16, chapter 6
Over the next month nothing really interesting happened in my life. I had gotten home from Mike's safely. Mum had picked me up from the bus stop and I had run into her arms. She said that maybe we had tried to rush a relationship with him and that we should take things slowly. I had spoken to him a few times on the phone. I never told him what Joey and Estelle had accused me of though. I didn't think he really needed to know. All I told him was that Estelle and I had a disagreement.
Mike picked me up one day and took me out for the day with Estelle, Billie, Tre and Jason and their wives and kids. Let's just say that it was less than enjoyable because Joey and Estelle are still cold towards me, a feeling that I am all too happy to return.
He also came to see me at the end of July, it was kind of awkward but I am getting more used to talking to him and seeing him now. He watched our band practice again, although this time a few people in the basement noticed him and he was forced to sign autographs for almost everyone there. It was quite funny actually.
A week after Mike watched us play, I was getting ready to go down to the basement for the usual Saturday afternoon practice. I was standing in front of my mirror applying my eyeliner and mascara, when there was a knock at the front door. I knew it was Alex because we had planned to walk down together.
"Come in." I yelled, finishing my make-up.
I threaded a studded belt through the belt loops of the tight red skinny leg jeans I was wearing, laced up my chucks, grabbed my drumsticks and left my bedroom. I walked past Alex, who was almost entering my room as I left. She turned around and followed me back to the living area.
"Nice top." She said referring to the plain black tank top I had on.
"It's a plain black tank top." I said not understanding what was so great about it. "And I wear it all the time."
"Yeah," she said questioningly "And?"
"Well, what's so special about it?"
"Nothing. Can I have some milk?" She asked, although she was already walking over to the fridge to get out the carton of milk.
"Yeah whatever." I said, smirking and shaking my head at her as she didn't bother to get a glass and continued to drink straight from the carton like I usually do. Although this was different; it's my milk.
Five minutes later, we left the apartment, locking it behind us since Mum was at work. We started walking down to the basement. We were going down a half an hour earlier than usual because our other guitarist Cody, who had gotten back from New York the same day that I had come back from Mike's, wanted to talk to us before anyone else turned up.
"I wonder what Cody wants to tell us." I said as we got to the door of the basement.
"Yeah... " Alex said.
We walked down the stairs and into the room where we saw that James and Cody were both already there; James was playing pin ball and Cody was sitting down on a stool near the stage humming and tapping a beat on his knees whilst staring into space.
"Hey guys." Alex said. Cody looked up at us and waved but James kept his eyes on the game while muttering a "Hey."
"So," I said, walking over to the vending machine in the corner to buy myself a soda. "What did you want to talk to us about?" I flopped down onto one of the couches next to Alex, who grabbed my soda out of my hand and took a sip.
"Okay," Cody began. "You know how- Hey James, can you stop that and come and listen?" James hit the pinball machine one more time and walked over to sit on the edge of the small stage.
Cody continued. "Anyway, so you know how I went to New York with my Dad because he had to go there on business?" We all nodded. "Well he got promoted to a better job... in New York. So we're all moving to New York."
"You're moving?" James said in shock and disbelief, and I'm sure my face must have looked just like his and Alex's, who was sitting beside me with her mouth hanging open.
"Yeah." Cody said.
"But what about the band?" Alex said. We all loved the band and wanted to go somewhere with our music, but Alex probably cared about it the most. She never did have much money or good parents to worry about her education. Music was her life and she really wanted to make it.
"Your not quitting the band are you?" James asked.
"Well how am I supposed to play in the band when I live on the other side of the country?"
"Wow." I muttered. "So you're really leaving?"
"Yeah." He breathed.
"I can't believe you're fucking leaving us." Alex muttered, getting up and running out of the room.
I gave Cody a sympathetic and apologetic smile and got up to go after Alex. I jogged up the stairs and out the door until I got to the car park, where I found Alex sitting on the boot of my car leaning forward and staring out at what was happening outside of the apartment building.
