‹ Prequel: Snapped Guitar Strings and Broken Hearts
Stitched Back Together
Chapter Three
There wasn't anywhere I'd rather be. Hot Topic was my personal haven. The one place where I felt like I actually belonged somewhere. Everybody seemed so like me. There was so many hugs going around and so much smiling. I personally thought it was a great job to have. Even if it was just middle class wage.
" Ohoh! Look over there!" Aiden whispered, pointing to a guy with long, black, straightened hair. It was pulled back from his left eye, revealing the palest blue pupil I'd ever seen. His pale skin was stunning and pulled the whole look together. He wore some baggy black shorts and a black t-shirt. Wow.
" Holyshit. Thats hot." Rai nodded, agreeing with my statement. He walked up, a few piercings in his hands. He looked ready to check out.
" Hey." He said in a deep, manly voice. I giggled.
" Hello. You look like a ninja." Fuck. Why did I just say that?
He raised a black eyebrow, laughing a bit. " Okay then."
" Is that all for you today and did you have any trouble finding anything?"
" Yeah, this is about it."
I started to ring the items up on the cash register and he stared at the dark gray countertop. He checked the small screen that read his total and pulled out some dollar bills.
" Exact change?" I asked, my mouth tilting into a grin. It wasn't really a question, but a statement. He'd given me the exact amount. Eight dollars and twenty-nine cents.
He smiled and winked before walking out, small black bag in his hand.
" HOLYFUCKINGSHIT." Aiden breathed. I laughed, and then burst into a fit of giggles. Wow.
The rest of the day went by as any other day on my job would go. Some prep girls walking in, trying to be 'emo'. Other guys were pointed out by either of the three of us. But that first guy blew all the rest away. By far. There was something about his eyes. You could see every emotion in those eyes. They were perfection.
" What do you think of Fall Out Boy?" Some girl asked me, a grin on her face as I rung up said band's shirt. " They suck."
"Oh..." She looked at the ground and I gave her a small smile.
" That'll be seventeen eighty-three, please."
She gave me a twenty and I returned the change. Her pace quickened and she left.
What a joy my work was, no?
Aiden drove home after we parted with Rai. There was many hugs and promises to meet up later. I headed back home, paycheck in my pocket. It was Friday. So there was money coming home with me. Not much, but enough to pay for another fill up or two of the tank on the van and to pay my portion of the house payment
The deal in our place was that Jake payed for groceries, I payed gas money and half of the house payment, Robby payed the rest of the house payment and part of the utilities and Craig, Caleb and Aiden all split up the water, electric and the rest of the utilities. The leftovers we used for whatever we wanted.
And it worked out great. We'd already payed off the van so that was no matter to worry about.
As soon as we stepped out of the van, you could hear the music. Screeching, screaming, guitar, bass, drums, all of it. It was all blaring and it seemed as if the house was shaking. Apparently they'd learned a new song.
" Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! And step outside your box! Wake up! Wake up!"
Constant screaming went through my ears and that was all I could hear. It wasn't bad at all. I wracked my brain to remember what band it was. I knew this song... I knew it...
UnderOath!
We hurried inside and soon enough I'd recognized the song too. Right as it ended. The stairs seemed to last forever on our way to the basement.
" So, you guys learned In Regards To Myself?" I asked, smiling at them. Robby nodded. " It sounded good. Hey, Jake, can you teach me the rhthym part?"
He smiled and sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to him. I went to grab the Stratocaster, heading across the tan carpet and sitting on the white couch with him. It was a huge accomplishment that we hadn't spilled anything on it yet.
Everybody else made their way upstairs, commenting each other on how good it went. They were probably all going to take showers. There was sweat pouring from Robby.
Jake showed me the basic order of chords and then handed me a CD player and told me to figure out the strumming. And after about a half hour of playing, listening, switching things around and playing again, things started to come together. I soon was up on my feet, jumping around and turning up the amp. I heard a door open and Robby appeared, smiling at me from the stairwell. I didn't stop playing either. Just kept on going until I reached the end.
" Whatcha think?" I asked, setting the guitar back in its place.
He walked down the stairs, water dripping from his hair. Apparently he'd gotten a shower.
" That wasn't bad. We should do a cover of that song..." He grinned mischeviously, as if remembering something.
" What did you and Craig do?"
