Paint Yourself a Picture, Something Perfectly Obscure
4
He walked into the park and I smiled “I’m kind of a big kid” he stated and I smiled at him “Don’t worry I won’t make you go on the swings” he said and I smiled at him as we walked towards the big tree in the corner “Man I forgot how sunny this place could be” he stated as he sat in the shade and I sat down too.
“So it’s you that’s keeping Arthurs in business is it?” he asked and I smiled “Well I think I have more music than he does sometimes, he might constantly wear the same clothes and have that annoying cough but he is so nice. He’s like my surrogate grandfather,” I said and he smiled.
“Surrogate?” he asked and I nodded “I don’t have a real one” I stated and he looked awkward “I’m sure good at bringing up touchy subjects with you aren’t I? Sorry” he offered and I smiled “It’s okay” I said smiling and he looked relieved I wasn’t offended.
“Both my grandfathers died years ago, but I do have a grandma still” he said and I nodded ”Sorry” I offered and he nodded ”I only ever had one and all my grandparents that I know are dead” I stated and he nodded ”You have a sucky luck” he said and I smiled. If only he knew how wrong that statement was, I thought to myself as he watched me play with a piece of grass.
“Not really” I stated as I moved the hair from my face and he looked at me and his eyes locked onto something and I smiled when I realised what it was “You’ve seen one of my tattoos right?” I asked and he nodded “What is it?” he asked and I smiled as I realised he’d not seen what I thought he had.
I moved my head to the side and moved my hair so he could see the tattoo behind my ear, it was a stereo that sat directly behind my ear and had music notes travelling up behind my ear and over the top before curling into my ear and running down the inside. Although this wasn’t the bit I’d thought he’d noticed mixed in the music notes it said ‘lost in stereo’ the only other song I knew by his band and the one song that seemed to stick around in my mind and had some meaning to me.
I’d loved music my entire life and it had helped me through a lot of things and it was something I could hide behind and get lost in and when I heard the words lost in stereo it just meant something so I got it added to my tattoo. “Whoa does that say what I think it does?” he asked and I nodded “I’m not a fan girl honest” I said and he smiled ”Really?” he asked and I nodded.
“I know 2 of your songs, one being this one and the other being that one about it being someone’s weekend” I said and he smiled “Weightless, you played it last night” he stated “Yeah well my friends like you guys and make me play it with them, I’m not so keen” I said and then realised I’d just said that.
“Not that I think your bad but I just don’t really like you guys” I said and he smiled “Why come see us then?” he asked and I laughed, ”Your complaining about ticket sales?” I asked and he shook his head “Just that if you don’t like a band you don’t pay to see them” he stated and I nodded.
“You do when you’ve not been to a gig in years and it’s the only one your friends will go to” I said and he smiled “Well I guess that’s a valid excuse, so why don’t you like us guys?” he asked looking awkward. “It’s not that I think your bad or anything because your not your good but I guess I’ve only really ever heard 2 of your songs and I was never really tempted to buy your albums but I might after last night” I stated and he smiled.
“I’ll change your mind on us, give it 2 weeks and you’ll love us,” he said and I smiled “You like the same sort of music as me so I think you’ll like us but I think you’ll prefer our old stuff” he said looking at me as if he was analysing me and I nodded “Fair enough” I stated and he smiled.
His phone went off and he looked at it and then smiled “I am so jealous” he said out loud and I looked at him and he laughed “Sorry one of my friends just went to see Harry Potter” he said and I smiled “I love them films” I replied and he looked at me “Really? Nobody else does, Alex says they’re ‘stupidly childish’” he said mocking him and I smiled.
“Want to go see it?” he asked and I looked at him “Now I mean,” he added “My shout” he offered and I shrugged “Come on you’re my last chance Dillon,” he said and I smiled ”Guilt trip? I asked and he nodded and I smiled “Okay” I said and he stood up holding his hand out to help me up.
We went to the theatre and watched the film before walking out and into the busy street, I realised it was rush hour and as we walked down the road I felt nerves kick in, I tried to push it from my mind but it kept creeping further into my thoughts “That film was epic” he said and I looked at him and I realised what he’d said and forced a smile to my face “Yeah it was, thanks” I said and he smiled and then looked at me “Are you okay?” he asked and I nodded.
The road next to us was getting busier and cars were sat there their engines going as their owners revved them and as the lights changed they all drove off some faster than others and I noticed one driver on his cell and I felt sick and I moved further away from the edge of the road and closer to Jack who noticed my movement.
He looked at me but kept quiet, we walked further down the road getting closer to my house when I heard brakes squeal nearby and I jumped terrified and I felt Jacks hand on my own “Hey are you sure your okay?” he asked and I nodded quickly and he nodded slowly letting go obviously not believing me.