"Hey." I said, walking over to her and sitting next to her.
"Hey." She muttered.
"You know, James and I are going to miss him too." I said.
"What?" she asked. "Miss him? I'm not going to miss him; I never really liked him that much anyway."
I laughed at the way she said this, her expression not changing as she kept gazing at passers by.
"But he is a great guitarist and this band is everything to me." She said.
"The band will be okay, we don't need him." I said. "Sure we won't have as strong of a guitar sound, but we'll be fine. We can always find someone to replace him, someone better."
"Yeah, I know." She said. "I guess I overreacted and didn't think."
"Wait, I'm confused. When do you ever think?" I joked. She whacked me on the arm.
"Come on." I said stepping down off the boot of the car. "Let's go and see Cody and play with him one last time."
Alex got up and smiled at the thought of playing her bass.
A couple more weeks passed and Alex was having lots of problems at home. She had never heard from her Dad, and her Mum was a nutcase. So, she lived with her auntie and her auntie's second husband. They were constantly arguing and it was getting worse. Alex was spending less time at her apartment, and more at mine sleeping over every other night. James, who was kind of bummed out about losing Cody, sometimes joined us. Cody was his best guy friend and had moved a few days after he told us that he was leaving.
It was a Wednesday night near the end of July, and I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. James and Alex were lying on the floor on the mattresses that we had somehow managed to squeeze into my bedroom.
"Hey Alex?" I said.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about the whole Mike thing."
"What about it?" she asked, sounding confused.
"Well I got really upset and angry about it and I put all my troubles onto you." I explained. "I complained about how he was only just coming to see me when you've never even heard from your father. And with everything that's been going on, I haven't been there for you enough and I'm sorry."
"Dani," she said. "Don't worry about it. That's different. My mum is a nutcase that I don't care about and I'm glad she's not in my life. As for my dad, he doesn't know I exist, so it's not his fault and I don't blame him for not contacting me. Family is a whole lot more important to you than it is to me and I don't want you feeling sorry about anything. I've got everything I need; you guys, my music and my bass."
"Yeah, but I still feel bad." I said, turning on my side to face them. "My problems don't seem worth all the fuss I made."
"Seriously Dani." She said. "It's fine. Don't feel bad. If you're upset, it's worth the fuss."
A few seconds later, none of us had said anything. We were in a comfortable silence. It is very rare for any silence that I am in to be a comfortable one, be that as it may, I hate silences. So I broke the one we were currently in.
"Do you know what pisses me off about Joey?" I said and I began one of my now frequent rants about how insufferable and arrogant Joseph Armstrong is.
*
"Yeah yeah, I'll be there in a minute." I said into the phone as I rushed around the house, trying to find my drumsticks. "I just need to find my sticks."
"Ok, I want to show you my new pick." Alex said back to me. She was calling from the Basement, where she and James were waiting for me so that we could start the usual Saturday afternoon practice.
"That's great Alex, it's just a pick." I said. "I can't find my damn sticks." I added as a quiet after thought.
"Alright well hurry up and find them and get your ass down here."
We said a hurried goodbye and hung up. I walked into the kitchen to grab a quick drink of juice, which I accidentally spilled all down the front of my shirt. Shit. I jogged quickly to my room to change shirts.
"I'm just going to have a shower." Mum said to me, poking her head in the doorway of my room. "Have a good practice."
"I will." I said throwing on an extremely old and battered Harry Potter t-shirt. As I pulled my arms through the sleeves, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my drumsticks were poking out from underneath my pillow.
"There they are." I muttered, grabbing them and my canvas bag.
I walked out of the room and passed the bathroom, yelling a "C-ya!" to mum who was already in the shower.
