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- Chapter seven -
I got an e-mail from Johnny a week ago, apologizing for the message with the lyrics... He sincerely told me how it was an honest accident, but somehow I still don't believe that's truly the reason why. I might have mistook it for something else though, and I guess he's the only one who knows the true meaning of that message.. At the same time, I'm really grateful that we can set this issue aside for a while.
"Welcome to LetsRockToday, where everyone is stickin' it to the man. Please observe proper chatting ettiquete and remember, Rock 'n' Roll will save your soul!! This week's news : A newly signed indie/rock band called The Sweeps will be playing this Sunday at a club called Illusion, on the corner of Christon Street. Be there at about 7. For more details, please visit thesweeps.com. See you guys there!"
Green, as usual. Hope he's here...
preshuzzangel00 : so waht bands do u lyk? ar you lyk a musichian? coz i only d8 musichians.
j_greene : mostly indie, punk, metal and ska.. the usual stuff i guess.
preshuzzangel00 : ar you in a band?
j_greene : yeah..
preshuzzangel00 : gr8!!!
rockerchick4lyf : realllly j_greene? ur a guy ryt? ASL PLEASE!
j_greene : um, yes i'm a guy.
*private message from j_greene*
j_greene : hey jenna,
jennasredwagon : hey..
j_greene : so how are you? umm, did you get the e-mail I sent?
jennasredwagon : yeah s'all cool. :)
j_greene : great.. :)
jennasredwagon : j_greene, i need you to help me.
j_greene : sure, what is it?
jennasredwagon : okay. my green highlights are starting to fade, so i need to re-dye them. What do you think, blue or neon green?
j_greene : lol! I like green. hence the 'greene'
jennasredwagon : i thought so.
j_greene : what about you? why'd you choose 'redwagon'? Is there some sort of story behind it? I mean, I don't think you just used it for no reason, right?
.........
j_greene : jenna? you don't have to tell me if you don't want to you know..
Oh boy.. I knew this was going to happen eventually.. It's all coming back now, tears were slowly starting to block my eyesight. I close my eyes slowly.. trying to get a grip on myself, but remembering him.. Dad. He'd always wanted two sons, but I obviously came out otherwise.. He was so proud of Dave, and it's not like he completely hated me or anything, but he still tried to treat me like the other son he'd always wanted. He never bought me dolls, or tea sets or any of those toys all little girls had. Instead of those barbies and those toy cooking sets, I had gotten a wagon. It was a medium-sized red wagon, a Radio Flyer. I hated him for it. For not accepting me for who I was, for making me feel like I was never going to be good enough for him. He saw the disappointment all over my face and tried to convince me that wagons were so much more useful than dolls.. because I could put anything I wanted in it, and I could take it anywhere I wanted to. Then it started to grow on me.. I grew to love it..
But then.. No. I can't tell Johnny all of this. No one would understand.. No one.
j_greene : jen? you're starting to scare me a bit over here.. are you okay?
jennasredwagon : yeah sorry. uh, had to take a phone call. About the wagon, it was just something my dad gave me before he ran off.
j_greene : are you sure? you wanna talk about it? you can tell me you know...
jennasredwagon : GEEZ johnny! what the fuck do you want!!! some sappy, pathetic tragedy of a stupid wagon? Just drop it okay?
j_greene : okay, okay. sorry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------jennasreadwagon : it's fine. anyway i gotta go re-dye my hair. talk to you soon.
j_greene : okay. bye..
jennasredwagon : bye.
"JENNA! Come downstairs!!" A muffled voice from the bottom of the stairs screamed.
"Okay mom!! Coming!" I said as I turned off the computer and started making my way downstairs.
"Jenna dear, could you help me make this pie?" She asked excitedly, although it was more of an order than a question. oh well. Wait a minute.. mom. make. a pie. huh?
"Mom! You don't even cook! what makes you think you can make a pie?!" I said skeptically.
"Hey! You're forgetting that time I made you guys cookies!" She said defensively.
"Mother, you're forgetting it was ready-made dough." I said raising my eyebrows.
"True.. Now what do we need-" She squints down at the recipe book reciting the ingredients..
Olivia Lane was usually busy over the duration of the week, trying to provide for the family. Although she was usually swarmed with stress due to work, she still remained beautiful, having deep hazel eyes, wavy auburn hair and soft features. She's been through a lot over the past years, and she is clearly a strong, independent woman.
"Moooom, I have to go re-dye my hair.. why don't you just call me when you're having a hard time, okay? I asked. I wasn't too good at cooking anyway..
"Sure Jenna.. that sounds fine.." Olivia replied.. still highly preoccupied with the recipe.