My road was the worst road, it was a shortcut that lots of people used and it’d been one of the main reasons why I’d been inside for so long and a big problem for me to overcome. My heart raced and I tried to stay calm but as we got to the top of my street a car came racing past and I jumped again as my breathing quickened.
“So it’s you that’s keeping Arthurs in business is it?” he asked and I smiled “Well I think I have more music than he does sometimes, he might constantly wear the same clothes and have that annoying cough but he is so nice. He’s like my surrogate grandfather,” I said and he smiled.
“Surrogate?” he asked and I nodded “I don’t have a real one” I stated and he looked awkward “I’m sure good at bringing up touchy subjects with you aren’t I? Sorry” he offered and I smiled “It’s okay” I said smiling and he looked relieved I wasn’t offended.
“Both my grandfathers died years ago, but I do have a grandma still” he said and I nodded ”Sorry” I offered and he nodded ”I only ever had one and all my grandparents that I know are dead” I stated and he nodded ”You have a sucky luck” he said and I smiled. If only he knew how wrong that statement was, I thought to myself as he watched me play with a piece of grass.
“Not really” I stated as I moved the hair from my face and he looked at me and his eyes locked onto something and I smiled when I realised what it was “You’ve seen one of my tattoos right?” I asked and he nodded “What is it?” he asked and I smiled as I realised he’d not seen what I thought he had.
I moved my head to the side and moved my hair so he could see the tattoo behind my ear, it was a stereo that sat directly behind my ear and had music notes travelling up behind my ear and over the top before curling into my ear and running down the inside. Although this wasn’t the bit I’d thought he’d noticed mixed in the music notes it said ‘lost in stereo’ the only other song I knew by his band and the one song that seemed to stick around in my mind and had some meaning to me.
I’d loved music my entire life and it had helped me through a lot of things and it was something I could hide behind and get lost in and when I heard the words lost in stereo it just meant something so I got it added to my tattoo. “Whoa does that say what I think it does?” he asked and I nodded “I’m not a fan girl honest” I said and he smiled ”Really?” he asked and I nodded.
“I know 2 of your songs, one being this one and the other being that one about it being someone’s weekend” I said and he smiled “Weightless, you played it last night” he stated “Yeah well my friends like you guys and make me play it with them, I’m not so keen” I said and then realised I’d just said that.
“Not that I think your bad but I just don’t really like you guys” I said and he smiled “Why come see us then?” he asked and I laughed, ”Your complaining about ticket sales?” I asked and he shook his head “Just that if you don’t like a band you don’t pay to see them” he stated and I nodded.
“You do when you’ve not been to a gig in years and it’s the only one your friends will go to” I said and he smiled “Well I guess that’s a valid excuse, so why don’t you like us guys?” he asked looking awkward. “It’s not that I think your bad or anything because your not your good but I guess I’ve only really ever heard 2 of your songs and I was never really tempted to buy your albums but I might after last night” I stated and he smiled.
“I’ll change your mind on us, give it 2 weeks and you’ll love us,” he said and I smiled “You like the same sort of music as me so I think you’ll like us but I think you’ll prefer our old stuff” he said looking at me as if he was analysing me and I nodded “Fair enough” I stated and he smiled.
His phone went off and he looked at it and then smiled “I am so jealous” he said out loud and I looked at him and he laughed “Sorry one of my friends just went to see Harry Potter” he said and I smiled “I love them films” I replied and he looked at me “Really? Nobody else does, Alex says they’re ‘stupidly childish’” he said mocking him and I smiled.
“Want to go see it?” he asked and I looked at him “Now I mean,” he added “My shout” he offered and I shrugged “Come on you’re my last chance Dillon,” he said and I smiled ”Guilt trip? I asked and he nodded and I smiled “Okay” I said and he stood up holding his hand out to help me up.
We went to the theatre and watched the film before walking out and into the busy street, I realised it was rush hour and as we walked down the road I felt nerves kick in, I tried to push it from my mind but it kept creeping further into my thoughts “That film was epic” he said and I looked at him and I realised what he’d said and forced a smile to my face “Yeah it was, thanks” I said and he smiled and then looked at me “Are you okay?” he asked and I nodded.
The road next to us was getting busier and cars were sat there their engines going as their owners revved them and as the lights changed they all drove off some faster than others and I noticed one driver on his cell and I felt sick and I moved further away from the edge of the road and closer to Jack who noticed my movement.
He looked at me but kept quiet, we walked further down the road getting closer to my house when I heard brakes squeal nearby and I jumped terrified and I felt Jacks hand on my own “Hey are you sure your okay?” he asked and I nodded quickly and he nodded slowly letting go obviously not believing me.
My road was the worst road, it was a shortcut that lots of people used and it’d been one of the main reasons why I’d been inside for so long and a big problem for me to overcome. My heart raced and I tried to stay calm but as we got to the top of my street a car came racing past and I jumped again as my breathing quickened.