So, before I had Mathias Lauridsen as Cain Johnson, but I couldn't see his face in my mind, so I changed to Hayden Christensen, who I think is way better and I really love him, especially in the movie Jumper! Anyone seen that movie?
Instead of Shawn tweeting, I was thinking of adding quotes by musicians and from songs at the beginning. I think I might to that!
So gonna edit the last chapter.
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“Pop music often tells you everything is OK, while rock music tells you that it's not OK, but you can change it.”
― Bono, On the Move
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After the embarrassing conversation with my mother and once the dishes were washed and in the dishwasher, I headed upstairs to my old bedroom with Alfred beside me. As I walked past a guest bathroom, I heard the shower running and wondered which band mate, or mates, meaning Danny and Kat, were in there. Those two like to think showering together saves time, water, and energy. I like to think that they waste more water and time, and I don't even know how they could do it in such a tiny space all wet and soapy like that. And don't get me started on when they do it on the tour bus, 'cause they really do do it and it's not pleasant to my ears. Sound carries, and it's pretty awkward when hearing moaning from the back of the bus while reading The Girl Who Played With Fire. It's even more awkward when they step out of the shower pretending Danny did not stick his straw through Kat's straw hole.
Okay, pulling my head out of the dirty gutter, I turn left and open my blue door and see my old bedroom. Immediately Alfred pushes pass me and jumps onto my bed. I frown, knowing that I was just about to throw myself onto my bed. "Hey, I was gonna do that," I complain to Alfred, whose large head perks up and looks at me, but then puts his head back down. I sigh defeated and stroll on in. All the walls are a dark night sky blue, while the ceiling was such a dark blue, it was almost black and had plastic glow in the dark stars on there. I went through an Astronomy faze and most stars are constellations, including my sign, Libra, which was hard to do, especially when my neck was cramping, and I was getting dizzy. I then knew how Michelangelo felt when he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
I sat at the foot of my bed and studied my room, which has remained untouched all these years. The walls were still covered with band and movie posters like Green Day and the classic movie Rear Window or The Clockwork Orange; what a weird movie/book by the way. I looked up to see shelves full of action figures of comic book heroes or sci-fi characters. My mom used to tease me, saying how I would spend hours in my room playing with my dolls. They're action figures not dolls and thinking about that gets my blood boiling. Any nerd/geek would get mad when people called their action figures dolls.
I look around my room, studying all the stuff in it, from the bookcase filled with books and comics to the posters and action figures. I had to laugh at how much of a nerd I was as a kid. I still am, but I've toned it down. A content sigh escapes my lips as I lay down on my bed, hands behind my head. I feel the bed move as Alfred comes to snuggle, laying his large head on my chest. I could almost fall asleep right here, right now.
Almost.
"SHAWN, WHERE ARE YOU?"
I huff out an annoyed sigh, contemplating just how fast I can close my door and look it before Kat runs up the stairs. No, I can't she'll break the door down, or find someway to get me out of my room. I roll my eyes before answering her, saying I'm in my room. A heartbeat later, I can hear a footsteps thundering up the stairs. I push myself up, wondering what exactly Kat wants. Out of the corner of my eyes, I spy my band mates come into view and enter my old bedroom.
Kat immediately walks over to my bed, already having seen my bedroom, while Danny and Jake just wandering around, looking at my stuff. "What do you guys want?" I ask, as Danny picks up and looks at one of my action figures, while Jake studies my bookcase.
"Well, your mom thought it would be a good idea if you showed us your hometown." Of course, my mother would do that. Why not have her son show his friends the two he grew up in? Does she not realize that I planned on not leaving the house the whole month we were gonna be here?
"Do I have to," I asked with an annoyed voice, looking directly at Kat. Her, of all people, should know my hatred of this small town. She gave me the big puppy eyes that, to be honest, never worked on me. She explained to me that Danny and Jake really want to sightsee. I countered that they could look around without me and that there really isn't anything interesting.
