Expressing Thoughts-J.D

-64-

Brendon invited me over. He didn't tell me why he wanted me to come over, he just texted me and said come over. Of course, this sent my anxiety racing. I panicked about whether he wanted Josh to come or when I should go or what I should bring.

In the end I didn't even bring my bag, I just picked up my phone and my keys and got in my car to go to see him.

When I arrived, he didn't say anything when he opened the door. He pulled me through his house and towards his piano where he had tried to teach me to play many times.

"Sage. I wrote a song about you." He said. My anxiety went through the roof. Last time he wrote a song about someone other than Sarah it was about drugs and how they needed to spend some time apart.

"Okay. Is it nice?" I asked, he didn't say anything which indicated it wasn't.

"It's not about you now. It's about you a couple of years ago." He explained but it wasn't making me any less nervous.

"Okay." I stood awkwardly, fearing what my brother actually thought about me.

"Take a seat." He gave me an assuring smile but I didn't believe it. I dragged a chair from his dining table and sat on it patiently while he stared at the piano.

The moment you arrived
They built you up
The sun was in your eyes
You couldn't believe it

Riches all around
You're walking
Stars are on the ground
You start to believe it

Every face along the boulevard is a dreamer just like you
You looked at death in a tarot card and you saw what you had to do

But nobody knows you now
When you're dying in LA
And nobody owes you now
When you're dying in LA
When you're dying in LA
When you're dying in LA
The power, the power, the power
Oh the power, the power, the power
Of LA

Nights at the chateau
Trapped in your sunset bungalow
You couldn't escape it
Yeah

Drink of paradise
They told you put your blood on ice
You're not gonna make it

Every face along the boulevard is a dreamer just like you
You looked at death in a tarot card and you saw what you had to do

But nobody knows you now
When you're dying in LA
And nobody owes you now
When you're dying in LA
When you're dying in LA
When you're dying in LA
The power, the power, the power
Oh the power, the power, the power
Of LA

He stopped playing and stared at me; waiting for any response. I thought at first, that it couldn't be about me since it was clearly about someone trying to be famous in LA. Then it hit me, the people putting me down and saying no were all my old friends and I had with Jacob and the fame I wanted was to be happy again.

"It's beautiful." My eyes were wet. I wiped away a few tears while Brendon was clearly terrified of what I thought.

"I wrote it a while ago. But I want to put it on the album, I've perfected it in the studio and added strings and everything." He explained. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah, people will love it" I stumbled on my words slightly.

"Do you love it?" He asked. I didn't really know how I felt about it. It was about me drowning in LA and being ultimately depressed. But it would be selfish to say no.