Here's Chapter 2. Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'm trying to get more reviews on this story, so I won't put up the next chapter until I get at least five reviews on this one. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Not mine.
These Are the Days
Chapter 2: Pieces of Me
"On a Monday, I am waiting
By Tuesday, I am fading
And by Wednesday, I can't sleep…"
Satisfied with the song on the radio, Lindsey DeWitt looked in the mirror, surveying her appearance. She had let her hair down and put a trucker hat that said "Cuter than You" sideways over it; in her ears glistened silver medium-sized hoops (I should get a second set of piercings soon, she thought to herself), and she wore an off-the-shoulder white shirt with the neck stretched out over a red tank top. The white shirt was tied in a knot behind her back, exposing her sparkling belly button ring; she had changed it recently from a pink and purple sparkler to a deep green one – emerald was Lindsey's birthstone. She also donned a black miniskirt and red chunky flip-flops; plastic bracelets were stretched and twisted on both of her wrists.
Lindsey smiled at her reflection. She looked good. She was preparing to go see a new band perform in a record store at the mall, and she was going with this guy she had met at the 4th of July block party a few days ago – Linny Papadakis.
Despite growing up in the same, tiny, hometown, Linny and Lindsey's paths never really crossed; Lindsey had moved to Stoneybrook when she was seven, and lived in a small house on the outskirts of town until her father married Natalie Barrett and their huge, blended family (seven kids – what a drag) moved into one big house. But from the friends she had made and what she'd heard, her house was nothing compared to the mansions on the rich end of Stoneybrook. She and Linny had never gone to the same school, never really hung out too much; there were these play groups and things when she was younger and was babysat by these nice girls that also babysat for Linny (and practically everyone else in the neighborhood), but that was five years ago. Now… Linny was a freshman at Stoneybrook High, and even though he didn't play football or anything (That would be so cliché, a football player and a cheerleader, Lindsey thought), he was still really cute, and had a great smile. And apparently, he and Lindsey shared the same taste in music; they both thought that Lindsey's stepbrother's band, Firecracker, wasn't all that great, and decided they wanted to go watch a heavier (and better) band play somewhere else.
"When the phone rings, I hear you
In the darkness, it's a clear view
'Cause you've come to rescue me…"
"Lindsey, turn that down! The phone's for you!" someone yelled from downstairs. At the moment, she really didn't care who.
She called out, "Okay, I got it!" and grabbed the cordless phone off the wall unit in the hallway, and said, "Hey, it's Lindsey."
"Hey. You need a ride?" It was the unmistakable voice of Linny.
"Actually… yeah, I do. I was planning to catch a ride to the mall with someone from my family today, 'cause there's always at least one person who goes out… but I guess not tonight."
"Well, Hannie's over here freaking out because she just found out that the band is having practice every day this week, since, apparently, you guys are going on vacation for a while starting next week." Hannie Papadakis was the backup singer for Firecracker.
Lindsey, forgetting for a minute what the phone call was actually about, grinned at the thought of leaving Stoneybrook for big city lights, the beach, and all the stuff you just couldn't get in a small town like she lived in. "Yep, we're going to Sea City, and then to New York City and Niagara Falls, and probably even Canada, too!"
She could hear Linny laughing on the other side. "What?"
"Nothing. It's just amusing to watch – I mean, hear — you get excited."
Lindsey raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "Anyway… my mom's gonna bring Hannie over there, so I figured she could bring you back here, and then we can go with my friends from here. Is that okay?"
"That sounds fine. I guess I'll see you later."
"Yep, see you, Linds."
Lindsey smiled at the use of the nickname that only her friends called her. "Okay." She hung up the phone and went back to her room, grinning like an idiot. I wonder if he likes me… maybe I should test him with a little flirting or something. Lindsey's grin grew mischievous and she peered in the mirror again. She smiled. She looked good, she was going out with a great guy, the song on the radio was good…
Picking up her hairbrush and using it as her microphone, she began to belt out the words with Ashlee Simpson. Singing was Lindsey's secret love, and hers alone; she had an amazing voice, but no one knew about it. There was just something about it that she wanted to keep to herself.
