Salt of the Earth, chapter 1
The young drummer sat alone in the cafeteria with his tray in front of him looking at what the lunch lady had given him today. Same as usual some fast food, inexpensive meal he was probably going to throw up later on like he typically did each day. He sighed and pushed it forwards in front of him and slumped into his seat with his head down twiddling his thumbs. He hated school, it was what he referred to as a 'necessary evil' but he knew to keep his father happy that he would have to come here every weekday and sit though hours of tedious and repetitive classes when he could be out doing something else. Something he had enthusiasm and passion for. Something he really wanted to do. That thing was drumming. He stared outside the school café windows wondering what the big world outside had to offer him. Surely anything better then his. His mind grew hazy and slowly he slipped into a state of a day-dream before he was interrupted by a voice.
"You alone again buddy?", Mike's voice asked him. Tre looked up to see the tall blonde and blue eyed teenager taking a seat across from him.
"Yeah I guess", he said silently, watching Mike make himself comfortable.
"You coming to band practise tonight?', Mike asked him curiously. Tre let his bright blue eyes flick up at Mike and gaze into his, as he nodded into the bassists eyes. Tre noticed Mike looking up at something. He turned to see what I was Mike was watching.
"Hey Mikey, Hey Tre-Bear", he heard a girl say walking to the table with Billie Joe. He couldn't believe his eyes for one moment. Billie had actually gotten the most unruly, rebellious and bratty girl at school too come and talk to them at lunch when she could be doing something like, selling pot or causing a riot, Tre thought to himself. Billie Joe took a seat down net to Mike but Tre continued to look at the girl standing there. She was everything he could have ever asked for and more. He took a look at what she was wearing; Tartan skirt as usual with black and green ripped stripe stockings and vivid red converse to compliment it. The Ramones emblem on her shirt was faded by the constant wearing and her hair was kept up in two mid length pigtails that flattered the thick black rimmed glasses she wore. To Tre she was perfect, piercings and all, but she still wondered how Billie had managed to get her here.
"Hey Steph", he mumbled trying to start conversation with her but it was no use, he was just a quiet punk drummer boy while she was the loud and obnoxious teenage girl people had tagged her to be. Mike looked at him and smiled noticing his attempt.
"Ahh Steph, I think Tre wanted to say something to you", he told her smirking. Tre's mouth dropped open looking at his friend and then her. She stared down at him from where she stood.
"Ahh I ahh", he mumbled rubbing the back of his neck. She waited patiently for an answer but got nothing.
"It's nothing", he blurted out pretending to eat all of a sudden. She smiled knowing how nervous Tre got in front of women.
"So will I see you after school?", Billie asked Steph rubbing the back of her hand gently.
"You know how my boyfriends going to react if he sees me with you Billie Joe", she told him, giving him a concerned look.
"No I mean at band practise", he said smiling innocently knowing exactly what she was on about. He boyfriend was the meanest and most aggressive boy in the year level. He did practically all he could to make sure she wasn't around any other guys, and well if he caught her with anyone, they usually paid up with serous consequences. Billie Joe though liked the idea of adventure and risk.
"Course you boys will", she said smiling. They all smiled at each other agreeing she was the most fun to have at a band practise.
"I'll see you then!", she told them walking out of the cafeteria before her boyfriend caught her with them. They were the last people she wanted to get into trouble because of her boyfriends stupid beliefs and thoughts.
"Dude she is one hot chick", Billie let out putting his hands behind his head as a head rest, "Don't you think?". Mike smiled.
"Okay, okay so she's cute. But apart from that", he said being cut off.
"She's the most gorgeous thing in the world", Tre said in a quiet voice with his head resting in his hands. Mike and Billie Joe looked at each other before turning to Tre and giggling.
"Ohh, look who's got a little crush", Mike teased. Tre looked at him sternly.
"It's not a crush", Tre told him aggressively, which only made Billie and Mike laugh harder.
"It's okay Mike its like a new girl every week, he'll be over her in no time", Billie added still giggling. Tre went ever so slightly red in the face wondering why his friends couldn't believe that for once he actually might be in love.
"It's more then a crush this time okay", Tre said getting up. He did it in such a hurry and having the clumsiness that he did, managed to tip everything over off the tray and falling to the floor. Mike and Billie Joe tried there hardest to keep the laughter inside but it was no use. Tears were coming out since they tried to keep it in so hard. The whole cafeteria turned and looked at him, busting up into a fit of laughter. He had always been the year level clown but he didn't want to be known as clumsy as well. He picked up what he had dropped and put it back on the table limping out of the cafeteria only to notice that Steph and her boyfriend had been watching as well.
