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Ther novel, Continuated.
~Chapter 12~
When Worlds Collide
Alice sat in the Room where Ivy, Ben, and Adam sat before, judging other people's talent only Yesterday. She'd gotten a call from Ivy, telling her to meet them there today. She'd turned up early, and proceeded to re-arrange everything in the room, making it neat and tidy- which was unusual for a band room. Adam, Benny and Ivy entered only a few minutes after she'd finished, and were surprised to see her there early.
"Uh, Hey..." Adam managed to squeak nervously, before sitting down at the opposite end of the desk. Ben smiled, and gave her a friendly nod, as he sat down next to him, and Ivy merely stayed silent, as she sat between Alice and Ben. As Ivy pulled a ciggarete from her pocket, and lit it, she asked "Do you know why you're here, Alice?"
"Um...No." She responded, almost fearful sounding.
"Well, these Auditions are to find members for the band, Right?"
"Yeah..."
"So, It's logical that every member has a say in who joins, right?"
"That's pretty sensible."
"That's why you're here as a judge."
"I'm in? Great!" Alice squealed excitedly, as she leapt from her seat to hug Ivy, accidently tackling her off her seat. Ivy fell, obviously not expecting that much excitement.
"Yeah...Now get off." Ivy muttered, trying not to find an excuse to punch her.
"Welcome to the band, Alice." Ben said, smiling at the pair of the girls on the floor, Alice unintentionally pinning Ivy to the floor. "Just be glad I don't have a Camera, Otherwise I'd make a fortune online."
Adam Blushed at the thought, while Alice sat back in her seat, Not quite getting the joke, and Ivy let herself chuckle a little, before taking her seat again. "Now, If you're gonna do that to anyone in near future, " Ben continued " Do it to Adam- He's the only single guy in the room." he said proudly, sticking his chest out slightly, only to recieve a soft backhand slap in the chest from both Adam and Ivy. Alice chuckled a little, before nodding a little. "I'll keep that in mind. So when do the Auditions start?" Alice asked, just as someone knocked on the door. "Now, apparently... come in!" Ben answered. A boy, similar to their first auditionee the previous day entered- greasy, black hair, obviously straightened. his attire rang "Goth", yet he seemed a bit too well postured and happy. "So, what have you come to audition for?" Adam asked.
"Backup Vocalist."
"Oh, I don't think we were auditioning those."
"Yeah, we've already got two."
"But all good backup singers come in threes- Alto, Soprano, and Bass singers- I'm a Soprano"
Ivy shook her head a little. "Sounds a bit opera to me." she laughed, obviously not persuaded.
"Just let me audition, at least, then you can make your mind up." the boy asked, almost pleading with his hands.
Ben smiled. "Let's hear you, then."
Ivy shot him a confused look. Ben smiled. "What harm will it do?" he asked, as the boy began to sing. Although it wasn't as flawless as Alice's performance, It certainly was impressive, making everyone clap at the end of the performance, except Ivy, although she did let a smirk show on her face. "We'll get in touch with you." she said, almost sounding impressed, asn the boy took a bow. "Well, I'll catch you lot later, I've got Sewing class." he said, as he strutted off. Adam looked at Ben. "You think he's gay?"
"Maybe he's just a bit metro?" He said, with a shrug.
Alice smiled. "Well, either way, he's a good singer."
"N...Not as good as you..." Adam said, with a crimson blush crossing his face.
Alice giggled a little. "Thanks, Adam."
Adam merely giggled a little, as Alice turned to Ivy. "So, what Else are we looking for?", as another knock rang off the door. Ben shouted "Enter.", before a girl entered the room. She was about as tall as Alice, with shoulder length crimson red hair, and deep, jade eyes. She was beautiful, to put it simply, but her attire was a little odd- it consisted of clothes that resembled hand-me downs, which fitted her rather loosely. Upon sight of her, Ben stood, and left the room, muttering something about the toilet, as the girl shot him an evil stare. "Uh, so you're here for..." Alice asked.
"Keyboardist." she said, almost emotionless. she walked over to the piano, and sat down a few moments passed, before Adam said "Well, you can play whenever you like." the girl responded by pressing on the keys, delicately, playing a beautiful classical piece, that got a smile from Alice. Adam , however, yelled out "Um, you know anything more... Not classical?". The girl didn't speak, she just stopped playing, before beginning to play a nice little riff, which sounded pretty catchy. Adam smiled, as did Ivy. Ben entered the room at that moment, and sat down at the table again, and yelled out "We'll get back to you, Neena. Thankyou."
The girl rose from the seat, and smiled at Alice and Adam, And avoided eye contact with the other two. Adam looked at Ben , puzzled. "Uh, so what was that about?"
Ivy looked at him, almost suspiciously. "Yeah, what's the beef?"
Ben sighed. "She used to have a crush on me, and she tried to show it subtly, because she couldn't say so. I never caught on, so when she finally told me, and I acted surprised, she thought I ignored her. She's hated me ever since." he chuckled a little. "I'm just glad she didn't try to kill me."
Ivy rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't have let her- Sam wouldn't forgive me otherwise."
Ben smiled. "True- Besides, it'd ruin the carpet."
Alice smiled. "So, we've got a keyboardist, now all we need is a guitarist.". As soon as she said that, another knock rang off the door. "How come she manages to finish her sentences?" Ben asked, annoyed, as two people fought to get into the room.
"I'm here for the Guitarist part."
"I'm here for any part, really. "
the two of them glared at each other. One looked like your typical cheerleader- Tall, Blonde, and rather scantly clad in school uniform, the school logo hardly visible due to her breasts distracting everyone who'd look for it. the other looked like a druggie- black rings around her eyes, and rather odd smelling accessories hanging from every part of her clothes, and her dark, unkept hair. her nose was pierced with a blue rhinestone, and a Guitar case hung from her hand loosely. "Uh, You- blondie, show us how you play, then." Ben said, trying to keep the peace. The blonde girl smirked, and walked over to the guitar, and picked it up, before playing a rather well known song. The druggie chuckled. "Is that all you can play? Try this." she opened the case, revealling a beautiful guitar- which looked as old as anything, yet it was in pristene condition. She plugged her guitar into the same amp, and began to play a rather funky little tune. the Blonde scowled, and began to copy the druggie with every chord, elaborating occasionally, making the room fill with the sound of a guitar duel. Ben, Ivy, Adam and Alice stared in awe, completely mesmerised by the sound. Eventually, Alice piped up "We'll get back to you."
The druggie stopped, as did the blonde. the druggie smiled. "I also do a bit of Sax, If you're interested." as they both left, shoving at each other as they did so. Adam turned to Alice, and in a nervous voice, asked "So, which one are we picking? they were both pretty good."
"Both."
Ivy and Ben looked at her with confusion.
"Well, I think they were so good because they were competing with each other- If they're in the band together, they'll keep trying to be better than the other."
Adam smiled. "True- and I'm sure that we'd have room for them, too."
Ivy chuckled. "The perky one has a point..." she admitted, quietly.
"So, we all agree?"
They all nodded in unison, and smiled.
"We'll call them, Adam." Ivy said, to clarify.
The rest of the afternoon served as a time-waster. Only a few more people turned up, each one more tone-deaf and rhythymless as the one before them. Eventually, Ivy locked the door, to try and save the remnants of her sanity, due to the fact she'd forgotten her earplugs.
"Let's not hold any more auditions. I think we've got our members." Ivy stated, sounding almost official, as she and Ben left the room.
Adam nodded, and began to leave as well, when Alice piped up. "Could you stay and help me fix this up, Adam?"
Ivy and Ben smiled, and left, shutting the door as they left. Adam blushed, and with a small nod, walked back to the guitar amp, and began to pack it up. Alice wandered over, and watched. "So, Adam, why did you come to America?" she asked.
Adam froze. "Uh... Moved outta home, and wanted to see my uncle." he lied.
Alice smiled. "Well, I'm glad you did." she said cheerfully, as she unplugged the guitar, and began to wrap the lead up carefully.
"And how come you're friends with Ivy? No-one , except Ben, was willing to talk to her, until you came along." she asked innocently.
"Well, she stopped a Guy making paste of my face, so I thought that being nice was the least I could do. She's pretty cool, once you get to know her."
Alice sighed. "So you two are pretty close, then?"
"Not really- She's a bit friendly with Ben, though." he said, with a little chuckle.
"Doesn't he have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah... I wonder..."
"Hm?"
"Don't worry. I'll work it out."
Alice smiled faintly, as she laid the guitar down on its case. "So, Adam... I've got a party this weekend... You reckon you'd be able to come along?"
Adam's mind boggled- hell, they barely knew each other, and she's already asking him over. He tried to answer, but all he could manage was a faint nod.
"Great! Ivy and Benny should come along too, I invited them before."
"Ah, ok. " Adam stood, and walked towards the door. "I'll catch you later, then?" he asked, as he reached out for the door handle.
"Yeah, you can count on it, Cutie." Alice replied, sounding a little flirty. Adam was completely thrown off, and managed to trip, hitting his head on the door. he slumped to the floor, and laughed nervously, rubbing his forehead. Alice just smirked, and left through the same door. Adam shook his head. "Well, that went better than expected..."
