Look for Me in Rainbows
I Know Its Not My Place To Say It, But You Need A Reality Check
Maggie picked up her hockey bag and walked out into the July heat. The ice rinks, and her home were her only escape from its scorching heat. She walked to her car as someone from behind called her name.
“Maggie!” He said. “Wait up!” She turned to see who it was. It was that Patrick kid.
“What?” She asked as he caught up to her.
“Why did you say that you wouldn’t want to be me?” He asked.
“I told you. You’re probably gonna get some heat for being a drunk who gets arrested all the time. People who invest money want their money to be invested in something stable. Right now, you aren’t stable.”
“I don’t care.” He said. “I just want to have a good time. I don’t need you to tell me that I suck. I don't care what you have to say.”
“I never said you suck. I know its not my place to say it but, I’m telling you that you need a reality check.” She stepped closer to him. “Quit living your life like its some kind of game. You could die tomorrow. Do you want people to think of you as a drunken partier, or do you want to change peoples’ lives for the better? There are people who would kill to have the talent you do, and the career you do. There are kids that think of you as a role model and you’re letting them down. You say you don’t care about what I have to say, but you came out here to find me and listen to me so whether or not you want to care, you do.”
Maggie turned away from him and started walking to her car, leaving him standing on the curb staring at his feet in awe. He couldn’t believe what he had heard.
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Patrick just stood there. He saw people walk by, but he ignored them. He didn’t know how long he had stayed there, just thinking. Why was this girl’s opinion of him so important to him? Why was she so set on him making a good impression on people’s lives? Why did say he could die tomorrow? Why did she even are about him?
When he could finally move, he walked to his car and got inside. He hit the steering wheel as hard as he could. “What the hell am I doing with my life!?” He screamed. He needed to get a grip. He had been pretending to be a person who didn’t care. When in reality all he did was care. He wanted people to like him. He wanted kids to want to grow up to be like him. But not like this. He didn’t want them to ever hit rock bottom like this. This was hell.
Patrick drove. He didn’t know where he wanted to go. He just wanted to go. He was full of so many different emotions and thoughts. He wanted to go to a bar and get drunk, to forget about that girl, to never have to think again at all. He couldn’t do it though. He couldn’t bring himself to let Maggie down. Letting Maggie down would mean letting all those investors down, it was letting the fans down, worst of all, it was letting the kids who looked up to him down.
And that was when Patrick decided he needed to make a change. He knew he needed to grow up. He had gotten Maggie’s message. Funny how a total stranger could make a person want to change his whole life.
“Maggie!” He said. “Wait up!” She turned to see who it was. It was that Patrick kid.
“What?” She asked as he caught up to her.
“Why did you say that you wouldn’t want to be me?” He asked.
“I told you. You’re probably gonna get some heat for being a drunk who gets arrested all the time. People who invest money want their money to be invested in something stable. Right now, you aren’t stable.”
“I don’t care.” He said. “I just want to have a good time. I don’t need you to tell me that I suck. I don't care what you have to say.”
“I never said you suck. I know its not my place to say it but, I’m telling you that you need a reality check.” She stepped closer to him. “Quit living your life like its some kind of game. You could die tomorrow. Do you want people to think of you as a drunken partier, or do you want to change peoples’ lives for the better? There are people who would kill to have the talent you do, and the career you do. There are kids that think of you as a role model and you’re letting them down. You say you don’t care about what I have to say, but you came out here to find me and listen to me so whether or not you want to care, you do.”
Maggie turned away from him and started walking to her car, leaving him standing on the curb staring at his feet in awe. He couldn’t believe what he had heard.
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Patrick just stood there. He saw people walk by, but he ignored them. He didn’t know how long he had stayed there, just thinking. Why was this girl’s opinion of him so important to him? Why was she so set on him making a good impression on people’s lives? Why did say he could die tomorrow? Why did she even are about him?
When he could finally move, he walked to his car and got inside. He hit the steering wheel as hard as he could. “What the hell am I doing with my life!?” He screamed. He needed to get a grip. He had been pretending to be a person who didn’t care. When in reality all he did was care. He wanted people to like him. He wanted kids to want to grow up to be like him. But not like this. He didn’t want them to ever hit rock bottom like this. This was hell.
Patrick drove. He didn’t know where he wanted to go. He just wanted to go. He was full of so many different emotions and thoughts. He wanted to go to a bar and get drunk, to forget about that girl, to never have to think again at all. He couldn’t do it though. He couldn’t bring himself to let Maggie down. Letting Maggie down would mean letting all those investors down, it was letting the fans down, worst of all, it was letting the kids who looked up to him down.
And that was when Patrick decided he needed to make a change. He knew he needed to grow up. He had gotten Maggie’s message. Funny how a total stranger could make a person want to change his whole life.