"What a loser", Jason let out putting his arm around Steph. She turned and looked over his shoulder back at Tre. He had obviously heard what Joel said as he was last seen running into the bathroom crying.
"Jase he is not a loser", Steph told him firmly hitting his chest ahead of walking off in search of Tre.
"Your girlfriends not seriously going to find that sad ass loser is she?", one of Jason's friends asked him. He smiled.
"Dude no way, her lockers down that hall", he said questioning wether she had gone where he thought she had or not.
"Tre you in here?", Steph said slowly pushing the boys bathroom door open. She had only ever been in here once and that was because of Joel dragging her in. A memory she'd rather forget about. She took a few short steps in trying to see if she could find him.
"Tre", she called out again hearing some quiet sniffling from the last cubical. She walked down and pushed open the last door seeing Tre sitting on the toilet seat with his head in his hands crying.
"Tre", she let out putting her hand on his back. He shook it off thinking it was guilt sympathy.
"Tre you wanna talk about what happened?", she asked. He looked up at her. His blue eyes looked like they had just received the most awful heartbreaking news and it crushed her on the inside to see a friend like this.
"What's there to talk about?", he asked her, "I'm the worlds biggest loser and I'm a failure", he announced continuing to cry. She stood beside him crouched down so she was eye level with him as she started to rub his back gently. That attention only made him cry harder.
"Tre you are not the worlds biggest loser", she told him seriously, "If anyone its Joel and his pack of mini me's", she told him smiling. He smiled for a second then returned back to his emotional state.
"And you are anything but a failure Tre", she told him reminding him of moments in the past where he had come out on top. He smiled and looked up at her letting her wipe the tears from his eyes.
"You want me to take you to band practise?", she asked him being awfully nice. He didn't know what to really say so he kept his head down and followed her out of the bathroom.
"You didn't talk with the loser did you?", Jason asked walking up to her seeing Tre following her a few steps behind. She looked at Tre knowing how much trouble she could get him into mentioning that she did.
"No of course not, I was just looking for you", she told him kissing him gently. He smiled and put an arm around her showing off that 'she was his'. Tre hung his head low and continued walking. He knew it was too good to be true. A girl who he had kept the secret of liking for so long hidden, trying to be nice to him. There was something wrong about it. He took one last look at her before he took his school bag from his locker and walked himself home alone as usually in the rain... ... ...
"You alone again buddy?", Mike's voice asked him. Tre looked up to see the tall blonde and blue eyed teenager taking a seat across from him.
"Yeah I guess", he said silently, watching Mike make himself comfortable.
"You coming to band practise tonight?', Mike asked him curiously. Tre let his bright blue eyes flick up at Mike and gaze into his, as he nodded into the bassists eyes. Tre noticed Mike looking up at something. He turned to see what I was Mike was watching.
"Hey Mikey, Hey Tre-Bear", he heard a girl say walking to the table with Billie Joe. He couldn't believe his eyes for one moment. Billie had actually gotten the most unruly, rebellious and bratty girl at school too come and talk to them at lunch when she could be doing something like, selling pot or causing a riot, Tre thought to himself. Billie Joe took a seat down net to Mike but Tre continued to look at the girl standing there. She was everything he could have ever asked for and more. He took a look at what she was wearing; Tartan skirt as usual with black and green ripped stripe stockings and vivid red converse to compliment it. The Ramones emblem on her shirt was faded by the constant wearing and her hair was kept up in two mid length pigtails that flattered the thick black rimmed glasses she wore. To Tre she was perfect, piercings and all, but she still wondered how Billie had managed to get her here.
"Hey Steph", he mumbled trying to start conversation with her but it was no use, he was just a quiet punk drummer boy while she was the loud and obnoxious teenage girl people had tagged her to be. Mike looked at him and smiled noticing his attempt.
"Ahh Steph, I think Tre wanted to say something to you", he told her smirking. Tre's mouth dropped open looking at his friend and then her. She stared down at him from where she stood.
"Ahh I ahh", he mumbled rubbing the back of his neck. She waited patiently for an answer but got nothing.
"It's nothing", he blurted out pretending to eat all of a sudden. She smiled knowing how nervous Tre got in front of women.
