Status: In progress, but school takes priority right now...
That Little Box That Beats In Your Chest
Chapter 5
Lacey clambered onto the bus behind Zack. Sitting down next to him, she took in her surroundings. Jack and Alex were sitting across from them, and Rian was sitting behind those two. Lacey figured it was best if she talked a little to Zack; he was so quiet, and he reminded her of her. They could end up being close…
“So how long have you guys been a band?”
“Oh, a couple of years. Alex transferred from private to public school, Rian met Jack, and everything kinda fell into place.”
“That’s pretty cool. Do you guys have any original songs?”
“We used to cover Blink and some other stuff, but now we have our own EP, and we’re signed to a small label. We do shows around town every once in a while.”
“I should go see you guys perform.”
“Do you want to listen to one of our songs? I have them on my iPod…”
“Absolutely!!”
“This is ‘Hit the Lights’.” As Lacey listened to the song, she took in the guitar riffs, Zack’s powerful bass line, Rian’s perfectly timed drumming, and Alex’s singing that somehow tied the song together. She was impressed.
“I LOVE it! You guys are so talented!”
“Thanks.”, Zack said with a smile. He turned and saw that Rian, Jack and Alex were getting up. “Oh, we get off here.”
They all climbed down, and Lacey noticed Rian lived on a street that resembled hers. Even the houses looked alike. The group walked down the road a bit, and turned into a driveway bordered with flowers. As Rian opened the door, he yelled out ‘hello’ and went through a doorway and down a set of stairs into what Lacey assumed was the basement. She followed them, and found herself a chair perpendicular to the band’s set up. Alex cleared his throat, smiled, and started singing with Rian, Jack and Zack joining in.
-----
They finished playing ‘The Next Best Thing’, when Lacey stood up and told them she had to leave. Alex offered to walk her home; he said he was familiar to the neighborhood. Lacey accepted, and walked up the stairs with Alex following close behind.
As Lacey walked out the front door, she thanked Rian’s mom for having her over, and waited on the porch for Alex to finish putting on his shoes. When Alex stepped outside, and closed the door behind them, he spoke up as they made their way down the driveway and to the road.
“What did you think?”
“You guys are great.”
“How good?”, he asked with a smirk.
“I’m not surprised you guys are signed. That’s how good.”
“Thanks, then.”
“Mhm.” Lacey could see he was trying to think of something to say.
“Hey, you know you’re welcome to come see us practice whenever. I don’t think any of the other guys would mind.”
“Ok. Thanks. But I’m pretty sure my parents are freaking out right now, I didn’t bother telling them where I was going. I’m probably gonna get grounded.”
“Would it help if I went with you to tell them where you were?”
“Probably not. They would assume we were dating or something like that.”
“Sounds like a nice bunch.”
“I don’t like them. They piss me off so much.”
“Don’t they all?”
“Yeah… So tell me about you.”
“Well, I get along pretty well with my parents, I write our songs, I umm…” he got nervous, Lacey could tell he was deciding whether or not to tell her something.
“You know, you can trust me.”
“Yeah, I know. Ok you know how we were playing that song called ‘Lullabies’?”
“Yeah...?”
“Well, it’s about my brother.”
“Oh, that’s sweet. Does he go to our school?”
“Well, that’s the thing… He used to. But well, he umm…committed suicide.”
“Oh my God, I am so sorry Alex.” Lacey moved in to hug him, and Alex accepted it. She felt him sigh. “Thank you for telling me. I’m glad you trust me.” Lacey smiled at him, and they kept walking. “You’re really strong to be able to cope with something that major so well. Really, I admire you. If I could cope that well, I’d…” Lacey’s voice trailed off.
“What? Do you not cope well or something?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I’m just thinking out loud.” At this point, Lacey recognized her street name. They walked in silence until they got to her driveway. Alex smiled, wished her a nice evening, and turned around, walking the way they had just come from. Now came the part Lacey was dreading.
“WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU, YOUNG LADY?!?” Lacey knew the best way to deal with her mother in this mood was to say her part, and leave.
“I was at a friend’s house. He is in a band, and they were practicing, and I stayed to watch. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
With that, Lacey turned, and walked up the stairs, ignoring her mother’s comments about thinking Lacey was being raped, and who did she think she was going to boys’ houses without telling her, and what had her daughter turned into. By now, Lacey was used to it. She had a thick skin, and a way of coping that worked for her. She realized she had missed supper as she fell into a fitful sleep.
-----
She woke up in the middle of the night, sweating. She had dreamed about killing herself. Alex’s words must have really affected her, she mused. Hungry and sleepy, she fell back asleep soon enough, but until that moment, she had been thinking about how peaceful she felt in the dream after she had committed suicide…
“So how long have you guys been a band?”
