I agree, Neil Diamond is very mellow, but Naomi's parents are very...O.o
Crazy.
I suppose the concert will be held somewhere in Tulsa or nearby. I'll decide soon.
I finally updated my other story! And gave it a creepy/murderous/family-connection-making twist!
September Somthingeth 1967
"It's a shame, really, these children never would end up that way if their parents tried to discipline them."
Ashley and I were working on a school project, and we didn't even look up when her mother got started on another one of her rants about today's youth.
"I agree, dear." Ashley's father barely even paid any attention to the rants, either.
"And look, these two boys were friends. The poor dear, he never got a chance at a life."
This made us look up at each other. Ashley's mother...talking about some hood who'd never had discipline...now, she was calling him a 'poor dear'.
Ashley and I both silently walked into the room.
"Mom...what are you reading?" She eyed the paper in her mother's hand.
"Oh, girls, some poor boy was gunned down by the police last night."
"Someone did something bad enough to get cornered by the police and you're calling him a poor boy?" Ashley looked at her mother as if she didn't know her.
"No, dear, it says he lost a friend previously that night. He just wasn't emotionally strong."
"Oh." Ashley and I exchanged glances, "Can I see the paper, Mom?"
"Of course, dear." She handed the paper to Ashley who's eyes scanned the page, finally locking on one spot. I couldn't read her like I could read Hannah, but the disbelief was obvious on her face. I peered over her shoulder to see what she was looking at, and in a way, I found it hardto believe myself.
It was the guy who we'd talked to last week. He was dead now.
Two/ThreeWeeks Later...
"Naomi, can we talk to you?"
I was apprehensive about going with them. My friends had sombre faces, and they were all staring at me as though I was dying or something.
"Yeah...Just a sec-" I grabbed my coat and followed them outside. We went out on walks alot these nights, since we didn't see each other alot in school, so it seemed obvious that we would go on the same route. We'd walk along the road that eventually would get you to central East side, but we never went all the way down.
"It's been hard trying to find a way to tell you this, Naomi," Daphne was looking at her feet by speaking to me, "But the thing is...you've changed." She stole a glance at me, but when she saw that I wasn't going to break eye contact with her first, she looked back at her feet, "I mean...you never joke around anymore. Remember how much we used to make fun of each other? And you'd always have a new joke to tell. You hardly even laugh anymore, Naomi."
"My grandfather died and Hannah moved away. What would you do? Laugh about it?"
"Nay, you're taking this the wrong way-"
"How would you take it? My God..." I stopped walking and faced them all.
"Naomi-" Emilie said softly, and I could tell that none of them really wanted to be the one to talk to me, "We just can't relate to you anymore."
"You haven't tried to relate to me," I pulled on the fraying edge of my jacket and looked upwards, as if by doing this I could force back the tears that were coming, "You guys have always had each other, haven't you? I had Hannah and Grampy, but I never really had you guys to understand me and relate to me. You've always had each other and that's not going to change. You've always come to me with your problems and all your beefs and I've sat there and listened. Well you know what?" I started to back away from them, and shaking my head as though I were trying to rid myself of thoughts, "I'm sick of pretending I care. You guys should try listening to your own problems for once."
I spun on my heel and started to walk away, a dozen thoughts streaming through my head.
Was I acting different? I wasn't laughing and joking as much, no, and I was acting a little more girly, but that was all part of growing up.
Wasn't it?
I was scared when a hand came down on my shoulder a little while later, but it was only Ashley. I jerked my arm away, but she grabbed my other elbow.
"I'm coming with you."
"Where?" It occured to me that I didn't know where I had been walking with my head down for the last God knows how long.
"I dunno. We're clear into the East Side, Nay."
I looked around. So we were.
"How long've I been going for?"
"About twenty minutes."
"Why didn't you stop me?"
"You seemed deep in thought, and I didn't want to further piss you off.But I decided you could go on for awhile, so I stopped you."
"Let's keep walking, then."
"Where?" I asked again.
"You want to...You want to go see the kid who you talked to?"
"Why?"
"I dunno. He musta kinda known that guy who died, huh?"
"Well...probably. He never told us how well they knew each other."
"He seemed to be able to place him pretty quickly, so..."
"I guess..."
"Hey, you've lost someone close to you too.Might do the two of you some good."
I wasn't sure what part Ashley might have had in confronting me about how I've changed, but I was happy for company right now. Ashley must have sensed my mild discomfort, because she changed the topic.
