not what I meant!" I blushed.
"Tallia, chill, I was kidding." He said.
"I know." I shook my head, looking down at the ground.
"My house is this way." He said, as we walked to a street on the left. I followed him, and walked down the street closely behind him to his house. It wasn't particularly big, but to be honest, neither was my house.
"Hi, mom!" Max waved to a small blonde lady. She was very pretty.
"Hey." She smiled, hugging her son. "I'm on break, I forgot my money for lunch." She explained. "Oh, is this your girlfriend?" She said, looking at me. "Because you know you're not supposed to have girls over when i'm not home."
"No. This is Tallia, she's not my girlfriend. She's just watching my band play." Max was pink in the cheeks. I was busy studying the similarities between the two's faces. They were both blonde, and fair skinned. And easily you could see they had the same eyes. But I'm guessing Max took after his dad on bone structure. His face was different from his mom's petite high cheekbone's.
"Don't have sex." His mother said sternly.
"Mom, I just met her!" Max said. "I'm not- no!" He exclaimed. His mom laughed.
"I'm just kidding, Maxwell." She laughed. "But you really shouldn't have sex. It's not fun to have a baby."
"Yeah mom. We're not going to... do that... ugh. Can you go? You've made things horribly awkward at this point." His head hung low in shame. I giggled. It was cute.
"Okay. Don't be too loud." She winked.
"Mom! I told you we weren't-" Max yelled, but his mom cut him off.
"Honey, I meant with your band. God, you need to get your mind out of the gutters." She grinned. I was laughing really hard at this point.
"Nice to meet you." I nodded to her.
"Nice to meet you too." She smiled, pulling me in for a hug. "Bye." She nodded to Max and I. Shortly after she walked out a few guys walked in. One of them had a guitar, and the other had a microphone. Max didn't even need to show them where to put it, so I thought that maybe they had been here multiple times before. I followed all of them into what I guessed was the garage.
"Hello there." The tall one said, nodding to me.
"This is Tallia." Max introduced to me.
"Hi Tallia." The one with long black hair smirked at me flirtatiously. Max scowled at him, and the guy rolled his eyes, resuming tuning his guitar. Well what the hell was up with that?
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Max and I had a rather interesting day at his house. His friends kept hitting on me, but I felt like it was more to piss Max off than it was that they actually were interested. I didn't really respond to their remarks. Ronnie called me and asked me why I skipped school this afternoon, because I had spent almost half the school day in the car and when he came out to get his cigarettes during seventh period, he saw me. He flipped a shit, telling me I should take school more seriously. I just rolled my eyes and stole a smoke from him. Anyways, back to Max. Throughout their band's practice when the other guys would poke fun at Max and I, I'd just laugh it off. But something inside me was slowly becoming fond of Max. He was less annoying now.
“Why are you home so late?” Ronnie folds his arms when I walk in the door. I roll my eyes at him out of habit. I seem to be doing an incredible amount of eye rolling lately.
“I was just out thinking." I defended angrily. "Chill out."
“Don’t be a bitch.” Ronnie grabbed me and pulled me inside the house. “I wasn’t even yelling yet.”
“So you will yell at me? Just not yet? Great.” I folded my arms too. Ronnie glared at me.
“If you’re going out so late, you need to tell me. I was so fucking worried.”
“You told me you wished you never met me.” I spat at him.
“Come on! You know I didn’t mean that!” He said.
“No, I think you did mean that.” I said. “And that’s why it hurts so much. You compared me to our mother, who fucking left when you were little, and when I was born.”
“Tallia, I’m sorry. I don’t wish I never met you. I love you. You’re my sister, and nothing like that bitch.”
“Okay.” I said, hugging my brother. I could never stay mad at the only person I have ever relied on things for.
"But we still need to talk about the other thing that happened at lunch, and why you were out so late." He sat down on my bed. While we were talking I slowly inched towards my room to try and get away. He just ended up coming in any ways.
"Huh?" I said, honestly confused about what he was talking about.
"You're not the same lately." He stated. "I'd like to know what's going on."
I looked at him, narrowing my eyes. "Nothing's going on, Ronnie, I'm just going through a rough time at the moment."
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you on drugs?" He asked me.
"NO!" I shouted. "I can't believe you think I'd do that after what our mom did to us, and after what dad has been through. Just-"
"It's a valid question." He defended. "You don't talk to anyone, you're hanging out with that blonde kid with the piercings, and you skipped school today. I don't know this kid, I don't know if he does that stuff."
"Max?!" I said, my eyes widening. "I don't hang out with him. And I do talk, I talk all the time." I said.
"No, you don't. You talk to a few people and keep silent all the time." He said, crossing his arms. "But whatever, I guess it's not my business what you and Max are doing. Just don't fuck up." He said.
"That's right, be just like dad." I said to him. "Why don't you run off to California and live with Mitch's mom?!" I was in tears by this point. How could he not trust me?
"You know why I can't." He glared. "I wasn't doing good in school." He said.
"You can't do good in anything, you're just a big fuck up." I seethed. I would be shouting, but considering I'm passive aggressive, I can say horrible things without even raising my voice or sounding angry.
"Like you're much better, you fucking bitch." He spat.
"I'm passing school." I shrugged.
"But you have no friends, and you're alone."
"Sucks to be me then." I rolled my eyes. "Get out, I'm going to bed now." I glared.
"Fuck off." Ronnie said, slamming his bedroom door. We're lucky dad's not home. We'd be in huge trouble for the amount of bad words we're using, and the fact that the neighbors down the street can probably hear us. God damn, I hope nobody calls the cops reporting a domestic violence.
Cause that'd be awkward.