The outcome of our disagreement was she won, I lost. Her winning argument was that we passed a music shop when coming over and that a few strings on my acoustic had broken and I need to get new ones. I couldn't think of anything else to say, so I gave in. And off we went to explore Ellwood.
As I said, Ellwood is a small town with small businesses, including the music shop we were headed to. The store's called Main Street Music, and it's been for as long as I can remember. Everyone decided to walk there, but after convincing them that walking two miles to get to downtown was a heat stroke waiting to happen; we took my mom's old blue car that she's had since I was born. With the windows all down and the music playing loud, it almost felt like we were in Los Angeles again, but the moment my eyes landed upon the shops I've seen my whole life; I desperately wanted to turn the car around and drive far away.
I pulled into a spot in front of a flower shop I always wanted to go into, but never did. Main Street Music was just across the street from us. Everyone got out of the car, while I took my time. Everyone had entered the store, as I got to the sidewalk and looked up at the old sign with the store name and a guitar. I just couldn't believe that this place was still around. The moment I opened the door, little bells overhead rung, and I was greeted with a blast of cold air that made the hairs on my arms stand on end. I looked around at the brightly lit room, with different models of guitars on the wall ahead of me. Countless instruments lined the walls, while around where shelves of strings for guitars basses, foot pedals and cymbals were all I could see. There was even a light brown piano in the back of the room.
I walked around the store, checking out the merchandise that was a lot less expensive than the stuff I'm used to. I see Danny's head checking out the bass guitars along a wall somewhere, while Kat was studying the drum display. And Jake was somewhere, probably with Danny, but I couldn't see him. I was checking out bags of steel strings when a voice nearby scared the crap out of me.
"Can I help you with anything?" An innocent question, but I was caught off guard by the sudden, deep, male voice. So caught off guard that I nearly jumped out of my skin and sent the bag I was holding flying out of my hand. Hear tracing, I looked at the person who scared me to see a handsome, youthful face that looked oddly familiar. He has a bemused smile, as if trying to contain his laughter. I only scowl at him, sending him a death glare that cold probably kill, but he was still alive. Note to self, work on death glare.
"Can I help you," handsome guy repeated, still smiling at me as if I was a little kid. I'll have you know, I'm five-eleven, but apparently the guy in front of me was at least six feet.
"No, just looking," I reply, a usual response whenever one asks if you need help. I turn to walk away to the other side of the aisle to avoid the employee, but he didn't walk away like the usually do when you turn them down. Instead, he stayed right where he was, even having the audacity to lean against the display, resting his arms on the top and placing his head on his folded arms. He was staring at me with a confused, but concentrated look like he was trying to remember something. I felt my body flush from his gaze, embarrass that he stare straight out staring. My pale cheeks felt a little too warm for my liking.
I kept my head down, gazing at the products, but occasionally will look up to see the handsome employee still staring at me. My cheeks only got hotter every time I would meet his green/gold gaze. Should I say something or what? I'm so uncomfortable right now. it feels like hours we've been doing this, but in reality it's been at least four minutes. I can tell, because right behind the creepy, staring guy, was the clock. Once the minute hand moves and it's been five minutes, then I'll say something. But before I can say anything once that hand moves, the handsome employee breaks the silence.
"Have we met before?" Is he serious, right now? This dude has been staring at me for five minutes, making me uncomfortable mind you, just to ask that question. I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from shouting, 'are you kidding me' in his face. Instead, I took a deep breathe to calm down. I answered him with a, 'no, I don't think so' and ran off to the drums section where Kat was. As I nearly ran to her, I faintly heard music playing from above, but didn't recognize the song that was playing, but that hardly matters.
Kat was looking at a variety of drum sticks as she stood there twirling a orange taped stick with her fingers. I rarely ever see her without those drumsticks or her twirling them for that matter. "So, find anything interesting," she asks me, still staring at the many drum sticks. I scoff, as I roll my eyes annoyed, but secretly keeping an eye out on the creepy, handsome employee.
