Status: Updated every 3-5 days
Rush Of The Past
October 7, 2007
I walked through the city of Baltimore on a crisp autumns day; leaves crunching under my feet and a ginger spice latte placed in my hand. I felt liberated; more alive than I had before. I was in a new place for the first time to write an article on an up and coming band called All Time Low. Those boys were on the rise with their music, even at such a young age. In fact, they graduated a little over a year ago like I did. It was nice getting to meet the next big thing. I walked to some no-name hole-in-the-wall café with my iPod on, being sound tracked by Death Cab For Cutie – also known as the best band in the world when it came to fall weather.
“You must be All Time Low,” I said as I got up to greet the four boys who walked in around ten minutes late.
“Yup!” A tall boy with two-toned hair assured me. “I’m Jack,” he smiled and stuck out his hand to shake mine.
“Eleanor.” I smiled back at him and turned around to the other boys. “You must be Rian, Zack, and Alex.” I pointed at the boys one-by-one while saying their names. They all nodded.
“Your parents are Beatles fans I take it?” Rian asked me with a chuckle. The boy was cute, shorter than the others, but none-the-less seemed like a sweetheart with a perfect, piano-key teeth smile.
“Is it that obvious?” I asked and sat back down with the four of them at the table. Jamie, our waiter, came over and took all of our orders. Jack, with being as skinny as he was, ordered more junk than I could ever imagine fitting in his tiny structure. I laughed to myself as he was ordering a pile of chocolate chip pancakes, two muffins, chocolate milk, and ice cream for dessert. He obviously was a kid at heart which made me feel glad to be in his presence.
Something happened during the interview, you see. Alex started acting shy when I knew well that he was the talker of the band. That being, loud and annoying, not giving a care in the world of what people thought of him. He had a good sense of humor and said what was on his mind at every second during interviews that I had seen of him online. But right now, he wasn’t talking that much and the way he looked at me made me feel uncomfortable in an odd sense – odd because I sort of liked it and it made me blush. The interview lasted a little while and since they were as laid back as they were, it was easy for me to show my true self around them. They were easy to laugh with and even easier to talk to. Once we were all done with our food and drinks – and long after the interview was over with – we just sat around and chatted like I had been friends with them for a lifetime. Finally, Alex opened up and started talking. His smile was immediately intoxicating and knocked me off my feet.
"Honestly, I think you guys have the potential to make it big. And I'll be right there supporting you on your rise to the top." I smiled at all of them while saying those words. The entire time I was taking a mental picture of this interview because they just had what it took to get hooked into the minds and hearts of many kids world-wide.
"Then give me you phone." Jack said and stuck out his hand, waiting for me to slap it in his palm. I shot him a weird look and hesitated, but he just laughed. "I'm just gonna put my number in it, Eleanor, chill." I chuckled a tad and finally got my phone out of my purse and gave it to the male. He put his number in it and then called his phone so he had my number in return. "Thank you, ma'am," he nodded.
"No, sir, thank you." I laughed at him. Before I could tuck my phone back in my purse, Alex reached across the table and took it out of my hands then followed the same procedure that Jack had just moments earlier. He stayed silent since Zack had picked up a conversation with me about my hometown of Chicago.
+++
We stayed in the café for over two and a half hours and decided we were all ready to get out of there. I hugged Jack goodbye as Alex came up behind me. "I'll be giving you a call tonight -- don't make any plans, okay?" I nodded and he hugged me also.
Rian scratched his head at the sight and came to me next. "I apologize, he gets weird around girls sometimes." He hugged me also, and then there was Zack. I doubt they ever give journalists hugs, but something felt very friendly about these boys and I could get used to it.
+++
It was half-past midnight when I got a call that interrupted my sound sleep. It was Alex like he said, but I wasn't expecting the call to be as late as it was. I groaned and answered. "What?" I sighed.
"Sleeping, were you?" He greeted me with a chuckle.
"Uh-huh, what's up?" I turned on the light in my hotel roomed and groaned yet again while my eyes tried to adjust to the lighting.
"Are you still up to do anything tonight, or should I let you sleep?" This was something I should've thought through, but it was a cute lead singer whose personality was to die for. I could end up getting hurt, but that thought just flew right past my head.
"When will you be here?" I immediately started making an aim for my suitcase, rummaging throughout it for something to wear.
"Twenty minutes." I rolled my eyes at the time frame that I had to get ready and look some-what awake. I told him where I was staying and my room number. By the time he knocked on the door, I was fully dressed with fresh make-up and a sloppy bun was placed on top of my head. I greeted him with a smile and then looked at what he had in his arms. "Okay, I hope this isn't weird or anything…" he started and trailed off while dumping everything on the bed. "It's almost Halloween and I just met a pretty girl who I want to watch movies with. And I also wanted to get out of my parents' house, if that's okay with you." I went through the bag of movies that he had brought with him, everything from the Halloween series to Shaun of the Dead, like he had a marathon planned out.
