Snapped Guitar Strings and Broken Hearts

Wait. Did you say band?

It was 2:30, and we were playing poker in the garage. I was loosing horribly and I’d bet 50 dollars.
“ UNO!” Caleb shouted, jumping up excitedly.
“ Um… Caleb… You have 5 cards…and we’re playing poker…” Jake pointed out, and Caleb sat down.
“ Wait. I thought uno meant five in Spanish!”
“ It means one.” I corrected him, giggling. The Mountain Dew I was drinking spewed out of my nose.
“ ACK!!!” I screamed, standing up and holding my nose. It wasn’t helping any.
Caleb was rolling around, laughing again, and Jake was holding in a laugh. I stuck my tongue out at them after the flow of caffeine stopped.
“ Meanie….” I growled, kicking Caleb in the stomach. He flinched and the door opened.
“ CRAIIIIIIIIG!!!!!!!!!” Caleb ran into the hallway and pounced on top of Craig, I’m guessing. There was a thud and then another joyous yelling.
“ CALLEEEEB!!!!”
Weirdos.
Craig walked in, studying the scene. Oops. I forgot to get off of Jake’s lap. He shrugged and sat down in my lap. Idiot.
“ Craig, get off.” I whined, poking his hair. My finger was stained red and I realized the red highlights were brighter.
“ Ugg…. Red hair dye on me….” I wiped it on Jake’s nose and he snorted, crossing his arms across his chest.
“ Craig, get off.” I said more sternly.
“ Fine.” He retorted and went to sit on Caleb’s lap. Caleb was smaller than Craig, so it was extremely awkward.
“ Craig, Robby isn’t here… I’m NOT Robby.” Caleb pushed on Craig and Craig sighed.
“ Well…. I want Robby…” He whined, getting up.
“ Fine. We’ll go get him!” Jake got up and pulled me up after him.

We were in the car outside of the High School. It had been 2 minutes at the most since we’d been outside the doors, and then the bell rang.
The students came scrambling out of the doors, more than half heading for the parking lot. Others were walking in random directions. Some stood around, talking. I saw Robby, and poked Jake. He honked the horn and turned up the music. Robby looked over and saw us. His face lit up and he piled in the back with Craig and Caleb.
“ Gwin, I got your text. You left…why?” He asked me. Dang it… Robby was too curious for his own good.
“ Brent.” I answered in a small voice. Jake put an arm around my shoulder.
“ Ooooh… Jakey’s gotta girlfriend….” Robby sang. He was so clueless.
“ Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t.” I answered calmly.
“ And Gwin’s in lurve!” Gosh, Robby was way too clueless.
“ No. Duh.” Caleb said. Craig moved into Robby’s lap and kissed him on the cheek.
“ I missed you.” He stated, burying his head in Robby’s neck. I held in a gasp. Don’t bite him… please don’t bite him.
“ I missed you too, Craig.” Robby closed his eyes and stroked Craig’s hair.
Caleb rolled his eyes. I think he had a problem with being single. Poor guy. Here I go with sympathy again. Dang it.
“ I say we go to Robby’s anybody disagree?” Jake asked.
A chorus of ‘no’s’ sounded and Jake pulled out of the parking lot, blasting DECEMBERUNDERGROUND as loud as his car would allow. We rolled down all the windows and received glares and yells from various students and teachers. Hahaha.

When Jake pulled up to the curb, we piled out and I scrambled down the stairs, tripping over the last two. Jake landed on top of me. Oh, God.
Caleb’s eye twitched and he grunted unhappily, sitting behind the drums and banging out a rhythm I’d never heard before. It was good.
He played better when he was angry. I grabbed Robby’s guitar and started to strum out some chords that seemed to match the beat. Robby walked over to the mic and added some lyrics.
“ Wake up screaming again,
‘No, I’m fine, Mom’
There’s something wrong.
I’m slitting instead of going to prom.
What is wrong with me?
I’m so dark.
The light evades me.
The scars leave a permanent mark.

And If I told you I loved you
You wouldn’t listen to a word I said.
‘Cause you don’t know me.
But it’s my depression you’ve fed.”

Craig picked up a bass, trying to fall into the rhythm.
Jake went up to sing with Robby, who’d drawn a sheet of paper from his pocket, ink scrawled messily everywhere and black X’s over certain things.
“ And when I see you,
You just ignore me.
But I’m in love.
It’s something almost everybody can see.
When I wear black everyday,
And get sent away.
You’ll still be on my mind.
No matter where they put me to stay.”

I went off doing a couple of riffs and scales, and they all fell into the beat.
“And If I told you I loved you
You wouldn’t listen to a word I said.
‘Cause you don’t know me.
But it’s my depression you’ve fed.
And If I told you I loved you
You wouldn’t listen to a word I said.
‘Cause you don’t know me.
But it’s my depression you’ve fed.

Nightmares again, sleepless nights.
I’m crying ‘cause I can’t have you.
I’ll just go cut myself.” At that moment, Jake started screaming loudly, Robby singing over him.
“ It’s not like you care about what I do.
And If I told you I loved you
You wouldn’t listen to a word I said.
‘Cause you don’t know me.
But it’s my depression you’ve fed.
And If I told you I loved you
You wouldn’t listen to a word I said.
‘Cause you don’t know me.
But it’s my depression you’ve fed.

Break me without knowing it!” Jake repeated the line in a scream.
“ YOU’RE SILENTLY KILLING ME!” They screamed together. It was beautiful. Wait. Robby had written this….
“ Robby, what’s that called?” I asked him, setting down his crapping guitar.
“ Razors and Sleeping Pills.” He said, nodding slowly, and returning the page to his pocket.
“ That’s cool. Caleb. You. Are. A. Genius.” I announced, smiling brightly.
“ Really? I didn’t think I was…”
“ No. You started something. Your anger… did something to us. Yeah.”
“ Um… created an atmosphere?” Craig suggested, helping my loss of words. I nodded. That was the phrase.
“ Hey… Band?” Jake said. I didn’t get it.
“ What?”
“ Do you guys want to…like…start a band?” He asked again.
“ No der, Jakey!” I exclaimed, pouncing on him. Craig smiled and nodded, and Robby gave an excited yes. Caleb agreed too.

Whoa. My friends and I were in a band now. Awesome.

“ Wait. We need a name.” Craig interrupted my thoughts.
“ Slightly Dead.” I said automatically. I mean, half of us were slightly dead anyways…
“ Sounds good to me.” Jake nodded, and the others all agreed silently.

Okay… I’m still in shock. A band. Me. In a band. Wow.