"So will I see you after school?", Billie asked Steph rubbing the back of her hand gently.
"You know how my boyfriends going to react if he sees me with you Billie Joe", she told him, giving him a concerned look.
"No I mean at band practise", he said smiling innocently knowing exactly what she was on about. He boyfriend was the meanest and most aggressive boy in the year level. He did practically all he could to make sure she wasn't around any other guys, and well if he caught her with anyone, they usually paid up with serous consequences. Billie Joe though liked the idea of adventure and risk.
"Course you boys will", she said smiling. They all smiled at each other agreeing she was the most fun to have at a band practise.
"I'll see you then!", she told them walking out of the cafeteria before her boyfriend caught her with them. They were the last people she wanted to get into trouble because of her boyfriends stupid beliefs and thoughts.
"Dude she is one hot chick", Billie let out putting his hands behind his head as a head rest, "Don't you think?". Mike smiled.
"Okay, okay so she's cute. But apart from that", he said being cut off.
"She's the most gorgeous thing in the world", Tre said in a quiet voice with his head resting in his hands. Mike and Billie Joe looked at each other before turning to Tre and giggling.
"Ohh, look who's got a little crush", Mike teased. Tre looked at him sternly.
"It's not a crush", Tre told him aggressively, which only made Billie and Mike laugh harder.
"It's okay Mike its like a new girl every week, he'll be over her in no time", Billie added still giggling. Tre went ever so slightly red in the face wondering why his friends couldn't believe that for once he actually might be in love.
"It's more then a crush this time okay", Tre said getting up. He did it in such a hurry and having the clumsiness that he did, managed to tip everything over off the tray and falling to the floor. Mike and Billie Joe tried there hardest to keep the laughter inside but it was no use. Tears were coming out since they tried to keep it in so hard. The whole cafeteria turned and looked at him, busting up into a fit of laughter. He had always been the year level clown but he didn't want to be known as clumsy as well. He picked up what he had dropped and put it back on the table limping out of the cafeteria only to notice that Steph and her boyfriend had been watching as well.
"What a loser", Jason let out putting his arm around Steph. She turned and looked over his shoulder back at Tre. He had obviously heard what Joel said as he was last seen running into the bathroom crying.
"Jase he is not a loser", Steph told him firmly hitting his chest ahead of walking off in search of Tre.
"Your girlfriends not seriously going to find that sad ass loser is she?", one of Jason's friends asked him. He smiled.
"Dude no way, her lockers down that hall", he said questioning wether she had gone where he thought she had or not.
"Tre you in here?", Steph said slowly pushing the boys bathroom door open. She had only ever been in here once and that was because of Joel dragging her in. A memory she'd rather forget about. She took a few short steps in trying to see if she could find him.
"Tre", she called out again hearing some quiet sniffling from the last cubical. She walked down and pushed open the last door seeing Tre sitting on the toilet seat with his head in his hands crying.
"Tre", she let out putting her hand on his back. He shook it off thinking it was guilt sympathy.
"Tre you wanna talk about what happened?", she asked. He looked up at her. His blue eyes looked like they had just received the most awful heartbreaking news and it crushed her on the inside to see a friend like this.
"What's there to talk about?", he asked her, "I'm the worlds biggest loser and I'm a failure", he announced continuing to cry. She stood beside him crouched down so she was eye level with him as she started to rub his back gently. That attention only made him cry harder.
"Tre you are not the worlds biggest loser", she told him seriously, "If anyone its Joel and his pack of mini me's", she told him smiling. He smiled for a second then returned back to his emotional state.
"And you are anything but a failure Tre", she told him reminding him of moments in the past where he had come out on top. He smiled and looked up at her letting her wipe the tears from his eyes.
"You want me to take you to band practise?", she asked him being awfully nice. He didn't know what to really say so he kept his head down and followed her out of the bathroom.
"You didn't talk with the loser did you?", Jason asked walking up to her seeing Tre following her a few steps behind. She looked at Tre knowing how much trouble she could get him into mentioning that she did.
"No of course not, I was just looking for you", she told him kissing him gently. He smiled and put an arm around her showing off that 'she was his'. Tre hung his head low and continued walking. He knew it was too good to be true. A girl who he had kept the secret of liking for so long hidden, trying to be nice to him. There was something wrong about it. He took one last look at her before he took his school bag from his locker and walked himself home alone as usually in the rain... ... ...
Page 1/3 | Next
