Cool By Name, Not So Much By Association..., chapter 7
"That guy's a asshole."
I looked up from my book, Fight Club, and saw Joey standing in front of me. I sat up in the chair and tossed my hair out of my eyes.
"What's wrong now?"
"Zach. You don't want to mix with him."
"Why? Is he a bigger Dick than you? That would be impossible." I sighed, getting up and going inside the house. I was fed up with Joey. Over the past few days he wouldn't talk to me when Billie and co. Visited, now the first thing he has to say is that my new friend is apparently a asshole. I was done with listening to Joey.
I stormed into the kitchen, past my Dad and Billie eating cereal for some reason. I grabbed my ipod from the counter and went down into the studio in our basement. I put on some angry teen music (be your own PET) and started drumming out all my frustration. Everything came out onto those drums. All the bickering between Joey and the things Zach complained about. I'd been listening to crap all week. I naturally mixed with guys better and since Brendon was out with the Flu and Joey wasn't talking to me I was hanging out with Zach a lot. I hated people who complained, I absorbed all their bad energy like a sponge. My wrists throbbed and my nails hurt like hell. Then I thought of Alan and tears fell down my face. Angry tears. I had let him push me around for too long. He basically pushed me out of the city I love(d). I always let guys in my life push me around.
The past couple of days had been the strangest in my life. I was trying to juggle between my school friends and Joey, when he decided to talk to me. Matt was cool, now that he started talking. I learned that he played Bass and was a huge Foo Fighters fan. Actually, since the Molly incident he kind of wouldn't shut up. Molly was a sweet kid. I was going to hang out with her and Avi more.
I was pouring my heart out onto the drums when I felt someone catch my wrists. I dropped the drum sticks out of surprise and my ipod fell to the floor ripping the headphones from my ears. I turn to see Adie was the one catching onto my wrists. She gave me a worried look.
"I think we should go take a walk... " she suggested and I stood up and followed her. I kept my head bent forward so no-body could see my tear stained face. I didn't do crying.
"I'm taking the car, hun" Adie said to Billie who nodded, not noticing the broken-down teenager hanging from his wife's hand.
We got in the car and drove silently until Adie reached the studio where she ran her half of Adeline St. She waved at people inside and led me to her office. She sat me down and put a coffee in front of me before sitting behind the desk. She looked at my face then her eyes shot down to my bleeding hands. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and wallow in my self pity.
"What's his name?" Adie asked in a calm voice.
I thought about the question. There was no definite answer.
"It's just stuff piling up on top of me... " I answered clearing my throat.
"What stuff?"
"Just people, shit happening and... And... I guess I'm just confused."
"About what?"
I blushed without having said anything. I knew I'd have to tell her if I was going to get out of here anytime soon.
"Your son, mainly"
"Oh... " she looked genuinely surprised.
I cleared my throat again and wiped my hands on the old shorts I was wearing.
"Well, I just feel like the Universe is trying to get the two of us together... " she looked more shocked by the second.
"There is no way that I want that." She said and I gave her a confused look.
"What I mean is that boy is trouble, even if he is my son, takes completely after his Dad. He'll calm down in a few years, but now he's a heaping mass of Hormones."
I smiled and began to laugh. It was a time where I just needed to laugh, for no particular reason.
"I have a feeling that my annoying son isn't all of your problems... " she was nearly poking the information out of me.
"Well... Wanting to spend more time with my Dad wasn't the only reason I came out here... "
Her eyes narrowed.
"There was a guy, Alan, my ex. He started spreading all these rumors about me. Then I said something about him, then he started bullying me... Well... He'd follow me after school and shout stuff at me. I could deal with that. Then one day he pulled me down an alley. I thought he was going to rape me or something, I got away and later that night Dad called and asked if I wanted to move out. I jumped at the opportunity, now I'm here... I didn't really think about him until today... Joey just got on my nerves as usual and I started drumming and everything came out... Now I've got cuts on my hands and a hole where my brain used to be... "
She was silent for a few minutes, taking all the information in. She got up from behind the desk and gave me a huge hug. I wrapped my arms around her, not trying to get blood on her nice shirt.
"You poor soul! This summer you're coming to work here." She said and I pulled away giving her a look.
"Where did that come from?" I asked, trying not to laugh.
"I think an internship here would do you good... " she said.
I thought about the prospect.
"I'd fucking love to!" I laughed.