"So, cute boy comes to my hotel room and he wants to see if I'm scared enough to crawl into his arms during a horror flick?" I asked him with a laugh. He turned around from making pop-corn and the look on his face told me he was completely offended, even though it wasn't supposed to come across that way. I bit my lip to stop me from saying anything else and kept rummaging through the movies.
"I just wanted to hang-out with you, El. I'm sorry if it came off in a different way." I frowned knowing I shouldn't of said anything in the first place.
"I was kidding, Al," I smiled at him and laid down on the bed. "Either way, we're watching this." I threw the DVD case at him and his cheeks turned a cherry shade of red. He looked up at the ceiling and started laughing to himself. His tall, scrawny figure finally face planted into the foot of the bed from laughing out of embarrassment which made me laugh in return. "Hey, buddy, no need to be that embarrassed. It's a great movie, no matter the age."
"Okay," he started to settle down. "I wanted leave a good first impression with you and all -- not in an journalist-to-musician type way, either - but this wasn't supposed to be stashed with those movies." He started chuckling again and put it in the DVD player. The movie, if you were wondering, was in fact the first Scooby-Doo movie which was also known as the movie that made me fall in love with Matthew Lillard for playing Shaggy. I told Alex that fact so he didn't feel so alone in the embarrassment department.
We laughed throughout the entire movie, making a mess of ourselves by throwing popcorn because we got too excited, and we were even told to shut up by a neighbor next door, pounding on the wall. By the end of the movie, I hadn't remembered the last time I felt so laid back with someone I had just met and I felt good. I felt happy.
"No, Scooby Doo, your mom eats cat poop!" Alex quoted as he opened up the bathroom door and fell back down on the bed, laughing stupidly to himself. I never in a million years would've thought that a hot lead singer would be in my hotel room quoting a children's movie, but life does weird things. I started to yawn and Alex took full notice. "Want me to let you sleep now?" His voice sounded sad in a way.
"It's okay." I smiled at him.
"Sleep, Eleanor." He protested and started packing his movies back up.
"I had a fun time tonight," I told him. As he looked down at the bed, I could see a smile creep up on his face that told me that he did too before he even said so. I didn't know where this new found relationship was heading to, but all I knew is that I liked how it was starting.
"How long are you going to be in town?" He put on his hoodie and walked next to me and sat down on the bed.
"I'll be here three more days, actually." More than I needed to be, but I didn't want to hear my roommate bitch constantly about everything in her life like she always did, so this was my getaway.
"Can I call you in the afternoon so we can do something that doesn't involve a kid's movie?" He smiled shyly at me. I nodded and he stood up and started walking to the door.
"Goodnight, Al."
"Goodnight, El."
“You must be All Time Low,” I said as I got up to greet the four boys who walked in around ten minutes late.
“Yup!” A tall boy with two-toned hair assured me. “I’m Jack,” he smiled and stuck out his hand to shake mine.
“Eleanor.” I smiled back at him and turned around to the other boys. “You must be Rian, Zack, and Alex.” I pointed at the boys one-by-one while saying their names. They all nodded.
“Your parents are Beatles fans I take it?” Rian asked me with a chuckle. The boy was cute, shorter than the others, but none-the-less seemed like a sweetheart with a perfect, piano-key teeth smile.
“Is it that obvious?” I asked and sat back down with the four of them at the table. Jamie, our waiter, came over and took all of our orders. Jack, with being as skinny as he was, ordered more junk than I could ever imagine fitting in his tiny structure. I laughed to myself as he was ordering a pile of chocolate chip pancakes, two muffins, chocolate milk, and ice cream for dessert. He obviously was a kid at heart which made me feel glad to be in his presence.
Something happened during the interview, you see. Alex started acting shy when I knew well that he was the talker of the band. That being, loud and annoying, not giving a care in the world of what people thought of him. He had a good sense of humor and said what was on his mind at every second during interviews that I had seen of him online. But right now, he wasn’t talking that much and the way he looked at me made me feel uncomfortable in an odd sense – odd because I sort of liked it and it made me blush. The interview lasted a little while and since they were as laid back as they were, it was easy for me to show my true self around them. They were easy to laugh with and even easier to talk to. Once we were all done with our food and drinks – and long after the interview was over with – we just sat around and chatted like I had been friends with them for a lifetime. Finally, Alex opened up and started talking. His smile was immediately intoxicating and knocked me off my feet.
"Honestly, I think you guys have the potential to make it big. And I'll be right there supporting you on your rise to the top." I smiled at all of them while saying those words. The entire time I was taking a mental picture of this interview because they just had what it took to get hooked into the minds and hearts of many kids world-wide.