"So, I haven't asked you yet. How's it going with Shirley?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, well, last Monday we started, and she hasn't told me what she wants me to sing yet. She just keeps getting me to try and hit really high notes. It kills."
"It would. Any birthday plans?"
"No. I don't think I'm doing anything this year. It's in a week."
"For once since grade three, I'm not doing anything on October 11. Has Shirley even been hinting on any songs?"
"Well...she keeps talking about how much she loves operas like Carmen...The Marriage of Figaro...The Queen of Spades...and a few others that don't register with me."
"That's pretty cool...but have you ever really sang any songs like those?"
"No. Not even close."
"I just thought of something, Naomi."
"What?"
"We don't know where to find anyone around here."
"Well, we'll just ask. What'd that guy say the kid's name was?"
"I'm thinking he said it was Pony."
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard."
"But no one's around. Who're we going to ask?"
"We can go to the record store." I said with finality.
"Right on."
But we didn't find anyone there except for someone who I was pretty sure was in the gang of guys that had been looking at the knife when Ashley and I first came over to the East Side.
We checked every store, every hangout in town but never found anyone until finally, at a small conveniencestore, we came face to face with the guy who'd waved with everyone at the church after his friend had dropped the hymn book. We'd asked him if he knew anyone named Pony. His face lit up and he said yeah, he knew the kid well. He didn't know where he might be right then, and when he asked for directions to his house, he admitted he was semi-drunk at the time and couldn't remember how to get to the kid's house from here.It was obvious that he was more than just semi-drunk when he told Ashley she'd make a cute blonde.
Finally, Ashley and I had given up, and we were walking back, when Ashley pointed into a nearby gas station.
"Is that him?"
I looked in, and my blood froze cold. It was the one who'd dropped the hymn book.
"No, butI know him." I turned and walked quickly to the station, because I've always had a bad habit of not forgiving people until I can tell them off.
"You never told me you knew two people over here."
"Slipped my mind."
"Naomi, stop." Ashley grabbed my arm and turned me around. It wasn't hard, because she's alot stronger than I am, "You're going to make an idiot of yourself."
"How would you know?"
"Do you think you are?"
"Yeah, probably."
"Okay, cat-eyes, cool down." I cooled down, and when I realized she was monitering my face closly, I inched out of the streetlight - it was dark by now - so that my eyes appeared a cool tea color.
"Okay...what are you going to do?"
"Really? I was thinking I might tell him about how he ruined my performance last February."
"Naomi..."
"It hacked me off, Ashley. If you don't let go of my arm, I'll complain about it for the rest of your life."
"Are you gonna do something stupid?"
"Probably."
"Are...you gonna feel better?"
"Yeah."
"Okay," She let go of my arm, "Go."
I was surprised at how quickly she let go, maybe because I can be really annoying when I put my mind to it. She followed me inside, though. Even if my other friends had more or less ditched me, Ashley wouldn't. I was sure of that.
The guy looked up when we came in. I looked at his name tag quickly. His name was Steve. I think he was surprised to see us at this time of night without a car, especially when Ashley barely looks old enough to drive, and I looked about fourteen.
"How can I help you?" His voice sounded bored and monotonous. I couldn't blame him, I'd be pretty bored too if I had to work this late.
"I have something to clear up with you." I said in a quiet voice, since there were about three other people in the back of the room and I just really didn't feel like the getting involved.
"Yeah?"
"You and your friends came to a church last February where I was singing."
"I remember."
"While I was singing, you dropped a hymn book and interupted my song."
"I know."
There was a heavy silence.
"Why'dyou tell me that?"
"I wanted to come in and tell you that I remember it andit hacked me off."
"Okay." When I continued to stare at him, he looked angry and said, "Okay, then, I'm sorry I dropped a book."
I didn't talk, rather than just give him a angry look back and left.
"I forgot," I said suddenly, when we were across the street and then some down the sidewalk, "We should've asked him how to find the kid!"
"Let's go back, then." Ashley turned on her heel and started back towards the building.
"Uh...Ashley?"
"Hm?"
"That would be embarrasing."
"I'll talk, then. C'mon, otherwise we'll just be back here again. Might as well get it done this time."
"Fine."
I was staring at the floorand trying my best to make it look like Ashley made me go back to the station when we went in again.
"How can I help you." This Steve character looked annoyed that we were back. That made two of us.
"Hi," Ashley said as nicely as she could, "We were looking for a kid named Pony and we were wondering if you could help us?"
