NEO:

When you walk into a party, what do you notice first, and why?

When I first walk into a party, I notice the people on the walls. I notice how they stand

there, all alone, just wanting, waiting, wishing for someone to come up and give them acknowledgment of any kind. Even a slight head nod would make them feel happier. I notice this because I used to be one of those people. I know what's going on inside their heads. I know what their favorite colors are, I know their aspirations. I know almost everything about them. Well, I used to, anyway. Before the band, I was a nobody. I was on those walls, a loner, wallflower, outcast. Those kids on the walls now? They used to be my friends. Best friends. When I joined the band as the bassist, I thought I would still be their friends. I was wrong. Completely wrong. Now, I am an outcast from the outcasts. I'm not just a nobody, I'm nothing. Nothing but a bassist who nobody knows in a band who nobody cares about. Caleb says we are going to be famous one day. I try to boost his spirit and agree with him, but my heart is never really in it. It is a one in a million chance that we will be famous, and if we ever got that chance, it's always about the singer and guitarist. Some people have a thing for the drummer, but never the bassist. The bassist is the behind the scenes kind of guy. He stands there and plays his part, and gets the least amount of applause from the audience. When people see a band on the street, they never recognize the bassist. Ever. At parties, I usually stand outside, even if it is freezing cold. I don't belong anywhere inside. You may be asking yourself why I even came, but I have a perfectly good explanation for that. Aria asked me to go. She was invited by Caleb, who is so popular he doesn't have the time to hang out with her, or so he says. He likes her a lot, but doesn't want to show it. At all. So, Aria, as always, asks me to hang out with her. I usually walk around inside a bit, but never for long. Aria reads her book in a corner, but she still wants me there for moral support and to show Caleb she has friends.