When flames blossom from embers
ch. 9
Friday was tedious. She kept tapping her pencil on her desk-click – click –click. The clock had to be going super slow today or even backwards. She fingered out the notes with her hands, playing the bass in her mind, hearing her lyrics being screamed. She glanced back at the clock, 3:55 p.m.
She opened her phone and texted her dad. The ten phone calls that she had missed were from her stepmom, dad had gone to the hospital. Kidney problems again. But the stubborn headed fool was back at work. Nothing would keep her father down, death himself would have to come back if he wasn’t ready. Because no one made him do anything he did not want to do-period.
Dad texted back that he was fine and that she needed to bring that guy she had spent the night with over. If she was going to be on the back of some guys motorcycle then he would have to meet dad. End of discussion. So at 5 p.m. Chad and her were going to drive his motorcycle to her dads ( she prayed she wouldn’t get them lost ). Her instrument had already been left with the guys to be taken up to the bar. So all they had to do was ride out , say hi, say goodbye and go to the show. She crossed her fingers that everything would go well.
She drove home, blasting the radio loud. She could already tell that something was going to go wrong. Chad picked her up and placed the helmet on her before she could even warn him about her family. There is something everyone should know about her dad and stepmom. They are the nicest people in the world. They will never hate you, degrade you or lie to you. They are very much straight up, loving souls but act –at times- like teenagers. And she didn’t warn Chad that her parents were still very much fond of Skyler.
They arrived at the house in one piece. She walked up to the door to be tackled by a blond princess, a curly blond boy and her favorite little brother. Her dad was on his chair, just like normal. Her mom was in the kitchen smiling and cooking hot dogs ( of course ). Her dad stood up and walked towards her and Chad. She said another small prayer before introducing them, “ Dad –Chad – Chad – Dad.” She gave her dad a weak smile.
Her dad look Chad up and down and grumbled, “ Well he’s taller than Skyler- I’ll give you that girly.”
Her jaw hit the ground. She couldn’t believe that he had just said that! She cleared her throat, “ Ha-ha dad. Really funny.” She gave a fake laugh.
Her dad shrugged and offered the guy a hand. He didn’t like the fact that he was older than the last. He didn’t like the fact that she was dating someone else so soon. He didn’t like the fact that his daughter wasn’t with the one before ( he really liked that kid ) . he didn’t like the fact that this one was as tall as him. And he didn’t like the fact that he put his baby girl on the back of a motorcycle in San Antonio traffic. “ So how long have you too been dating?” he said.
“ Not that long, a week I believe,” Chad replied placing an arm around her. But she shrugged it off.
At that exact moment the blond princess walked up to her big sister and looked up at the tall giant standing besides her. “ Sis, where is Sky? Where is your cute boyfriend?” She giggled.
Tommy was right behind her with a video game in his hand, “ Yeah is Sky coming? I got a new video game I want to play with him.”
The girl thought she was going to die. She took a deep breathe and tried to be reasonable. He was the first guy that she had brought home and the kids had loved him but come on! It had been five months since they had seen him. How the heck was Chad taking all of this? Then she remembered that she wasn’t dating the giant and smiled at her little sister and brother. “ Sky is at home sweeties. Him and I are just friends now- but… he says hi.” She gave the strongest smile she could.
The two little ones shrugged and ran off, they didn’t understand why he wasn’t there just that he wasn’t. They found something else to go entertain themselves with.
Chad stood there watching her hug her little sister, see the way she explained that he was standing here instead of someone else. He tried to let it go. He tried to just breathe. But it ate at him. He made small talk with her parents. Talked about their work together. He noticed that she hadn’t corrected him when she had told her father that they were dating. He took that for a good sign.
They left the house and walked out to the bike. She immediately started apologizing for her dad and her mom and well everyone bringing up Sky. “ They just really liked-like him” she stammered.
He took her hand and kissed it, “ It’s fine, it’s fine,” he laughed. “ I understand my parents are like that, they can’t stop talking about Michelle. Michelle this Michelle that, she was so perfect for you. It’s okay, it’s how parents are. Now unless we get going you’re going to be late for your show.”
She hugged him and thanked him. They went to the show, she spent about forty minutes in the bathroom ( getting ready of course) . She sighed at herself in the mirror and closed her phone. She said good night to her friends and she looked in the mirror and said good night to her normal self. She needed to bring out her other personality, she needed to get ready for the show. It took all of thirty seconds.
The crowd cheered as they played big hits such as AC/DC, Motley Crue ( they screamed extra loud with her and her girlfriend guitarist kissed during the song), they played Change of Pace just because it made her laugh. She messed up the beat a few times but she got back on, no one noticed but her. The crowd liked her lyrics, it was little bit too raw for this crowd. But still a good response.