~Chapter 13~
Make-Believe Gone Wild
Adam sat in the corner of the Cafeteria, poking at the "food" before him. He'd arranged to see Ivy and Ben today, to discuss the band, among other things. It was 12:43pm excactly- Lunch had already been on for quater of an hour, and they still hadn't shown up. Adam was close to pulling his phone out and calling Ben with a string of abuse, when his cell-phone began to ring. Quickly answering it, he was suprised at who was on the other end of the line.
"Alice?"
"Yep! Uh, Ivy asked me to get you over here. We're in the theatre. Apparently, Ben wanted to announce something..."
"Ah, that's why no-one's here. I'll be right over."
"Cool. See you then!"
Adam hung up, and smiled. "What the hell has he done now?" he asked himself, with a slight chuckle, as he stood and walked away, leaving his food sitting on the table.
About ten minutes later, Adam stumbled into the theatre, to see Ivy, Alice, the boy and three girls from yesterday, and an odd looking guy all sitting along the stage. Adam walked towards them, realising only when he approached them that the strange looking guy was actually Ben, in stage makeup.
"Hey... What's Going on?"
Ivy turned to face him. "Well, First things first, I'd like to introduce our final four band members- The Guy's named Koei-"
"Gramdpa's Idea."
"-... And the two girls... Uh, which one of you was Ebony?"
"I was." Replied the dark haired girl. "You can call me Ebbe, though. Everyone else does."
Ivy smiled. "And this is Rebecca. She's one of our guitarists, although she can play bass rather well too."
The blonde girl smiled. "Please, Beckie will do." she responded, in a rather Uppity tone.
Ben pointed to the last remaining Girl- the Redhead from yesterday. "And I'd like to formally Introduce you to Neena. Neena, This is Adam, Our Shredder Guitarist."
Neena glanced at him coldly, before nodding her head a little.
Ben shrugged. "She doesn't speak too often." he sighed, as he stood up on the stage. It was now easier to see what he was wearing, and it looked rather strange, Almost Pirate-like, complete with sash and frills, and a nice looking flintlock pistol hanging from his waistband.
"And now, for the news I wanted to tell Everybody. I recently auditioned to be in the musical- Pirates, And I've just been told..." He paused, and drew his breath in. Ivy seemed to be straining at the leash to hear the news. Alice seemed interested, as did everyone, Except Neena, who buried herself in her jumper.
"I've got a supporting role- I'm playing the part of an Evil pirate that attacks the Hero." He finished, a big grin on his face, obviously showing how impressed he was. "So, I'm going to have to spend some time away from the band. I'll come to rehersals as often as I can, But I'm not making any guaruntees."
Ivy seemed to not notice his last sentence, she just jumped onto her feet, and Tackled Ben over with a hug, completely astounding evereyone. "I'm so happy for you, Ben!" she said, excitedly, Before she realised what she was doing, at which point she quickly released him, composed herself, and brushed her jacket with her fingers. "Uh... I'm sorry, I wanted to get into the lighting for this, but the spots were taken, I'm just excited one of my friends did." she quickly rattled, to cover her tracks. Everyone shrugged. It seemed reasonable enough. Adam, however, looked at Ivy, puzzled. That had just flared his suspicions even more. As Benny began to give everyone a sneak peek of the set and show, Adam grabbed Ivy by the sleeve, and pulled her to the side. "Um, Ivy, is there something happening between you and Ben that I don't know about."
Ivy blushed a little, just enough to be faintly evident through her makeup. "...W..What do you mean?" she stammered, obviously nervous.
Adam wagged his finger at her accusingly. "I think you've got the hots for Ben." he said quietly, so as only they could hear it.
Ivy smiled, and shook her head. "You'd know if that was the case. We're just close friends."
"VERY close friends, it seems..."
Ivy chuckled. "I'm not the cheating kind, Adam." she assured him, tisking a little. "Besides, I doubt Ben would even consider it..."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, For starters, He's got Sam. Secondly, I'm not excactly his type..."
Adam chuckled. "You DO like him, don't you?"
Ivy looked into Adam's eyes, and smirked slightly, her crooked little smile showing. "Is it really that obvious?" she asked.
"Uh... No, I'm just observant."
"Good. Not a word to anyone, Alright?" she blushed a little, again, only visible if you looked for it.
Adam nodded, and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Come see me after school. I want to show you something."
Ivy shrugged. "You'd better stay fully clothed."
Adam laughed rather loudly. "Don't worry Ivy, It's nothing like that. I'll ask Ben to tag along, too."
Ivy smiled. "Yeah, ok. I'll meet you at your place, then."
"You should probably tell Reaver..."
"Yeah... I'll tell him when I'm ready."
Adam nodded , and walked over to the rest of the group. "It's time they knew..." he thought to himself.
Ivy merely stood where she was, and looked down at her feet. "... "
Chapter 14
Adam raced home that afternoon, straight home, and to his apartment, where he quickly comandeered the computer, and logged onto the internet. After a few moments of surfing, a knock rang from the door. "Enter!" he shouted, not excatly focused on who it was. Slowy, Ivy entered, followed closely by Ben. Ivy and Ben Wandered around the living room a little bit, before finally spotting Adam in his room, and quickly strutted over to him.
"So, Adam, what did you want to show us?" Ben asked, A little confused.
"$5 says it's porn..." Ivy joked.
"Not quite. Have a look at this." Adam chuckled, as he finally brought up a video on YouTube. it showed the Raid on Adam's house- The man and Woman being handcuffed, Adam trying to get close, and the woman leading him away. Ivy and Ben looked in amazement. "Uh, What happened?" Ben asked, after a moment.
"It's my place. Apparently, those two aren't my parents, Despite what they told me over the past few years."
Ivy placed a hand over her mouth, showing a surprising amount of concern, shattering her usually cool, slightly-seductive-mostly-psycotic appearance. "Oh... I'm-"
"Sorry? Nah, It's only the beginning. Apparently, I wasn't a legal resident there either, so I got deported back here. Luckily, My uncle Came to pick me up, and loaned me his flat." Adam continued, sounding a little frustrated. "I'm just a little confused about it. It all makes sense, yet it doesn't feel like home..." he sighed, as Ivy and Ben sat silently on either side of him, their expressions showing exactly what they thought- what the hell had happened. Adam turned to face them, still seated on his computer chair. "There's no point in saying sorry- there's nothing you could have done- besides, I'm better off here." he sighed, smirking slightly.
"Still, that's pretty mysterious, not to mention disorienting, Learning everything you know is wrong..." Ben said softly, completely shocked.
"Bleh, it's beyond my control. The best I can hope for is to live here without a hassle."
Ivy stared at the screen for a moment, before lowering her hand from her face. "So, not a clue about your family, eh? Not even what your father and mother looked like? that's terrible...."
Adam pondered for a moment. "That's true. I've never heard my uncle describe them much."
"You should ask him." She stated, quite bluntly.
"Yeah, but heseems so uncomfortable-"
"They're your parents,right?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Then it's your right to know."
Adam thought for a moment, before nodding. "You're right- I'll ask him next time I see him."
Ivy smiled. "Good. Tell us how it goes, ok?"
Ben finally chirped up. "Yeah, Let us know, man. We're here for you."
Adam smiled, and nodded, before raising an eyebrow. "So, did you guys get invited to Alice's party tonight?"
"Yeah, Koei's giving the whole band a lift over- he's got a Minivan, apparently."
Ben chuckled. "Great! She's also got a fair few spare beds there, so we don't have to head home straight away." he laughed, slapping himself on the stomach. "Perfect time for me to make cocktails!" he laughed even harder, before being patted on the shoulder by Adam. "Yeah, but just calm down, ok? you'll wake the neighbours." he chuckled, before walking across the room. "Is it ok for me to hang with you guys before then, then?" he asked, as he searched through his "Floordrobe" for a suitable outfit. "Go ahead, we've got nothing better to do." Ben chuckled, as they began to leave. "We'll be downstairs waiting, ok?"
Adam nodded, a glint of happiness flashing in his eyes. He'd finally told someone about his situation, and it'd lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. Now, to his next issue- what was up with Ivy? what was going on between her and Ben?
Chapter 15
Ben stood at the battered old ironing board, trying to press the creases in his favourite shirt- A nice, pinstriped black shirt, with a nice design around the collar- one he'd grabbed when he last went shopping with his parents. He smiled, as he ironed, one crease in the sleeve staying as t was, despite his best efforts. As he continued to Iron, Adam emerged from his room. He wore a blue shirt, unbuttoned, to reveal a white tank top underneath, followed by a pair of faded jeans fastened around his waist. "This allright?" he asked.
Ben glanced at him for a split second, before continuing with his ironing. "Yeah, it'll be fine."
