Status: This story will alternate between John and the OC.
This Fragile Game
Him
Asher O’callahan, My arch nemesis since the third grade. He never liked the silent “G” in my last name, and always thought I was a threat because I came before him in every yearbook.
It has always been a competition between us. He was good at baseball, so I had to be better. I started a band in high school so he had to do the same. I believe he started hating me the most when I got a full ride Baseball scholarship for The University of Arizona and I gave it all up to pursue The Maine full time.
He wanted that scholarship more than anything and I was the one that got it over him. And then I gave it up because I realized that music was way more important to me than baseball ever was.
I never hated Asher, not once, disliked him yes, but I never hated him.
Not until tonight anyway, when I watched as he hit the girl that was standing next to him. Most likely because he was drunk. He had always been an angry drunk and I had been on the receiving end of some of his drunken rampages. I was at least seven inches taller than he was so there was never any damage done.
I felt really bad for his date. I couldn’t see well from the stage but from what I could tell in the way she reacted this wasn’t the first time that he had hit her.
I watched as security dragged Asher out of the building and then looked down at my feet seeing what the next song in the set was; Like we did. I looked back up in the direction of where Asher’s date was standing and smiled grabbing my mic from its stand and clearing my throat.
“Before we go into this next song, I just want to have a conversation with you guys. We’re all buddies in here, And buddies have heart to heart conversations sometimes. And this is one of them. All of you have to listen to me, I’m the older and wiser bud you will ever have. And what I have to say is, Life sucks sometimes but you fucking matter. You matter to your parents, you matter to your friends, you matter a hell of a lot to us because I wouldn’t be having this heart to heart with each and every one of you if you weren’t so loyal. What I’m trying to get at is things happen, people happen. You get bullied, your parents get a divorce, you lose your best friend a lot of bad things can happen in your life but that doesn’t mean that you don’t matter because you do.”
I looked in the direction of where his date was standing hoping that we were making eye-contact
“Don’t lose yourself in the midst of badness. You matter. I want all of you to live your life with no regrets. Starting today. Be great, find love for yourself and surround yourself with awesome people who can and will do awesome things for and with you. Life is way too short not to live it to your fullest. I never want any of you to give up, even when you feel like it, You. Matter. This next song is called ‘Like we did’”
The crowd screamed and clapped as the music picked up I looked in the direction one last time of where the girl was and smiled slightly. Hoping what I had just said could help her out any. I didn’t know her but knowing she was with Asher O’Callahan made me feel bad.
She deserved better than that.
It has always been a competition between us. He was good at baseball, so I had to be better. I started a band in high school so he had to do the same. I believe he started hating me the most when I got a full ride Baseball scholarship for The University of Arizona and I gave it all up to pursue The Maine full time.
He wanted that scholarship more than anything and I was the one that got it over him. And then I gave it up because I realized that music was way more important to me than baseball ever was.
I never hated Asher, not once, disliked him yes, but I never hated him.
Not until tonight anyway, when I watched as he hit the girl that was standing next to him. Most likely because he was drunk. He had always been an angry drunk and I had been on the receiving end of some of his drunken rampages. I was at least seven inches taller than he was so there was never any damage done.
I felt really bad for his date. I couldn’t see well from the stage but from what I could tell in the way she reacted this wasn’t the first time that he had hit her.
I watched as security dragged Asher out of the building and then looked down at my feet seeing what the next song in the set was; Like we did. I looked back up in the direction of where Asher’s date was standing and smiled grabbing my mic from its stand and clearing my throat.
“Before we go into this next song, I just want to have a conversation with you guys. We’re all buddies in here, And buddies have heart to heart conversations sometimes. And this is one of them. All of you have to listen to me, I’m the older and wiser bud you will ever have. And what I have to say is, Life sucks sometimes but you fucking matter. You matter to your parents, you matter to your friends, you matter a hell of a lot to us because I wouldn’t be having this heart to heart with each and every one of you if you weren’t so loyal. What I’m trying to get at is things happen, people happen. You get bullied, your parents get a divorce, you lose your best friend a lot of bad things can happen in your life but that doesn’t mean that you don’t matter because you do.”
I looked in the direction of where his date was standing hoping that we were making eye-contact
“Don’t lose yourself in the midst of badness. You matter. I want all of you to live your life with no regrets. Starting today. Be great, find love for yourself and surround yourself with awesome people who can and will do awesome things for and with you. Life is way too short not to live it to your fullest. I never want any of you to give up, even when you feel like it, You. Matter. This next song is called ‘Like we did’”
The crowd screamed and clapped as the music picked up I looked in the direction one last time of where the girl was and smiled slightly. Hoping what I had just said could help her out any. I didn’t know her but knowing she was with Asher O’Callahan made me feel bad.
She deserved better than that.
♠ ♠ ♠
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