"Then give me you phone." Jack said and stuck out his hand, waiting for me to slap it in his palm. I shot him a weird look and hesitated, but he just laughed. "I'm just gonna put my number in it, Eleanor, chill." I chuckled a tad and finally got my phone out of my purse and gave it to the male. He put his number in it and then called his phone so he had my number in return. "Thank you, ma'am," he nodded.
"No, sir, thank you." I laughed at him. Before I could tuck my phone back in my purse, Alex reached across the table and took it out of my hands then followed the same procedure that Jack had just moments earlier. He stayed silent since Zack had picked up a conversation with me about my hometown of Chicago.
+++
We stayed in the café for over two and a half hours and decided we were all ready to get out of there. I hugged Jack goodbye as Alex came up behind me. "I'll be giving you a call tonight -- don't make any plans, okay?" I nodded and he hugged me also.
Rian scratched his head at the sight and came to me next. "I apologize, he gets weird around girls sometimes." He hugged me also, and then there was Zack. I doubt they ever give journalists hugs, but something felt very friendly about these boys and I could get used to it.
+++
It was half-past midnight when I got a call that interrupted my sound sleep. It was Alex like he said, but I wasn't expecting the call to be as late as it was. I groaned and answered. "What?" I sighed.
"Sleeping, were you?" He greeted me with a chuckle.
"Uh-huh, what's up?" I turned on the light in my hotel roomed and groaned yet again while my eyes tried to adjust to the lighting.
"Are you still up to do anything tonight, or should I let you sleep?" This was something I should've thought through, but it was a cute lead singer whose personality was to die for. I could end up getting hurt, but that thought just flew right past my head.
"When will you be here?" I immediately started making an aim for my suitcase, rummaging throughout it for something to wear.
"Twenty minutes." I rolled my eyes at the time frame that I had to get ready and look some-what awake. I told him where I was staying and my room number. By the time he knocked on the door, I was fully dressed with fresh make-up and a sloppy bun was placed on top of my head. I greeted him with a smile and then looked at what he had in his arms. "Okay, I hope this isn't weird or anything…" he started and trailed off while dumping everything on the bed. "It's almost Halloween and I just met a pretty girl who I want to watch movies with. And I also wanted to get out of my parents' house, if that's okay with you." I went through the bag of movies that he had brought with him, everything from the Halloween series to Shaun of the Dead, like he had a marathon planned out.
"So, cute boy comes to my hotel room and he wants to see if I'm scared enough to crawl into his arms during a horror flick?" I asked him with a laugh. He turned around from making pop-corn and the look on his face told me he was completely offended, even though it wasn't supposed to come across that way. I bit my lip to stop me from saying anything else and kept rummaging through the movies.
"I just wanted to hang-out with you, El. I'm sorry if it came off in a different way." I frowned knowing I shouldn't of said anything in the first place.
"I was kidding, Al," I smiled at him and laid down on the bed. "Either way, we're watching this." I threw the DVD case at him and his cheeks turned a cherry shade of red. He looked up at the ceiling and started laughing to himself. His tall, scrawny figure finally face planted into the foot of the bed from laughing out of embarrassment which made me laugh in return. "Hey, buddy, no need to be that embarrassed. It's a great movie, no matter the age."
"Okay," he started to settle down. "I wanted leave a good first impression with you and all -- not in an journalist-to-musician type way, either - but this wasn't supposed to be stashed with those movies." He started chuckling again and put it in the DVD player. The movie, if you were wondering, was in fact the first Scooby-Doo movie which was also known as the movie that made me fall in love with Matthew Lillard for playing Shaggy. I told Alex that fact so he didn't feel so alone in the embarrassment department.
We laughed throughout the entire movie, making a mess of ourselves by throwing popcorn because we got too excited, and we were even told to shut up by a neighbor next door, pounding on the wall. By the end of the movie, I hadn't remembered the last time I felt so laid back with someone I had just met and I felt good. I felt happy.
"No, Scooby Doo, your mom eats cat poop!" Alex quoted as he opened up the bathroom door and fell back down on the bed, laughing stupidly to himself. I never in a million years would've thought that a hot lead singer would be in my hotel room quoting a children's movie, but life does weird things. I started to yawn and Alex took full notice. "Want me to let you sleep now?" His voice sounded sad in a way.
"It's okay." I smiled at him.
"Sleep, Eleanor." He protested and started packing his movies back up.
"I had a fun time tonight," I told him. As he looked down at the bed, I could see a smile creep up on his face that told me that he did too before he even said so. I didn't know where this new found relationship was heading to, but all I knew is that I liked how it was starting.
"How long are you going to be in town?" He put on his hoodie and walked next to me and sat down on the bed.
"I'll be here three more days, actually." More than I needed to be, but I didn't want to hear my roommate bitch constantly about everything in her life like she always did, so this was my getaway.
"Can I call you in the afternoon so we can do something that doesn't involve a kid's movie?" He smiled shyly at me. I nodded and he stood up and started walking to the door.
"Goodnight, Al."
"Goodnight, El."
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