II

Zeke

"We are 'The Metal Youth Club' and we're hear to damage your hearing! One, two, three, four!" Our drummer, Daniel, yelled into the mic, hitting his drum sticks together before hitting the first beat on the drum.

The rest of us jumped into action at our cue. We had formed this band a few years ago and, in the most humble way possible, we were honestly getting quite good. I was the lead singer and played second guitar, Dave was lead guitar, Danny boy was on the drums, and Jay was on bass. These guys were basically my only friends; I couldn't stand anyone else.

I started screaming the lyrics down the mic as I let my hands move across the electric guitar simultaneously. We were playing an original song that Dave and I had written together and it felt good to let loose like this. We hadn't played for like a week and I needed this outlet sometimes when my mum just got too much.

The song itself was a goofy one about popcorn. It was a screamy sort of song, but it didn't really mean anything other than to celebrate our love of popcorn. It was, after all, Dave and I's favourite food.

After the song came to a close, Jay wolf whistled.

"Fuck, that was good." Dave was beyond impressed with how much improvement we had made as a band.

I nodded in agreement, wiping my sweaty brow. People didn't understand just how sweaty you could get while performing on stage. Danny, bless him, was even worst on the drums; he was basically drowning in sweat.

"It smells like body odour in here, can you please open a window? Oh and I do wish you would clear up after yourselves; there's clothes and rubbish everywhere!"

My mother had entered the room, fussing over the half-drank energy drink cans that the guys were still using and general messiness of song lyric sheets everywhere.

"The music you play is so violent. It barely sounds like music. Couldn't you learn some nicer music?"

I took a seat, letting my arm rest over my eyes in frustration. She hated my music.

"I really think you need to have a tidy up. Have you thought any more about University applications yet? Deadlines are so soon. Wouldn't it be lovely to become a doctor and help to pay back all the lovely doctors who've helped you with your problems. Did you take your pills this morning? Don't try to lie to me, Zeke. I'll go and count them."

I snapped.

All my band members saw it coming from a million miles away and knew to just back off when it came to the surface. I let my foot kick out from my seat and crash into the wall in rage. She knew I hated those doctors. She knew I didn't want to go to university. She knew my grades were too shit to go even if I wanted to. She knew that I loved music. She knew I didn't need the damn pills. She knew. Yet, she still says it. Sometimes I think she does it on purpose.

"Get out."

She began to rant about how I was a destructive and nasty child, but left anyway. I huffed slightly, trying to calm myself down. My band members ignored me, picking up their instruments. We had rehearsed for a good two hours now and we were done for the day because Dave had work at the movie theatre. Daniel loaded his drums into the back of his van and said his goodbyes before heading off. The band was the whole reason I had spent the summer last year converting the garden shed into my bedroom with my wages from a summer job. Plus, it was separate to the rest of the house.

"Hey, Dave, I'll come to work with you." I just wanted to hang out and eat popcorn now.

"Sure thing, you know Bettie loves and misses you." Dave handed me my denim jacket as I locked up my front door and he followed me to my motorbike, "Elijah call you yet?"

I sighed, he hadn't. It had been a week so I wasn't really expecting him to call at all. Another one bites the dust, I guess. I mean, I put myself out there, so there's not much else I could do. He's the one who is missing out on my amazing self. It was a shame, though, since his little blonde self was really adorable. He was exactly my usual type: shorter than me, petite, bashful and shy. Guys who blush were my weakness.

Climbing onto my bike, I fastened my helmet and laughed as Dave struggled to get one on top of his mohawk. It would be messed up by the time we got to work. It was the whole reason Dave keeps about three cans of hair spray in his locker there.

I kicked the engine on and zipped off down the street towards the movie theatre on the other side of town. My mum was super against me having a motorbike, since she called them death traps. Since I had bought it with my own money and paid for the upkeep, however, there was nothing that she could do.

We pulled up to the movie theatre and I left my bike in the car park, jogging up to the familiar building and instantly spotting Bettie talking to Elijah. Once the pair saw me, they had very different reactions. Bettie rushed towards me for a hug and Elijah blushed a deep red, scurrying off somewhere else with his head facing the floor. It was a shame he didn't call me.