As I ran out of the apartment I noticed a couple of candles and incense sticks still burning on the coffee table, from when mum and I had noticed how stuffy and smelly the flat was. Although mum was in the shower, I knew she wouldn't be that long. So, I left without putting out the candles and incense like I would normally do when I went out. I quickly ran down to the basement before Alex and James began to get even shittier towards me.
Mike picked me up one day and took me out for the day with Estelle, Billie, Tre and Jason and their wives and kids. Let's just say that it was less than enjoyable because Joey and Estelle are still cold towards me, a feeling that I am all too happy to return.
He also came to see me at the end of July, it was kind of awkward but I am getting more used to talking to him and seeing him now. He watched our band practice again, although this time a few people in the basement noticed him and he was forced to sign autographs for almost everyone there. It was quite funny actually.
A week after Mike watched us play, I was getting ready to go down to the basement for the usual Saturday afternoon practice. I was standing in front of my mirror applying my eyeliner and mascara, when there was a knock at the front door. I knew it was Alex because we had planned to walk down together.
"Come in." I yelled, finishing my make-up.
I threaded a studded belt through the belt loops of the tight red skinny leg jeans I was wearing, laced up my chucks, grabbed my drumsticks and left my bedroom. I walked past Alex, who was almost entering my room as I left. She turned around and followed me back to the living area.
"Nice top." She said referring to the plain black tank top I had on.
"It's a plain black tank top." I said not understanding what was so great about it. "And I wear it all the time."
"Yeah," she said questioningly "And?"
"Well, what's so special about it?"
"Nothing. Can I have some milk?" She asked, although she was already walking over to the fridge to get out the carton of milk.
"Yeah whatever." I said, smirking and shaking my head at her as she didn't bother to get a glass and continued to drink straight from the carton like I usually do. Although this was different; it's my milk.
Five minutes later, we left the apartment, locking it behind us since Mum was at work. We started walking down to the basement. We were going down a half an hour earlier than usual because our other guitarist Cody, who had gotten back from New York the same day that I had come back from Mike's, wanted to talk to us before anyone else turned up.
"I wonder what Cody wants to tell us." I said as we got to the door of the basement.
"Yeah... " Alex said.
We walked down the stairs and into the room where we saw that James and Cody were both already there; James was playing pin ball and Cody was sitting down on a stool near the stage humming and tapping a beat on his knees whilst staring into space.
"Hey guys." Alex said. Cody looked up at us and waved but James kept his eyes on the game while muttering a "Hey."
"So," I said, walking over to the vending machine in the corner to buy myself a soda. "What did you want to talk to us about?" I flopped down onto one of the couches next to Alex, who grabbed my soda out of my hand and took a sip.
"Okay," Cody began. "You know how- Hey James, can you stop that and come and listen?" James hit the pinball machine one more time and walked over to sit on the edge of the small stage.
Cody continued. "Anyway, so you know how I went to New York with my Dad because he had to go there on business?" We all nodded. "Well he got promoted to a better job... in New York. So we're all moving to New York."
"You're moving?" James said in shock and disbelief, and I'm sure my face must have looked just like his and Alex's, who was sitting beside me with her mouth hanging open.
"Yeah." Cody said.
"But what about the band?" Alex said. We all loved the band and wanted to go somewhere with our music, but Alex probably cared about it the most. She never did have much money or good parents to worry about her education. Music was her life and she really wanted to make it.
"Your not quitting the band are you?" James asked.
"Well how am I supposed to play in the band when I live on the other side of the country?"
"Wow." I muttered. "So you're really leaving?"
"Yeah." He breathed.
"I can't believe you're fucking leaving us." Alex muttered, getting up and running out of the room.
I gave Cody a sympathetic and apologetic smile and got up to go after Alex. I jogged up the stairs and out the door until I got to the car park, where I found Alex sitting on the boot of my car leaning forward and staring out at what was happening outside of the apartment building.
"Hey." I said, walking over to her and sitting next to her.
"Hey." She muttered.
"You know, James and I are going to miss him too." I said.
