The Voice (Luke Hemmings)

10. New

Turns out, the last 2 houses weren't as nice as the one my mom and I really liked, so my mom filled in the papers to buy the house the same day, and we moved in the day after. The house came with furniture, so luckily we wouldn't have to buy all of that. We did buy some furniture though, like a TV, some decorations and all that stuff that wasn't in the house already. And my mom bought a piano for in the 'music room.' It wasn't much of a music room because there was only a piano in there, but oh well. And she bought the piano in the hopes that I'd play again. When I was 7 I started piano lessons and I stopped playing when I was 12. She put all the sheet music next to it, with the most easy songs on top. She really wanted me to play again. But nah. In the last two weeks we've already lived here I played it once. The last song I learned to play on the piano was the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song, and I could still play it. Not as good as I did back then, but still. It wasn't like I was going to take piano lessons again. I simply didn't like the instrument. I like guitar more. But I had to leave that behind in LA.... Maybe I can buy a new one. "Hey mom, can I buy a new guitar?" I asked. My mom was in the kitchen, cooking dinner. "Sure. There's some money on the coffee table. Don't spend too much huh?" She said. She was always so easy. "Kaykay." I answered. I grabbed two 50 dollar bills and put it in my back pocket. "See ya!" I yelled before I slammed the front door shut behind me. I grabbed my skateboard from the front porch and threw it in front of me, so it rolled away. After that I jumped on it and rode to the nearest music store. I have been practising how to use a skateboard with Anna the last 2 weeks and I could finally balance myself. I couldn't so any tricks yet though. I skated on the sidewalk, avoiding hitting people. It wasn't that easy. But I wasn't gonna bump into anyone like some cliché movie. I stopped in front of a music store I've never seen before. I looked inside through the glass door and saw a boy with blonde hair sitting behind the counter. He was probably my age... Maybe a bit older. I grabbed my skateboard, opened the door and walked inside. The boy stood up. "Hey, can I help ya?" He asked. "Yea. I want to buy a guitar, but not too expensive." He nodded. "Electric or acoustic?" He asked. Deja vu. I smiled. "I don't think you have electric guitars for 100 dollars?" I asked. "Nope. Well, not with an amplifier. Without amplifier it's around 70 dollars." I nodded. "I'll go for an acoustic one then." He smiled and walked to the back of the store. "Are you new to the whole 'guitar thing'? He asked. "Nope. Actually, I bought an electric guitar a few weeks back, but then I had to move, so I had to let it behind..." I said. "Oh, that's a shame. Where are you from?" He looked genuinely interested. "LA." I answered. "And you decided to move to Sydney?" He asked. "Jup." I said popping the p. "Okay then. Well, we have a few guitars here. Since you already know how everything works, I'll leave you alone." He joked. "The price is on the sticker at the back of the guitars." He said. I nodded and he walked away. Most of them were around 40 dollars, but they all looked so... normal. Like those guitars everybody has. I looked around me and saw others more to the right. Dark red, grey, black, white... The white one is cool... I picked it up and held it in my hands. It felt really good. Ad idea popped up. I could buy a white one, and draw on it with permanent marker. And then write lyrics on it, or logo's from my favorite bands... I turned the guitar around. It was 85 dollars. I sat on a stool that stood nearby and tried to remember the tab that the guitar shop man in LA gave me. It was something like... I started playing and it sounded familiar. Jup, that was it. Now the chorus. That was the most simple one. "Kick Me?" I didn't hear the boy come back. But he was there. I nodded. "Good song choice." He said. "I know... Sleeping With Sirens is just... Always good." I answered. He nodded. "True." He said. I grabbed my skateboard from the ground and held it under my arm while I picked the white guitar up. "I'd like this one." I said and handed him the guitar. "Okay." He said and walked behind the counter. "Do you want a strap? And a guitar case? And all that stuff." I frowned. I left all of that behind too... "Yea, but I only have 15 dollars left though..." I said. "S'okay. You can have a guitar case, strap and 2 picks for 15 dollars." He said. "Seriously?" I asked. "Yea. Think of it as a 'Welcome to Sydney' present." He said. I smiled. "Thanks. I really appreciate it." He shrugged. "No problem." I gave him the 100 dollars. He gave me the guitar case and the guitar, strap and picks were in it. "Thanks again..." I read his nametag. "Jake." I said. He smiled. I put the strap of the guitar case around my shoulder and walked outside. "Bye!" I yelled. I jumped on my skateboard and rode away.

"Honey! I'm home!" I yelled while slamming the door behind me. "Yea, that's my daughter." I heard my mom faintly say. It came from the kitchen. What was going on...? I heard her talk, but couldn't hear what. Just when I walked in the kitchen my mom hung up the phone and she smiled brightly. "Guess what?" She said. "What." I said. "I got the job at the hospital!" She said and I smiled. "Ah nice. The normal one or the children's one?" I asked. "The children's one!" She squealed. Like actually squealed. Like a fangirl would do. Hm. She applied for the job last week and would be called back this week. "Now that I have this job I won't be around so much anymore. Sometimes I have to take night shifts, and then I'll don't see you at all." She said and I shrugged. "S'okay. I'll handle." I said. "I know, but... Like, you just bought a new guitar. I won't be paying everything you want. I was thinking..." This can't be good. "I think you need to find a job. Be a waiter, or work at the music store, or wherever. Just so you can earn some money for yourself." I sighed. "So I'll have to pay everything myself?" I asked and she shook her head. "No, you'll get 80 dollars a month for clothes, but if you want something else, you need to learn how to earn money." She said. And that was the moment my whole life came crashing down. Kidding. It didn't sound that bad. It came close though. "I'll find something." I grumbled and walked out of the kitchen, upstairs to my room.

I plopped down on my bed and opened Skype. Once it opened I called Anna. "Yoo, whadup? Too lazy to come over?" She asked and I nodded. "Jupp. And my mom got the job at the hospital by the way." I said. "Ahh, that's cool. I guess we'll be having sleepovers then." She grinned. "Hell yas." I replied. "And she wants me to find a job." I said with distaste. Anna laughed. "Ahh, you're screwed." She said. "Ha. Ha. Really funny." I said sarcastic. "Well, it isn't that bad right? You can work as a waiter somewhere. Or work at the library or whatever." I snorted. "The library? Yea, sure. I love that place." I said sarcastic. "I was just suggesting things okay? I wouldn't know what to do either." I sighed. "I really don't want to work as a waiter." I said. "What's wrong with that?" Anna asked. "I don't know... I think... You just have to talk to people, and be nice and stuff. I'm super awkward and I never know what to say. And when I'm on my period and there would be an annoying customer I think I actually might slap them or something worse." I said and Anna laughed. "You're so dramatic. But we'll find something." She said. I really hoped so.