She went to the after party smiling but inside she kept wondering about what she and Chad were. Her friends, her parents and everyone else seemed to like him. She liked him. But was she ready? Was she ready to take that step again? They don’t calling it breaking up for nothing, when it’s over you are left broken. She looked at him across the room, smiling. He was trying to hold a conversation with her best friend. She laughed when they handed him a mountain dew to chug, he did it! He glanced over to her and she waved. She didn’t feel the need to hover around him, she left him move around her friends and back to her.
he kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear, “ You have some really weird but cool friends.” He reached down to hold her hand and she laced hers around his. And smiled, he took that for a sign and smiled back. They didn’t say it but they both knew what her holding his hand in front of all her friends meant. Even if she wouldn’t say it he knew that she liked him. Even if she’d deny it till she was blue in the face he knew that she was ready for him.
She tugged him by his hand and introduced him to her friends. She didn’t say the word boyfriend but when they asked if they were together she nodded smiling. The girls gave her a high five and said “ way to go! Totally hottie!”. He kissed her on the cheek again, he knew how hard this was for her. She didn’t like being the center of attention unless she was in charge or had a guitar in her hands.
The guys came up behind him and slapped him on the back, threatened to break his legs if he broke her heart. Chad couldn’t help but comment, “ Did you break the last ones legs?” he joked. The second he said it he wished he hadn’t.
They looked at him hard their smiles frozen in place, “ We wanted too. Planned a trip to go ‘talk’ to him but she,” they nodded over to girly in the corner laughing in the corner with the girls, “ said she’d break our legs if we did anything. She said it was his loss and that if she found out that we did anything she’d break her foot up our asses.” they choked out.
They all turned to stare at the girl with brown curls laughing, she grabbed a xbox control and jumped on the couch laughing. She played with the others a smile on her lips, she turned to see who was looking at her and stuck her tongue out. “ I can hear you losers!” she giggled.
“ Aw, you can’t blame us for wanting to hurt anyone who made you cry!” they shouted back. Two of them jumped around her ticking her, picking her up and placing her on their lap. She turned to face the greasy haired friend of hers and kissed him on the cheek, “ Now why would you want too! I thought you wanted him gone so you could have a chance with me?! “ She gave that wicked smile.
They all took that as a sign and started to chase her. “ I was kidding! I was kidding!” she screamed over her shoulder running from the five guys she had known for years. They cornered her and picked her up ticking her. “ Please… please… mercy!” she laughed, tears falling from her eyes.
She had the best friends in the world. If anything else in life was a lie, if the world stopped turning, if zombies broke out and took over the world she knew that by her side her friends would be with her. Shot guns in hand ready to take on the world. She grabbed a mountain dew and made a toast. “To the losers who left us, to the ones we’ve yet to met, and the lucky bastards that we go home with tonight!”
She opened her phone and texted her dad. The ten phone calls that she had missed were from her stepmom, dad had gone to the hospital. Kidney problems again. But the stubborn headed fool was back at work. Nothing would keep her father down, death himself would have to come back if he wasn’t ready. Because no one made him do anything he did not want to do-period.
Dad texted back that he was fine and that she needed to bring that guy she had spent the night with over. If she was going to be on the back of some guys motorcycle then he would have to meet dad. End of discussion. So at 5 p.m. Chad and her were going to drive his motorcycle to her dads ( she prayed she wouldn’t get them lost ). Her instrument had already been left with the guys to be taken up to the bar. So all they had to do was ride out , say hi, say goodbye and go to the show. She crossed her fingers that everything would go well.
She drove home, blasting the radio loud. She could already tell that something was going to go wrong. Chad picked her up and placed the helmet on her before she could even warn him about her family. There is something everyone should know about her dad and stepmom. They are the nicest people in the world. They will never hate you, degrade you or lie to you. They are very much straight up, loving souls but act –at times- like teenagers. And she didn’t warn Chad that her parents were still very much fond of Skyler.
They arrived at the house in one piece. She walked up to the door to be tackled by a blond princess, a curly blond boy and her favorite little brother. Her dad was on his chair, just like normal. Her mom was in the kitchen smiling and cooking hot dogs ( of course ). Her dad stood up and walked towards her and Chad. She said another small prayer before introducing them, “ Dad –Chad – Chad – Dad.” She gave her dad a weak smile.
Her dad look Chad up and down and grumbled, “ Well he’s taller than Skyler- I’ll give you that girly.”
Her jaw hit the ground. She couldn’t believe that he had just said that! She cleared her throat, “ Ha-ha dad. Really funny.” She gave a fake laugh.
Her dad shrugged and offered the guy a hand. He didn’t like the fact that he was older than the last. He didn’t like the fact that she was dating someone else so soon. He didn’t like the fact that his daughter wasn’t with the one before ( he really liked that kid ) . he didn’t like the fact that this one was as tall as him. And he didn’t like the fact that he put his baby girl on the back of a motorcycle in San Antonio traffic. “ So how long have you too been dating?” he said.
“ Not that long, a week I believe,” Chad replied placing an arm around her. But she shrugged it off.