As soon as he had finished, Ivy entered the loungeroom. She wore a red tee, and a plaid miniskirt, along with some striped stockings. Her hair was tied back in a pair of buns, and her face wasn't as heavily made-up as usual, the makeup on her face being just enough to accent her looks, making her appear rather cute. Adam simply couldn't help but smile. "Well, this is a nice change." he chuckled, As benfinally slipped his shirt on. "Yeah, Ivy. You look great!" he added, fixing his collar so as it'd sit right. "trying to impress someone, are we?" he asked, teasing. Ivy smirked, and tisked. "Who's there to impress? Koei's gay, and Adam's into Alice." she stated, causing Adam to bluh furiously. "Wait, I uh..."
"Don't even try to hide it- it's pretty obvious." Ivy continued, before alking over to Ben, adjusting his collar a little. "There, much more handsome." she giggled, smiling almost sweetly. Ben nodded, and smirked. "Thanks, Ivy." He walked out to the kitchen to grab their drinks, leaving Ivy and Adam in the living room by themselves. Adam sat on the sofa, Ivy sitting next to him. "You really should tell him."
"Yeah, I know, but it's kinda hard..."
"True, but what else can you do? the worst that'll happen is that he says no..."
"Yeah, but I'm not sure how everyone else will act..."
Adam thought for a moment- High school was quite a fickle, shallow place. If a Goth and a Geek got together, there'd probably be an uproar, and quite possibly a Riot. He nodded. "True, but you can't deny your feelings, can you?"
Ivy nodded, and smirked a little. "I'll try, as long as you try to get close to Alice, ok?"
Adam nodded. "Yeah, ok."
Ben returned into the living room, carrying a carton of cans, labeled "Vodka and Raspberry". "You ok with drinking these, Adam?" he asked, showing him the carton. Adam nodded and smiled. "Drank the same stuff at home, actually." he chuckled, taking a can from the box, and sliding it into his pocket. "So, should we wait for the van, then?" he asked, as the sound of tyres screetching echoed up the street. "Not for long." Ben replie, smirking evilly. He'd seen Koei drive before- they'd be lucky to make it there without soiling themselves.
***
 Shirtless Ben · Thu Jun 11, 2009 @ 12:37am · 1 Comments |
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This is the novel, Currently up to 14 chapters. Fanmail, porn and the such is welcome *winks* razz
~Chapter 1~
Beginnings
Tasmania, Australia
The year was 2010- The Second year of Barack Obama’s term in the White House, The year we finally recovered from the Wall Street crisis in 2008 and the year that Osama Came out of hiding, and was found dead, in the middle of a demolished building in Afghanistan. This was also the year smoking with children in the house became illegalized in Australia, the year that Tibet became an independent country, and the year that George W. Bush was diagnosed with cancer. A lone boy walked down the street, towards his house in his rundown neighborhood, Campsville. Campsville used to be a glorious place to visit in Tasmania, but over the past few years, it had deteriorated, with the election of a new mayor, Ms. Pearson. She had worried too much about the upper end of town, and now the lower end had descended into poverty- so much so, that half-demolished buildings stood, seeming to hold up the buildings that were still intact. Broken glass littered the streets, and the smell of rot and urine was strong in the air. The boy looked up towards the sky, his face still a little dirty from taking a shortcut through a burned-out building. His messy blonde hair blew in the wind, as the frames of his glasses gleamed in the light. This was a fine day, for once. He had passed his year 10 exams, finally plucked up the courage to ask a girl out, and won a raffle, winning $500 bucks. It seemed nothing could ruin his day. How wrong he was. As he kept walking down the street, he could see random people standing on their front lawns, looking down towards his place. The flash of police sirens glared from down the road, and the sound of commotion and police sirens was still ringing along the street. As he approached his parent’s old, decrypt tin shed, where they lived, he noticed a roll of police tape strung up over the entrance. Police were surrounding the building, and some strange items were being “removed from the premises,” by police and rather sneaky “Volunteers.” He started to approach a police officer, but instead, a woman, dressed in a suit, which seemed to blend perfectly into her dark hair, blocked him off. “Are you Adam Farrel?” she asked, in a cold, official tone. “Uh… Yes. What’s happened to my place?” the boy responded, still trying to work out what was going on. “Yes, I’m afraid you’re going to have to come with me.” She said with a sinister looking smile, as two big burly men approached Adam, and grabbed him by the arms. They proceeded towards a red sedan, parked just two houses down the road, much to Adam’s dismay. Try as he might, he could not pry himself away from their grasp. The woman opened the door, and the men threw him into the vehicle. As the door closed, Adam sat up, and looked towards the front. A man, resembling a butler, sat at the wheel of the vehicle, singing the song that was playing on the radio. The doors opened again, and the two large men sat either side of him, while the woman sat in the front seat. As soon as the doors closed, the car began to move forwards. The woman looked Adam in the eyes, and said with a smile, “It seems we have to deal with you. And I think I’m going to enjoy it!” As she burst into laughter, a glass screen started moving between them, as one of the men turned to him, and added “And don’t try and struggle. We may just have to hurt you…” a big grin appeared on his face, as Adam felt everything spinning around him, before turning to complete darkness…
~Chapter 2~
The Truth
Adam awoke slowly, and found himself sitting in a leather armchair, with the woman from before staring at him, from the comfort of her own armchair. “So you’re finally awake, Adam?” she chuckled, as Adam stood up quickly, and quickly scouted his surroundings. The room they were sitting in appeared to be a rather old-fashioned lounge, with a roaring wood heater, and bookcases lining the walls. The two large men stood at the far end of the room, as if on guard, either side of the door. A mini-bar sat to the side of the entrance, and the Driver sat behind it, polishing a wine glass, whistling the tune he was listening to earlier. The woman smiled. ”Please, do sit. You are safe here. We won’t hurt you, dear” Adam turned to her, and relaxed a little. “I’m not so sure about that” he replied, as his nerves made his words shake. He sat back down, and asked, “Why am I here, ma’am?” The woman smiled with delight. “Straight to business, then?” she laughed. “It seems that your ‘parents’ aren’t your parents at all.” She said, with a slightly coy air in her voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Adam, it’s simple. You were kidnapped at birth, to help them get into the country.”
Adams eyes widened with shock. “I was kidnapped?”
“Yes, I’m afraid that these ‘Parents’ of yours were actually Terrorists, planning to attack one of our landmarks, the great Cradle Mountain.”
“But why would they do that?”
“It seems that they thought it would make Australia panic if their most beautiful state were to fall under attack. I’m sorry you got roped into this.” She said, with a more serious tone.
“So who are you, then?” Adam asked, after a moment of thinking.
The woman smiled, and gestured towards her butler “This is Alex.” Alex gave a cheerful wave, before returning to his glass. “And these two are Darren and Robert. Don’t mind them; they’re as gentle as puppies.” She laughed, as they waved to Adam. “And I am Sarah Penning, A private investigator. People were suspecting them of harboring drugs, and someone paid me to investigate, and get you away from them at the same time, and to also give you these.” She said, as she pulled something out of her jacket pocket, and handed it to him. He pulled it out, and looked at it curiously. It was a plane ticket, destined for the USA. “What’s this for?” he asked, still not quite sure what to make of it.
Sarah’s smile turned to a slight sad face. “Unfortunately, your mother and father died a short while after you were taken, Seems they never thought they’d be able to see you again. The man that sent me was your uncle, Lester. He said you’d be able to live with him, and he’d look after you.” She said, as her smile returned. “I’ve phoned him, and he’ll meet you at the airport.” She said, with a hint of Excitement. “Then I’ll be able to get my pay!” she screamed with delight. Adam stared at the ticket. “The USA, eh?” he muttered. “This isn’t expected at all,” he said, as he looked up to Sarah. “It doesn’t matter; we took your possessions, and put them in your room. Your uncle arrives tomorrow, and you leave with him an hour later.” She gestured towards the door. “Alex, show this nice young man his room.” Alex nodded, as he put his glass down, and walked out of the doors. Adam followed closely behind, as Alex strolled in front, whistling the tune from in the car. He stopped at a door, marked “935,” and pulled out a bundle of keys. After a little fumble, he selected a key, slid it into the door, and unlocked it, before swinging the door open. Adam turned to Alex, just before he entered, and asked “Excuse me, Alex, but what tune were you whistling?”
The butler smiled, and answered, in very strong English accent “Well, Master Adam, I was whistling a song by a quite old band, Called Green Day. “ American Idiot” or something” he smiled, as Adam let a little snort of laughter out. Adam walked into the room, and as he flicked the lights on, the butler smiled, and Said “Goodnight, Master Adam. It seems you have a busy day tomorrow.”
~Chapter 3~
First Contact
Adam awoke rather late the next morning. The sun was already shining through the bedroom window, and the curtains had been drawn. Adam sat up, and rubbed his eyes a little, before putting his glasses on. He stood, and walked to the bathroom and washed his face, before getting dressed in a blue t-shirt and denim shorts. He slid on his favorite sneakers, and looked in the mirror. “You handsome devil, you” he said sarcastically, before laughing, and tying his shoelaces. As he stood again, a knock rang from his door. “Master Adam, We’re due to leave soon. Would you like some help with your belongings?” he asked.