"If interesting, do you mean that dude back there was staring at me for five minutes, then yeah, interesting." I tried to put a lot of sarcasm, topped with annoyance in my sentence for Kat to get. She immediately looks over at me with a raised eyebrow. "Oh," she says, turning around to check out the handsome employee. "He's cute," Kat decides as she continues to check him out as he walks over to Jake, talking to him about the instruments they're looking at.
I scoff, rolling my eyes at Kat's comment of creepy, handsome employee. "Need I remind you Kat that you are in a loving, faithful relationship with Danny over there." I nod my head towards Danny, who joined Jake and the employee in a conversation of instruments.
Kat looks at me with a seriously annoyed look. "Seriously, Shawn? It's not illegal to look and Danny and I are in a loving relationship, so no need to remind me, okay." She walks away from me, heading towards her tattooed covered boyfriend and Jake. I begin to follow after her, but then the employee from before walks over towards me, pointing at me. I vaguely look around wondering why exactly he was the only employee here.
"Now I remember you know. You're the front man of the band Call Us The Unknowns, Shawn Foster." His smile is a triumphant one, but I figure either Jake or Danny were the ones who told him. As much as his smile annoys me, I have to admit that he's twice as handsome with that smile. "I like your sound, man." I give him a tight lipped smile and a harsh thank you, hoping he'll go away, but considering my luck, he won't. I stand there, shoving my hands deep into my pockets, shifting my weight from foot to foot. "I'm sorry man, I know your name, but you don't know mine. See my nametag broke recently and my boss has been meaning to order a new one, anyways, name's Cain. Cain Johnson."
The moment that named escaped those lips, the world stopped. My heart beat increased, the heat in the room rose at least ten degrees, and my breathing quickened. "Cain" lifted an eyebrow in confusion, staring at me weirdly. Please tell me I heard his name wrong?
"What'd you say your name was? Didn't quite catch it." I managed to keep my voice from stuttering, but that didn't stop my body from sweating. It was "Cain's" turn to give a tight lipped smile, holding his hand out for a shake. "Cain Johnson."
Cain keeps his hand out, waiting but I keep my hands in my pockets. He eventually lowers it awkwardly, putting his left hand in his jeans pocket. I continue to stay silent. "I know it's a silly name, right? I mean who names their own son Cain? I have an older brother named Adam and we're twins, so I guess our parents were aiming for Cain and Able, but I've always thought that was weird, considering the story and wait, where are you going?" My brain was on autopilot, guiding me out od the music shop. I could barely hear my band members and Cain saying things, but their voices were drowned out by the sound of rushing water, but that could just be my blood pumping.
I pushed the door open, bell ringing, walking out, unfazed that the sun was blinding me. I turned left, walking down the sidewalk and once I was far away from Main Street Music I began to run. Running away was the only thing I was ever good at. As I ran down Downtown, memories began to flash. Memories of Adam Johnson tormenting me. Memories of Cain Johnson, being the kinder twin. Memories of me, beating myself up for liking Cain. Some would see liking another boy as shameful, but I never saw it that way. What I saw shameful was that I was fat and ugly and I liked him because he was nice to me. It disgusted me that Cain could smile at me instead of a look of disgust his brother gave me.
I had to stop running because my lungs were burning. I took my inhaler out of my back pocket and took a puff to calm my lungs. I walk over to the nearest bench to relax. I take deep breaths to calm my over excited heart. My eyes are nearly shut from the sun. So I put my sunglasses on, looking around the downtown part of Ellwood. I do a double take when I spot the best ice cream place in town just across the street. My stomach growls, wanting to taste to sweet, sweet ice cold dairy. I cross the street, nearly running to the front door. I have no problem eating my feelings away with ice cream, because food never breaks my heart. Unless they don't have my favorite flavor, then I'll be very heartbroken.
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Yeah, gonna have to stop there. Geez, this took FOREVER! Heh. I have a Main Street Music where I live that's been here since I've lived here. So Cain was introduced, but barely. This chapter was planned out differently, but it's been so long that I barely remember exactly how it went. Next chapter will probably go how I plan, but you'll never know. Anyways, hoped you enjoyed and don't forget to vote and comment!