She smiled and I thought to myself.
The future looks good.
I looked up from my book, Fight Club, and saw Joey standing in front of me. I sat up in the chair and tossed my hair out of my eyes.
"What's wrong now?"
"Zach. You don't want to mix with him."
"Why? Is he a bigger Dick than you? That would be impossible." I sighed, getting up and going inside the house. I was fed up with Joey. Over the past few days he wouldn't talk to me when Billie and co. Visited, now the first thing he has to say is that my new friend is apparently a asshole. I was done with listening to Joey.
I stormed into the kitchen, past my Dad and Billie eating cereal for some reason. I grabbed my ipod from the counter and went down into the studio in our basement. I put on some angry teen music (be your own PET) and started drumming out all my frustration. Everything came out onto those drums. All the bickering between Joey and the things Zach complained about. I'd been listening to crap all week. I naturally mixed with guys better and since Brendon was out with the Flu and Joey wasn't talking to me I was hanging out with Zach a lot. I hated people who complained, I absorbed all their bad energy like a sponge. My wrists throbbed and my nails hurt like hell. Then I thought of Alan and tears fell down my face. Angry tears. I had let him push me around for too long. He basically pushed me out of the city I love(d). I always let guys in my life push me around.
The past couple of days had been the strangest in my life. I was trying to juggle between my school friends and Joey, when he decided to talk to me. Matt was cool, now that he started talking. I learned that he played Bass and was a huge Foo Fighters fan. Actually, since the Molly incident he kind of wouldn't shut up. Molly was a sweet kid. I was going to hang out with her and Avi more.
I was pouring my heart out onto the drums when I felt someone catch my wrists. I dropped the drum sticks out of surprise and my ipod fell to the floor ripping the headphones from my ears. I turn to see Adie was the one catching onto my wrists. She gave me a worried look.
"I think we should go take a walk... " she suggested and I stood up and followed her. I kept my head bent forward so no-body could see my tear stained face. I didn't do crying.
"I'm taking the car, hun" Adie said to Billie who nodded, not noticing the broken-down teenager hanging from his wife's hand.
We got in the car and drove silently until Adie reached the studio where she ran her half of Adeline St. She waved at people inside and led me to her office. She sat me down and put a coffee in front of me before sitting behind the desk. She looked at my face then her eyes shot down to my bleeding hands. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and wallow in my self pity.
"What's his name?" Adie asked in a calm voice.
I thought about the question. There was no definite answer.
"It's just stuff piling up on top of me... " I answered clearing my throat.
"What stuff?"
"Just people, shit happening and... And... I guess I'm just confused."
"About what?"
I blushed without having said anything. I knew I'd have to tell her if I was going to get out of here anytime soon.
"Your son, mainly"
"Oh... " she looked genuinely surprised.
I cleared my throat again and wiped my hands on the old shorts I was wearing.
"Well, I just feel like the Universe is trying to get the two of us together... " she looked more shocked by the second.
"There is no way that I want that." She said and I gave her a confused look.
"What I mean is that boy is trouble, even if he is my son, takes completely after his Dad. He'll calm down in a few years, but now he's a heaping mass of Hormones."
I smiled and began to laugh. It was a time where I just needed to laugh, for no particular reason.
"I have a feeling that my annoying son isn't all of your problems... " she was nearly poking the information out of me.
"Well... Wanting to spend more time with my Dad wasn't the only reason I came out here... "
Her eyes narrowed.
"There was a guy, Alan, my ex. He started spreading all these rumors about me. Then I said something about him, then he started bullying me... Well... He'd follow me after school and shout stuff at me. I could deal with that. Then one day he pulled me down an alley. I thought he was going to rape me or something, I got away and later that night Dad called and asked if I wanted to move out. I jumped at the opportunity, now I'm here... I didn't really think about him until today... Joey just got on my nerves as usual and I started drumming and everything came out... Now I've got cuts on my hands and a hole where my brain used to be... "
She was silent for a few minutes, taking all the information in. She got up from behind the desk and gave me a huge hug. I wrapped my arms around her, not trying to get blood on her nice shirt.
"You poor soul! This summer you're coming to work here." She said and I pulled away giving her a look.
"Where did that come from?" I asked, trying not to laugh.
"I think an internship here would do you good... " she said.
I thought about the prospect.
"I'd fucking love to!" I laughed.
She smiled and I thought to myself.
The future looks good.