Adam thought for a moment. “Yes, thank you, Alex” he responded. Today might not be the best day ever, he thought, but it was going to be interesting. Alex entered, and helped Adam lift a few suitcases, as Adam carried his clothes, and a small cigarette shaped box. As they exited the building, which turned out to be a rather nice looking manor, Adam saw Sarah, Darren, and Robert standing around the car, having what looked like a rather odd conversation. As they approached, Sarah turned to Adam and said, as she glanced at his cigarette shaped box “Um, I’d like it if you didn’t smoke in my car, thank you.”
“Not a problem” he said, as he opened the box, revealing some small sticks of Pocky. Sarah laughed, and took one, as did everyone else. As they drove towards the Airport, Adam looked out the window. They were driving in a large Limo, now, and Adam had a window seat. As the Scenery whizzed by, Adam realized that this would probably be the last time he saw it. He sighed, as he continued to munch on his stick of Pocky. Darren turned to Adam, and tried to cheer him up “If you ever come back, Adam, Can you bring me a souvenir?” he asked.
Adam laughed, and smiled. “Probably, Darren. I’ll get you a Basketball Jersey or something,” he said
Darren jigged up and down like an excited toddler. “Pleeeease!” he shouted, startling Robert, and sending the carload into hysterics. They soon reached the airport, and Sarah and Adam stepped out of the vehicle, as Alex drove to find a parking spot. The Pair of them entered the lobby of the airport, and saw a lone elderly man, standing in the middle of the room, talking to some rather attractive women. The man stopped for a second, and looked up at them, And Quickly walked towards them. “That’s your uncle Lester, he’s a bit of a flirt,” Sarah said, with a bit of a chuckle. He approached Sarah first, and handed her a cheque. “I’ve got a tip back at my place!” he said, with a laugh, as Sarah rolled her eyes. “And you must be Adam!” he said, as he turned his gaze to him. Adam nodded, not sure what to think. “It’s nice to see you again, after all these years. Our plane leaves soon, we should probably go.” He added, moving towards the leaving gate. Adam turned to Sarah. “Is all my stuff here?” he asked. “Yes, Alex dropped it off on the plane. “ She said, as she pointed at the limo speeding off the runway. Adam smiled, and gave Sarah a little wave, before following after his uncle. Following his ticket, he found his uncle, sitting in the aisle seat, fast asleep. Adam creped past him, and sat in the window seat, and thought about the past 24 hours. “Amazing how much your life can change so quickly,” he said, as he watched the landscape start to shrink. “Let’s hope it’s for the best”
After a rather long flight, Adam and his uncle Stepped off the plane, in the Bustling State of New York. “Welcome home, Boy!” Lester shouted, as he smiled, and stretched his arms out. “You should probably head to your place, then!”
“My place?”
“Yeah, I thought you’d be embarrassed if I lived with you, so I’m loaning you my bachelor pad while I stay at my house. I will drop in Tuesdays to check up on you. “
“Really? Cool! Thanks Uncle Lester!”
“No problem. I also enrolled you into a local Senior High. “St Bernard’s,” I think.”
“Ok, when do I start?”
“Tomorrow. Here’s your Address, and $20 for the cab. See you Tuesday!”
“Cool! Thank you, Uncle Lester!”
Adam watched as his uncle left and caught his own cab. He seems nice, he thought. Let’s hope everyone is this nice.
~Chapter 4~
Black Cat.
Adam arrived home as the sun was setting, but felt like it was 12AM. He took his bags out of the taxi, staggered up to his apartment, and slumped onto the couch, immediately falling asleep. The next morning, he searched through his suitcases for something nice to wear for his first day, before running out of the apartment, hoping not to be late. After hailing a taxi, which took longer than it should, Adam gave the Taxi driver the address of the school, and, asked him to detour to the nearest shop for a bit. As the taxi began to move, the taxi driver began to speak. “So, you new in town?”
“Yes, sir. I’m from Australia.”
“Ha-ha, do you own a kangaroo, Mate?”
“No, that’s my Family Kangaroo” Adam joked.
The taxi driver laughed.
“I guess we’ll see a lot of each other. I work as a cleaner part time at St Bernard’s, y’know.”
“Really? So why do you drive Taxis?”
“You kiddin’ me? I get to be social, and I get paid. Why wouldn’t I?” The taxi driver laughed again, as they approached a seedy little grocery store.
“I’ll wait here. You go in.,” the taxi driver said, in a friendly tone.
Adam nodded, and opened the passenger door, before running inside. A few seconds later, he emerged, with a lighter wallet, and a heavier backpack. As he hopped into the cab, the driver asked “So what did you want from there, anyway?”
Adam smiled “just the best thing to get you in a good mood… Pocky!” he laughed
The taxi driver shrugged. “Never tried it. Mind if I try some?”
Adam passed the Taxi driver a stick of Pocky through the cash slot in his safety bubble. (Every taxi in New York had one now.) The driver seemed to love them, as he munched away on one as they took off.
“So, what’s your name, son?”
“Adam Farrel.”
“Cool. I’m Sanchez.”
“.. You don’t even look Mexican”
“Nah, my mother liked the name.”
“Oh, Ok.”
Adam smiled. This guy seemed cool. He may just be my first friend here, he thought, as the clock struck 8:00.
“Hey Sanchez, when does class start?”
“8:15….S****!”
Sanchez panicked, and hit the accelerator as hard as he could. The Taxi sped up to about 75mph.
“Gah!”
Adam was thrown back into his seat, and Sanchez was swerving all over the road to avoid hitting people and vehicles, including a hobo with a shopping trolley, an old man in a Volvo, and a rich looking businessman in a yellow Porsche. Luckily, they didn’t hit anything, and got to the School at around 8:10. Adam stepped out of the car, and staggered a bit, before throwing up. Adam was unfortunately a frequent victim of motion sickness. As he caught his breath, Sanchez yelled out “Sorry, mate. I guess this one’s on the house.” He laughed, as he sped off. Adam looked up towards the school. This wasn’t how he wanted to start his day. As he let out a sigh, he looked at his feet, and saw a small black kitten walk past.
“As if I need any more bad luck,” he said, as he wiped his mouth with his hand. He smirked. At least it can’t get much worse, he thought.
How wrong he was.
~Chapter 5~
Unlikely Ally
Adam stared at the ceiling in disbelief. His day had gone completely wrong, ever since he’d stepped out of the taxi. First off, he went into the wrong classroom about twelve times, and then he managed to ridicule himself in front of his math class, by asking what Pythagoras was. He also managed to bend his glasses by catching a Dodge ball with his face in Gym, and finally, managed to make some Sodium Explode in Science, making him jump, and fall off his chair, onto his back. He sat up, and tried to straighten his glasses, but he couldn’t manage to straighten them fully. Adam sighed as the bell rang. It was finally time for him to go home. As he stood, a few guys began to walk towards him. It was obvious they were Jocks, with their School Sports jackets, and their extremely large physiques. Adam moaned- this was such a great way to end his day. As the Jocks surrounded them, Adam found himself laughing at his own misfortune. One jock frowned, and scruffed him by the front of his shirt. “You laughing at me, Aussie?” he snapped, obviously annoyed at something- Quite possibly the fact his nose had been broken recently. “n-n-No, sir!” he stammered. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to be beaten up today.
“Are you mocking me, Aussie?”
“No, sir!”
“He’s mocking you, Seb!”
“No! I Wasn’t!”
“Yeah, He was”
“You should hit him for that.”
“Yeah, deck him, Seb!”
The other jocks began egging Seb on, and he seemed to get even redder and angrier. As he pulled back his fist to make paste out of Adam’s nose, a voice rang through the halls. “Drop the Aussie, Seb, or you’ll answer to me.” Seb froze, then let go of Adam, before walking away in a seemingly scared fashion, Followed by his companions. As they walked away, Adam peered through his glasses at the figure that approached. “You want some help getting up, Aussie?” A slender woman, about 5’6” stood before him. She wore thick, high heeled, black leather boots, black and white striped stockings, a black lacy skirt, a purple sleeveless top, and a black leather jacket. Her face seemed to be pure white, with her lips being a kind of ichor red, and her eyes were darker than midnight. Her two-toned hair rested just above her eyes, and seemed to flow seamlessly around her head, and down to her shoulders. A crooked smile seemed to appear in the corner of her mouth “Those guys shouldn’t hassle you anymore.” She chuckled. Adam stared in shock- if she scared those guys off, what she was going to do to him?
“That Jerk-off shouldn’t have picked on you at all. What’s your real name, Aussie?”
“Adam…”
“Nice. I’m Ivy. Forget it, and you’ll regret it.”
Adam nodded franticly. He didn’t feel he wanted to mess with this girl.
Ivy laughed a little, before putting a cigarette in her mouth and lighting it.
“Don’t worry, I don’t bite… Much.”
Adam smiled, and relaxed a little. She was a bit strange, but she seemed ok.
“So, uh, Ivy... Why did you help me?”
“Well, as entertaining as fights are, you didn’t deserve to be pummeled by him. Therefore, I intervened. Now you owe me…”
Adam stared for a moment. What would she want with him?
