Change (Is Good), chapter 4
Chapter 4
The first half of the day passed and Carrie found that people seemed interested in the "new kid". Everyone wanted to talk to her about her experiences in San Francisco. At lunch time before she even stepped into the cafeteria a swarm of people motioned her to sit with them. However the one person that met her eye was Ivy. There was something about her personality. The way she said what she wanted and looked the way she wanted and didn't care if you liked her or not. Now that Carrie thought about it, it seemed she was trying to not make people like her. Yet she still had her passé of friends. Carrie quickly bought some food at sat down with her.
"Carrie, meet Phil or Pickle as we like to call him, Julia, Marisa who we call Bob. Don't ask," Ivy mouthed the Carrie behind her hand. "And, Steve."
"Hi," Carrie managed to say. They all were dressed like Ivy. Not in a uniform way, but they all had dyed hair, rolled up pants, they all wore several earrings, and the slightest bit of eye make up. Even the guys did, too.
Carrie was quite a contrast to them with her light grey pants and her pink shirt.
"And where did you come from, church?" the guy named Steve asked.
"Steve!" Ivy snarled back and then smiled sweetly to Carrie.
"No, actually I came from San Francisco," Carrie said.
"That's pretty cool," Julia said. "You going to The Flatliners on Saturday, Ivy?"
she then said.
"Yeah, everyone else here is going to right?" Ivy replied.
Everyone nodded.
"Um, Ivy," Carrie said tentatively, "You said you were going to go with me on Saturday."
"Oh right, well, I thought maybe you could come."
"What?" Carrie asked. She was confused. "I am not sure what you're talking about."
"The Flatliners are playing at Mavericks bar," Marisa, or Bob, said.
"Huh?" Carrie asked still confused.
"OK, the Flatliners are a ska band playing a concert at a venue called Mavericks." Ivy explained.
"Makes a little more sense," Carrie said. "But, what is ska?"
A few people around the table sniggered slightly.
"You know, like reggae punk mix sorta," Pickle tried explaining.
"Meet us after school in room 1.12 and we'll show you." Bob said.
"You're a punk virgin and you'll never forget your first time, ever!" Pickle put in. Everyone laughed. Even Carrie was surprised to find herself laughing at the joke.
Carrie walked out of her science class as the bell's throbbing ring was coming to an end. She went to her locker and packed all her book she'd need for her homework. She then walked towards room 1.12 and tentatively stepped in wondering what they wanted to show her. Room 1.12 was part of the music section of the school and was like many of the other music rooms, only slightly bigger and it had a drum set and a guitar rack with several guitars. Like the other rooms it also had a piano, a mirror, and some tuners and metronomes in the corner.
She sat down on the piano bench and twirled her blonde hair for a few minutes. She was about to go and look for Ivy when she, and the rest of her friends tumbled in laughing loudly.
"Oh, hey, Carrie. We were looking for you,"
"I came straight here after class," Carrie said.
"OK then. So, according to what you say, you've never heard ska or punk before, correct?" Ivy asked while taking out a CD from her CD case and putting it in a stereo sitting in the corner along with the metronomes.
"Yeah," Carrie replied hesitantly.
"Fuck, how could you survive?" Pickle asked.
Carrie just shrugged while Ivy pressed a few buttons on the stereo.
In a split second the room was filled with the familiar sound of an electric guitar, after a few chords, it was joined with drums and a bass. Carrie caught it all. She listened for every last cymbal crash, bass note, guitar riff. Her ears were pounding with the rhythm of the song. As she was listening something within her just clicked. Her head was swimming in the music. And she loved it. Time seemed to have stopped to capture this moment. It was beautiful. And as if that wasn't enough, the actually lyrics finally started.
"Dear Mother can you hear me crying?
It's been three whole weeks since that I have left your home
This sudden fear has left me trembling
'Cause now it seems that I am out here on my own
And I'm feeling so alone"
"Paid attention to the cracked streets and the broken homes
Some call it slums some call it nice
I wanna take you to a wasteland I like to call my home
Welcome to Paradise"
It was indeed paradise. The music bought Carrie somewhere where she could just be herself. A place with no rules. Like her very own world. And she loved it. She was so eager to hear more, because this was something she'd never heard of before. A completely new chapter to her life.