"Yeah. Here, I'll give you directions - or, wait a sec..." He walked calmly over to a door into what appeared to be a back room and stood there for a second. I could have sworn he was about to pass out or something, the way he was just looking around that room, when all of sudden he screamed,
"HEY! SODA! YOU IN HERE?"
Ashley and I cringed, and the other two guys looked up from their paper work.
"Yep." A muffled voice replied.
"Sounds like he's checking to make sure his hostage is still in the broom closet where he left him," I whispered to Ashley, who giggled, and replied, "I wish I had parents that would name me something like these ones over here. There's Pony, and Soda, and that drunk guy said his name was Two-Bit-"
"He was drunk, Ashley, so for all we know..."
Steve disappeared into the back room. About five minutes later, he reappeared.
"You can follow his brother home in five minutes."
"Uh...what if we wanted to come back tomorrow instead?"
"You-" He began sourly, but after exchanging glances with one of the old guys in the back, he continued, "I'll make you a map. Here."
He scribbled something out on a piece of paper and handed it to us. The old man in the back noddded approvingly.
We went outside, and read it. It said,
If you want to go tomorrow instead, you
have to remember where Soda goes tonight
and go there tomorrow. And be less uptight
when something goes wrong with your singing.
Ashley looked at me for a second, and started to laugh.I laughed lightly, but that was one thing I had to give to Emilie and Daphne. I really didn't laugh much anymore.
We went back in, and I really did keep my eyes on the floor this time, because I'd gone in there first thinking I was going to tell this guy off, and here he'd gotten the better of me.
"Don't look so happy."
I jumped out of my trance-like state, and banged my head on the wall. It wasn't just a normal bump, it left a nasty goose egg, but I tried to smile and laugh along with Ashley and whoever said it- I didn't see whoever said it when I hit my head, and after that my self confidence level was dwindling too much to put my head up again. So I laughed at my shoes.
I figured it must have been this Soda character who was there, but by the timeI stopped looking at the ground using my mop of hair to cover my face, we were well outside and on our way home. I was about ten or more feet behind Ashley and Soda, licking my wounds, you might say. They were talking about something that I wasn't paying attention to. Ashley has this way of being friends with everyone she meets. I think Steve might have actually not hated her. It's one of the first things I'm jealous of her of after height.
Eventually, Ashley called back to me. It was nice to know she remembered I was there. Myand my broken self-image.
How could I make myself look stupid three times in one night?
"Naomi, c'mere."
I didn't want to. ButI did.
"Yeah?"
"You've been way backthere the whole time."
"Yeah, myhead hurts."
"Nasty bump," Soda said from about two feet to Ashley's left, "I didn't mean to scare you, but you looked awful down."
I looked around Ashley, surprised that he'd spoken. Now that I actually looked at him...he was kinda cute.
"That Steve character in there..." I said, exasperated, "I told him about how he ruined my song, and then he managed to make me look stupid..."
"How'd he ruin your song?"
"I was singing at a church...he dropped a hymn book somehow, and it made a really loud bang on the ground. The organist stopped playing...it was awful."
"It was awful for my brother, too. He was really embarrased."
"I know. He came to tell me he was sorry later...you remember that?"
"I was there."
"I don't remember you." I nearly said 'I don't remember you being so damn good-looking' but I caught myself just in time. Otherwise I would have made myself look stupid four times in half and hour, and I might just start to walk directly towards an oncoming car.
I suddenly realized that blurting things out was something I used to do up until Grampy died. Maybe I was starting to act like my old self again, just because Emilie and Daphne had pointed it out.
"You're a good singer."
I felt myself blushing behind the weight on my head that I call my hair, another quality I thought I'd ditched when Grampy died, but I was a born performer.My voicedidn't falter.
"Thank You." (Mickey's version of A Christmas Carol is on TV! KICKASS! Christmas Freakin' Tradition!)
"Tell him what you said when Steve was yelling into the back room, Naomi!" Ashley said, and I realized how long it had been since someone had asked me to repeat something funny I'd said. It used to always be, 'What were you saying again, Nay-' or 'Tell them about the time where you said this-' Or Grampy would say, 'Mimi, what was that you said just a few minutes ago? I can't remember now.'
So naturally, I was thrilled. I'd show Daphne and Emilie I'd never changed.
"I was saying that it sounded like he was yelling to see if his hostage was still in the broom cupboard where he left him." I still didn't see what was funny about the it, because that was seriously the first thing that had come to mind. But Ashley and Soda found it funny. It was nice to have people laughing at my jokes again. I didn't realize how much I missed it.