“Don’t worry; I’ll call you up if you can help me.”
“But you don’t have my number…”
“That’s why you’ll give it to me.”
Adam nodded, took his mobile phone out, and wrote his number down, before handing it to her.
“Thanks Adam, now I’d beat it before I have to save your a** again…”
“Ok, um… thanks, Ivy” Adam picked up his things and walked towards the exit. It was amazing what had happened today, in all the wrong reasons, but that was the only thing to feel at least slightly normal. Things seemed to look good for Adam, as he exited the building. He made two mental notes: One, to pay Ivy back for helping him, and two, to get some new glasses.
Ivy stood, leaning against the lockers in the hall. She puffed on her cigarette a few more times, before standing up, and walking towards the Exit. “Perhaps I’m getting soft” she laughed to herself, as she smirked, showing her crooked smile once again.
~Chapter 6~
Three’s a Crowd
Adam returned to School the next day, with a bit more luck on his side. As he entered science, he wowed everyone with his knowledge of chemistry, something they had not learned there yet, and in Gym, he was the only one able to shoot and score every time in basketball. In English, he sat quietly and listened to his classmates recite poetry. Nothing had gone wrong- no explosions, no clumsy mistakes, and no bullies. It seemed to be how he wanted his first day to be. Then, lunch came. Adam wandered around the Cafeteria, carrying a plateful of “Mystery Meat” (which happened to smell like sweet and sour gym shoes), trying to find someone to sit with. Unfortunately, word had spread about him being one of Ivy’s friends, and they all seemed to shoo him away like a fly. Disheartened, he finally found a small table, and sat there. As he tried to chew on what appeared to be a finger, a little voice asked “Mind if I sit here?” Adam looked up to where the voice came from. Before him stood a weedy, thin guy, with messy black hair, and a stick of Strawberry pocky hanging out of his mouth. He seemed taller than he actually was (5” cool , and wore rather large clothes, which made him look even skinnier. His white shirt, and blue jeans, seemed to contrast against his dark, olive skin.
“Go ahead, the seat’s free.”
The guy nodded, and sat in the seat opposite him, a grin stretching from ear to ear.
“I’m Benny, By the way. You’re Adam, right? I’ve heard all about you”
“What have you heard?”
“That Ivy stuck up for you.”
“Ah… What of it?”
“That’s why everyone’s been shooing you, man. They think Ivy’s scary. “
“She’s not so bad-“
“You kiddin’? She sent a guy to hospital for flirting with her, and broke another guy’s nose for brushing his hand against her a** on accident!”
“Oh. No wonder everyone’s afraid of her. She can fight”
“Yeah, Probably. I’ve spoken with her a few times. She’s alright if you can stay on her good side, but NEVER get on her bad side. You won’t live to regret it”
Benny leaned back, and rested his feet on the table.
“I can say this much, though- she must think you’ve got something she’ll want if she’s sticking up for you. She never sticks up for anyone.”
“Yeah? I thought she was just being friendly…”
“I was.”
Adam and Benny turned their heads quickly. There stood Ivy, dressed in a dark lacy dress, covered in leather straps. Her hair was tied into buns, and the rest of her hair seemed to spike out of them. “I’m not a complete jerk, Benny. I’ve stuck up for you too, remember?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry Ivy. I still owe you, don’t I?”
“Probably. Just go buy us all coffees, and I think that’ll square things up.”
Adam Interrupted. “So I’ve heard you beat up a few guys around here?”
Ivy stared blankly at him. “Yeah, What of it?”
“I’m just curious as to why…”
“You ever been fondled by a sleaze ball? I’ve only hit two guys, and only when they’ve touched me without permission”
Adam quickly glanced up and down her body. Her dress left little to the imagination, making it painfully clear she was rather attractive physically, but he still felt rather intimidated by her.
“That sounds better than what I’ve heard”
“That’s because they didn’t want to look like sleaze balls. They told everyone else it was harmless flirting and accidental, but I know better.”
Adam smiled. It wasn’t often he talked with a girl, and when he did, he usually froze up, but he felt more comfortable talking to her. “So, Ivy… is there any other reason apart from kindness you stuck up for me?”
Ivy shrugged. She didn’t exactly know either. “I guess I just did it on impulse. I’m just like that. Never make plans, just go with what feels right.” She said, as a little smirk appeared in the corner of her mouth.
“Three Coffees!”
Benny stumbled over to the Table, trying not to spill the coffee as he sat with them again.
“Hope you don’t mind Lattes”
“That’s fine, Benny” Ivy said, Grabbing one, and sipping it quietly.
“Thanks” Adam reached for one, as he spotted the pocky in Benny’s mouth. He sat his coffee in front of him, and pulled out a little box.
“Anyone for pocky?” he asked with a little laugh. Ivy and Benny both smiled, and took a stick each. Ivy nibbled it between sips of coffee, and Benny seemed to devour his stick completely before replacing it with the one he took. Adam smiled, and ate his in a few bites. After a little while, filled with the sounds of sipping and munching, Benny was the first to speak. “So, what do you like to do, Adam?”
Adam pondered for a little while. “Well, I like to draw a little.”
“Really? What do you draw?”
“Just random stuff, really. Manga, flowers, just whatever I feel like.”
“Cool. I’m an Ok manga artist. Ivy’s really good at sketches, but she can do really cute Chibi’s!”
“Chibi?”
“Y’know the little cute manga pictures where they look like they’re 10? Those ones. Take a look.”
Benny pulled a little notepad out of his pocket, and showed Adam a picture of a cute, little boy, similar to Benny, with pockets full of Pocky, and a stick of it hanging out his mouth. Adam laughed a little. “Hey, that’s pretty good. What’s yours like?”
Benny smiled. “Well, ages ago, I did an Anime drawing of Ivy. About the same time that she did the Chibi, Actually. Took me ages…” Benny turned the pages of his book to a lovely, detailed drawing of Ivy, leaning against a brick wall, Covered with graffiti, pocky hanging out of her mouth, and a notepad and pencil in her hand. She even had the same crooked little smile in the corner of her mouth. Adam grinned. “This is really good, Benny. How long did it take you?”
“4 hours, non-stop.”
“That all? It’d take me DAYS to do one that good.”
Ivy grinned a little. “Prove it. Let’s see what you can do.”
Adam smirked. He was expecting this. “Anyone got a pencil?”
For about half an hour, he sat with Ivy and Benny, striking up conversation, and drawing at the same time. After a while, he stopped, and turned the pad around. On it, were Ivy and Benny’s faces, sketched to amazing detail, despite the fact it was only in grayscale.
“Wow!”
“Not bad, Adam.”
“Thanks, guys. I think you two are better, though.”
Ivy laughed a little. “I was going to say the same about you two.”
“Ok, we think too much alike” Benny responded, with a chuckle.
The three of them sat there, smiling at one another.
“So, the new kid, the klutz, and the Goth? What an unlikely trio.” Ivy said, breaking the silence.
“Hey! I’m not a klutz!” Benny said, as he slammed his fist in protest onto Adam’s lunchtray, flinging the rest of his mystery meat into his face. As he wiped it off, he laughed, “I stand corrected.” The three of them laughed. It seemed as though they were going to be good friends.
How right they were.
~Chapter 7~
First Visit
Adam sat on his couch, staring at the TV, hoping something apart from Ads would catch his interest. It was Saturday, First day of the weekend, and the first day off he’d had since he’d arrived in the U.S. He sighed. Ivy and Benny said they had plans, and he hadn’t found anyone else to hang out with. Besides, in this end of town, there weren’t any Arcades or anything to hang out at. Besides, even if there were, he was broke. He flicked through the channels, occasionally pausing to have a little chuckle at some old guy trying to sell a sliced bread warmer, but apart from that, he sat there, bored out of his skull.
He wished he could hang out with someone- Heck, Uncle Lester wasn’t due to visit until Tuesday- even he’d do. That’s when it hit him- why not call Uncle Lester? He’d have to have his number hanging around this flat somewhere! Adam jumped off the couch, and quickly proceeded to the phone, Making sure he didn’t trip over the clutter he’d left on the floor. As he picked up the receiver of the phone, he Paused, and had a look at the saved numbers. Conveniently, Uncle Lester’s number was the first on the list. After dialing his number, and about 10 seconds of Ringing, Lester finally answered.
“Hey, Adam. What’cha after?”
“Hey, uncle. What you doin’ today?”
“Well, I thought I’d have a quiet one, today. Why, you wanna do something?”
“Um, I was gonna ask if you’d like to visit me earlier this week?”
“How much earlier?”
“Like, today, because I’ve got nothing to do.”
“Well, give me an hour, and I’ll head over”
“Cool. See you then!”
Adam hung up, and gazed around the room. He wasn’t going to get a moments rest if he wanted the place to be respectable.
After a grueling half-hour, The Apartment looked respectable, minus the dishes. Adam looked around him and smiled. Just as he sat back down on the couch, a knock rang from his door. Grumbling, he walked over to the door, and opened it. Lester stood there, this time, dressed in a bright yellow Tracksuit.
“Hey, Man! What did you wanna see me about?”