"What?" she asked. "Miss him? I'm not going to miss him; I never really liked him that much anyway."
I laughed at the way she said this, her expression not changing as she kept gazing at passers by.
"But he is a great guitarist and this band is everything to me." She said.
"The band will be okay, we don't need him." I said. "Sure we won't have as strong of a guitar sound, but we'll be fine. We can always find someone to replace him, someone better."
"Yeah, I know." She said. "I guess I overreacted and didn't think."
"Wait, I'm confused. When do you ever think?" I joked. She whacked me on the arm.
"Come on." I said stepping down off the boot of the car. "Let's go and see Cody and play with him one last time."
Alex got up and smiled at the thought of playing her bass.
A couple more weeks passed and Alex was having lots of problems at home. She had never heard from her Dad, and her Mum was a nutcase. So, she lived with her auntie and her auntie's second husband. They were constantly arguing and it was getting worse. Alex was spending less time at her apartment, and more at mine sleeping over every other night. James, who was kind of bummed out about losing Cody, sometimes joined us. Cody was his best guy friend and had moved a few days after he told us that he was leaving.
It was a Wednesday night near the end of July, and I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. James and Alex were lying on the floor on the mattresses that we had somehow managed to squeeze into my bedroom.
"Hey Alex?" I said.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about the whole Mike thing."
"What about it?" she asked, sounding confused.
"Well I got really upset and angry about it and I put all my troubles onto you." I explained. "I complained about how he was only just coming to see me when you've never even heard from your father. And with everything that's been going on, I haven't been there for you enough and I'm sorry."
"Dani," she said. "Don't worry about it. That's different. My mum is a nutcase that I don't care about and I'm glad she's not in my life. As for my dad, he doesn't know I exist, so it's not his fault and I don't blame him for not contacting me. Family is a whole lot more important to you than it is to me and I don't want you feeling sorry about anything. I've got everything I need; you guys, my music and my bass."
"Yeah, but I still feel bad." I said, turning on my side to face them. "My problems don't seem worth all the fuss I made."
"Seriously Dani." She said. "It's fine. Don't feel bad. If you're upset, it's worth the fuss."
A few seconds later, none of us had said anything. We were in a comfortable silence. It is very rare for any silence that I am in to be a comfortable one, be that as it may, I hate silences. So I broke the one we were currently in.
"Do you know what pisses me off about Joey?" I said and I began one of my now frequent rants about how insufferable and arrogant Joseph Armstrong is.
*
"Yeah yeah, I'll be there in a minute." I said into the phone as I rushed around the house, trying to find my drumsticks. "I just need to find my sticks."
"Ok, I want to show you my new pick." Alex said back to me. She was calling from the Basement, where she and James were waiting for me so that we could start the usual Saturday afternoon practice.
"That's great Alex, it's just a pick." I said. "I can't find my damn sticks." I added as a quiet after thought.
"Alright well hurry up and find them and get your ass down here."
We said a hurried goodbye and hung up. I walked into the kitchen to grab a quick drink of juice, which I accidentally spilled all down the front of my shirt. Shit. I jogged quickly to my room to change shirts.
"I'm just going to have a shower." Mum said to me, poking her head in the doorway of my room. "Have a good practice."
"I will." I said throwing on an extremely old and battered Harry Potter t-shirt. As I pulled my arms through the sleeves, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my drumsticks were poking out from underneath my pillow.
"There they are." I muttered, grabbing them and my canvas bag.
I walked out of the room and passed the bathroom, yelling a "C-ya!" to mum who was already in the shower.
As I ran out of the apartment I noticed a couple of candles and incense sticks still burning on the coffee table, from when mum and I had noticed how stuffy and smelly the flat was. Although mum was in the shower, I knew she wouldn't be that long. So, I left without putting out the candles and incense like I would normally do when I went out. I quickly ran down to the basement before Alex and James began to get even shittier towards me.
