Hideaway

Chapter 1

About a year ago, me and my friends started a band called Futhermucker. And I know everybody who's in a band thinks they're cool, but people actually say we're not terrible. I mean we write our own songs and everything.I actually think that Futhermucker could be a great American rock band. I really do think we have it in us. Anyway that's why I decided to bail on college.

Now, I know some kids are gonna go to fancy colleges...some will go to work...and some have no clue what they're gonna do. Ok here's the situation, in one week, we graduate high school, which gives us one summer to make the band happen. After that we all go our separate ways. I'm gonna lose my Futherbrothers, which would seriously suck, 'cause I don't want to make music with anybody else. My boy Neil's in the band, too. He sings and plays guitar and believes everything in moderation, including moderation.

Neil is sitting out on their high school roof taking a drag from his freshly lit joint. He closes his eyes and tilts his head back inhaling the smoke before he can exhale. He's startled from behind.

"Rah." Yells a girl reaching over the banister grabbing his shoulders sending Neil into a coughing fit causing the girl to start hysterically laughing. As she climbs over onto the roof next to Neil though coughs he says,

"Dammit Life. You know not to scare someone when they're on top of a roof."

"Come on sweetie, you should be expecting it by now." She says plopping down next to him snatching the joint.

"Totally ruined the zen vibe I had going on." His voice is just starting to return to normal.

"Don't pout. I have something to cheer you up."

"I'm not pouting."

"Ok so no gift then." She said looking away from Neil taking another drag with a small smirk on her face.

"Now I didn't say that. What'd you get? What'd you get?" The girl hands the joint back over to the boy.

"Fine, fine." She says ruffling through her bag. "Per tu." She says handing over a poetry book.

"A Coney Island of the Mind." Neil reads.

"I mean you liked the other one I was reading so much I figured I'd give you one of my favorites."

"This is awesome." He says flipping through the pages. "Thank you."

"It's really nothing. Figured it might give you some inspiration for your new song that you keep promising me you'll play for me."

"You're the one who hasn't been around the garage much recently."

"Well you're always practicing."

"So? You know the guys wouldn't care. They love you."

"Do they now? But no, I don't want to be in the way or distract you guys and I've been picking up as many shifts as I can." Before Neil could rebuttal the girl's phone goes off. "Shit. I gotta go." She says before sliding towards the edge of the roof.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah no big deal. Bender needs my help in the lab before class. I'll see you later."

"See ya Life." Neil calls out as she hops to the other side of the roof. He watches her go making sure she makes it across safely. Just as he settles back in his spot he's flipping through the pages seeing notes in all the margins. Before he has a chance to read any of them he hears,

"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Crosby?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, Mr. Marcus?"

"Get up here. Right now, before you fall off the roof." Neil gathers his stuff making sure the book is secure in the side pocket of his bag before climbing up to his teacher's level. "Come on. Let's go."

"You know I'm a nonconformist, Mr. Marcus, right?" Neil says, popping the joint back between his lips before stumbling over the banister.

"Give me that. Is that right? Give me that. Neil, give it to me." Mr.Marcus says, taking the joint from between Neil's lips. "Give me that. You've got to stop smoking this stuff. If I catch you again, you're not gonna graduate."

"Okay," Neil says with a sigh, fixing his hat. "You won't catch me." He says, exhaling the remaining smoke from his lungs. Mr.Marcus waves him off, and before Neil turns to leave, he tries to grab his joint back.

"Mr. Crosby."

"Alright, alright. I'll see you in lit."

"Don't be late AGAIN."

"You're the best man."