“Nothing, Really. Just wanted some company”
Lester laughed a little. “Ok, Now what do you really want?”
“…I was serious, Uncle.”
“…Oh. Are you gay?”
“No”
“Just checking.”
Lester walked in, and sat on the couch.
“I’ve heard from your teachers, too. They say you’ve settled in quite well.”
“Yeah. It’s not a bad place”
“I’ve also heard that a girl stopped you getting a beating, too.”
Adam blushed. “Uh, I wouldn’t laugh about it too much.”
“I’m not laughing Adam; I’m just shocked that they don’t do it more often”
“What do you mean?”
“Women are a scary sort- they can lure you in with their charms one second, then go ape and claw your eyes out the next. Still, we’d be nothing without them- They’ve supported us, inspired us, and compelled men to do things against their nature. Hell, the Trojan War started over one bird- I think her name was Helen or something”
“Yeah, uncle, it was Helen”
Uncle Lester laughed a little, before taking a more serious expression. “Adam, it’s time you learned about your parents.”
Adam sat on the couch, next to his uncle.
“So, were you related to Dad or Mum?”
“… Your Father. He was a brilliant Man- Faithful to his Wife- Your Mother, and he was a great businessman- he still has money coming in, even though he’s not here anymore. Your mother was just as amazing- she was the most beautiful woman in town, and she was also one of the smartest- she worked as a secretary for some large corporations, and had bought stock during the Wall Street crisis a few years ago. “
“2008?”
“No, the one before that. She was only seven at the time. She met your father at one of these stock Exchange things, and they were bitter rivals for ages, trying to get the same company. In sheer desperation, your mother tried to seduce him, to try to make him forget about it, but she fell for him in the process. As soon as she did, they both gave up on it, and another man bought it. They went on to get hitched, and they had only been married a few months before they found out she was pregnant.”
“With me?”
“Yep! They had waited all their lives to be able to raise a son… Then, as soon as you were born, they took you on a business trip- to Australia, to Visit the Prime minister, and they’d go on holidays after, to celebrate- Well, that was the plan. As soon as they’d entered the airport, they’d found out you’d gone missing, and it shattered their hearts. They waited a few years until they just couldn’t bare it- they ended it, thinking you’d died or something…”
Adam Sighed. “That’s terrible.”
“What’s even worse is where you were- that wasn’t the life they wanted for you- they wanted you to stay here in America and become as influential as they were. Still, It’s up to you, I guess” Lester smiled for the first time since he’d told the story.
“Still, I’d bet that you’ve got plans for tomorrow.”
“Yeah- Ivy’s invited me to visit her and Benny- they’re flatmates, apparently.”
“Benny? As in Benny Fisher? Apparently, He was down the skating rink last Sunday Wooing some little cutie- The school kids got a photo of her, and it went viral” he laughed, Holding up a photo of a rather cute girl, being hugged by Benny. “She looks familiar” he laughed, trying to work out where he’d seen that face before…
“Still, you’ve got the rest of Today to kill- what do you wanna do?”
Adam smiled. “How about you do one of your Weekly inspections today?”
“Nah, those were just an excuse to visit- You any good at fighting games?”
Adam Nodded. “Undefeated Campsville Arcade champ, Baby!”
“Well, won’t it suck when I beat you?” Lester chuckled, as he opened the entertainment cabinet, revealing a games console, and a wide array of games. “I’ll give you the key to it before I leave,” he laughed, as he threw Adam the controller. “Prepare to get served, boy!”
~Chapter 8~
Ebony and Ivory
Benny sighed, as he slumped back into the park bench. Of all the things I could do on a Sunday, I’m waiting for the Aussie, in the park, to take him home, he thought. “He could at least be a hottie” he chuckled to himself, before Receiving a glare from Ivy. She was also there, sitting rather relaxed, next to Benny. They were living together, and the last thing she wanted was a girl in the house. Benny's cheeks blushed a little. “Oh, Sorry…”
Adam, however, was nowhere in sight, Despite his intentions. He was stuck in traffic, in Sanchez’s Taxi.
“Hurry up, you bastards! I’ve got errands to run!”
Sanchez cursed, as Adam sighed. “Mind if I just get out here?” he asked.
“Sure. $30”
Adam handed over some money, before jumping out of the car, and running down the road to the park. He was meant to be there at 10, but it was already 12. He’d called Ivy, and told her what was going on, but he was still afraid he was running too late. Meanwhile, Benny was starting to get restless.
“Couldn’t we just show him after school tomorrow?”
“We’ve already planned it for today.”
“But he’s 2 hours late!”
“Would you rather miss another Donnie Darko Evening tomorrow night?”
“….”
“That’s what I thought. We’re waiting for him.”
“… You’re a real b***h at times, you know that?”
A crooked smile crossed Ivy’s face. “That’s why I’m famous.”
Benny laughed. “True. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
As he turned to face her, a familiar voice cried out from the far end of the path. “Sorry I’m late, Guys! “
Adam was running straight towards them, puffing and panting, sweat flying from his brow onto the pavement.
“So, When are we going to your place?” he asked, still breathing heavily.
“When you catch your breath, Aussie” Ivy chuckled.
Benny smiled. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t be much better”
“Thanks guys.”
“Not a problem. What took you so long, anyway?”
“Traffic. Amazing how busy this place is…”
“Yeah. You get used to it, eventually.”
Ivy stood, before straightening her dress. “Well Gentlemen, shall we?” she asked, still smiling from earlier.
Benny and Adam nodded, and all three of them began to walk towards the skating rink.
Adam was the first to speak.
“So, Benny… I found out something about you yesterday”
“…Yeah?”
“About a certain girl you’re dating.”
“Umm….”
“Who is this cutie?” Adam laughed, showing him the photo of the girl Lester had shown him.
“Oh, Sam! Yeah, she’s amazing, don’t see her as often as I like, but she’s still the best thing that’s happened to me.” Benny replied, blushing bright red.
Ivy chuckled. “Since when were you able to get any?” she teased.
“Hey! You know we’ve been together for a little while now!”
Ivy chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose…”
Adam turned to Benny. “So why don’t I see her at school?”
“Oh... she’s not around very often.”
“Yeah? I thought you’d be into one of the intellectuals at school…”
Ivy grumbled. “Not all ‘intellectuals’ are there 24/7”
Adam nervously chuckled. “Oh… Sorry Ivy…”
“… I suppose I’ll let you live…”
Benny smiled. “He’s new; He’s not trying to insult you”
“I know. It doesn’t make me feel much better, though…”
“I’m sure you’ll get over it, Ivy. Besides, we have bigger fish to fry. You any good at Guitar Master, Ben?”
“Yeah, I’m ok at it”
“Good. We’ve got a copy back home, and we only just got the drum kit.”
“It has drums in it?”
“Apparently.”
“Great. I guess you want me to play them?”
“You’re smarter than you look, Aussie”
The three of them eventually reached the front door of Ivy and Benny’s place. It was a quaint little house, if a little run-down. The lawn was well kept, save a few stray plants growing for no apparent reason. Benny opened the front door. “Welcome, Adam, to our humble Abode” he laughed.
Adam entered last, following Ivy and Benny, who walked straight into the living room. Adam, out of habit, lingered at the door, and removed his shoes, before joining them.
“So, Benny…Ivy…Where are your folks?”
Benny sighed. “Touring. They’re musicians. Ivy’s… Well, let’s not talk about it. What’s important is that she decided to move in last Saturday, and we’ve been having a blast since!”
Ivy smiled. “Yeah, It’s been fun” she laughed, seeming a little more upbeat now she was home. Adam sat back, and smiled.
Ebony and Ivory... Two opposites, living in harmony….
He shook his head, and laughed a little, as Benny finally set the game up. “Well, Adam, Let’s see what you can do!” he laughed, as Ivy selected a song. As soon as the music started, they all thought the same thing….
Benny REALLY sucks at this, doesn’t he?
~Chapter 9~
We Need a Better Name
Ivy, Benny, and Adam sat on the couch, laughing hysterically at a joke Benny had told earlier. They’d been playing videogames all afternoon, and it had started getting dark. Adam had already asked to stay over, and gotten the ok. Ivy finally paused to breathe, and then spoke, almost breathlessly. “So, Adam? Are you really that bad at drumming?” she asked, referring to his dodgy attempts at drumming during the game.
“No… Well, yeah... I’m an OK guitarist, though,” he added, quickly.
“Dad taught me how to play Bass, once- that was fun!” Benny chuckled, finally calming down.
“I’m sure he did, Benny”
“Seriously! I can prove it! Follow me!”
Benny stood, and walked over to a closed door in the corner. He turned the handle, before giving it a push, and then fumbled inside the doorway, before he turned the light switch on. “It’s my parent’s old practice room- completely soundproof,” he said, gesturing as if to say’ After you, guys!’