He giggled. " We figured that we'd save time and get into the shower together. Turns out we just wasted a lot of time...and hot water."
I shook my head.
" I don't want to know the rest. Don't tell me. I don't wanna know." I covered my ears and he started to tickle me.
" Ohoh! Look over there!" Aiden whispered, pointing to a guy with long, black, straightened hair. It was pulled back from his left eye, revealing the palest blue pupil I'd ever seen. His pale skin was stunning and pulled the whole look together. He wore some baggy black shorts and a black t-shirt. Wow.
" Holyshit. Thats hot." Rai nodded, agreeing with my statement. He walked up, a few piercings in his hands. He looked ready to check out.
" Hey." He said in a deep, manly voice. I giggled.
" Hello. You look like a ninja." Fuck. Why did I just say that?
He raised a black eyebrow, laughing a bit. " Okay then."
" Is that all for you today and did you have any trouble finding anything?"
" Yeah, this is about it."
I started to ring the items up on the cash register and he stared at the dark gray countertop. He checked the small screen that read his total and pulled out some dollar bills.
" Exact change?" I asked, my mouth tilting into a grin. It wasn't really a question, but a statement. He'd given me the exact amount. Eight dollars and twenty-nine cents.
He smiled and winked before walking out, small black bag in his hand.
" HOLYFUCKINGSHIT." Aiden breathed. I laughed, and then burst into a fit of giggles. Wow.
The rest of the day went by as any other day on my job would go. Some prep girls walking in, trying to be 'emo'. Other guys were pointed out by either of the three of us. But that first guy blew all the rest away. By far. There was something about his eyes. You could see every emotion in those eyes. They were perfection.
" What do you think of Fall Out Boy?" Some girl asked me, a grin on her face as I rung up said band's shirt. " They suck."
"Oh..." She looked at the ground and I gave her a small smile.
" That'll be seventeen eighty-three, please."
She gave me a twenty and I returned the change. Her pace quickened and she left.
What a joy my work was, no?
Aiden drove home after we parted with Rai. There was many hugs and promises to meet up later. I headed back home, paycheck in my pocket. It was Friday. So there was money coming home with me. Not much, but enough to pay for another fill up or two of the tank on the van and to pay my portion of the house payment
The deal in our place was that Jake payed for groceries, I payed gas money and half of the house payment, Robby payed the rest of the house payment and part of the utilities and Craig, Caleb and Aiden all split up the water, electric and the rest of the utilities. The leftovers we used for whatever we wanted.
And it worked out great. We'd already payed off the van so that was no matter to worry about.
As soon as we stepped out of the van, you could hear the music. Screeching, screaming, guitar, bass, drums, all of it. It was all blaring and it seemed as if the house was shaking. Apparently they'd learned a new song.
" Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! And step outside your box! Wake up! Wake up!"
Constant screaming went through my ears and that was all I could hear. It wasn't bad at all. I wracked my brain to remember what band it was. I knew this song... I knew it...
UnderOath!
We hurried inside and soon enough I'd recognized the song too. Right as it ended. The stairs seemed to last forever on our way to the basement.
" So, you guys learned In Regards To Myself?" I asked, smiling at them. Robby nodded. " It sounded good. Hey, Jake, can you teach me the rhthym part?"
He smiled and sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to him. I went to grab the Stratocaster, heading across the tan carpet and sitting on the white couch with him. It was a huge accomplishment that we hadn't spilled anything on it yet.
Everybody else made their way upstairs, commenting each other on how good it went. They were probably all going to take showers. There was sweat pouring from Robby.
Jake showed me the basic order of chords and then handed me a CD player and told me to figure out the strumming. And after about a half hour of playing, listening, switching things around and playing again, things started to come together. I soon was up on my feet, jumping around and turning up the amp. I heard a door open and Robby appeared, smiling at me from the stairwell. I didn't stop playing either. Just kept on going until I reached the end.
" Whatcha think?" I asked, setting the guitar back in its place.
He walked down the stairs, water dripping from his hair. Apparently he'd gotten a shower.
" That wasn't bad. We should do a cover of that song..." He grinned mischeviously, as if remembering something.
" What did you and Craig do?"
He giggled. " We figured that we'd save time and get into the shower together. Turns out we just wasted a lot of time...and hot water."
I shook my head.
" I don't want to know the rest. Don't tell me. I don't wanna know." I covered my ears and he started to tickle me.