The first half of the day passed and Carrie found that people seemed interested in the "new kid". Everyone wanted to talk to her about her experiences in San Francisco. At lunch time before she even stepped into the cafeteria a swarm of people motioned her to sit with them. However the one person that met her eye was Ivy. There was something about her personality. The way she said what she wanted and looked the way she wanted and didn't care if you liked her or not. Now that Carrie thought about it, it seemed she was trying to not make people like her. Yet she still had her passé of friends. Carrie quickly bought some food at sat down with her.
"Carrie, meet Phil or Pickle as we like to call him, Julia, Marisa who we call Bob. Don't ask," Ivy mouthed the Carrie behind her hand. "And, Steve."
"Hi," Carrie managed to say. They all were dressed like Ivy. Not in a uniform way, but they all had dyed hair, rolled up pants, they all wore several earrings, and the slightest bit of eye make up. Even the guys did, too.
Carrie was quite a contrast to them with her light grey pants and her pink shirt.
"And where did you come from, church?" the guy named Steve asked.
"Steve!" Ivy snarled back and then smiled sweetly to Carrie.
"No, actually I came from San Francisco," Carrie said.
"That's pretty cool," Julia said. "You going to The Flatliners on Saturday, Ivy?"
she then said.
"Yeah, everyone else here is going to right?" Ivy replied.
Everyone nodded.
"Um, Ivy," Carrie said tentatively, "You said you were going to go with me on Saturday."
"Oh right, well, I thought maybe you could come."
"What?" Carrie asked. She was confused. "I am not sure what you're talking about."
"The Flatliners are playing at Mavericks bar," Marisa, or Bob, said.
"Huh?" Carrie asked still confused.
"OK, the Flatliners are a ska band playing a concert at a venue called Mavericks." Ivy explained.
"Makes a little more sense," Carrie said. "But, what is ska?"
A few people around the table sniggered slightly.
"You know, like reggae punk mix sorta," Pickle tried explaining.
"Meet us after school in room 1.12 and we'll show you." Bob said.
"You're a punk virgin and you'll never forget your first time, ever!" Pickle put in. Everyone laughed. Even Carrie was surprised to find herself laughing at the joke.
Carrie walked out of her science class as the bell's throbbing ring was coming to an end. She went to her locker and packed all her book she'd need for her homework. She then walked towards room 1.12 and tentatively stepped in wondering what they wanted to show her. Room 1.12 was part of the music section of the school and was like many of the other music rooms, only slightly bigger and it had a drum set and a guitar rack with several guitars. Like the other rooms it also had a piano, a mirror, and some tuners and metronomes in the corner.
She sat down on the piano bench and twirled her blonde hair for a few minutes. She was about to go and look for Ivy when she, and the rest of her friends tumbled in laughing loudly.
"Oh, hey, Carrie. We were looking for you,"
"I came straight here after class," Carrie said.
"OK then. So, according to what you say, you've never heard ska or punk before, correct?" Ivy asked while taking out a CD from her CD case and putting it in a stereo sitting in the corner along with the metronomes.
"Yeah," Carrie replied hesitantly.
"Fuck, how could you survive?" Pickle asked.
Carrie just shrugged while Ivy pressed a few buttons on the stereo.
In a split second the room was filled with the familiar sound of an electric guitar, after a few chords, it was joined with drums and a bass. Carrie caught it all. She listened for every last cymbal crash, bass note, guitar riff. Her ears were pounding with the rhythm of the song. As she was listening something within her just clicked. Her head was swimming in the music. And she loved it. Time seemed to have stopped to capture this moment. It was beautiful. And as if that wasn't enough, the actually lyrics finally started.
"Dear Mother can you hear me crying?
It's been three whole weeks since that I have left your home
This sudden fear has left me trembling
'Cause now it seems that I am out here on my own
And I'm feeling so alone"
"Paid attention to the cracked streets and the broken homes
Some call it slums some call it nice
I wanna take you to a wasteland I like to call my home
Welcome to Paradise"
It was indeed paradise. The music bought Carrie somewhere where she could just be herself. A place with no rules. Like her very own world. And she loved it. She was so eager to hear more, because this was something she'd never heard of before. A completely new chapter to her life.