Ivy and Adam entered the room, and were astonished at what they saw- A full recording studio, packed into one small room. Thick glass separated the room in half, broken only by the open door at one end. Another door was on the opposite wall- it had a sign on it, reading “Instruments.” All along the glass were soundboards, and Benny was tweaking one as they entered. “Guitar’s in the store room, drum kit’s set up, as are the Keyboard and 2 mikes. Let’s see how we do, ok?” he chuckled, as he tuned the bass he had hanging off him. Ivy smiled, entered the Recording room, and sat at the drums, while Benny finished tuning, and Adam found himself a suitable guitar. After searching for a few moments, He settled on a nice purple Ibanez- similar to his own, except in much better condition, and badly out of tune. After a few more moments of tuning, Adam went out into the recording room, to see Ivy and Benny laughing and mucking about with their instruments. Adam chucked a little, before plugging his guitar into the Amplifier- a nice little Marshal Amp- conveniently pre- battered- a nice little relic. Adam began to play a fine little melody- an original he’d written in Junior High, Year 9 to be exact. Ivy and Benny Stared, gobsmacked at Adams talent, considering he couldn’t play a single note at Guitar hero- not unlike Benny, who soon started playing a nice little bass riff, which went with the melody perfectly. Ivy chuckled a little, before playing a simple beat on the drums, which just seemed to fit the song perfectly. After a little while, Benny and Ivy took a few more liberties, making their parts even more complex, creating a pleasant cacophony in the room, as Adam began to show off his real talent- his writing- as he began to play some rather complex guitar riffs, including some rather strange sound effects that needed pedals on most occasions. Eventually, though, they all tired out, and stopped playing. Benny collapsed against the wall, as Ivy dropped the Drumsticks on the floor, and Adam turned his Amp off. After a few moments, Adam broke the silence.
“You play the Drums, Ivy?”
“Yeah... Used to be in a band, before my dad broke my kit.”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. He was an Idiot.”
Benny joined the conversation. “You were really good, Ivy”
“Thanks. Weren’t so bad yourself, you big dork”
Benny and Ivy’s eyes met for a moment, and they both fell silent, as Adam pondered about what was going on. Benny had a girlfriend, didn’t he? So why would he look at her like that? He shook the thought from his mind. “Hey, Benny! You can play bass really well.”
Benny snapped out of his trance, and looked at Adam, blushing slightly “Nah, not as well as you play guitar.”
“Yeah. Now all we need is another guitarist, a singer, and a keyboarder, then we’d have a band.”
“You mean you can’t sing?”
Adam smiled. “I can, but I’m not very good- I’m more like a backup singer” he chuckled.
Ivy laughed a little. “Same- I’m not very good at singing, but if I had to, I could.”
Benny’s eyes widened with inspiration. “Why don’t we hold auditions, and get another guitarist and a keyboarder? And we might get a singer, too. Then, we’d have a full Band!” he said, obviously excited.
Ivy pondered for a moment. “That… Is the dumbest idea I’ve heard from you… But I like it- Saves being bored at school, Eh?”
“So, You in, Adam?”
“Yeah, count me in!”
The trio smiled again, as they did when Adam first met Benny. “So what shall we call ourselves?”
“How about…. Kung Fu Grip?”
“Better than my idea.”
“Which was?”
“Jewish foreskin.”
“… Kung Fu Grip it is, then!”
~Chapter 10~
More than Awkward
Adam awoke on the couch, in a cold sweat. He’d had a rather strange, and frankly, disturbing dream. He shook his head- it was just a dream… Almost immediately, he heard rather strange sounds coming from Ivy’s room. He was still puzzled- why did Ivy have the master bedroom? Weren’t Benny’s parents the ones who owned the place? He kept pondering, as he continued to the door, which was closed. He put his ear up to the door.
“Mmmm… That’s the spot…”
“Not too hard, I hope?”
“Nah, just perfect, like last time.”
“You’d better let me have a go this time, Ivy”
“Not a problem. Oil and all?”
“What use is it without it? It makes everything feel even better…”
Adam had heard enough, and quickly opened the door. Lying on the bed was Ivy, stripped down to her lingerie, her unclasped bra resting under her, and Benny, wearing only a pair of Boxer shorts.
“Benny, don’t you have a girlfriend?” he asked, accusingly.
“Yeah, and when she’s around, I give her massages too.” Benny replied, figuring their conversation and moaning probably didn’t sound right.
“So why are you two nearly naked?”
Ivy piped up, obviously sounding rather comfortable and content. “All the buttons and metal can tear muscles with enough pressure, and through clothes, it can give ... Little friction burns. You should give him one too, Benny- he seems too tense,” she added, jokingly.
Adam sighed with relief- They seemed honest, but still, it was a little awkward seeing his friends semi-naked. He blushed, as he took his shirt off, revealing his semi-toned physique.
“Careful, Benny, Don’t let Sam see that, or she might change her mind.” Ivy teased, grinning as she checked Adam out.
“I’m not that bad, am I?” Benny asked, a little shaken at Ivy’s comment.
“Nah, I’m just Joking, Benny, Don’t worry” she winked.
Adam lay down on the bed, about half an arms-length from touching Ivy, and waited, as Ivy had the rest of her massage . She then did her Bra up, before throwing a T-shirt on, and beginning work on Adam, as Benny left to use the toilet for a moment. Ivy began to give Adam’s shoulders a light rub, before working deeper, releasing all his tension and undoing knots with every rub.
“So, Ivy… When did you meet Benny?”
“Last Friday. Would you believe it- he was scared of me?”
“Yeah… Can’t imagine why…” Sarcasm rang from his comment.
“You’re letting me fondle your body, aren’t you?”
“Good point. That isn’t that long, considering you live together now, though…”
“Yeah, I suppose, but we got along so well that day, I just thought of him as a real close friend- Besides, I pay less here than I would at my parents.”
“Low income?”
“Nope, just pricks.”
Adam chuckled a little, as Ivy’s hands continued to weave their magic.
“Still, I couldn’t see you two as friends- y’know, with him being a Nerd, and you being a Goth and all…”
“He prefers the term 'Geek', but yeah, neither did I, But he was the first person to talk to me as a person, not a sexual plaything or like he thought I was gonna kill him, and that intrigued me. We began to chat, and we found out how well we got along. Eventually, he invited me around to crash, then invited me to move in. “
“Ah. Sounds almost-“
“Romantic? Yeah, except for the fact I’ve already got someone, and so does he.”
Adam flinched a little- mostly from shock, but a little from Ivy working her hands near his bottom.
“Uh, so who’s the lucky guy?”
“A guy by the name of Benjamin, funnily enough. Everyone just calls him “Reaver,” though.”
“Reaver? What’s he like?”
“He’s brilliant- He can be a little bit of a dork, but he’s always charming and nice, and he’s a real cutie, too.” She seemed to be thinking of him, and her hand wandered to his buttock.
“Uh, Ivy? I’m not Reaver, I’m Adam.” he teased, aware of the fact she’d drifted off.
Ivy quickly moved her hand, and continued his massage. “You loved it...,” she said, as a slight blush crossed her face. At that point, Benny re-entered, and lay down on the Bed, next to Adam. “I’ll cover it” Ivy said, Obviously teasing, as she began to massage Benny, in a similar fashion to how she’d massaged Adam- Who, by now, had rolled onto his back, and stared at the ceiling. “You two should introduce me to your Boyfriend and Girlfriend.” He said, gazing at the roof.
“…Maybe someday, ok?”
“…Yeah, Ok.”
“Hey Ivy, do you have a photo of your boyfriend?”
“Yeah, Why? Thinking of taking him? He is Bi, After all…”
Benny laughed. “Yeah, and I’m not a Virgin” he teased, sounding doubtful.
Adam chuckled a little. “Join the club, Benny.”
The two of them laughed, before Benny moaned a little. “Ooooooh… that’s the spot!” he sighed, as Ivy rubbed at the middle of his back.
“Bit of a role reversal, eh?” she laughed, as she finished rubbing his back, and lying between the two of them. Adam could see her a bit easier now- and what he saw scared him. All along Ivy’s arm were little cuts, and her torso was covered with scars and marks, save her chest, and her stomach.
“Hey... Ivy? What’s with the scars?”
“I’d rather not talk about it. How about we just watch some DVD’s before we go to sleep?” she suggested, like she was avoiding the topic. Adam shrugged an OK, and Benny immediately pressed the play button on the remote control. As soon as the movie started, Ivy turned to Benny. “You know, this’ll be the first time I actually watch this movie- Every other time I’ve tried, I’ve ended up making out with my boyfriend.” She chuckled, blushing a little.
“Yeah, it’s the same thing for me…. With my girlfriend, though! I don’t have a boyfriend…” Benny added, blushing a bit harder.
"Yeah, sure, Ben." Ivy chuckled, shaking her head a little.
“So can I see a photo of this “Reaver” before the movie starts?” Adam asked.
Ivy nodded, and passed him a little photo. On it, were Ivy and a guy, about the same height as Benny, dressed and looking rather similar to Ivy’s usual outfit. She was puffing on a cigarette, and he was holding a lighter, lighting it for her. Adam quickly pulled his phone from his pocket, and looked at the photo of Benny’s girlfriend. They both seemed so familiar- Ivy’s boyfriend, And Benny’s girlfriend… Where had he seen them before?