At that exact moment the blond princess walked up to her big sister and looked up at the tall giant standing besides her. “ Sis, where is Sky? Where is your cute boyfriend?” She giggled.
Tommy was right behind her with a video game in his hand, “ Yeah is Sky coming? I got a new video game I want to play with him.”
The girl thought she was going to die. She took a deep breathe and tried to be reasonable. He was the first guy that she had brought home and the kids had loved him but come on! It had been five months since they had seen him. How the heck was Chad taking all of this? Then she remembered that she wasn’t dating the giant and smiled at her little sister and brother. “ Sky is at home sweeties. Him and I are just friends now- but… he says hi.” She gave the strongest smile she could.
The two little ones shrugged and ran off, they didn’t understand why he wasn’t there just that he wasn’t. They found something else to go entertain themselves with.
Chad stood there watching her hug her little sister, see the way she explained that he was standing here instead of someone else. He tried to let it go. He tried to just breathe. But it ate at him. He made small talk with her parents. Talked about their work together. He noticed that she hadn’t corrected him when she had told her father that they were dating. He took that for a good sign.
They left the house and walked out to the bike. She immediately started apologizing for her dad and her mom and well everyone bringing up Sky. “ They just really liked-like him” she stammered.
He took her hand and kissed it, “ It’s fine, it’s fine,” he laughed. “ I understand my parents are like that, they can’t stop talking about Michelle. Michelle this Michelle that, she was so perfect for you. It’s okay, it’s how parents are. Now unless we get going you’re going to be late for your show.”
She hugged him and thanked him. They went to the show, she spent about forty minutes in the bathroom ( getting ready of course) . She sighed at herself in the mirror and closed her phone. She said good night to her friends and she looked in the mirror and said good night to her normal self. She needed to bring out her other personality, she needed to get ready for the show. It took all of thirty seconds.
The crowd cheered as they played big hits such as AC/DC, Motley Crue ( they screamed extra loud with her and her girlfriend guitarist kissed during the song), they played Change of Pace just because it made her laugh. She messed up the beat a few times but she got back on, no one noticed but her. The crowd liked her lyrics, it was little bit too raw for this crowd. But still a good response.
She went to the after party smiling but inside she kept wondering about what she and Chad were. Her friends, her parents and everyone else seemed to like him. She liked him. But was she ready? Was she ready to take that step again? They don’t calling it breaking up for nothing, when it’s over you are left broken. She looked at him across the room, smiling. He was trying to hold a conversation with her best friend. She laughed when they handed him a mountain dew to chug, he did it! He glanced over to her and she waved. She didn’t feel the need to hover around him, she left him move around her friends and back to her.
he kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear, “ You have some really weird but cool friends.” He reached down to hold her hand and she laced hers around his. And smiled, he took that for a sign and smiled back. They didn’t say it but they both knew what her holding his hand in front of all her friends meant. Even if she wouldn’t say it he knew that she liked him. Even if she’d deny it till she was blue in the face he knew that she was ready for him.
She tugged him by his hand and introduced him to her friends. She didn’t say the word boyfriend but when they asked if they were together she nodded smiling. The girls gave her a high five and said “ way to go! Totally hottie!”. He kissed her on the cheek again, he knew how hard this was for her. She didn’t like being the center of attention unless she was in charge or had a guitar in her hands.
The guys came up behind him and slapped him on the back, threatened to break his legs if he broke her heart. Chad couldn’t help but comment, “ Did you break the last ones legs?” he joked. The second he said it he wished he hadn’t.
They looked at him hard their smiles frozen in place, “ We wanted too. Planned a trip to go ‘talk’ to him but she,” they nodded over to girly in the corner laughing in the corner with the girls, “ said she’d break our legs if we did anything. She said it was his loss and that if she found out that we did anything she’d break her foot up our asses.” they choked out.
They all turned to stare at the girl with brown curls laughing, she grabbed a xbox control and jumped on the couch laughing. She played with the others a smile on her lips, she turned to see who was looking at her and stuck her tongue out. “ I can hear you losers!” she giggled.
“ Aw, you can’t blame us for wanting to hurt anyone who made you cry!” they shouted back. Two of them jumped around her ticking her, picking her up and placing her on their lap. She turned to face the greasy haired friend of hers and kissed him on the cheek, “ Now why would you want too! I thought you wanted him gone so you could have a chance with me?! “ She gave that wicked smile.
They all took that as a sign and started to chase her. “ I was kidding! I was kidding!” she screamed over her shoulder running from the five guys she had known for years. They cornered her and picked her up ticking her. “ Please… please… mercy!” she laughed, tears falling from her eyes.
She had the best friends in the world. If anything else in life was a lie, if the world stopped turning, if zombies broke out and took over the world she knew that by her side her friends would be with her. Shot guns in hand ready to take on the world. She grabbed a mountain dew and made a toast. “To the losers who left us, to the ones we’ve yet to met, and the lucky bastards that we go home with tonight!”