“Oh, a couple of years. Alex transferred from private to public school, Rian met Jack, and everything kinda fell into place.”
“That’s pretty cool. Do you guys have any original songs?”
“We used to cover Blink and some other stuff, but now we have our own EP, and we’re signed to a small label. We do shows around town every once in a while.”
“I should go see you guys perform.”
“Do you want to listen to one of our songs? I have them on my iPod…”
“Absolutely!!”
“This is ‘Hit the Lights’.” As Lacey listened to the song, she took in the guitar riffs, Zack’s powerful bass line, Rian’s perfectly timed drumming, and Alex’s singing that somehow tied the song together. She was impressed.
“I LOVE it! You guys are so talented!”
“Thanks.”, Zack said with a smile. He turned and saw that Rian, Jack and Alex were getting up. “Oh, we get off here.”
They all climbed down, and Lacey noticed Rian lived on a street that resembled hers. Even the houses looked alike. The group walked down the road a bit, and turned into a driveway bordered with flowers. As Rian opened the door, he yelled out ‘hello’ and went through a doorway and down a set of stairs into what Lacey assumed was the basement. She followed them, and found herself a chair perpendicular to the band’s set up. Alex cleared his throat, smiled, and started singing with Rian, Jack and Zack joining in.
-----
They finished playing ‘The Next Best Thing’, when Lacey stood up and told them she had to leave. Alex offered to walk her home; he said he was familiar to the neighborhood. Lacey accepted, and walked up the stairs with Alex following close behind.
As Lacey walked out the front door, she thanked Rian’s mom for having her over, and waited on the porch for Alex to finish putting on his shoes. When Alex stepped outside, and closed the door behind them, he spoke up as they made their way down the driveway and to the road.
“What did you think?”
“You guys are great.”
“How good?”, he asked with a smirk.
“I’m not surprised you guys are signed. That’s how good.”
“Thanks, then.”
“Mhm.” Lacey could see he was trying to think of something to say.
“Hey, you know you’re welcome to come see us practice whenever. I don’t think any of the other guys would mind.”
“Ok. Thanks. But I’m pretty sure my parents are freaking out right now, I didn’t bother telling them where I was going. I’m probably gonna get grounded.”
“Would it help if I went with you to tell them where you were?”
“Probably not. They would assume we were dating or something like that.”
“Sounds like a nice bunch.”
“I don’t like them. They piss me off so much.”
“Don’t they all?”
“Yeah… So tell me about you.”
“Well, I get along pretty well with my parents, I write our songs, I umm…” he got nervous, Lacey could tell he was deciding whether or not to tell her something.
“You know, you can trust me.”
“Yeah, I know. Ok you know how we were playing that song called ‘Lullabies’?”
“Yeah...?”
“Well, it’s about my brother.”
“Oh, that’s sweet. Does he go to our school?”
“Well, that’s the thing… He used to. But well, he umm…committed suicide.”
“Oh my God, I am so sorry Alex.” Lacey moved in to hug him, and Alex accepted it. She felt him sigh. “Thank you for telling me. I’m glad you trust me.” Lacey smiled at him, and they kept walking. “You’re really strong to be able to cope with something that major so well. Really, I admire you. If I could cope that well, I’d…” Lacey’s voice trailed off.
“What? Do you not cope well or something?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I’m just thinking out loud.” At this point, Lacey recognized her street name. They walked in silence until they got to her driveway. Alex smiled, wished her a nice evening, and turned around, walking the way they had just come from. Now came the part Lacey was dreading.
“WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU, YOUNG LADY?!?” Lacey knew the best way to deal with her mother in this mood was to say her part, and leave.
“I was at a friend’s house. He is in a band, and they were practicing, and I stayed to watch. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
With that, Lacey turned, and walked up the stairs, ignoring her mother’s comments about thinking Lacey was being raped, and who did she think she was going to boys’ houses without telling her, and what had her daughter turned into. By now, Lacey was used to it. She had a thick skin, and a way of coping that worked for her. She realized she had missed supper as she fell into a fitful sleep.
-----
She woke up in the middle of the night, sweating. She had dreamed about killing herself. Alex’s words must have really affected her, she mused. Hungry and sleepy, she fell back asleep soon enough, but until that moment, she had been thinking about how peaceful she felt in the dream after she had committed suicide…
♠ ♠ ♠
Ugh ok this chapter sucked, I know. I just wasn't feeling the creativity today, especially with all the fighting I've been going through with my parents about Warped... I can't go, and it's tearing me apart.Anyways, enough about me. Tell me what you think, console me and cajole me, and tell me this chapter didn't suck completely... I'll do better for the next one. Promise!!
Also, don't be a silent reader :)