Lindsey stood in front of her mirror, imagining it as a camera and the space she was standing on as the American Idol stage. That was her dream. As she sang, her voice sounded even better than Ashlee's.
"Fall, sometimes I fall so fast
When I hit that bottom crash, you're all I have
Oh, it seems like I can finally rest my head on something real
I like the way that feels
Oh, it's as if you know me better than I ever knew myself
I love how you can tell
All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me
How do you know everything I'm about to say?
Am I that obvious?
And if it's written on my face,
I hope it never goes away… yeah"
She laughed in much the same way Ashlee did in her music video, and her reflection laughed with her. But then Lindsey noticed something else in her reflection that hadn't been there before.
Whirling around in horror, she found her stepbrother, Buddy Barrett, standing in the doorway, staring at her with his mouth open. Her look mirrored his for just a split second, and then she resumed her usual snobby attitude, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Can I help you?"
"I… uh… are you going somewhere?" Buddy seemed to recover from whatever shock Lindsey had given him.
"As a matter of fact, I am. Is that any of your business? Wait, I know. You're going to try and lecture me on what I wear, right? This is too revealing?"
Buddy snorted. "I don't care what you wear, Lindsey. It might matter to me who you go with, but as long as you're not naked, I don't care what you wear."
"Why should you care if I'm going out with Linny Papadakis?" Lindsey asked.
"Going out? Like, you're dating him?" Buddy's eyes went wide again.
"No, stupid. I'm going out somewhere with him. We're not dating – I've only met him once," Lindsey explained, rolling her eyes and acting if as she was talking to a little child (like her brother Ryan, who was seven). At least, we're not going out yet, Lindsey thought to herself, with a smirk.
Buddy rolled his eyes right back at her. "Geez, you don't have to get all dumb on me, I was just asking. Anyway, I came up here to find the phone – I need to call Bryant and see if he's coming." Bryant Phillips, a sixth-grader, was another member of Buddy's band – he played bass guitar. (Buddy himself played lead guitar.)
"Well, it's right here." Lindsey exchanged the hairbrush in her hand for the phone on her dresser and then handed it to Buddy. "Knock yourself out."
"Thanks." Buddy took it and was about to call Bryant, but he stopped. "Hey, Lindsey?"
"What?" she answered, in an exasperated tone.
"I didn't know you had such an amazing voice," he replied, sincerely.
Lindsey's expression (and demeanor) softened at the compliment, and she said, "Well, now you know."
And without another word, the two of them ventured downstairs. Lindsey went through the garage, surprisingly not bothering the three band members that were already there, though she did almost make a face at Jackie Rodowsky (the two of them had an intense dislike for each other that started in about the fifth grade) and resisted the urge to tip her hat to him and smirk, "How goes it, Ron?" (Everyone thought that Jackie looked like Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter movies, and they also knew that Jackie disliked Harry Potter with a passion. Consequently, Lindsey called him that every chance she got.) Instead, she walked confidently and wordlessly to the end of the driveway, where she saw a dark-haired girl climbing out of the minivan, waving her hands frantically. "Hey guys, I'm here!" Hannie yelled, rushing up the driveway as Lindsey made her way down.
"Save your breath, Bryant's not here yet," Lindsey commented, and then, to her surprise, another figure stepped out of the car, and Lindsey broke out into a grin.
"I thought you weren't coming," she said, putting on her best flirtatious look.
Linny shrugged. "Mom said that we were running late and that your house was on the way, anyway, so we decided we'd pick you up on the way. Come on, let's go."
The two of them looked at each other for just a split second, and Lindsey could feel his eyes looking her over. She threw a little oomph in her step, and Linny grinned. "You look hot."
"I try." Lindsey stole a glance back at her garage, where most of the people were staring at her with incredulity; she tossed them a smirk back, and with Linny's hand on the small of her back, guiding her in, she prepared to have a good time.