~Chapter 11~
Talent (or lack thereof) Search.
Ivy tapped her foot against the ground in an impatient fashion, as her black gloved arms crossed over her chest. Her dark eyes scanned the small band room they were in, the room the school had unwillingly granted them to hold their band auditions. It held a piano and a guitar with an amp so that the people who came to audition wouldn’t have to bring their own things. Her eyes then moved to the clock on the wall and she huffed slightly.
“He’s late.”
“Only ten minutes, and he said he might be late…”’ Ben said, from the other side of the table Ivy was leaning on.
“I don’t care; I still think he should be here on time.” Ivy said and placed her hands behind her on the table, her black tank top ridding up on her stomach a bit as she did so.
“Calm down, He’ll be here.” Ben said and reached a hand across the table to touch hers gently before he heard the door knob turn and his hand was instantly back in his lap.
Adam stumbled clumsily into the room, his messy blonde hair hanging loosely about his face as he shut the door behind him.
“Sorry I’m late, Got caught by a teacher in the hallway.” Ivy rolled her eyes slightly at his excuse and Ben laughed gently and shook his head.
“It’s all right, no one is even here yet for the rehearsal… so don’t worry.” Ben stood up from the seat behind the table and moved around to lean on the side that Ivy also leaned on.
“No one at all?”
“Nope not a one, I think the fact that I’m in the band might not be helping our chances…” Ivy said with a shrug and pushed herself up from the table to move across the room, her tight black pants clinging tightly to her legs, causing both Ben and Adam to stare for a moment before snapping out of it and looking elsewhere.
“I’m sure that won’t prevent too many pe….”Right as Ben reached the end of his sentence a knock came on the door.
“Come on in!” Ben said and a boy walked into the room, his hair was brown and greasy looking and hung messily around his face. He had on the typical attire of a skater and held himself in a slouch.
“You’re trying out for….” Adam asked with a raised eyebrow because the kid carried no identifiable object that might be related towards music.
“The Guitar man….”
“Right…” Ben pointed towards the guitar with a slightly nervous look on his face. Without another word, the boy walked towards the guitar and picked it up. He held it for a few moments, before starting to strum away at the poor guitar. Every note clashed with the next and all together, they were more afraid the guitar was going to break then anything else.
Before he had played for a minute, Ivy had dashed from her position across the room to the amp and shut it off before releasing a relived sigh.
“Thanks for coming… we’ll let you know.”
The kid nodded, slid the guitar off and left without another word.
The three all looked at one another and in perfect unison they uttered one word “No.”
“Glad we all agree.” Ivy said as she moved back towards the table.
“How could we not? Did you hear him?”
“How could you not!” Adam groaned as he pulled his hands down from his ears. “I’m hoping the rest of the auditions aren’t like this.”
“Nothing can be as bad as th…” Ben grumbled, as he was yet again interrupted with a knock on the door. “Yah, come in.”
A small Asian girl stepped inside and held her folder of music in front of her. She gave them all a timid nod, avoiding eye contact with Ivy.
“Hi… I’m Michelle, I was wondering if I could try out for the keyboard part?”
“Go for it.” Ivy nodded her head towards the piano and the girl nearly yelped as she darted quickly over towards the piano. The small girl sat down quickly and placed her music on the stand before beginning to play. A beautiful classical piece emerged from the piano, but sadly the three of them looked at each other and before she could get past the first few measures, Adam walked over to her and gave her a weak smile.
“Do you know anything other than classical?”
“Classical is the only thing I can do… beyond that and I’m lost.” The girl said timidly, her fingers still flying over the keys.
Adam looked back at Ivy and Ben who both shrugged and shook their heads. Turning back to the girl Adam placed a hand over hers. “We’ll let you know.”
***
About an hour and a half later, the prospects looked rather dismal. Adam had his head face down on the desk, his arms crossed over his head as a young man wailed out off key note after off key note in front of them. Ben and Ivy were leaning against each other and Ben had a pained look on his face while Ivy looked rather content. The ear plugs in her ears were rather obvious, but they certainly did the trick.
“We’ll get back to you!” Ben’s voice cut through the air and the young man slinked out of the room in a rather dejected way. Once he was gone Adam picked up his head and looked over at Ben and Ivy, still wondering how the two could act so close when they both had other people they were dating.
“So how are we looking?” He asked, trying to get the thoughts of them in the bed the day before out of his head.
Ben turned his head to the side and looked down at the list on the table. “Not so great, we got the one kid for the keyboard, he wasn’t great but he can still play, There was the guy for the guitar. He wasn’t bad, just needs to get used to the kind of music we play… but on vocals we are still missing anything that resembles talent.” Adam nodded and looked over at Ivy who had her eyes closed and the crooked smile touched her lips.
“What are you smiling about?” He asked, and got no response.
“Hello?”
“Oh she can’t hear you.” Ben reached around and pulled the earplug out of her ear.
“Hey! Why did you…. Oh… he stopped.” Ivy blushed with embarrassment and turned around to look at Ben and Adam. “So, what were we talking about?”
“The lack of a sing…..” Ben threw his hands in the air with agitation as a gentle knock on the door interrupted him again. “I give up! No more talking for me!” He said with irritation before letting a growling “Come in.” escape his lips.
The door opened and a small blonde haired girl walked into the room. She had bright blue eyes and a curving smile on her lips. She had a thin frame that was covered with a pair of jeans and a white form fitting sweater. She gave them each a warm smile, even Ivy who just grumbled slightly and turned back around, jamming the earplug into her ear.
“Hi. I’m Alice, I was wondering if you position for vocalist is still open?” Adam couldn’t even respond beyond a nod of his head. Something about this girl had caught his interest and he found himself routing for her, even before she had even started singing. “Oh um.. Yeah. Give it a try.”
Alice nodded and moved to stand in front of the table. Taking a deep breath she began to sing quietly, a light melody escaping her lips that slowly started to escalate. By the end of about four minutes she was singing rather loudly, perfectly in tune and with so much enthusiasm that it almost intoxicated Ivy enough to smile.
When she finally stopped she looked between the three of them nervously before she spoke softly, “So… how did I do?”
Adam and Ben both blinked a few times before Ben finally found his voice. “We will definitely get back to you, Alice. Expect to hear from us in a few days.” Alice smiled brightly and a sting of thanks escaped her lips before she exited the room.
“Well.. We couldn’t have found a more perky singer.” Ivy said with annoyance as she pulled the earplugs out of her ears and chucked them in the trash.
“I kinda like her…” Adam said and then looked over at Ivy and chuckled, trying to hide the small blush that was on his cheeks. “Why don’t you like her? Afraid that Reaver will see her and realize that the perky blonde is cuter then the goth girl?”
Ivy growled slightly and stuck her tongue out at him. “If he does, he better move out of town, because I’m gonna kill him.”
Adam and Ben both laughed as she growled at the two of them again and finally pulled out a cigarette and flicked open her lighter, only to discover she was out of fluid. “Dammit…”
“Here…” Ben stood up and walked over to her, pulling out a lighter from his pocket as he did so. Placing the lighter to the end of the cigarette that hung out of her lips, he flicked it on and let the end catch on fire, before pulling it away and placing it back in his pocket.
Adam raised an eyebrow at the two of them, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He felt like a bit of déjà vu had just hit him, but he couldn’t place it from where.
“So I guess that means we have our singer?” Adam said to break the silence that had fallen over the room.
“Unless you want Miss Smoker over here to sing, then yes.” Ben dodged a weak punch from Ivy as she took a long draw on her cigarette and blew it out the next moment.
“I’ll take that as a yes from you as well, Ivy?” Ivy debated for a moment before nodding reluctantly to agree with Adam’s statement.
“Great! so, uh, are you going to call them back or should I?” Ben walked over to the door and pulled down the sheet where people had written their names and numbers. “Ivy and I can do it. The two of us can finish it faster then the one of you. Still, I think we should hold more auditions tommorow.” Adam nodded and picked up his backpack.
“Well, in that case, then I’m going to head out. Got a long walk home.” Ben and Ivy nodded and gave him a gentle wave before he left the room.
Once he was gone Ivy took another puff of her cigarette before looking over at Ben. “You don’t think Reaver is going to like her better?”
Ben chuckled and shook his head as he reached over and pulled the cigarette out of her mouth. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” Snuffing the cigarette out he chucked it in the trash before moving away from her to go pick up his backpack.
Shirtless Ben · Mon Nov 17, 2008 @ 09:25am · 1 Comments |
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Here's a few words of wisdom to tide you nosy, journal reading types over for a while...
Smile, and the world smiles with you.
Frown, and people think you're a downer.
Shirtless Ben · Thu Nov 13, 2008 @ 02:47pm · 0 Comments |
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making some sigs if anyone wants to have one...
Shirtless Ben · Tue Nov 14, 2006 @ 10:55pm · 0 Comments |
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domokun domokun domokun domokun domokun domokun
all of a sudden, i have addiction to retarded penguins.... strange...
Shirtless Ben · Wed Oct 18, 2006 @ 12:30am · 1 Comments |
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