I go up the stairs again to my room, painted seafoam green but bombarded with the things I considered important.. band stuff (posters, flyers, cds.. you get the idea), sketches, my computer, books and then I see it... Red paint peeling off the edges, rust was obviously visible in many parts.. Off-white words due to age spelled out R dio Fly r. It was my wagon.. It was THE wagon. I hadn't really paid attention to it all these years, because it would overwhelm me with the emotions I so forcefully kept from everyone.. I walk over to it and wipe the dust off on the left corner, I remembered I wrote something on it before.. I just couldn't remember what.. JENNA AND DAVE'S ROKKETSHIP. I remembered now.. It's been so long.. I couldn't bear to keep it in the garage, it just didn't belong there. It was connected to me for more than 10 years, I couldn't just keep it there like a piece of junk that would so easily be forgotten. I don't think he'd want me to forget..
Just then the doorbell rang.. I woke up to reality, feeling emptier than I had already felt when I talked to Johnny.. I couldn't tell him this. It's too personal and he wouldn't understand anyway. I heard low voices coming from downstairs.. I guess Dave and Marcus are here.. I thought as I got my bottle of green hair dye and entered my bathroom..
Marcus is my brother's best friend here in San Francisco.. They met over the summer, because Marcus just lives on the other end of the block. I seem him in our house pretty often but I'm cool with it since he's a good guy. He likes to wear boy/girl band shirts, so he's really funny that way.. He tried homeschooling for the start of the school year, just 'coz he was curious even if he's been at Westmount High almost his whole life.. Strange one, Marcus.. But he and Dave get along so well...
I walk into the hallway sleepily, man, last night gig was awesome.. I thought as I began replaying the thoughts in my head as I continued walking..
"Baby, We need to talk. I mean those goddam GROUPIES were all over you yesterday! What the fuck is with that!! I mean, they should've got the hint when I made out with you in the back. Jeez. Those sluts."
I look at Anna skeptically. What a hypocrite. Has she already forgotten that a month ago they were her best friends? Just because she's my girlfriend now everyone else becomes.. lower than her? I don't know who she thinks she is. Whatever.. I try to ignore Anna's useless rants which she happens to consider so damn important and play with my tongue ring instead..
"Move it losers!! Can't you see where we're going?!" Anna said angrily at two people as they passed by..
"Whatever groupie. Go make out or something." One of the girls replied, I recognized her as Mona Flaire, one of my good friends.. until Anna came along. I laughed to myself at the witty comment as Anna tried to redeem herself with a crappy comeback..
"Well at least I dont umm.. look like I bled all over my hair!" Man, she doesn't know what she's doing.. The two girls left but only after I saw a flash of neon green.
Neon green.. could it really be her? What, no. Westmount?
I stop walking and continue to stare at the pair laughing hard about something..
"Baby? Johnny? Hello!!" Anna waved her hands in front of me.
"You go ahead. I forgot something in the car." I slowly walked towards them, keeping my distance so I would go unnoticed. If it really is her, she's gorgeous.. She dressed casually, Band tee, cargos and chucks.. she looked really.. well, hot. Compared to the other girls whose mottos were 'beauty is pain' and forced themselves into wearing these tiny pieces of cloth just so guys would get into their pants, Jenna was beautiful.
"Jenna!!! How lovely to see my best friends sister so cheerful." Marcus said as he arrived with Dave and slapped her on the back.
Wait. WHAT?! Marcus knows her?! Marcus???? And Dave! The new guy!! What the-- holy shit. The worlds too small.
I was suprised, sure as hell. But I was also suddenly so happy. This was my chance. I could finally be with her, or at least be her friend. But how? I thought more about it was I passed them and got a cd from my car.. I won't tell her I'm j_greene, not yet. I want to know if she's the REAL Jenna around me, and on the net. I just need to know.. If I never do, then all my feelings for her are useless..
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I walk to my locker to put in the books I needed a while ago and wait for Mona to come so we can go to lunch.. I turn the lock and I open my locker. What the--
A cd? I don't remember having this.. The Sweeps? Sweeps... Why do they sound so familar? Who put this in here!!! No one knows this combination.. I look around, but I'm one of the few who are out early for lunch and most of them are on the other side of the hallway.. Okay, calm down.. I'll listen to it when I get home.. S'all cool.. It's a cd, not a bomb..
"Hey." Mona greeted as she arrived, putting her books in her locker.
"Mona, did you put this in?" I asked her, just to be sure..
"Cd? Nope.. I dunno your locker combination.. What band is it?" She asked, now facing me.
"Uh, The Sweeps?" I said uncertainly and still a bit shaken..
"Oh." She said turning away and pre-occupying herself with her jacket zipper.
"What? What is it?" I asked urgently..
"Nothing, just listen to the cd.. they're good. Maybe your brother put it in.."
"Yeah, I guess so.." I said leaving it in my locker and walk with Mona..
"So what's for lunch?" Mona asked and we began thinking about possibilities...
"Mystery meat and gross green stuff." A low voice came from behind..
"Hey Martin." Mona and I greeted him as he began walking with us..
"Hey Mona. Heey Jenna." Martin said as smilled widely.
"So it's seriously the green gross stuff again?" I asked suddenly losing my appetite..
"Yup.. with yellow seasoning on top." He winked at me and we started laughing.
"Yipee. I can't wait." Mona said as she feigned excitement and we started laughing again.
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